Music Video Analysis

The Kill (Bury Me) by Thirty Seconds to Mars

The music video for The Kill uses intertextuality in the form of how it has the same story line as
Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining. We can know this because of the iconic scenes in the film
such as: the actions taken place in room 237, the bar and the use of the hotel. The band changes
some detail such as the room number 6277; they chose this specific number because it spells MARS
on a phone keypad, which is a reference to their band name.

The music video is mostly narrative based with some elements of performance. This is to prove that
the band has something to say, but they also wanted to prove that they are a band which can be
taken seriously.

Lighting

The lighting throughout the music video is very grey and brown. These darker elements chosen to
help to portray to the audience that the music video is not happy, and it has dark and sinister tones
to it.

In some scenes the lighting is also quite bright, because the lights are always on, like it is in a hotel.
This then reinforces to the audience that the location is a hotel. In reminding the audience that they
are in the hotel, it makes them so then we associate it with The Shining.

Mise on scene

The location used in the music video is a very big hotel. This is to emulate the same sort of location
like they used in The Shining. There are many shots of the hotel with massive empty spaces, to show
the loneliness of the characters, which makes them seem small in comparison to the hotel. It also
makes the atmosphere tense and sinister because it is so big, it makes the impression of the
unknown.

Editing

The pace of the editing changes when the tempo of the song changes. For example, during the
bridge of the song, it pauses and then there is a huge climax of the drums and guitar, this is fast and
quick; this is demonstrated through the video where in 2 seconds of the song there are several
different scenes being shown. This helps to create a tense atmosphere. (This is at 3.48).

Camera work

In the performance elements, when the camera is focusing on Jared Leto (the lead singer) the
camera is looking down on him in a close up shot, making the watcher feel close and intimate with
him whilst he is singing; this could be a way to help the audience feel the emotion of the lyrics and
the singing, because it is what they are being made to focus on.

Most of the camera angels of the narrative parts of the video are at eye level, this making it seem to
the audience, like they are there with them and they are normal people.

Sound

In the beginning of the music video, there is a short narrative, which helps to introduce the video
and the storyline. This shows the band in a car arriving at the hotel, and them collecting their room
keys. This section helps to demonstrate to the audience that it is intertexualised The Shining.
Music Video Analysis

Chop Suey! By System of a Down

Usually performance music videos by bands are for the pre-existing fans because there is often not
much to the performance videos, meaning they would not gain much attention. However, for
System of a Down, this is the opposite, this is their most well-known song and the music video has
nearly 900 million views.

The video portrays the band playing to a significant number of fans in a crowded area on a stage.
The band show very little attention to the rowdy fans.

Camera work

The video has a 4:3 aspect ratio. This is because the video was recorded and released in 2001, when
the camera ratios were different to what they are now. The aspect ratio is now usually 16:9 in most
UK and US shows/productions.

At 1.21 there is a use of a Snorricam, this makes the band member seem stationary when the
background is moving. This could have been done to help the imagery of riot and rowdiness.

Mise on scene

The band are on a medium sized stage with around 1,500 fans surrounding the stage. The fans are
rowdy and are compacted into a very small space. The fans are jumping and crowd surfing to the
song; this helps to give the energy of the song.

The lead singer is wearing very regular clothes and the rest of the band are shirtless. This could be a
reference to the on-stage fashion of old alternative/metal bands, this was usually done because a
venue got so hot due to the amount of movement and activity in the room.

The guitarist is covered in fake tattoos, this helps to give off an edgy vibe of the band, seeing as
many people in the metal community/metal bands had a huge number of tattoos.

At 1.38, there is an ASSR flag, this is there because all the members in the band are Armenian-
American.

Editing

In Chop Suey the editing is unique for a performance video. There are many fading shots of all the
band members. In many scenes it looks like the members are walking through each other.

In one of the scenes, the camera starts on the lead singer, but it transitions as if the camera is on a
swing and when the camera comes back up the lighting has changed, and the camera is on the
guitarist. (This is at 2.49)

When the tempo of the song quickens, so does the number of scenes shown. In the bridge when the
tempo is slower, the scenes are longer and much less is occurring in them. But in the climax of the
build-up in the intro begins, there are a significant amount more shots displayed.

Lighting

In the scenes where it is in a small room, the lighting is very yellow/golden. Usually yellow
lighting can represent warmth and happiness. This may have been done either because this
was the lighting in the room or because the band are having fun with a small selection of
their fans, and the yellow is reflecting their moods.
Music Video Analysis

In the performance sections of the video, the light is mainly on the band, this might be
because they want to demonstrate that the band are the focus of the music video. This then
leads to there not being much light on the fans.

In the back of the video, behind the stage, there are strobe lights which flash in time with
the music. This could help with the atmosphere of the venue, because the lights flash on and
off very quickly.