Patrick Tice-Carroll

Theory Seminar II

Music Video Analysis Music Video Analysis

Vulfpeck: "Back Pocket"

Shot Number Timecode Song Form Vulfpeck, a “funky four-piece rhythm section from Ann
1 0:04
0:06
1 BAR INTRO
V
Arbor, Michigan,” released the song “Back Pocket” on their 2015
2 0:17 album Thrill of the Arts. The music video that accompanied this
3 0:21 song was released on YouTube on July 19, 2016. This music video
4 0:23 (8 measures)
5 0:24 takes a dramatic departure from many of their other videos,
6 0:26
7 0:28 C
featuring only two young dancers and their choreographed
8 0:29 interactions on a playground.
9 0:30
10 0:31
Figure 1 depicts a full listing of all the cuts in this song
11 0:34 with their respective timecodes. With this cut list is also a
12 0:36
13 0:39 (8 measures)
corresponding column of the song form, again with its
14 0:42 corresponding timecodes that, in most cases, are shared with the
15 0:43
16 0:44
cuts. While we can see how nearly every shift in the musical form
17 0:46 is mirrored in a cut of the video, what is more striking is the sheer
18 0:48
19 0:49 V
number of shots used in this short time frame. The song, only three
20 0:52 minutes in length, has a total of 58 shots, the vast majority of
21 0:55
22 0:58
which happen within mere seconds of each other. This constant
23 1:00 motion mirrors the subtle agitation and awkwardness of the lyric
24 1:01 (8 measures)
25 1:02
and subject matter. Most of these cuts happen in sync with beats in
26 1:03 the music, typically following in line with the more “square”
27 1:06
28 1:08
aspect of some sections of the lyric.
29 1:11 C The cinematography of this music video is very unique in
30 1:13
31 1:14
that there nearly always constant motion on screen. Even though
32 1:15 (8 measures) there are many cuts, they seem to flow into one another because of
33 1:18
34 1:19
the consistent dynamic quality of all of the shots. This,
35 1:21 accompanied by the choreography, creates strong movement that
36 1:33 B
37 1:34
pushes the song and the video forward. There are several instances
38 1:36 of extended techniques, such as whip pans, intense zoom ins and
39 1:39
40 1:41 (10 measures)
outs that highlight particular elements of a shot, and cuts hidden in
41 1:42 camera shakes. When the camera is not moving, there is increased
42 1:43
43 1:44
movement in the choreography that compensates, although these
44 2:00 V instances are very few.
45 2:05
46 2:09
During much of the video, there is a distinction drawn
47 2:11 between the impetus of the motion in the entire production. In
48 2:13 (8 measures)
49 2:15
some parts of the song, the video and music is driven by the song
50 2:16 and lyrics, in other parts the narrative is the driving forcing, and in
51 2:18
52 2:21 V
others, the choreography takes precedence over all else. It is an
53 2:24 interesting feature of this piece to have dancers that solely dance,
54 2:28 (8 measures)
55 2:31
mouthing words for added emphasis at particular spots, but not
56 2:32 speaking or performing in any other capacity. This adds a
57 2:42 8 BAR INT
58 3:05 BLACK on beat 2
particular nuance to the aesthetic of the piece, enhancing the
Figure 1 spontaneous sentiment that the rest of the piece embodies.
 The lyrics of “Back Pocket” describe what seems like a recollection to a time in
childhood. A boy, presumably the lead vocalist as a child, is trying to figure out if a girl likes
him, and the entire time he goes between worrying if he is too late to pursue this girl and asking
her to circle a card that asks whether or not she likes him. From an auditory standpoint alone, the
listener is not aware that the song references a time in elementary school, and so the initial
feeling centers around a more lethargic and unmotivated outlook on the male vocalist. This
initial bias tinges the rest of the perception of the song, possibly introducing unwarranted skews
to its impact. Upon incorporating the video, we immediately are met with the visual of two
children interacting. Rather than seeing this as a recollection of past events, this now comes off
as a current event taking place between these two children. With the addition of the video, the
overall tone and perception from the listener is completely shifted, illustrating the impact the
presence of the video has on this song.