Music Video Analysis

Settle Down – The 1975

A Description from the artist I used to have a reoccurring dream when I was younger. The narrative was loosely based, but the setting was always the surrounding areas of where my parents grew up. I think I was slightly obsessed with how certain, bleak areas of Northern England contained my history and the soul of my family, my psyche - I always felt connected and disconnected at the same time. Metaphorically and physically I would visit these places frequently as a youngster and in turn have used them as the setting to a lot of the stories in The 1975 - the North East was the visual setting to my formative years. I suppose, like any narrative, the meaning and the connotations within the story are subjective. I've always been quite fascinated with the potency of same sex relationships, plutonic or otherwise. I was brought up in a very open minded environment, somewhere I felt that, whoever I was, I would be accepted. With this understanding I was also very aware of others, school friends, acquaintances - whom, due to where we lived, probably didn't have such a comfortable place to grow up, we were unaffected and affected by taboos and the small minded at the same time. I've dreamt the story of these two boys on countless occasions - every time drawing a different conclusion on its meaning. With 'Settle Down' I wanted to make a story about the extension of that dream, a video that explores love, a video that was as fantastical, consuming and limitless as the love we all chase and desire. Love as I have always imagined.

First shot

A long shot of Redcar beach with heavy industry dominating the landscape

An initial introduction to theme of:• Urban background• Working class culture • Social realist • Black and white colour scheme

This video has a similar style to that seen in Amber films, a north eastern production company based in Newcastle and because of this, links with the theory of Andrew Goodwin ‘There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music videos or to films and TV texts,’ in terms of working class northern culture. This video was shot in Redcar, Cleveland, north east England, which is a working class area in the post-industrial age, so it’s an area going through difficult times associated with unemployment. It uses many tropes associated with the genre – Northern setting, working class lifestyle, the style of clothing, a town in the shadow of heavy industry, terraced houses, It also suggest a lack of tolerance towards same sex relationships amongst traditional male-centric communities and the wish for escape, whether this is actual or through a relationship

Boy 1 Boy 1’s Mother

Boy 2 Boy 2’s Father

Lead Singer/Artist

2 Boys introduced

Boy 1:• He has a hood up, this could either mean that he wishes to be concealed or portray the image of being an intimidating

‘hoodie.’ • A blank facial expression showing little emotion, a small portrayal of negativity• He’s standing still gazing into the distance, the only small movement he makes is the turning of his head, this represents him

being timid• The next shot is of him with no top on, showing his bare skin practicing his punch. I think that this gives the impression that

he is trying to build a manly, strong status.

Boy 2:• He's riding a bike which shows he’s active and could represent a carefree attitude due to the abandoned settings he’s shot in • His facial expression involves a slight smile, I don’t think negativity is reflected here• He is striking a large pole through the long, deserted grassland, showing traits of a stereotypical young boy experimenting

with the outdoors, as well as ferociously kicking a football. • He is dressed more like a stereotypical youth as opposed to Boy 1, I think this helps differentiate between the contrasting

characteristics of the two

Boy 1 Boy 2

Andrew Goodwin (1992)I think that this music video does support a theory of Goodwin, this being:‘There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close-ups of the main artist/vocalist.’

The sunlight is beaming from behind the artist giving a silhouette effect.

Side views are also included which accentuates the vocalists contemporary haircut.

In this shot, there is a large proportion of the background setting included, contributing to the mise-en-scene.

Body language is featured which helps involve the artist into the narrative by portraying his emotions.

Here the image of the artist is partly concealed by the reflection on the glass he is standing behind.

The artist looks distressed towards the end of the video as the boys begin to rebel against the disapproval of their seniors, his body language displays this.

In this shot, the vocalist is seen walking out of sight behind a wall. I think that this represents the disappearance of both boys’ hopes and dreams as their feelings towards each other are being shattered by reality and the social realism of the beliefs of working/lower class Britain. His head is down, portraying a negative emotion and his hand are in his pockets, potentially symbolising his disapproval of the restrictions the two boys are facing.

I think that the leaning back of the head makes the viewer empathise with the characters, I could represent a plea for sanity or happiness. Boy 1 leans his head back first then instantly after the movement is duplicated by the artist, this involves the artist with the narrative giving the impression that he sympathises for the boys feelings or potentially feels the same.

There are shots which imply a sense of fundamentalist religion views as if the seniors featured, disapprove of the boys contemporary relationship choice. These shots can make this group appear as a cult, who are preaching and wishing to banish the same-sex relationship choice. Close ups are used to show specific facial expressions which portray a determined attitude to make a difference in society. As well as long shots which show the confined space with low ceilings, I think this symbolises the level of oppression they could be inflicting on the boys in order to banish their desire for each other.

The end The two young boys come together and

reach a sense of emotional fulfilment that seems to overcome the objections of the

seniors who constrained the pair in protest.

The glow of light between the boys

represents the connection finalising

between the pair. They have succeeded in

ignoring those constantly around them who do not

understand their dismissal of traditional

gender roles.