Analysis of a Music Video I Admire-Maroon 5.

Shot Type	This camera shot is a close up of the lead singer.	Analysis
		Maroon 5 are a pop rock band, but their song ‘Harder to Breathe’ focuses more on the rock aspect as the band’s older music generally does, whereas today they do more pop. This video is a performance video which contains only the band members with no extras or even any dancers. What they are singing about does not relate to the video as it is not a narrative. They are simply playing their instruments and singing the song, which is about a very dysfunctional and angry relationship which he wants to end. His voice shouts and goes to an angry whisper to reflect his emotions. Very dark colours such as blue, grey and black have been used to represent the dark nature of the song and sad emotions. The target audience could be men as there aren’t any bright colours to attract women, however if it was for men then I would expect there to be women in the video. The target audience may simply be people who have recently broken up as it will appeal to them as the singers let out emotions. The location is one single room that it very sparsely decorated which could reflect the singer’s bare emotions. However the walls are quite cluttered which could show his cluttered mind. He has honest anger in that he is not dressing up or trying to catch attention; he is simply showing his rage to the viewers. The lighting is very low and may be slightly blue to again reflect cold, lonely, sad emotions. The video is like a private performance just for the viewer which shows intimacy with the singer.
Lyrics	“You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone  Not fit to fuckin' [CD cover says: "funkin'"] tread the ground that I'm walking on”

 

 

Shot Type	This is a pan angle showing the whole band as they perform. It is from a long shot position.	Analysis
		In this shot, the camera pans across the whole room and the viewer gets to see each member of the band playing their instruments. As the camera moves past the band, they each appear again as if in a sequence over different parts of the room. This could represent time going on and the band still saying in the same place, doing the same song because the singer could be so angry that time seems to stand still for him and he is never truly happy again after this relationship. In this shot, more of the room/apartment is shown and this is where we see the cluttered walls. It is important to have different shot types like this in a performance video so that the viewer doesn’t get bored of watching it as there is no story for them to follow. The general tone and atmosphere of this video is dark and scary, the lyrics talk about how the man is overly critical of his partner and even gets physical with her. He wants her to leave.
Lyrics	“Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe”

 

Shot Type	This shot is a close up of one of the instruments being played.	Analysis
		This quick shot shows one band member playing their keyboard. He appears to be wearing three watches which represent confusion over time or maybe even that there is still not enough time for the man to be happy. The fact that none of the watch faces are visible in this shot could reflect time being an unknown variable in this video. The band member’s trousers are white which makes them contrast abruptly with the background colours of the video so that he stands out. The use of black and white in this video could suggest to the viewer that the singer’s emotions are very plain, boring and depressing because of his relationship. Each performer gets a chance to show what they do in their individual shots, however this one is particularly close up which could show intimacy or simply make the listener become more aware of the part the keyboard plays in the song. This shows the band coming together as a team to build up their sound.  None of the performers smile throughout the video, and in this shot his face is not shown to hide the emotions.
Lyrics	“Clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat  Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did”

 

Shot Type	This is an extreme close up of the singer’s mouth and his microphone.	Analysis
		This close up of the singer’s mouth shows great intimacy between him and the viewer. It is at this point in the song that he is whispering the chorus menacingly to show his aggression. The fact that he whispers rather than shouts makes him seem even more threatening and scary. The record label also demand the need for lots of close ups of the artist so that they become easily recognisable by fans and other viewers, however Maroon 5 have no need for a motif or logo because of their distinctive sound. This idea of recognisability is part of Goodwin’s theory (1992) though he also states that there is frequent reference to the notion of looking such as in mirrors and screens etc. In this video there are no such references as the band want to put across the idea that they are speaking directly to the viewer to pull them into the story. The lyrics reference ‘you’ rather than a name and the band look straight into the camera to appear as though they are looking at the viewer which allows them to become more involved in the story of the lyrics. Being close to the singer’s mouth when he whispers makes it seem like he is whispering specifically to the viewer, as if no one else can hear his words. Everything in this video comes together to create a dark, angry rant to match the lyrics themselves.
Lyrics	“Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe  Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe”