Paul Weller Video Analysis

Paul Weller - Wild Wood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVARPcZuwL0

This video is a narrative video which

tells a story of every day life from the perspective of Paul Weller. It signifies how we are

controlled by higher powers and the lyrics portray the 'wants' that people of this working class nature dream for but unlikely to get. This is also reflected in the lyrics: 'Day by day your world fades away, Waiting to feel all the dreams that say ,Golden rain will bring you riches'.

The term 'Wild Wood' seems to represent the hustle and bustle of life and the video shows various shots of busy high streets packed with people and busy traffic. Opposed to this, the video shows images of Paul Weller on his own playing acoustic guitar. This is a juxtaposition to the concept of the video and portrays him as a peaceful individual.

There are a lot of signs within this music video that suggest the view that we are being controlled. The video has close-ups of traffic lights and road signs which accentuates this view. As a consequence it appears that this video represents the 'ordinary' person.

There appears to be an underline moral in the strory which suggests how people can rely on only themselves and that you should try to live your life the way you want to. If you do this, you will manage to get what you deserve out of life. This message is depicted within the lyrics:

'Dont let them get you down

Making you feel guilty about

golden rain, will bring you riches

All the good things you deserve now

Climbing, forever trying

Find your way out of the wild, wild wood

Now theres no justice

Only yourself that you can trust in'
The lyric 'find your way out of the wild, wild wood' can hold many different connotations but I perceive as Paul Weller advising people that they have to try and escape from this 'hustle and bustle' lifestyle and break free from the clutches that life can bear on you.

The way this video is arranged seems to be very deliberate and the video is a way of supporting the lyrics with visual links and connotations. The message is made very clear and the distinction between the slow tempo of the music and the fast paced cuts and frames of the video help to create this message and build an atmosphere around the song as a whole.
The song itself is very basic, just a four chord sequence which is repeated throughout the song. The chord sequence is played on an acoustic guitar and is in a minor key which helps to express the serious meaning behind the song. As the song and its narrative is aimed at people generally from a working class background, like Paul Weller himself, it has helped it to become one of the best known songs from its time. Its success is due to the appeal it has for so many people and how it speaks for a generation that Paul is very familiar with.

Specials Video Analysis

A Message To You Rudy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVcD1xAMTo8

This video is a performance based video. It consists of the band playing the song in a white room. The emphasis

of the

video seems to be predominantly on fashion and the style of the band. There is a recurring theme of black and white which were the main colours of the 'ska'

movement. The band are wearing clothing such as two tone suits, trilby hats and braces which were at the forefront of the fashion side of the movement. Some cuts of the video feature a group of people showing off their clothing which fits in to the theme of the video. At the end of the video it shows the camera zooming out and the band's performance gets shown on TV. This gives a reference to the notion of looking and suggests that the video was made for the record label to help promote the band's image.

Arctic Monkeys Video Analysis

Teddy Picker - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2XBoxtcUA

This is largely a performance video but has a part of it narrative. The main focus of the video is of the band record their song in the studio. The director tries to capture the spirit of the single and give an insight into the kind of work that goes on in a studio. Parts of the video show the band playing the song as you hear it. A lot of the scenes are shot without a tripod to give more action to the video and match the rugged look of the band. The video than cuts to the band going to the pub. It suggests that they have taken a break and shows the hard work that goes in to recording songs. After this it shows the band going back into the studio to finalise the song. I think the video was made for the audience to give them a view into the work that the band does.