Analysing Music videos: Gengahr-'She's a Witch'
An example of a narrative based music promo:
Gengahr's 'She's a witch' is a perfect example of a narrative based video. The video is set around the 1 around the Medieval time period. The act of dunking was used to test whether women were guilty to witchcraft. Dunking was a form of live entertainment for the locals, the theory stated that if they were to sink it shows innocence, alternatively if they floated on the surface it was an indication to 'witchcraft' and would immediately be executed. People truly believed that witches had an advantage over others, the power of magic. They were believed to have the ability to improve hunting skills, grow crops faster, and to even make females and Gods animals fertile. Mankind at that time was very superstitious and lacked knowledge. As they did not have the material and resources to prove what caused illness and disease, they would simply blame superstition.
Mise-en-scene: (Setting & Location)
Definition of mise-en-scene:
noun
- 'the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play'
Location:
I unfortunately could not gather too much information about the location of the music promo online. This may be because the new/upcoming band has not had too much recognition yet, therefore facts online are minimal. However, at first glance I can clearly see that the the video is located in a rural area to depict the lifestyle of villagers in the medieval times. There are a wide variety of trees bordering their area, they appear to be casting shadows which convey a sinister atmosphere. The homes within the village are featured, they appear to either be the peasants houses made from sticks and straws which once accommodated animals along with humans. Or perhaps early-period medieval cottages for women and nobleman. Inside the homes there are pheasants hanging which were presumably hunted for clothing and food. The camera follows through a slight tunnel which is formed from stone and overgrown grassland. Soon after there are low-to high shots of the witch standing on what seems to be a rocky surface up high overlooking the murky water which she soon to be 'dunked' in.
Make-up and costume:
To match the time period the band have chosen to represent, the cast are dressed head to toe in English medieval clothing. Their clothing is more for practical purposes, as it appears to supply warmth in a rather no-flattering way. The actors/actresses either have socks udones on their feet or ankle-high weak leather boots. The colour choices for clothing are very dull, mostly browns, blacks and greys. The majority of the cast are dressed in shapeless tunics with dirty cream shirts underneath. The men either wear a traditional medieval felt hat or Cucullus styled hood. Women on the other hand are wearing coif hats or not hat at all. The main character of the supposedly 'witch' is dressed in a navy blue faded gown/robe. The richness of her ginger hair colour contradicts beautifully against her outfit, making it obvious to the viewer that she is playing a significant role within the music promo.
Focusing on the makeup of the cast:
The cast have very natural, close to even no makeup on. Their skin appears pale and drained with the occasional rosy red patches to show unfortunate burns from the sun. The majority of the females hair is mad in knotty curls, and shades of vivid ginger and dark tones of brown are noticeable amongst both genders. Bruises and bleeding from attacks are painted on very realistically, allowing the audience to seek the authenticity within the narrative.
Lighting:
The lighting seems authentic as it is set outdoors and I presume the Director was aiming to achieve a natural effect to mirror the exact surrounding of that time period. The only source of light other than the sun, is open flames which are carried by the cast. The flames create a warm glow against the scenery and the faces of others. Tiny candle-lit flames are positioned within the house to enhance the brightness, also the window next to the girl purposefully casts a bright beam of light over the chair she has been sat in. Through careful analyses I think that filming took place in the early hours of the morning. My reasoning for this is because the video starts off quite dark and gradually becomes lighter over the course of the day.
Focus Group, what I have learnt from analysing Gengahr 'She's a witch':
Although I am focusing on 'indie, alternative rock' and this genre of music is purely 'indie-rock' I have still managed to note down the vital factors which help to form the indie-rock genre. One major factor is the colouring of the promo, the neutral dull colours creates this effortless natural effect which I believe most indie-rock bands try to put across. This genre of music videos lack vivid colours and saturation in props and lighting, for example the video was filmed in the early hours of the morning, therefore sombre lighting was to be expected. Another factor i've noticed is the to association with nature, whether this may be because filming took place outside, or perhaps shots of greenery and flowers were incorporated into a frame. An example of this is Gengahr's - 'Shes a witch' which was filmed over a wide spread of greenery where the Director filmed villagers running across fields and near the rocky edges.
A few more examples of nature in indie-rock videos:
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| Arctic Monkeys 'Snap out of it' INDIE ROCK GENRE |
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| Foster the people 'Pumped up kicks' INDIE ROCK GENRE |
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| Two door cinema club - 'Something good can work' INDIE POP GENRE |
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| The xx - VCR INDIE ROCK GENRE |
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| Vampire Weekend - 'Oxford Comma' INDIE POP/ROCK GENRE |
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| Florence and the machine - 'Rabbit heart INDIE POP/ROCK GENRE |
This is just a small collection of the indie/pop rock videos which incorporate the essence of nature within their promos. The inclusion of nature is symbolic towards the freedom which young teens are capable of feeling and experiencing. The colour green is associated with 'growth' and 'harmony' which perhaps supplies a chilled atmosphere for which teenagers feel comfortable surrounding themselves in.
The narrative storyline within 'She's a witch' partners nicely with the song lyrics. Perhaps this is because the band are trying to appeal to a younger audience and do not wish for a contradicting video which may confuse their viewers. An example of the lyrics partnering with the narrative is when the band sing ' Maybe She'll sink, maybe she'll fly' and the camera focuses on the actress which is being tied down to the chair. Moments after when the lyrics 'maybe she'll fly' is sung, the camera tilts towards the pheasants hanging from the ceiling to resemble the word 'fly'.
Example is below:
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