Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
This the music video for Nirvana's song 'Heart Shaped Box'. The music video is directed by Anton Corbin. The video is an interpretative style, which features surreal imagery which relates to the songs themes.
The video opens with a birds eye view shot. We see a Jesus like figure, an upside down cross and a beam of light shining on Kurt Cobain. The light that beams on Cobain exposes the imagery that pop culture has placed on him. The lifeless Jesus figure suggest that Christianity has died out and that celebrities and pop culture are the new religion. The upside down cross shows the road reversal of what people put their believes in, 100 years ago Christianity was a large part of culture, however in modern day rock and roll has taken a larger role in weston culture than religion.
In the next shot we see the Jesus figure stepping on flowers. This could suggest that world governments use christianity to start war and end peace for their own financial gain. The use of bright colours in the duration of this video suggest that religion, the government and pop culture create a fantasy like a children's fairytale.
We then see the Jesus figure on a crucifix wearing a santa hat. This represents that commercialism has taken over christianity. Then a shot appears of the band playing music, this takes elements from concert music videos.
The next shot to appear on screen is a mid-shot which shows a child wearing ku klux klan attire is trying to catch a fetus which is caught in a tree. This suggests that christianity has been responsible for racism and prejudice.
The song's lyrics are unconventional, but relate to the music video's theme. They're several parts of the footage which is edited to match the songs lyrics, for example when Cobain sings "Cut myself on angel's hair and baby's breath" the video cuts to the shot of the child reaching for the a hanging fetus.
The video uses many focus in and out transitions, the focus pulls are used to match the songs dynamic instrumental shifts from very quiet to very loud, when the music is quiet the video is blurred, when the music is loud the video become sharp and clear. The video uses a close up on the lead singer while using focus pulls. The use of the visuals and types of transitions in the video always gives of a theme of mental illness.
Although this video was conseried controversial when it was released in 1993. Because of it's messages of christianity and popular culture. It has been remembered because of it's surreal imagery and it's colour contrasts.
Aerosmith - Janie's Got A Gun
https://youtu.be/RqQn2ADZE1A
This is the music video for Aerosmith's "Janie's Got A Gun". The music video is directed by David Fincher. The director of this music video has moved on to directing many commercially and critically well received films such as 'Seven', 'The Social Network' and 'Gone Girl'. The music video has a narrative style, Which includes a storyline that relates to the songs theme.
The video starts with a wide shot which shows a police yellow tape. The shot then zooms in and the video fades out. This opening shot creates a level of mystery and intrigue into the music videos story. The use of handy cam shows the audience a sense of urgency and peril. We hear a mechanical streak in the background this could be a homage to 70's and 80's horror movies which use load sound effects when a jump scare appears on screen. The video then pans up as the song begins. The opening lyrics start the videos story, the use of the slow pan could suggest there is a calm before the storm, from the this and the lyrics the audience can understand that the music video has a non liner storyline, which starts at the end and then cuts back to the beginning, the video storyline is told in a past tense so the majority of the music video is a flashback sequence.
During the panning shot we see the band playing the song, in the left side we see a bright light shining behind them, this shows further evidence that Steve Taylor is singing in past tense, because the light faces the west side which would represent a sunset, which represents the end. This suggest that the story is being told in a past tense.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
