Music Video Analysis

I have used the music video by Nirvana and the song 'Smells like teen spirit' and analysed different parts of the video, commenting on the shot type, the edits, music and lyrics and also movement.

ANALYSIS:

Lyrics: Instrumental at the beginning of the video with only the guitars and drums playing.

Shot type and Movement: The shot in this video is a long shot and shows the band in the background and the cheerleaders in the foreground. With this, he cheerleaders are also facing the audience and this gives the impression that they are part of the band.

Edit: The cuts to a shot of a drummer at the end of this shot with the drummer acting aggressive shows that the genre is alternative rock.

Analysis: This video is a performance based video with the band being the main attraction and the audience in the school gym looking down at them. The long shot shows the band in the background with their instruments and this suggests that the genre is rock as with rock videos the band are usually the main attraction. Also, with the dim lighting it gives off a "smokey" and "mysterious" effect which connotes feelings of fear and horror.

Lyrics: Musical break with a guitar solo from the singer of the band.
Shot type and Movement: The singer is in the mid ground with the cheerleaders still positioned in the foreground. Also, the audience are now visible and are positioned looking down onto the band.
Edit: This scene then cuts to a shot of the audience watching the band and listening to the music.
Analysis: The shot shows the cheerleaders still in the foreground and this connotes they are the main attraction. However, the singer has a light beaming onto him and this also connotes a sense of importance.

Lyrics: "Load up your guns; Bring your friends, Its fun to loose and to pretend"
Shot type and Movement: Close up of the main band member which is the singer.
Edit: The camera moves around the singer with a zoom in and out effect.
Analysis: The shot is a close up of the singer and there is still a beam of light that is directed onto him which connotes a sense of importance.

Lyrics: "Hello, hello, hello, how low"
Shot type and Movement: The shot is of the audience and cheerleaders in the foreground and the band with their instruments are in the far background.
Edit: The camera still uses the zooming effect to zoom through the cheerleaders.
Analysis: The long shot shows there is no distance between the band and the cheerleaders, which once again connotes this idea that they are part of the band.

Lyrics: "With the lights out, its less dangerous, Here we are now; entertain us"
Shot type and Movement: The shot is behind the singer and makes him the foreground and the audience are now in full view of the camera but are positioned in the background.
Edit: The movement becomes speedy and zooms in and out of the audience and singer.
Analysis: The long shot is behind the main band member who now connotes a sense of now non-importance and the camera is angled looking onto the audience. With the band members and the audience being in sync with their heads moving to the rhythm of the music, it shows that the genre is rock.

Lyrics: "I feel stupid and contagious, Here we are now; entertain us"

Shot type and movement: The movement has now picked up speed as the song has reached the chorus and the camera now zooms into and out of the drummer and audience. The shot type is a close up of the drummer.

Edit: The camera jumps to close ups and middle shots of the drummer.

Analysis: The close up of the drummer shows him moving in rhythm of the music. Also, his appearance connotes the genre of rock/grunge. The mise-en-scene in this shot is the drums as they are the main focused instrument.