Thursday, October 13, 2011

Kings of Leon- 'Use Somebody' Analysis





In this video the opening shot is a helicopter shot of a busy city- this insinuates a high budget video. A few shots later a crane/high angle shot is used in which still, long exposure photographs are merged and then sped up to create a stop motion clip of light paths from car headlights on the motorway. These are used to show that the band is travelling at night, the lights emphasise the animatedness of the city and the stop motion long exposure technique is used to portray a passing of time.
Long and medium shots are used to show the band members in a pub/ bar/ snooker hall. These camera frames are used to show the band playing pool, table football whilst drinking and smoking and possibly drug taking. These actions all relate to a stereotypical image of rock stars which derives from the punk rock era of the 1970s/80s.
Close-up and extreme close-ups are also utilised to show the lead singer's mouth, eyes and facial expressions. This effectively demonstrates the singer's emotional involvement and intimacy with the song and lyrics he is singing.