'The Kindest Cut' Textual Analysis

In this post I will use the knowledge gained from this post I created previously and apply it to a music video. The song I have chosen to do a textual analysis of is called 'St. Patrick' by a band named Pvris (pronounced as Paris) and the music video can be viewed here.

Mise-en-scene

In this video the sequence of shots is set on various different locations. However as the video continues its apparent that it consists of two main pieces which are: a continuous string of outdoor shots and a string of indoor shots which has been filmed in a studio. The use of this setting allows the audience to become familiar with the band members but the images don't distract them from the audio. Vernallis states that the editing of the sequence of shots and setting used is key because it enables a relationship between the song and image to be formed.

The band members (actors) in the video are positioned in the frames consistently throughout, with Lynn (the lead singer) positioned in the middle. This will clearly indicate to the audience that she is the lead character but by having the two male band members (Alex and Brian) positioned either side of her this gives the audience a sense of unity and that they're a team.
Vernallis' says that a close up of the singer's face in a music video is often shot and edited in such a way to leave us with a way of grasping hold of some musical element, which might be the main hook or a small detail. In the music video close up of Lynn's face is repeated to allow the audience to form a connection between imagery and audio. 

Camera shots

The shots used in the video are mainly long shots that are at eye level for the audience. This is  possibly done to allow us as an audience to get to know the band members and see essentially what they look like, which is reinforced by the short track shots where the camera follows them walking in the long shots used. 

The other main focus of shots is close ups of the band members which can be used to show expression/emotions. Using the 'Kindest Cut' theory, Vernallis says that music videos often present a flow of images that are too rich and materials that seem to dissolve too quickly. The use of a close up gives the and something to commit to memory and the intense isolation of the shot keeps the viewer present. An example of this is the close ups used to break up the string of continuous long track shots. 

Editing

Vernallis says that music videos may avoid continuity editing because these techniques would give a visual track too strong a forward trajectory and the image might seem to overtake the song. Which is something a music video will try to avoid because its purpose is to provide a visual image that will support the song used and enhance the audience's experience whilst expanding the artist into subsidiary media platforms. 

The editing used in the music video is quick paced and on beat to the track itself. This means that the images shown are more complimentary to the sound because it keeps the video as a whole from becoming disjointed.