lostprophets music video analysis

Last Train Home

The story:

At the start the camera pans the car driving round a corner with a train passing behind. Various shots cross over (but in black and white) with a lot of people on bikes and running about are seen from a long shot. There is then a low angle shot of 2 people leaning over a balcony. It then switches back to the car with a mid shot of the boy and girl sitting in the car. It then goes to the other half of the video where close ups, long shot, framed shot and high shots are used to portray the band at different angles. It goes back to the scene with the car but you now see a mid shot of the people driving the car. You then have a shot of a truck which the and are singing on top of. Lots of people are gathered and flowing alongside the truck. Numerous shots of the singer with a microphone just singing to the camera. It cross's over back to the other half of the video and you see the people looking at a map. You then have a close up of the girl sitting in the back. During the chorus you mainly see various shots of the band with lots o people jumping around them. Again it cross's over back to the 2 people in the car where there's a 2 shot. This implies that there may be a relationship or connection between the 2. You see the car drive away and you get a rapid change of shots of the people sitting in the car. You then get a lot of low angle shots of the band. A load of people are then seen getting into the car. There is then a mid shot of the boy and girl stuck in the back with random people. It reaches the chorus and the shots go back to focusing on the band. As it reaches the break there is a consistent beat and as it changes so does the shots on the screen. They change from the drummer to guitarist, to singer, to guitarist and then back to the drummer You finally see the girl in the front turn around in the car and take a Polaroid picture of the girl and boy in the back. You then have a close up of the keyboards and a 2 shot of the girl and boy in the back of the car looking at the photo. It reaches the chorus once again and there numerous shots and angles of the band, mainly the singer. As he holds onto the final note the camera focuses on the main singer but switching between angle of low angle, side angle and close ups. You finally see the car pull up outside a gate.

Information about the song:

It was there second single from their album Start Something and came joint highest charting in the UK. It was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mise en scene:

Whenever there is a scene of the band, its always in black and white, but when you see the narrative storyline of the people in the car its in colour. Colour looks lively so the video may be trying to make the crowd around the band look more alive and lively.

When it reaches the chorus there's always various shots of the band with very rapid camera movements with many close ups of the bands instruments and especially the singer.

lostprophets-band research

Lostprophets Factfile:

-Welsh rockband (from Pontypridd)

-formed in 1997

-founded by Ian Watkins, Mike Lewis, Mike Chiplin and Lee Gaze.

-They've released 4 albums.

Present Band Members:

-Ian Watkins (Vocals)

-Mike Lewis (Rhythum guitar)

-Lee Gaze (lead Guitar)

-Stuart Richardson (bass)

-Jamie Oliver (suth, turntables, sample, vocals)

-Luke Johnson (drums, percussion)

Albums released:

-Thefakesoundofprogress

-Start Something

-Liberation Transmission

-The Betrayed

Their History

The Beginning 1997-2000

The band attracted 2 music publishers one of them Kerrang! and the other Metal Hammer. In 1999 they signed with the Independent label Visible Noise.

Thefakesoundofprogress 2000-2002

Their debut album was release via Visible Noise (november 2001). However they had also signed up with columbia ( division of sony records) but release their records in Europe through Visible Noise.

Start Something 2003-2004

Their first single Burn Burn was released in 2003 with their album following in 2004. However their album and tour was delayed several times. The toped the UK Albums Chart at number 4 selling over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Liberation Transmission 2005-2007

This album was released in late 2006 (failing to be released originally in early 2006 as they had planned). It revealed a new music style from the band that was more upbeat and modernised with less scream-0.

Styles and Influence

- Commonly termed as nu metal and hard rock.

-Altrenative Rock is a strong influence to their music

- Their music is termed "an aggressive style of rock, blending strong driving guitars, groove and bounce and pop elements and accessibility."

- Their music has said to have combined softer melodies with aggressive edge

- The lyrics have ranged from sombre to aggressive

Lyrics Translation

We have chosen our song for our music video called "For He's A Jolly Good Felon" by lostprophets.

We have taken a detailed look at the lyrics and translated them into what we think the meanings of the sentences mean.

Simon, don't stop with all the lying. (Sarcastically saying don't stop lying)
'Cause we know where your from, (we know who you are and what your up to)
you get along by taking things that don't belong to you. (You get by by stealing)
So can you feel it? (does it make you feel good)
Oh when you steal it! (when you go around stealing)
All that adrenalin, living in sin, (can you feel all that adrenalin, is it worth it?)
and you can sell it off for half the price! (You sell it for cheap)
Oh what would your mother say? (your going against you mum)

We take to get along, (We're only stealing because we have to, to survive.)
we're holding on, we're holding on, (We're doing just fine)
and all these estates we're on,
everyone's singing! (We ALL need to do it.)

Mikey, oh where'd you get those Nikes? (You've just stolen Nike Trainers)
'Cause I know you ain't got, the notes to drop. (I know you don't have the money)
Left alone you'd take the fucking lot! (If you were left alone, you'd steal the whole lot)
Not succeding, nothing to believe in. (When your not stealing you've got nothing to look to)
Cause it will all go wrong, everything's gone. (It will all go wrong and you'll have nothing left)
Now your future is on the roll of a dice, (Your gambling your life, you never know what will happen.)
and that's the price that you pay! (Thats what you get for stealing)

We take to get along, (We steal to live)
we're holding on, we're holding on, (We're doing just fine)
and all these estates we're on,
everyone's singing! (Everyone's doing it)
We don't need anyone! ( We don't need anyone to help us)
We're holding on, we're holding on, (We're doing just fine)
all the police are wrong,
so we're still singing. (No one's helping us, so we'll do it on our own)

7 days a week, patrolling all these streets. (We have to steal 7 days a week, we can never stop)
I try to stop, but I can't help it. ( I try to resist but i just have to steal)
I know you call me weak, my future is oblique. ( You think i'm pathetic and i've ruined my future ahead of me)
I take to get along, cause I still need it. ( I steal to survive and i need to do it)

We take to get along, (we steal to survive)
we're holding on, we're holding on, (we're doing just fine)
and all these estates we're on,
everyone's still singing! (Everyones got to do it)
We take to get along, (we steal to survive)
we're holding on, we're holding on, (we're doing just fine)
and all these estates we're on,
everyone's singing! (everyone agrees we have to steal!)

We don't need anyone! (We don't need anyones help)
We're holding on, we're holding on! (We're doing just fine)
We don't need anyone! (we don't need anyones help)
Everyone's singing. (everyone has to do it)
We don't need anyone! (We don't need anyones help)
We're holding on, we're holding on! (we're doing just fine)
We don't need anyone! (we don't need anyone to help)
'Cause we're still singing. (Cause we're still here and surviving!)

Music Video Deconstruction

Rihanna & Eminem "Love The Way You Lie"

The videos about a couple in a relationship where one minute their in love and the next their fighting. The video casually flashback's to the past where they were happy. The video also shows the domestic abuse between the couple.

The story:

There is a narrative story throughout the video and alternates constantly between the running storyline and Rihanna and Eminem singing. It switches between the good times and the bad times in their relationship.

It starts off with a close up of Rihanna singing with flames in the background. It then alternates to a scene with a couple laying on a bed and then back to Rihanna. It then again switches to a room with the girl sitting on the floor holding fire in her hands.

When the verse starts the girl is laying on the bed and as soon as the beat introducing the verse begins she opens her eyes simultaneously.

During the verse Eminem is in a desolated field. It switches to a scene where the girl looks at her boyfriends hand and notices a girl’s number on it. She then angrily throws his arm off her and gets out of bed. She starts fighting with him on the bed and he pushes her to the mattress and she responds by spitting in his face. As Eminem raps im leaving you, the girl says it at the corresponding time. She punches him in the face and they begin fighting again. He pushes her up against the wall and punches it. When the chorus begins the camera goes back to filming Rihanna singing, whilst the storyline goes to flashbacks of when the couple were happy and their making out. You then see the guy sitting on the sofa thinking and the scenes flicker between them both at home with their head in their hands and then scenes where their sitting at a bar and have just met. As it gets back to the verse it goes back to filming Eminem in the field.

The scene that follows shows the guy stealing alcohol from the shop. Their then sitting on top of a liquor store making out. It then switches back to the house with the girl sitting on the floor in the corridor and the guy walks up to her and gives her a teddy with a flower.

Again it reaches the chorus and goes back to filming Rihanna standing in front of a burning house.

You see the couple sitting in their living room on the floor together and making out. You then see the couple fighting in the bar as the guy punches someone. Eminem now joins Rihanna in front of the house. You see the girl trying to get away by running through the house and locking a door as the house burns the guy slaps the girl and knocks her to the ground. You now have a 2 shot of Rihanna and Eminem together. The girl and the guy are made to look as though their burning along with the fire and at the end you see them back sleeping on the bed. The story goes round in a complete circle and so we finish where it started.

Most of the camera shots of rihanna are close ups showing the intensity and passion of what she's singing about. Nearly all the camera shots of the couple are 2 person wide shot to help establish that their in a house together and that there must be some special connection and relationship between the due implying their a couple.

Most colours used are dark deep colours and most include reds, oranges and browns which connotate the colours of fire which of course in the video the house is burning down.

In nearly every scene there is some form of red (eg. Rihannas nails and lips are red, in the house there are red ornaments) this connotates danger (the fire and abuse) and also love ( the couple relationship).

There are special effects used to create the people burning and the fire that they hold. Also a camera flare is used as eminem raps in the field to suggest its day and the reflection of the sun.

Music Video Deconstruction

Lady Gaga " Paparazzi"

The Story:

The video is shot at a seaside mansion with a sea view balcony and the sound of seagulls in the background. Lady Gaga and her boyfriend are making out on the bed, they move to the balcony and continue. A hidden photographer starts to take photos and Gaga soon realises she is being used by the man for him to become famous and so attempts to push him away and stop him. He then out of anger pushes her over the balcony and kills her. The paparazzi come flooding around her and start taking photos of her lying dead on the floor whilst every so often a tabloid newspaper would pop up on the screen saying "Lady Gaga is Over".

The song starts with Gaga getting out of a stretch limousine and straight into a wheelchair with the help of males alongside.The camera switches from between 2 different scenes, 1 currently in the wheelchair pushed up along the isle and the other with Gaga on a couch just singing to the camera. She then gets us and walks down the rest of the isle using crutches. On the beats at the end of the chorus the camera changes to different scenes with dead maids. She starts to make out with 3 other girls on the couch. It then goes back to the scene with her on the isle but with a different costume of a white body suit. There's a lot of flashing lights whilst she wears a filmstrip dress as if its taking photo after photo.

The next scene you see Gaga with her boyfriend reading a magazine on the sofa. She again has another costume change and wears a yellow jumpsuit and black sunglasses. She pours him a drink and releases a white powder out of the ring into the drink. He drinks it and it kills him.

You hear in the background Gaga call 911 and admit she just killed her boyfriend. Forensic scientists and police come round and discover the body and Lady Gaga is arrested in handcuffs with paparazzi taking photos and again tabloids just like at the beginning but now saying "She's Back".

The song was written to portray her struggles with the quest to fame. The lyrics describe a stalker following someone to grab the attention of the media and gain fame. The music video is trying to show Gaga as famous whilst being hounded by photographers and who is almost killed by her boyfriend. The video tries to show her survival/ comeback/ revenge and her experiences with fame.

I think it tries to show what celebrity's have to go through when they become famous and how their harassed by the press and followed constantly. It also shows what extent young people will go to to become famous and how far their willing to put themselves out there and do things to become recognised.

Throughout the video the mise en scene used is black and white. This connotates with the colours of newspapers which paparazzi work for. You also constantly hear non digetic sound of clicking cameras and the sound of flashing lights which make you feel as if the paparazzi follow your every move and you can never get away from them.

Here is Lady Gaga's Music Video.