Fatboy Slim - Weapon of choice
Weapon of choice by Fatboy slim was shot in 2000 in a Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles. The video took 2 days to shoot, and was finally released for the first time on March 12th 2001. The music video was directed by Spike Jonze, and choreographed by Michael Rooney, Christopher Walken and Spike Jonze.
The video stars Christopher Walken dancing throughout the hotel to the song and eventually ending up back where he started. He starts off seated and starts dancing to the beat of the song, dancing on tables and on an escalator at one point. 2.25 into the video Walken dances through a corridor filled with mirrors. This gives off the effect there are a lot of him dancing in one place and is very good looking visually. Also at 1.16 he starts dancing on an escalator to the beat of the song then runs down after he gets about halfway up. Finally at 1.50 he jumps onto a table and kicks off a pile of magazines showing a streak of rebellion which is then carried on later into the video when he is flying in the hotel lobby. Towards the end of the video at 2.53 Walken jumps off the first floor balcony and starts to fly around the Lobby, freely going from wall to wall, and eventually swooping down to a landing near the chair where he first started. This carries on his streak of rebelliousness through the video by defying the laws of gravity. This is a very good editing effect as it looks like he is actually flying by himself. This makes the video very memorable and would get people thinking about it often.
The music and visuals go together well because the music is very lively and upbeat, however has a minor dark tone to it. This works well with Christopher Walken because he is best known as being a villain. The music also goes well with the dancing because they are quick steps and go well with the general beat of the song. This keeps the viewer interested and would get them in the mood to dance about when they hear the song. The lyrics go well with the visuals as well because Walken dances in time with the lyrics and does actions pertaining to them. At 2.05 the lyrics are “you walk without rhythm, and it won’t attract the worm” and he walks in a slick kind of way with his hands in his pockets. At 1.35 the lyrics repeat “you can blow with this, you can blow with that” and he does a different dance move to each one. This works with the beat as well and doesn’t look like he is just doing random dance moves.The video is mainly narrative and performance based. The entire video shows the story of Walken dancing through the hotel to the music. From when he is sitting in his seat, then dancing all the way through the hotel. This involves him; dancing through the lobby, on tables, on an escalator, through corridors, in an elevator, then finally flying over the hotel lobby after jumping off the balcony. However it is also performance based seeing as he is dancing through all of these locations except for when he is flying.
This promo promotes the image of the band well as it is very lively and upbeat with the music and dancing, however also showing a slightly darker side to it with Christopher Walken and the sub tone to the music. It also shows them having some good connections in the industry seeing as they managed to get a famous actor to star in their video. I feel that this promo is intended for audiences between 20-30 year olds because Walken is a slightly older actor and not many young people would recognise him. Also the tone of music seems to be something that would be enjoyed, as it is not too heavy but is still upbeat and will put a smile on your face.
Oasis - Morning glory
Morning Glory by Oasis was directed by Jake Scott, and was first aired in October 1995. A morning glory is a kind of flower. Its blossoms open early in the morning and close by noon, and its seeds can also be used as a hallucinogen. Morning Glory also refers to a waking up with an erection in the morning, the joke being he's asking his penis, "What's the story?"
The video is of the band playing the song in their apartment, while people are walking past getting annoyed with the loud music and the band won’t open their door to anyone. When the camera is in the apartment the shots are very quick going from person to person and different angles of the lead singer, following him through the 2 rooms of the apartment. This gives the video a bit of a scatty feeling to it. The light in the apartment is also quite dark even though the windows are open, and light should be shining through. I think this shows that what they are doing is a dark thing and they need to “wake up” from what they are doing and see the light. In contrast when the camera is looking out to the corridor from the apartment through the keyhole it uses a fisheye lens giving this part a bit of a surreal feeling. Compared to inside the apartment it is very light and the people are of sane mind. This means that they are knocking furiously on the door wanting them to stop playing such loud music. During the opening shot of the clouds and building outside it is in sepia tone making everything seem red and not like it belongs in the real world.
The lyrics and visuals have a strong relationship as the lyrics are singing about the drug ‘morning glory’ and how it can affect your life. In the video the band is acting as if they are under the influence of this drug and are shut in their own little world where they can’t hear anyone else. The lyrics “wake up” show they need to realise that they are ruining their lives by using this drug, and haven’t got a stable future if they carry on. The opening line of the song is a reference to cocaine, “when you’re chained to the mirror and the razorblade”, refers to when you are cutting up cocaine for snorting. This is another drug reference enhancing their point that it isn’t the path best travelled. "Tomorrow never knows what it doesn't know too soon" is saying when people are addicted to cocaine, usually they live day to day by just keeping the drug in their system and constantly using it leading them into an eventual downfall which they can’t get out of. The music and the visuals work well together because the music is loud and not to the majority of peoples tastes, so when the people walk past and are knocking on the door it shows that they are not happy about it and want it to stop. About halfway through the song a mob boss kind of character walks through the halls with his two big bodyguards, this could be an example of intertextuality in the music video.
During the guitar solo the band are kicking a football around the apartment while under the influence of drugs of alcohol, which is seen a lot in the British indie culture. It just shows them having fun and not giving into anything anyone else is saying. When the angry neighbours are yelling at them to turn the music down they ignore them because they just want to do their own thing. The video mainly follows a narrative because the band is playing very loud music out of a small apartment, this leads to a lot of different people (few who enjoy it) to turn up at their door. By the end of the video everyone in the building ends up going to their door and banging on it trying to knock it down to get them all to shut up. This again shows the fact that they are all doing what they want and won’t take notice of anyone but themselves.
The promo promotes the band very well, for it is showing them as what they are; a group of lads who want nothing more than to have fun without being disturbed. The message about drugs is more subliminal than anything else as by listening to the song first time you wouldn’t know. I feel the intended audience for this video is people in their late teens, or young adults. This is because the drug scene and the being a rebel would appeal to them, also the fact they are playing football would also appeal. Another audience is people who just like the indie style of music, this is because that is the general genre of this song and band.
Bibliography
Fatboy Slim
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1543 November 12th 3pm
http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=10474 November 12th 3pm
Oasis
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4027 November 12th 3pm
http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=20772 November 12th 3pm
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