Analysis of Music Video 3

Analysis of chosen music video.

Introduction:
For my second music analys

is video i have chosen to analyse the video for Duality by the artist Slipknot. I believe this video is a good portrayal of genre and audience, as the video contains the target audience/personality that the band are trying to appeal to.

Video Length - 3:21

Overview

Slipknot are a heavy metal band from Iowa whom formed in 1995. The band contained 9 members until 2010 when one member passed away(Corey Taylor, Joey Jordison, Jim Root, Paul gray (deceased), Shawn Crahan, Craig jones, Chris Fehn, Mick Thomson, Sid Wilson) and are extremely well known for their chaotic, aggressive music style, masks, and strange attire. The band had somewhat of a met

eoric rise to success following the release of their self-titled debut album in 1999. The 2001 follow-up album Iowa further increased the band's popularity. After breaking for their first hiatus, Slipknot returned in 2004 with Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and once again in 2008 with their fourth album All Hope Is Gone, which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200. The band has also released one live album and four DVDs. As of May 2010, Slipknot has sold over 14 million records worldwide.

The video i have selected is Duality.
The video cost the band around $300,00-500,000 to make. It was filmed at a fans house in Iowa. The video throughot shows fans wrecking the house and being very energetic and crazy. Their actions fits in with what people would perceive heavy metal rockers to act like. After the video the fans family requested that the band replaced all of the broken things, and the record company gave the family roughly fifty thousand dollars in order to replace what was broken. At one point the crowd that were in the video had to be told to calm down and to tone down their jumping around or the floor would collapse and the house would be severely damaged.

Genre.

The specific genre of the song is Heavy metal (which is a noticeable convention throughout all Slipknot songs/albums). The genre is represented throughout the video, and is noticeable in the mis-en-scene as everyone who appears in the video shows a stereotypical heavy metal fan. Many are dressed in baggy loose-fit jeans, either sporting no shirt and tattoos, or wearing loose-fit jeans and black shirts. The band are dressed in their usual attire, which is a full jumpsuit ( in this case black ) and the masks that are famously related to the band.

Below is a screenshot from the video that shows the portrayal of their fans personalities and attire. All look as if they are based on pre-conceived image of heavy metal fans. The band are also in fitting with conventions in the way they dress, they fit in with their usual dress in other videos, and also in with the heavy metal genre, wearing all black.

Below, although not the whole outfit can be seen, is a shot of two band members and their clothes + masks. The outfits are fully black, although thy have the band logo in white on the back and arm. The masks, which have been with Slipknot from a very early stage, are also a portrayal of the heavy metal genre.



With the music being a heavy metal genre, the editing of the video also fits in, as the music is in the majority of the song very fast-paced and heavy, with this the shots are very quick and only appear on screen for a short amount of time, whereas when the music is lessened in pace, for example at the beginning of the video the music is one of the calmest sections of the song, and the editing is not as fast paced. This fits in with the genre as the conventions of a fast paced music video would show quick, short and snappy shots.

Representations.

The only representation that is portrayed in this video is the stereotypical view of 'heavy metal' fans and also the ideas the band have of their fans. The two different representations are the male and females. The males are seen either dressed in baggy jeans that connote the attire of the heavy metal genre, and either have no t-shirt or plain black t shirts. The majority of fans with their t-shirts off are showing tattoos also, and tattoos are widely associated with this certain genre.

This one fan is seen with tattoos all over his chest and horns on his head, this is very fitting as many seriously heavy metal fans are considered to enjoy (to an extent) satanism.

Lyrics

I push my fingers into my eyes
It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache
But it's made of all the things I have to take
Jesus it never ends, it works it's way inside
If the pain goes on

I have screamed until my veins collapsed
I've waited as my times elapsed
Now all I do is live with so much fate

I wished for this, I bitched at that
I've left behind this little fact
You cannot kill what you did not create

I've gotta say what I've gotta say
And then I swear I'll go away
But I can't promise you'll enjoy the noise

I guess I'll save the best for last
My future seems like one big past
You're left with me 'cause you left me no choice

I push my fingers into my eyes
It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache
If the pain goes on, I'm not gonna make it

Put me back together or separate the skin from bone
Leave me all the pieces
Then you can leave me alone

Tell me the reality is better than the dream
But I've found out the hard way
Nothing is what it seems

I push my fingers into my eyes
It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache
But it's made of all the things I have to take
Jesus it never ends, it works it's way inside
If the pain goes on, I'm not gonna make it

All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane

All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane

I push my fingers into my eyes
It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache
But it's made of all the things I have to take
Jesus it never ends, it works it's way inside
If the pain goes on, I'm not gonna make it

All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane
All I've got, all I've got is insane