Music video analysis #7 - People Are People
Act: Depeche Mode
Track: People Are People
Year: 1984
Director: Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, Vince Clarke
Genre: Industrial/ Electronic
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErnMC7xokQ8
Main audience: This production's audience demographic would be male and females aged 15-40. This is due to the fact this video holds a lot of appeal to an audience from the 1980's due to the distinct '80's sound'. As well as a male audience due to the all male ensemble, lyrics of "working together" and imagery of war. Another large component of Depeche Mode's audience comes from a female demographic, with this comes the element of Female Gaze as well as possible male gaze from the male LGBT community. This would be demonstrated through open femininity of Martin Gore's vocals, clothing and movements in the video. Most open displays of emotion and femininity attract female audiences more than males.
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Relationship between the visuals and lyrics: Using Goodwin's theory of lyrical classification we can identify this video as having the lyrical classification of both illustrative and amplifying. This is due to the evident examples of synesthesia (Psychological reaction of 'seeing sounds') throughout the video (Archer's theory). An example of this would be when a sampled sound of an artillery shot is used and synergizes with the onscreen image of a gun being fired on a ship. This onscreen synchronization with sounds is pertinent throughout the video. Another pertinent example of this would be when an orchestral sample is played in the song which is delivered with an image of an orchestral conductor. In addition to this another example would be when Gore is seen to be ringing a bell on a ship in time with the subsequent sound in the track. This also coincides with Vernaillis's theory that the video is made with the song in mind. This is especially pertinent due to the synchronized visual representation of the sounds in the song. An example of why the sound is amplifying would be when the soldiers are seen marching to war behind the lyrics "I can't understand what makes a man hurt another man, help me understand". In addition to this scenes of protest are shown behind the superimposed faces of vocalists of Gahan and Gore.
The industrial side of this song show through with the extended use of mechanical sounds and the onscreen representation of this. The themes of military. industrial equipment and paraphernalia are used throughout the production to echo this sentiment. In addition to this there are some mild Gothic influences on Martin Gore's costume as well as his Gothic make-up (Eye liner).
There are a plethora of visual effects used in this production including that of a frame splitter (Showing a single shot in various boxes on the screen) and a colour invert. Moreover the editing in this production is greatly synchronized with th
The video hosts a mix of performance and concept.
Influences: Layering through post production.
Main audience: This production's audience demographic would be male and females aged 15-40. This is due to the fact this video holds a lot of appeal to an audience from the 1980's due to the distinct '80's sound'. As well as a male audience due to the all male ensemble, lyrics of "working together" and imagery of war. Another large component of Depeche Mode's audience comes from a female demographic, with this comes the element of Female Gaze as well as possible male gaze from the male LGBT community. This would be demonstrated through open femininity of Martin Gore's vocals, clothing and movements in the video. Most open displays of emotion and femininity attract female audiences more than males.
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| Gore's face superimposed above images of war. |
Relationship between the visuals and lyrics: Using Goodwin's theory of lyrical classification we can identify this video as having the lyrical classification of both illustrative and amplifying. This is due to the evident examples of synesthesia (Psychological reaction of 'seeing sounds') throughout the video (Archer's theory). An example of this would be when a sampled sound of an artillery shot is used and synergizes with the onscreen image of a gun being fired on a ship. This onscreen synchronization with sounds is pertinent throughout the video. Another pertinent example of this would be when an orchestral sample is played in the song which is delivered with an image of an orchestral conductor. In addition to this another example would be when Gore is seen to be ringing a bell on a ship in time with the subsequent sound in the track. This also coincides with Vernaillis's theory that the video is made with the song in mind. This is especially pertinent due to the synchronized visual representation of the sounds in the song. An example of why the sound is amplifying would be when the soldiers are seen marching to war behind the lyrics "I can't understand what makes a man hurt another man, help me understand". In addition to this scenes of protest are shown behind the superimposed faces of vocalists of Gahan and Gore.
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| Battleship fires in timing with the sound. ('Seeing the sound'- Archer) |
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| The bell is struck in time ('Seeing the sound'- Archer) |
There are a plethora of visual effects used in this production including that of a frame splitter (Showing a single shot in various boxes on the screen) and a colour invert. Moreover the editing in this production is greatly synchronized with th
e music track. A prime example of this would be the synchronized cuts with the beat of the music (In quick succession).
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| Frame split effect (And Gore's Gothic influenced outfit). |
Influences: Layering through post production.
AUDIENCE: really important you get the point that 'female gaze'; sex appeal of males is a factor. Any male vulnerability/femininity/open emotion likely to boost female appeal (possible gay male aud too). Mode's fanbase more female than male; Manson + NIN have sizeable female fanbase too.
ReplyDeleteInfluence - layering...