Music video analysis

Arctic Monkeys - "When the sun goes down"

The music video I will be analysing is by the Arctic monkeys “When the sun goes down”. This was a single and one of the most popular songs from this band. This music video has taken a narrative base rather than performance however considering the two for our music video we choose to use both to make it more interesting. In this music video it tells a story about a prostitute who goes around ‘the streets’ as said in the lyrics. The music video visuals link very well to the lyrics however in some points they lyrics does not match the visuals however this is represented well through the mis en scene where the scenes are quite dull and gray and it is set in a city which can be quite easy to relate to. The music video adds a raw edgy tone. This music video caught my eye because it is unique and not common performance based like most other music videos are.
The first shot that is used in this video is not conventionally appealing it is not interesting , but by starting the video with a closeup the person who views this immediately becomes attached to the character. It starts off with a, high definition closeup of an average looking girls face with her hood up at a council estate, tying in directly with the opening line '”So who's that girl there?” The following shots are in a slow montage which consists of everyday locations. This is followed by a shot of an older man which creates an edgy feeling and maintaining the audiences attention. There is a use of frequent eye contact between the leading girl and the camera as making the audience feel that she is being watched continuously but the expression on her face is vulnerable and passive creating an intimacy between her and the viewer. The visuals for example the editing follows the slow paced music as well as the shots are quite long.