Analysis of Previous Student Work - (If You Talk Too Much...- People In Planes)

 

My favourite music video produced by A2 Coombe Media students from previous years is for People In Planes' 'If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)'. A great strength of this work is that it demonstrates the true disjunctive nature of music video perfectly by incorporating abstract concepts such as the 'bleeding' balloon, which may represent the artist's desire to be free from all the surrounding chaos. This ambiguous development of ideas highlight how the group have chosen to relate the visuals to the song through 'amplification' - the mark of the true music video Auteur and defines the director as an artist. From my background research on music video directors, Spike Jonze is one who always amplifies the original song's meaning and effect, typically through surreal humour. I think that this particular group took inspiration from Jonze, as elements of dreamlike humour are evident in their video, for example, the comedic portrayal of the work boss and the 'day-dreamer' character played by the artist. We definitely aim to take inspiration from iconic music video directors and either illustrate, amplify or disjoin our ideas (Goodwin's Dancing in the Distraction Factory).

However, if I was producing the music video there are some flaws that I would correct. I noticed that most of the edits did not cut to the beat or key rhythm which would really benefit the video since the song possesses a strong pop/rock pulse and the fact this was ignored threw the whole experience slightly off-kilter. Additionally, there is a lack of camera movement such as stock tracking and panning shots which usually embellish music video and create a sense of dynamism. I would definitely add shots of the camera slowly tracking towards the artist sitting at the desk to 'invite' the viewers into his bizarre/insane state of mind and then pan closely around his head so the audience feel as if they are placed in his position; all of which would create an intimate connection between the artist and the audience. What's more, there is no sign of any instrumental performance and although the group may have wanted to intentionally focus on the artist himself, I would include simple instrumentation 'triggers' of the artist frustratingly tapping a pencil on the desk to emphasise the drum beat or tapping his fingers on the typewriter to imitate the melody of the guitar.

Despite the above-mentioned weak points, I adore the authentic mise-en-scene; a white box-room signifying entrapment whilst resembling a blank canvas (metaphorical for life) and all the manic occurrences that happen within this 'box' symbolise the chaotic nature of everyday life. This amplified representation of normality is surely an aspect which anyone can identify with and creates a sense of realism within the music video. Moreover, the lighting and tone of each shot is kept consistent throughout the video which meshes the entire sequence together and helps to achieve a seamless flow. This was most likely achieved using the 'colour corrector' function available in Final Cut Express, a tool which helps to fine-tune the colourisation of each shot and something we will make great use of when editing our music video. 

Overall, I believe this to be an exceptionally strong music video which has inspired me to think of plenty of 'abstract' ideas to include in our own music video to increase audience intrigue. Furthermore, the group have included a variety of camera shots, mainly focusing on the predominant close-up shot to emphasise the commodity on sale - the artist, the song and the husky, rock n' roll grain of voice.