Real music video media texts - 'Everlong' by Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters - Everlong

Narrative
The narrative of this music video begins with a couple (lead singer Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins) laying in bed sleeping. It then becomes apparent that Dave Grohl's character is having a nightmare, shown by a surreal occurrence of events that are featured throughout the video. The main characters are seen to have different dreams, in which the female character is seen in trouble with to 'bad guys', and is then saved by the husband in her dream. It refers to the 5 stages of Todorov's theory, mainly in which an equilibrium is interrupted, is recognised, and resolved and a new equilibrium is reached. Intertextuality is used in this piece whereby it could be seen as a reference to the film Evil Dead, however not every aspect of the film is incorporated in the music video.
Settings
The setting of this house starts of in a suburban American street, and enters the house of the couple. As the camera tracks up the stairs of the house, it shows pictures of the couple showing that they are in love with eachother. We then enter their bedroom, where we see the couple sleeping.
Once we see the character enter his dream state, we're transported to a different setting in a different house in which a party is occurring. Once the party setting has been established for this characters dream, we see the other characters dream and the setting changes to a cabin in a forest. These two settings are seen several times throughout the duration of the video, until the end where we are taken back to the original house of the characters.
Shots used
Different shots were used in this video to show different things. Long shots and medium shots were featured, and close ups on the faces of the characters to show the emotion and confusion, as well as the uncomfortable nature of their sleep during the dream.
Transitions
In order to successfully exhibit the idea of a surreal dream state, transitions are used to differentiate between real life and the dream itself. A blurry wave effect is used to generate the idea of surreal happenings in the dream, and showcases the impression of uneasiness, confusion and disorientation.

 

 

As well as these disorientating transitions, jump cuts are used frequently. These could be to show the fast pace of the dream, and how rapidly the confusion can occur.

Representation

The main representation seen here is the fact that females are typically seen as delicate, helpless and timid compared to men. This is apparent whereby we see the female character as the damsel in distress, and is rescued by her husband as he beats up the bad guys. This is a largely stereotypical aspect, that shows women in a negative light, showing that they cannot fight for themselves and must rely on males to save them.

Conclusion

To summarize, the music video for Everlong by Foo Fighters is primarily funny, which is what Foo Fighters' music videos are popular for. Its narrative applies to the 5 stages of narrative, and targets the audience of Foo Fighters largely and effectively.

 

Knowledge of music videos

Why do we have music videos?

Music videos have been used for many years for a wide variety of reasons. The majority of which are for financial gain for the production company, record label and artist themselves. One reason for having music videos is the promotion of the song and artist. This means that it advertises both the song itself as well as the performer, meaning they become more popular, which ultimately results in a higher grossing artist for the record label. Secondly, it is a potential catalyst for higher paying record deals with larger companies such as Virgin Records and Universal Music. This can lead to further endorsements or sponsors for the artist, which means a higher financial income for the artist and related crew. Thirdly, it broadens the exhibition platforms. This means that instead of just playing the song on radio, it is available to the audience on their TV’s, as well as social media sites on their computers, tablets and mobile phones. This means it is much more popular, resulting in higher profits for the production company and the artist.

 What do we expect music videos to have in them?

Music videos – in terms of narrative) are expected to have the following five stages that were founded by Todorov:
1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
2. A disruption of that order by an event.
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium
Todorov’s theory apply to the majority of music videos, or at least some of the stages. This adds to the impact of the narrative, and gives a basic structure for a 3-5 minute film that accompanies the song itself.
We also expect to see some sort of performance by the artist themselves. This is common in a vast majority of music videos, and can add to the effect of the song itself as well as the lyrics.

How will it help?
By looking at the above information, we will use these aspects, particularly Todorov's theory, in our video. This will ensure we have the characteristics of a successful video, and therefore make it extremely plausible we have a professional looking music video, which will certify we have a high graded piece.  

Name & candidate number

Rhys Willett
8294