Lyrics: Gettin' born in the state of MississippiPapa was a copper and mama was a hippie
Shot type/movement: Zoom in to lead singers face, who is currently dressed as Elvis.
Analysis: This medium close up allows us a proper view of the artist, who in this video impersonates other artists through the ages. Here, he is dressed like Elvis, and the Mise-en-scene reflects the 50’s rockabilly era. This scene is shot in black and white, like televisions would have been in that era, keeping the authenticity. There is a spotlight on the artist, again drawing our attention to the lead singer. This gives connotations of a lost era, of a simpler time where rock music was very different. This is all performance based, with a concept behind it.
Edit: Cuts from long shots of the whole bands to close up shots of the different members of the band.
Lyrics: She's a runner, rebel and a stunnerOh her merry way sayin' baby whatcha gonna
Shot type/movement: Zoom in to close ups of the band
Analysis: The mise en scene has totally changed in this scene, to resemble the Beatles, and Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band era. The psychedelic colours reflect the 60’s, and outfits and props are similar to what the Beatles wore at this time. The action has no relevance to the lyrics whatsoever, which happens throughout the video. The stark contrast of this scene to the black and white previous scene connotes the sudden change from the innocent 50’s to the swinging, free loving 60’s.
Edit: Plain straight cuts to the different shots of the band, similar to the previous screen shot.
Lyrics: California rest in peace
Simultaneous releaseCalifornia show your teeth
She's my priestess, I'm your priest, yeah, yeah
Shot type/movement: Long shot of the band, zooming out from details of the set.
Analysis: This scene has again moved on from the previous era. This section is focused on glam rock, and the outfits are shiny, fluffy and crazy. A UFO comes down from the ceiling, showing the surreal nature of glam rock. The long shot allows us to see the band and set as a whole, setting the scene for this section of the video. This represents glam rockers as a bit crazy, and very different from the Beatles. The connotations of this are sex, drugs and rock and roll.
Edit: Same as before.
Lyrics: With a name like Dani CaliforniaDay was gonna come when I was gonna mourn ya
Shot type/movement: Panning to follow different members of the band. Mostly static. Medium long shot of lead.
Analysis: In this scene, we see the band representing David Bowie. The colours are very bright, and makeup is used to create more authenticity. Shots show the entire band, who are all dressed in a similar eccentric way. Mise en scene is the most essential part of this whole video. There is a big transition between the 60’s glam rock of the previous section to the 70’s glam rock/pop. The change of colouring from monotone to intense bright colours shows this.
Edit: Editing remains the same as before.
Lyrics: Who knew the other side of you?
Who knew what others died to prove?
Too true to say good bye to you
Too true to say say say...Shot type/movement: Panning is used to show all members of the band from different angles, and medium close ups show make up and costume.
Analysis: This scene was devised to represent ‘Hair Metal’. The lighting in this part of the video has been toned down, whereas the costume has been intensified, and consists of leather trousers and leopard print. This scene is full of action despite being the slowest part of the song, and consists of quite sad lyrics, which creates contrast between the video and the music. This has connotations of rock in the 80’s, when it was bright and bold, and all about the outfits.
Edit: Jump cuts jump to different members of the band.
Lyrics: Down in the badlands she was savin' the best for last
It only hurts when I laugh
Gone too fast...
Shot type/movement: Close ups of the different band members and an establishing shot are used.
Analysis: This scene is totally different compared to the rest of the video. It contrasts the early 80’s rock scene, with the grunge scene of the late 80’s, early 90’s. The band is dressed as Nirvana here, and the Mise en scene represents this. They are dressed in jumpers and plain trousers, and the band is sat on stools, surrounded by candles. Soft lighting is used, which makes it seem not like a stage. This scene has connotations of the contrast between glam rock and grunge, two very different sub categories of rock.
Edit: Slow straight cuts are used to reflect the music and the style of the band they are impersonating.
