Detailed analysis of a music video using theory of Goodwin

Digipak analysis

Kings of Leon - Only by the Night

Only by the Night is an album released by American rock band Kings of Leon in 2009. The cover art features an unusual image, merging the faces of each member with the face of an eagle, the eyes and beak of which can be seen in the centre of the image. This image seemingly has no relation to the name of the album but does have a link to the colour scheme used, with darker colours being primarily used. The back of the album features the reverse side of the cover image and shows the back of an eagles head with no trace of the band members visible. This unusual choice of cover could help to attract its audience as its eye-catching and unique design could stand out above other album cover. The presence of an eagle on both the front and back of this album could appeal to an American audience in particular, as the bald eagle is a common symbol of freedom in the USA which is also a very patriotic country, therefore this could give this digipak more of an appeal to an American audience, but this is likely to not be considered by audiences in other countries, plus this design could just have appealed to the band, as well as having a link to the band as they them selves are American.

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The Script - Science & faith

In this digipak we see a picture of the band on the album cover instead of a piece of artwork which is common among other albums. In this one we seen a picture of the band upon a cardboard case, which will make the album instantly recognisable to fans, as it shows who the album is by, which is confirmed by the bands name in white text, located in the top right hand side of the album. The name of the album "Science and Faith" can be found just under the band name in very small text, which could cause people to have to come and get a closer look at the album if they want to know what it's called. Inside the digipak we find a disc with artwork of an atom on in. This is relative as it can be linked to the "science" in the albums name and makes for an interesting design. Inside the cardboard case a plastic container which holds the disc can be found. This case has a different cover design to the cardboard case it is held in and show two images. On the  front of the case we can see two hands holding one another, and on the back we see a different image of two hands palm to palm. This relates to the "faith" part of the album's title, as the hands could possibly be depicted as belonging to two people that have faith in one another. The background on these images is the same on each, with what seems to resemble old and aging paper, which gives the album a more serious and mature feel to it, possibly resembling the nature of the band. At the back of the album we can see the barcode tucked away in the bottom left corner, as to not obstruct the image of the hands, which is also joined by what looks like a playlist in the top right corner, which will show the audience what songs are on the disc without using any excess material which could be found inside the case instead.

9 frame analysis

My Chemical Romance - Teenagers:

 In the very first frame of the music video of Teenagers by My Chemical Romance we see a shaky medium shot of the band from side on, with this effect giving the impression that somebody i recording their performance with a hand held device. This shot lasts for a total of 7 seconds and the camera moves continuously throughout before eventually stabilising to show the lead singer of the and as he begins to sing towards the end of the 7 second period.

In this second shot we see a group of cheerleaders positioned behind the band as they begin to play for a period of only a few seconds before the shot changes again. In this short time however we see the cheerleaders crouched down and two of them stood up facing the opposite direction, suggesting that they are taking part in the band's performance and are waiting for their queue to begin cheerleading as the band plays. These teenagers are relevant to the song as being a cheerleader is a popular activity among teenage school girls, particularly in the USA, therefore their presence puts emphasis on the songs title and the overall setting of the video as it soon becomes clear that this is all taking place within a high school.





In this next frame we see a medium shot of one of the band members playing a guitar. Behind him we can see the word "Teenagers" in large black text upon a red wall. This is relevant for the obvious reason that Teenagers is also the name of the song that the band is performing. Behind him we can also see a speaker which his guitar could also be connected to in order to create a larger sound overall which helps to show that the band is giving a performance to a larger audience. This is also supported by the lights that are visible behind him which lights up the stage.

In this establishing shot we can see a full view of what is an empty school hall, showing that My Chemical Romance are acting as a band of teenagers in a high school which shows a relation to the song title, as a school is a typical place that teenagers are associated with. The dark colour scheme of the room, consisting of mainly black and red gives a reflection to My Chemical Romance's brand of rock, as dark settings are a common theme within their videos.

In this shot we see a close up shot of the face of the lead singer looking into the camera as he sings, giving him a direct connection to the audience. This also gives the feel that relates back to the first shot, as the first shot appeared as though somebody on stage with them as filming them from the sidelines, meaning that if that person was to move in front of the band as they played, the lead singer may choose to look into the camera as he sings.The lead singer shown here also has a youthful look about him, making it easier for him to act as a teenager playing at a school.

In this shot we see a close up shot of a door with somebody behind it trying to push it open with a lock and chain stopping it from doing so. This is soon shown to be a group of students breaking through the hall where the band is playing, this could be used as a representation of the rebelliousness that can be a trait of many teenagers as they are breaking into an area that they shouldn't be in since the door was locked shut One of the songs apparent meanings is that teenagers can have a reputation of being something to be feared by older generations, so this shot could also serve as symbolism of teenagers conforming to this by breaking the rules.

In this shot we see students running through a corridor within a school, showing a disregard for rules once again in teenagers as it is a common policy in schools that running in corridors isn't allowed, this also goes too pretty much confirm that the music video is taking place in a school as the halls are full of teenage students and the walls are lined with student lockers.



Shortly after this we see medium shot of students seated in the once empty hall, watching the band play with their facial expressions showing that they seem to be bored and uninterested. This links with the stereotype that teenagers are miserable, with the medium shot being very effective at showing this as it gives a good view of many of the students with their facial expressions still visible, all of them looking bored with a complete lack of interest of what is going on.









In his shot we see the cheerleaders performing behind the band now wearing gas masks, an item which can be seen as a trademark of My Chemical Romance as they feature in more than one of the bands music video, with Welcome to the Black Parade being another example of the bands use of it as a prop in their videos. This serves to give the video more of a personal spin on the video,as well as also being relevant to the song, as teenagers are people that some are fearful of, just as some people find gas masks frightning