Dead Transmission - Graveyard Johnnys

For this analysis I will be looking at another music video of a band in the same Rockabilly/ Psychobilly category as the Mojokings. I have chosen to focus on a more well known band called The Graveyard Johnnys. The Graveyard Johnnys are a three piece band who fuse 1950's Rockabilly and Punk Rock. They are a British band from South Wales and have been touring all over the world since 2008.

Screenshots taken from The Graveyard Johnnys
music video 'The Wasted'

I have chosen this video as it is a good example of promotion as a 'whole package' i.e. not just the music video but it was launched alongside with posters, merchandise, and a new album all branded the same for 'Dead Transmission'. This is where it has all been rolled out as one once becoming a signed artist; whereas before hand it was hard to keep to the same visual style with design in videos/ album covers (as with unsigned artists) they did not have professional technology and equipment e.g. in their video 'The Wasted' over 100 newspapers were used as a backdrop for the performance in the video, whereas being with Bomber Music they were able to go digital and use a green-screen. Additionally I chose this video because it is an alternative technique used in the Psychobilly genre of music videos whereby they have a band performing but with clever animations and effects making it more of a concept based video cutting between a concept and the artists playing.

Most music videos in the Psychobilly genre tend to be with a narrative based video or just a pure live performance based video (as seen in the video Misery by The Brains) which makes this video slightly different as it is all special effects and animation.

The music video is classed as a hybrid promotion video bringing together concept (in the lyrics and animation which is representative of control and politics) as well as a performance video showing the band playing, this is not in the same way as it was with the video by The Brains however is it is from the point of view that it is one viewer watching on their own, not as part of a crowd.

This is an example of how lyrics are used to be linked to visuals. In this shot we see Tom the drummer playing on the TV in a shop window called "Buy Pointless Stuff" and this is matched with the lyrics "Ram opinions down your throat" which is linking to the control the media has over people in getting them to do things such as buy things. Also we see crowds of people in front of the shop which look like they are shadows of either cut-outs of people or are puppets again representing the control of the media. The overall theme of the video is like it is inspired by old 40's/ wartime propaganda with the big TV on the hill at the end.

The concept that is focused around in this video is the control of the media i.e. TV, radio and how politicians use propaganda for advertising which is subtly incorporated into both the lyrics and the visuals.

This transition (right)  is based around the link to 'the media'  i.e. tv and radio it is accompanied by the sound of  static as though you are changing radio stations. The colours used i.e. red, black and white are used effectively to give a twist on a nostalgic style, by adding the red it gives the effect of being dangerous. However I feel the most appropriate connotation of this colour for the music video is danger, war, strength and power. This use of nostalgia through the black and white is to link back to the bands roots as they are heavily influenced by 1950's Rock 'n' Roll and 'old-style punk' and this use of filter refers back to this, something which the primary audience would know about.

The main shots used in this video are long shots, showing the band members fully playing their instruments and close-ups which emphasise the performance side of the video giving great detail of the instruments they are playing.

Like to all Rockabilly/ Psychobilly videos image is key for the artists and there is a certain looks acquired by the audience which make it easy to spot other 'Rockin' 'Psycho' fans. The Graveyard Johnnys have a very unique look for example Thomas on the drum with dreadlocks accompanied usually by an old army officers hat or a bandanna, and Joe on double bass with his hat and Callum on guitar with his greased back hair. This image helps to make them recognisable and is part of their branding as a collective artist . Looks are generally helped by the performers own interests in the music scene. Their look however for this video may be somewhat controlled by the record label (as stated by Goodwin) where they chose which outfits for the band to wear, although it is stuff they would be known in, it is a more commercial than their look from earlier videos such as Won't Back Out and Cherylene

Relating to the idea of a concept music video this song reverts around the use and power of the radio mast which again conforms to the idea of the video being a political statement against censorship and big companies having control over the media dictating and broadcasting what we see and how we should react to things.

It is difficult to comment on lighting primarily since it is based on green-screen therefore most of the video is animated, however they do seem to use low key lighting as most of the video seems dark i.e. shadows and being in black and white which is typical for the genre as shown in the music video Misery by The Brains as well as the dark pub which Kitty In A Casket play in in their video Kreepsville666.

At the end of the video the band are seen playing on a huge TV
with the mast coming out of the top of it. This represents the
change in power where they are now in control of the media.

Social Media: The Graveyard Johnnys are on all the major platforms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, they also use Instagram and Tumblr to get across from more of an artistic point of view as oppose to simply promotions. The band members themselves are also available on Facebook and Twitter to get in contact with and follow. Like most band their Facebook page is used most frequently as it can allow them to promote and give updates to people more specifically as well as in more depth and detail whereas their Twitter account is used more for key dates such as going on a tour of a certain country, I believe this is also the case (Twitter being less popular) as the main audience of their band are more middle aged men who are perhaps less likely to embrace this form of social networking since there may be no interest to join the site. One thing which sets The Graveyard Johnnys apart is their blog which is linked in with their website so any major updates you can always see and go back to via their blog, this was used primarily when talking about new merchandise coming out as well as behind the scenes info on music videos they were recording. By making content which is more exclusive to their pages i.e. their blog and their website, it draws more fans actually on to their domains as oppose to staying on social media which they don't have as much customisability over.

Links to social media & official website:
https://www.facebook.com/graveyardjohnnysUK
https://twitter.com/GYJARMY
https://instagram.com/graveyardjohnnys
http://www.graveyardjohnnys.com/

The Brains - Misery

In this analysis I will be looking at the official video Misery by The Brains. The Brains are a three piece psychobilly/ punk band who are currently signed to the alternative record label Stomp Records. 

I have chosen this video as it is very similar to what I wish to create for my music video when filming The Mojokings. It is a live performance and has plenty of action. By having a video of an actual gig/ concert it gives audiences watching it an idea of what it is like to see them live and the kind of dress as well as the atmosphere. Songs which are chosen for music videos are ones which best reflect the bands profile and/ or the profile of a new album. It acts at basically an advert to people who know or may have stumbled across the band and it is the 'job' of a music video to get the band noticed and to sell tickets for performances as well as merchandise. Overall a music video is designed to promote the bands image and their product, which is the performance, this is why in my opinion a video showing the bands live act is so important rather than something that doesn't include the members of the band what-so-ever (i.e. just actors, animation, still pictures or some other form of media narrative).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3wKkebrN8 

(This video does contain some explicit words)

This video is what's known as a Performance based music video which features the band/artist performing either to the camera or an audience. This is very popular on the Psychobilly/ Punk scene as the performers create and energy and there is generally more interest for a viewer to watch the band perform as a whole rather than an artist on their own. Like many performance videos it is recorded at a particular live performance, in this case from when they were on tour with a band called Reverend Horton Heat. By doing this it makes the video seem very realistic, this is done through the fast pace editing and camera angles to give the impression of the viewer actually being at that concert, in some cases you are viewing it from the audiences perspective (actually in the crowd); and it ultimately reflects the style of the band who are very performance based and are always on tour to play to their fans.

This POV shot (possibly from another band members point
of view) makes the audience feel included in the video
and special as they know that people seeing this live would
not have such an experience. It can also help promote a venue.

In this music video we see a lot of action shots with lots of movement, initially we see a panning shot which is in the style of a POV shot as it is clearly from a hand held camera, this gives us a sense that we are 'with the band' like we are on tour alongside them, also the location of the shot is significant as it is situated in the dressing room before the performance which again makes us feel elusive and build a relationship with the band members as it is like we are getting special access behind the scenes.

This video has very fast pace editing which coincides with the bands 'electric energy' and quick music, it is typical of music videos especially those which are taken from live performances to have visuals which link up with the music itself. Arguably this is one of the most important features of a live video because you are seeing the song being played 'in real time'. With this fast pace editing there are many quick cuts to different shots often going out to black and then showing the crowd, this then gives the audience a sense of what it's like to be down on the floor watching the band for real, it adds to the effect of having the flashing lights to create an almost disorientated atmosphere, this in turn will intrigue the viewer (it is also typical of music video in this genre to have fast cuts and flashing lights as it goes with the live performance feel). 

There are many long shots in this video which show the band as a whole, it allows the audience to watch them perform all together as oppose to sticking to a particular performer or just to the singer(s); it is up to the viewer which musician they follow, this also goes back to the sense of a live performance video being realistic. In the shots above there is the most noticeable close up shot which is typical for any music video as it allows the performers to show their skill playing the instrument. In most typical rock videos they are just strumming the guitar to the song which is overdubbed so in some ways this can look kind of tacky, however the beauty of having a live performance it means that the viewer can see the detail of what the musician is actually doing and show their talent. In the Psychobilly genre this focus is mainly around the double bass instrument which is the icon symbol of the genre.

This shot however is slightly different to most music videos because this is actually an over the shoulder / POV shot from the perspective of the crowd which is very effective in conveying realism and the audiences atmosphere to the band. It fit's with the overall image of the band since they are well known for 'always being on tour' it is appropriate for such a shot where it is taken amongst the fans, singing, dancing and watching the band.

The audio itself it lip-synced with the artist signing live and the actual track dubbed over the top of the video. This video however is slightly different because at the beginning they use a snippet of the singer talking to the crowd before the song begins, this is likely to have been taken from the actual performance, something which I think is a nice feature to the video and indent to replicate for my music video.

As far as special effects go there are little to none. there may be some enhancements on lighting to improve the quality of the visuals but there are no visible effects, one shot at the beginning appears to have a retro filter applied to it giving it a more orange colour and round faded edges, asides from that it is free from any effects which makes sense since it is a live video and this would get rid of the sense of realism built up in the video, it might also make it seem tacky.

Close up shot of  Rene playing guitar.

Additionally by seeing the band members close up through close up shots, over the shoulder shots and eye-line shots it builds up a relationship between the audience and the band members making which can also make video seem more personal if they use direct mode of address. The band have a unique hairstyle clothes and most noticeable about the Rockabilly/ Psychobilly culture are the tattoos which are clearly visible in close up shots of band. Their  motif is consistent throughout their music videos (and actual performances) and also promotes the bands 'different' image. With this in mind the video does actually conform to Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos. Conforming to this theory further there is a link between the context of the lyrics and the visuals, what the singer is taking about is often reflected as typical of the Rock ' 'n' Roll lifestyle.

By using these codes which are typical to the genre such as fast pace editing it allows ether a new audience to gain an understanding of the genre and gain accustom to seeing certain things i.e. a close up of a double bass or flashing lights; but for those already familiar with the style of music it allows them to instantly recognise it and relate with the band.

Other music videos which are performance based videos include 'Gimme More' by The Peacocks who also follow the style of showing both the performance and backstage at a gig. Also a good example is 'Dancefloor of Death' by the Graveyard Johnnys who focus mainly on the band and close-ups of their instruments, they also use a heart beat noise before the actual footage to create suspense and tension before the performance.

The band consist of:

Colin Irvine, Double Bass & backing vocals (right)

Rene D La Muerte Garcia, Guitar & Vocals (middle)

Philippe Pinard, Drums (left)

Social Media: Since The Brains are a well known band (and are signed to a record label) they are on most forms of socil media, mostly Facebook as it allows them to make postings of upcoming gigs .i.e. events and share those with fans, this is also the most popular form of social media because they can be more interactive with the fans and also make photo albums to share for people to comment on. As most bands still do they have a Myspace Page, although this service is used less and less by fans as websites such as SoundCoud take over (the record label Stomp Records is also on this platform with some songs by The Brains posted to their account). They are also on Twitter however this is used only for key updates as the concept for Twitter is that it is only read quickly and you have a limited word-count, it is used for promotion of merchandise or new albums which people are most likely to see. More of a niche social platform used by this band is Instagram, however it is not a band profile but you can follow each of the band members and they post pictures backstage at venues and little jams in-between concerts, through doing it this way it makes the fans seen closer to the individual members as oppose to them as a whole, you are also getting an insight into their personal lives as well (the band members also have their own Facebook & Twitter accounts too).

It is also notable that since The Brains are a signed band it is easier for them to gain promotion through videos and social media since there will be a budget from the record label for them, also other accounts with them can publicise each other whereas unsigned bands really rely on home made videos and critiques reviews of their performance (or albums). Finally a major thing which is significant about this band being popular and a signed band is that they are able to have their own website where people searching their name into a search engine will get this site with all o their content in one place where unsigned artists such as the Mojokings rely heavily on Facebook to promote their band since it is not cost effective to have their own site,

Links to social media:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBrainsMTL
https://twitter.com/thebrainsmtl
https://myspace.com/thebrains
https://thebrains.bandpage.com/

Preliminary Task

The idea behind this task was to practice our editing skill, the video was filmed in the groups which we used for our thrillers last year. Our task was to create a typical music video and have a go filming it effectively copying each shot and its content but in our own style. 

Here is a link to the original video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCCXq9QB-dQ

Shot list is as follows:

• Establishing shot- Woods, trees and slight turn
• Fast panning midshot- Running behind tree line
• Birds eye view- Woods, slight twist in the camera movement
• Midshot- Running and looking behind him from the side
• Birds eye view- Woods, slight twist in the camera movement
• Midshot- Running 
• Longshot- From behind with arrows flying by
• Midshot pan- Stop by a tree and hides
• Birds eye view- Woods, slight twist in the camera movement
• Midshot- Follows man get up and run
• Birds eye view- Woods, slight twist in the camera movement
• Midshot- Running and jumping/rolling
• Close up- Dives low and then runs
• Midshot- Running by the side
• Midshot- Angled behind
• Midshot- From the front, arrow hits him!
• Midshot- Falls
• Close up- Shows wound
• Birds eye view- Clearing and arrows flying
• Midshot/close up- Turns and ducks
• Midshot- From the front and hit again by arrow!
• Close up- Pain on face and slows pace
• Midshot- Running slowly
• Close up- From back and hit again!
• Birds eye view pan- Gets hit in the leg (limps)!
• Close up- Pain and blood
• Close up- Feet and wound
• Midshot- Stumbles and falls
• Midshot- Hit again by arrow!
• Close up- Pained face
• Close up- Hit in the neck
• Close up- falls next to jerry can
• Close up- Pours petrol on himself
• Midshot- Petrol falling down on to him
• Close up- Smiles hilst covered in petrol
• Pans up- Fire arrows coming towards camera
• Fades to black as they get close.

Artist Confirmation - Mojokings

This is just a quick post saying that I have had confirmation from my artist of choice saying that I can use them for my media coursework i.e. use them for the poster, CD cover (digipack) and also record them for my music video. The band which I will be doing my coursework on is The Mojokings which are a local band originally formed in Essex. They were contacted via social media (Facebook) where I messaged one of the band direct.  Click here to see my audience profile which goes in to
more detail about the band and their genre.

Audience Profile - Mojokings

This is the band I intend to use for my music video and digipak etc. The Mojokings are a local band originally from Essex and decribe themselves as a fusion of Rockabilly & Punk/ Punk Rock and garage known also on the scene as Psychobilly. They are a three piece band with Paul Scoulding on guitar and vocals, Richard Scoulding on double bass and backing vocals and Olly Simmonds on drums. They have said they are like and are influenced by artists such as "Elvis, The Clash, Stray Cats, The Specials, Jim Jones Revue, The Sonics, The Cramps, The Living End, Johnny Burnette, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley".

The band draw in a variety of audiences with many different age brackets from teenagers 14+ all the way up to adults aged 50+. The most prominent age is the two ends of the scale those aged 40-50 who are the primary fans/ audience those who have known the band since their beginning and have an interest in the Rockabilly genre, most likely would have seen them through live gigs and and demo CD's. This also brings in the younger age bracket as people in the 40-50 category are likely to have teenage children which then get in to the music and therefore the band also. The secondary audience would would be punk or other alternative genre fans finding their music online (i.e. through iTunes, SoundCloud or social networks). They might also find out about the band through gigs (i.e. playing in different venues as backing bands to other artists) or other music events.

With a look on education I believe the main audiences are those who have passed GCSE/ A-levels and are medium earners ranging between the status of E (students and young unemployed) - B or potentially even A (which are people with professional employment). This varies so much purely due to the diversity of people that follow the band and also who are into the genre of Rockabilly. This also means that earning will vary as a result. They tend to attract people in not only professional jobs (highest earners) but those who are in manual/ 'less skilled' jobs all the way down to students which are the lowest earners. From going to their gigs I have seen that it is hard to pinpoint a specific age or a dominant gender for the band.

People who are in to the Rockabilly/ Psychobilly scene have a very distinctive look, this look is reflected in mainly their hairstyles and the clothes which they wear. The typical look is a t-shirt with dark blue 'turn up' jeans and either boots (e.g. Dr Martens) or smarter shoes (e.g. Loafers or a bit more casual Converse plimsole shoes). This is known through going to gigs, from related bands YouTube videos and pictures from live performances. Socially this genre and their following is seen as unusual or different to most of the public however with the increase in 'The Retro Revival' the look is not so unknown as it was a few years ago. The iconic look for bands in this genre is the double bass and

Taking a look at related artists music videos the clear theme is that the majority of artists have live performances recorded and dubbed as their media. This allows people to see the kind of atmosphere the band create and it also gives the effect of what it would be like to be there watching them live, it gives off energy and enthusiasm related with the genre which for the audience is all about being able to see the band play not just simply listening to the music. Hence this is reflected in most music videos.

The Mojokings have played at many various venues across the country and also internationally however they play a lot locally at places such as Epic Studios, The Waterfront, The Owl Sanctuary, The Brickmakers (B2) and the Norwich Arts Centre (locally).

Other bands of the same genre who have played at these venues include:

• The Peacocks
• The Marksmen
• The Creepshow

The Peacocks

The Creepshow

The Marksmen

UPDATE:
In this piece of audience research I will be focusing mainly on bands similar to The Mojokings. This way I am able to analyse their music videos and those also of artists on the Rockabilly/ Psychobilly scene who are perhaps more known by a mass audience and signed to big record labels. Other bands in this genre include:

• The Peacocks
• The Creepshow
• The Sonics
• The Graveyard Johnnys
• Knocksville
• The Living End
• Kitty In A Casket

Some of the most well known record labels on the Punk/ Psychobilly are 'Stomp Records' and 'People Like You Records' (PLY). Bands previously mentioned The Creepshow are currently signed to PLY labels and also as said before in a previous blog post the Peacocks used to be signed to them also.