2nd Music Video Research: 'Panic Station' - Muse

Shot 1

The opening shots are of the band and the 'outtakes' or 'behind-the-scenes' footage. This is mid shot of one of the band members shows a mid action shot of him demonstrating what he can do in the music video itself. As this is an 'outtake' of the video, the shot is filtered in black and white showing it is not linked directly to the narrative of the video, or it shows a flashback/past events to the music video in a chronological order. 

Shot 2

Here is a long shot of the band in another outtake. This time, the lighting of this shot is concentrated in the middle as if the band are the highlight of the shot. Of course, due to the nature of the media and music video theories, the band are often the importance of the video; only when is it a narrative that the importance of the promotion of the band's image can the attention be drawn to such themes as a narrative.  

Shot 3

The music video is located in Japan. The genre lends itself to including conventional style of where the location is set. For example, you wouldn't typically have this title for a music video set in a Christian church for a classical piece. The title page includes Japanese writing with the writing 'Panic Station', which could mean the Japanese words could mean the song title; 'Panic Station'. 

Shot 4

We have an wide, establishing shot of which the location is set in a busy city in Japan. The shot could be described as panorama due to the wideness of the shot. We can see many pedestrians, possibly in set in rush hour, showing the busyness of the location.  


Shot 5

In this low angle shot, there are special effects that have been added in the editing process. The effects provide a lightning strike to the pavement. At this time in the music video, it is hard to imply what is happening in the video in terms of what the narrative shows.  


Shot 6

From the previous shot, it showed a lightning strike to the same position we see in this shot. However, now we see a member of the band, asleep on the pavement. The pavement still has 'smoke' rising from the pavement. Mise-en-scene shows Chris (the bass player in the band) wearing a very abstract costume - not the usual dress wear that a rock band would wear. In this music video, the audience learns that Panic Station is all about random and odd futuristic styles. 


Shot 7

We next see Dom (drummer in the band), who 'rises' up from the ground. Again, this shot has been edited to represent this effect - and is achieved by a series of jump cuts, shooting many ninety degree angles (roughly) of Dom slowly moving up. Effects are added (once again) in the editing process with a source of (bright blue) light as if he teleported from somewhere to this location. Mise en scene shows general public walking in the background, with some people in a blurred sense, showing they are in a hurry to get somewhere. 


Shot 8

Chris is captured in this mid shot, again showing a form of panorama due to wideness of the shot, capturing much of the location. He is leaning against a scooter. 





Shot 9

This shot can be described as an extreme close-up. Dom is shown to be staring at someone and transmitting some kind of power to them. Special effects have of course been added, with contrast/colour modifying his face, plus the blue light added to his eyes and in the direction the transmission is happening. 

Shot 10

From the previous shot, it showed Dom looking at someone in the distance. This is the person he captured with his 'special powers' and made this woman fall in love. We can see this by the special effect added, e.g. the heart-shaped symbols floating around her.   



Shot 12

In this long shot, we see the third and final member of the band appear from the ground, again. Special effects have been added which make the pavement look like it has cracked where Matt has been made to 'hit the floor'. With how he is positioned, he is in a dance position - imitating something out of 'Saturday night fever'. With the oddness of the video, this adds further random expression!


Shot 13

A jump cut appears and we see a close-up of Matt, in the same position but this time turned to the camera instead of his back (from the previous shot). Mise-en-scene in terms of his costume, shows some futuristic sunglasses which light up (from LED technology). As with the other band members, Matt is also wearing a very expressive costume.

Shot 14

This extreme long shot shows the band in a crowd of people, set in the centre of the city. The band can be seen in the middle due to the high colour contrast in comparison to the bystanders. A zoom camera movement happens as the band walk down the road.    

Shot 16

Here is a wide close up of the band in mid-performance. With Matt being in the middle and the other two member on the outside, he sings along in sync with the soundtrack as the others walking beside him dance to the music. A backwards tracking movement with camera is occurring in this shot as the band walk forward and down the street.  

Shot 17

In this diagonally-tilted long shot,  mise en scene shows the scene with abstract, fluorescent colours on the walls. The band are walking down the stairs whilst Matt is still singing in sync with the soundtrack of Panic Station.  



Shot 18

This is a point of view shot from the band looking down the stairs of this area known as 'Panic Station'. There is no blank or dull looking colours anywhere visible in the scene we are viewing as an audience. The idea of the band being in crazy, colourful costumes is that they are standing out from the rest because they could be portrayed as too 'out there' and very flamboyant. This idea that they stand out as shown in the previous shots could mean that when they get to this place, they don't stand out as much, in fact, they blend in/fit in, meaning that the place of 'panic station' could symbolise wildness. 

Shot 19

Here, the madness continues and we get a wide shot of the band with the extra people in animal/character costumes being apart of the random, psychedelic theme of the music video. This shot provides more (bright) light where they are finally in what is believed (in the video) to be 'Panic Station'. The band are now showcasing the performance base to the music video, whereas earlier on in the video, they showed the narrative.


Shot 20

In this low-angle mid shot, Matt is denoted to have a high status by the camera constructing the dominating view, with the audience looking up at Matt as he performs with his guitar. Not only is the dominating view considered, but also how powerful he looks with the stance he makes with his guitar.  


Shot 21

This next shot provides a much more extreme low-angle mid shot, where Matt is looked at as more dominant - even more so than the previous.  





Shot 22 

Here, Chris (bass player) is shown to be in the performance 'zone', playing the bass and shown to be enjoying the performance and music.





Shot 23

With the psychedelic theme of the music video, Matt continues to dance along with the music. Shots of Matt remain to be low-angle mid shots, still showing dominance and high status. 




Shot 24

Another low-angle mid shot shows Dom miming the drums on the wall, may I add conforms to the theme of psychedelic and has crazy, abstract colours - that consists of fluorescent, bright graffiti styled writing. 




Shot 25

The pace of the editing gets quicker as the guitar solo is introduced at this point in the music video. Here we have straight cuts and a mid shot of Matt in a moving chair. 




Shot 26

Straight cuts are still consistent and Dom and Chris joins the costumed extras in what is known as the 'can can' dance. I feel this is all apart of the spontaneousness and is denoted as quite random.  



Shot 27

It is now Dom that sits in the chair and the camera involves a steady zoom in. Quick-paced editing is still very prominent in this scene/section of the music video. 





Shot 28

Now the three members of the band are sitting in the chair and the camera remains stationary. The lightning remains bright and colours are still abstract.





Shot 29

Camera still remains stationary in this long-wide shot. The lighting gets more interesting, this time with multi-coloured lasers. 





Shot 30

The end of the video consists of outtakes or 'behind-the-scenes' footage again. 








Shot 31

Shot 32

Debrief: Lesson - 11.07.2013

Today, me and my compadré Chris, have been researching and planning into Music Videos.

I have chosen to research Vertigo by U2, which is wholly performance based.
Chris has chosen to research State Hospital by Frightened Rabbit, which narrative based.

1st Music Video Research: 'Vertigo' - U2

Shot 1 

The first shot is an establishing shot of the band in some kind of desert style scene. The band is hard to see at first as they are far in the distance. As a performance based music video, the band already reveals themselves in the 'performance zone' - with Bono (the lead singer) in a Elvis style position, the rock look, with his hand up in the air and standing at a slant. The other members of the band with their instruments, in the performance positions ready to introduce the song by playing; with the instruments playing first in Vertigo. 

Shot 2

The second shot shows a wide angle close-up of the drummer, which not also includes the performer but also a part of his instrument. The drummer is shown to be in mid-action of what he is playing, a main convention of music video's with a performance theme. 




Shot 3

This shot shows the three frontmen of the band in a diagonal line in mid-action again. The lightning is bright, with the band contrasting the colour of the shot by wearing all black. 





Shot 4

The chorus of the song is now in full swing from this high angle crane shot, with the camera moving with fast paced. From shot one, the editing was already faced paced, however it is even faster with the chorus, the chorus being the 'heaviest' and at it's fullest texture - allowing more exciting angles and quicker tempo for the shots. In the editing process, the editor has added a special effect of adding black streaks to the band members. As stated in the previous shot, the band are wearing black and the black streaks adding some excitement to the video. 

Shot 5

This shot shows a close up of the lead singer, Bono. He is, again, in mid action of performing. The light is bright with a light blue sky background. 






Shot 6 

The edge is mostly captured through a wide angle mid shot, but also capturing the drums and partly Bono. The band is currently playing the second verse in the song. The lighting has got slightly more brighter, with the pure white floor and sky. 




Shot 7

The camera captures half of Bono in a close up shot. He is in mid action of performance, with his arm up ready to sing into the mic, typically showing performance characteristic and passion into his performance.






Shot 8

In this close up, Bono is the main focus, with a blurred focus of The Edge (the lead guitarist). Bono continues with the performance image, this time showing more passion and matching the lyrics with his body language - Bono goes to touch his head near his eyes whilst the lyrics sync with: "Your eyes are wider..."



Shot 9 

The second chorus occurs at this point, and this shot consists of a low-angle wide shot. As The Edge plays the chorus, he presents a stance in his performance to show he is enjoying the performance, very 'into it'! A blurred focus captures Bono in the background on standby to be miming the next part of the Chorus.

Shot 10

This establishing/extreme long shot shows the band in the third verse of the song. The pace of the editing is slower as the verse in comparison to the Chorus has a much slower tempo.





Shot 11

In this scene/bridge section in the song, there is a tilt shot (starting from up) down to the shot we see now, where Bono is on his knees in a traditional rock/passionate performing stance. At this point, the music all fades dramatically and the pitch of the music (including the vocals) decreases to nothing. Bono's 'on his knees' stance from where he was standing is in sync with the music, where the pitch dramatically decreases as if Bono is symbolic of the music and how it works.



Shot 12

Start of A2 Advanced Portfolio

Dear reader,

This is the opening title page to my blog.

My student details area as follows:

Candidate Name:        Jordan Heather
Candidate Number:    3388
Centre Number:          22321

Our chosen brief is:    Music Video