Seminal Music Video Analysis (Morgan)

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit


Nirvana were a band from Seattle, Washington who rose to fame in the early 90s in large part to their studio album 'Nevermind' which featured perhaps their biggest hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.

The band consisted of drummer Dave Grohl, bass guitarist Krsit Novoselic and frontman Kurt Cobain. 

Technical Aspects

Mise En Scene 

The music video is set in a school gymnasium and is filled with everything you ordinarily expect to see in it, a basketball hoop, crowd seats etc. 

As there a cheerleaders in the middle of the gym you expect to see vibrant colours however the dull greyish mise en scene jars with our typical idea of what a packed out celebratory gym would look like.Nirvana play there set in the middle of the gym next to the cheerleaders and its almost as if they are orchestrating the chaos that is transpiring 
around them as the crowd goes crazy to the grunge they play.


Camera Work

The production features constant close-ups of Dave Grohl (drummer) and Kurt Cobain (guitarist) which is effective as it shows them shaking their heads to the beat of the music they're playing helping to install mayhem, this is heightened by their appearance as they sport long, messy 'rock-like' hairstyles.
Sound

The genre of the music played in the video is grunge, the words of the lyrics of the song are rather slurred and this is mirrored by the visuals


At times during the song the lyrics are shouted which again incites chaos, the crowd cheer harder and more aggressively.

Editing

Multiple scenes of the video are slowed down, the majority featuring the cheerleaders and spectators of the band swaying and 'headbanging'. This has the effect of heightening the chaos that is unfolding before the audience as their actions linger. 

Kendrick Lamar - Alright

Kendrick Lamar is a multi grammy winning rapper from Compton, California. Born in the late 80s he's writes often about growing up in an era and environment rife with crime, corruption and the constant reminder that the threat of death and vices are always nearby.

















The video 'Alright' is a grammy nominated track from his 2015 grammy winning album 'To Pimp A Butterfly'.

Technical Aspects

Mise En Scene

The video is shot entirely in black and white which gives it a retro feel however it also hints at an element of timelessness something which rings true in his lyrical content as well.

Props such as the police's cars and guns highlight their power and authority in the video, something which resonates throughout the video up until the dramatic climax where the subject of the film is shot a policeman who does so coldly with no remorse, this is highlighted by his emotionless expression and the fact that the act is carried out simply with his hands and without the prop of the gun which is a metaphor for the ease in which he murder's Kendrick's character.

Props such as the policemen's hats display their position and stance within society, which near the beginning of the video contrasts with the hat of a pedestrian as his beanie reads 'our life', this once more hints at the conflict between the policemen and the people especially at the the political time this video is shot in (present). 

Camera Work

The production is peppered with close-ups of props, in particular the camera focuses on the prop of the policeman's gun. It focuses up this toward the middle of the video and near the end of the video to highlight the impact of the police's physical authority in the street. 

The high-angle shots of the people would usually emphasise inferiority however the people are in numbers and are together which in contrasts depicts solidarity and strength in numbers.

Sound

The track is introduced by the artist's voice speaking to the audience, he's setting the scene and painting a picture. His attempts to reason with those who mis-use their position of authority - police in america.
The name and chorus of the song are extremely fitting, especially at the time the track dropped. It was during a time of racial and political unrest as essentially african americans were being unjustly murdered by the police.

The track ends in a similar fashion to the intro, Kendrick speaks as an ambient instrumental plays in the background which is effective as it contrasts with the upbeat tone of the song and reinforces the seriousness of the production.

Editing

One of the most apparent pieces of editing in this video is of the subject character  levitating throughout the video, this gives the character a 'spiritual like' presence which with the theme of the video with young black people dying is apt.