Music Video technical analysis
‘Called out in the dark’ – Snow Patrol
Description – Directed by Brett Simon the music video ‘Called out in the dark’ sees Gary
Lightbody of Snow Patrol is on a set filming for the a new music video where we will sing with
dancers in the background, but the video from the very start breaks the fourth wall by showing
the cameras and becomes a video of the creation of a video. The fictional music video
director played by Tara Summers then calls “Gary” in a stand in singer portrayed by Jack
Davenport who then takes over the mic and allows Gary Lightbody walk of the set. From that
point Gary Lightbody is then seen singing from the side lines, walking behind the set and
stepping into the shot.
The video is there for showing the struggle to be recognised for peoples own achievements.
Eventually the fictional director handcuffs Gary Lightbody to herself to stop him getting in the
way, and as they walk past the camera back into position he pulls on the cuff to pull her back
where they begin to dance as the background dancers run in to complete the shot.
Camera – There are handheld shots of the director and film crew to watch their conversation
and to emphasise reactions. The rest of the camera work is professionally rigged so it can
track, tilt, pan and smoothly rise up to get high angles. The shots are very diverse through
close ups to the wide of the set and including things like a subtle over the shoulder when in
conversation. There is also a sequence in the dark when the actors are using their own
torches for lighting and that works very well with the camera picking out the fluorescent white
clothes of the dancers and the classy suit of Jack Davenport with a powerful spotlight on him.
Lighting – The electronic light from the studio creates a really well lit space for the set with
nice key lighting on the faces of the actors and dancers, a well balance amount of lighting as
well stopping all potential shadows from appearing. On the back wall of the set are these
transparent set walls that allow coloured light through, green for the most of the video. At 1
minute 40 seconds there is a sequence in the dark where the dancers have torchers in their
hand which is incorporated in the choreography with a large spotlight on Jack Davenport
when singing. In the dark sequence there are some moments with no spotlight which allows
the glow from their fluorescent clothes to make an impact in the low key lighting set of that
scene. There is also a great comedic scene where Gary Lightbody is on the set by himself
singing into the mic in the dark and the spotlight is avoiding him trying to keep him hidden in
the dark.
Actors positioning – Gary Lightbody appears to seem insecure and yielding to Jack Davenport
in the video and just allows him to take his place as the new Gary. He does throughout the
video pluck up the courage to voice his opinion to the director to where he and her eventually
dance together at the end of the video.
Make-up – The dancers are all wearing stylish white clothes that are all unique to each one of
them, Gary Lightbody is in just a plain green t-shirt and jeans making Jack Davenport look so
much more powerful in his sharp grey suit. The four female dancers each with a different hair
colour are also done up in makeup to make them look really attractive, probably to make Gary
Lightbody look a little rough around the edges and out of place on set.
Props – The use of torches in the lowly lit sequence makes for great choreography for the
dancers. The use of cameras as props in the concept of a behind the scene music video
allows you to appreciate the nice shots and steady movement and creates a really
professional look even though you’re also watching the throw away clips of the shoot.
Mise-en-scene – In the studio is the transparent walls in a negative V shape to create a nice
space for the dancers and the vocal performances on the microphone. There are monitors
and cameras that are in shot when filming the director giving instruction, breaking the fourth
wall and telling the audience you’re watching a behind the scenes to music.
Editing – The fast paced to the beat editing creates a quick and well established narrative
within the video but is also pacey enough to be entertaining to the upbeat ‘dancey’ music of
Snow Patrol. There is also some use of the green screens in the video whether it’s to super
impose some slow motion ‘Posey’ leaps for the camera or to see Gary Lightbody fall through
and rip a whole in a green screen. It is comedic and entertaining.
Conclusion – The Narrative within this performance video is very good, to see the band
member get chucked out for a more camera friendly actor is amusing and to see Gary
Lightbody continually try and get back in the shot is comedic and entertaining. However I’m
most interested in the behind the scenes concept as it seems a good way of showing the
audience what it actually takes to create something entertaining, so it’s not just the final
product it’s the journey and process of getting there. Its definitely something I could use in
creating my own music video.