Blink 182 - first date - music video analysis (5 stills)

blink-182 - First Date

Looking at music videos of the same genre can give us a clear understanding of where to head when producing our own. In this post I have chosen to take Blink 182's fist date music video, a band that is in the rock genre and have produced videos of a similar context. This first still shows firstly a band shot, this is extremely commonly used in this genre of music and therefore will fit in well with our music video. This is also  the introduction to the music video, they walk in and pick up their instruments, this again is a commonly used starting point for a rock genre music video, introducing the members of the band and setting the scene is a big part to a music video by starting with this that is easily achieved. Again all similar ideas that we will use throughout our music video.

This second still is an example of yet another band shot, this time focusing on a member of the band (the drummer). As you can see the mise en scene is very relevant to the narrative of the promo, set in America and of the 1970's period the American flag and typical American décor hints to this and in doing so it does justice to the video. The video also has intertextuality in it and lots of conventional aspects, such as the band shots themselves, colours used and the use of narrative. Many if not almost all music videos of this genre (rock) are a good mix of narrative and band shots, therefore this video is very conventional.

This still depicts the narrative and is the introduction to the narrative side of the video. Using text to show time periods and location, much like a movie (and I believe that's what they have aimed for), is an effective way to add to the narrative and relate it to something the target audience will know. However unconventionally of a music video of the rock genre, the mise en scene (all though fitting in with the narrative) is not what the rock genre normally depicts, is bright, cheery and outside whereas conventionally the rock genre portraits darker colours and a more urban setting.

This still is very relative to the idea that we have for a music video, as it is in the rock genre we have used this as inspiration. The still is a mid shot of a female character within the narrative of the promo. This female character is being depicted in a sexual way, and is depicted to be desired by the male characters that are in this video. The relationship is often a subject of music and is commonly a subject used in the rock genre again making this a conventional aspect, however the costume of the character and the colours seen are not conventional, in comparison looking at the Bowling for soup - girl all the bad guys want (seen in a previous post of mine) shows a female character in darker, stereotypically "punk" outfit.

The last still I have included is again more relevant to what we plan to do. In videos when looking at the idea of a dream sequence and reaction/expressions the close up on the face is most commonly used. As shown in this still using the close up allows the audience to get an idea for the feelings of the character seen, this is used effectively throughout this video not just in this one shot. In terms of conventionality this shot is commonly used in promo videos and in all genres including our chosen genre rock. When looking at a dream/fantasy sequence this shot is frequently used before hand and after to show the dazed look that comes with imagination, this is usually accompanied with a blur or fade effect.