Music video Analysis: Redundancy and entropy

Redundancy is a word that you would describe for something you expect. Like an normal everyday thing we see or a typical genre we recognize it being with.

For example a puppy, this is how we expect a puppy to look. cute and innocent.

Entropy is the unexpected, things that catches our eye because its different or weird to what we normally see

For example a dogs face on a monkeys body, this isn't what you would normally see it being which makes us shocked.

For this music video I will be analyzing the redundant and entropic features of the video.

Redundant

At the beginning of the song you can immediately tell that it is set in a bedroom with a retro theme which introduces the decade. This is shown through the bright colours.

For this genre of pop rock it is quite standard to have a low angle medium shot of the artist. This performance based and also narrative introduces the audience to the artist with him giving a direct mode of address. (Staring directly at the camera) .

The establishing shot of the setting is fairly standard where it relates to what we saw in the bedroom, this also signifies that its based around 1950s and where the video is indicating where the main video is about to take place.

A standard medium close up shot of band which is a common characteristic of any music videos as it introduces the audience to the whole band.

Keeps referring back to the original setting of the singer singing which is fairly normal in music video. This connects with Andrew Goodwin's theory of a recurring style of artists motifs having a lot of close ups in order to promote the artist.

The Visuals connect with the lyrics which backs up Andrew Goodwin’s theory. This lyrics were ‘Into a place with thoughts and gloom’ Then we see a random place which could connote a dream

Often the visuals could to what we hear, we would expect to see the correct rhythm beats of the song which the song does in certain parts eg drum beat. This follows the typical conventions of a music video.

Entropy

At the start of the video a random crowd of medieval dressed women chase after the band. The sequence where the members run away from a crowd of screaming girls is reminiscent of "A Hard Day's Night".

One women has a bow and arrow which was very unexpected and very weird as it came out of no where which foreshadows whats to come

A close up is then used of the main artist with an arrow through his hand which is very strange.

During the parade scene a golden elephant suddenly walks past, this is fairly abnormal and unexpecting

All of the band members wakes up in different coloured rooms which is fairly random. much like The Beatles had in their movie Help!

Other elements in the video also relate to the Beatles the members of the band also wear animal costumes like The Beatles had done for their "I Am the Walrus" video. This backs up Goodwin’s theory of music videos refer mostly to intertexual references, in this case another artists video.