Olivver the kid attica

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https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=pMoAcBpUd5Q OLIVVER THE KID- ATTICA MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

Transcript of Olivver the kid attica

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMoAcBpUd5Q

OLIVVER THE KID- ATTICAMUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

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The song, by analysing the lyrics Is about how his life has changed been in prison and away from the girl he loves but also how its changed them when they’re together. Its about the truth behind how his situation has changed them together but also how it’s changed the way she looks at him.

Specific genre characteristics that he uses in this particular video are all listed below:- Certain filters on top of the film to make It look a a particular tone in

different parts of the video like when he’s by himself thinking In his cell and when he’s been told off by the officer, it’s very blue toned. They also used a very distinctive filter on the footage of him and his girlfriend in the past. It was hazy and very bright which makes them look old because they look like they wee filmed using rolls. This suggests that him and his girlfriend haven't been like that in a long time, or what feels like forever.

- Use of artificial light and natural for different parts in the video. The majority of the filming is inside and they use lights to make the prison look dark and dingy which contrasts with the natural light that’s used when he is released.

- Use a storyline to relate the lyrics too/ this can persuade viewers to watch the video again because it makes the song more personal and some viewers can relate.

THE LYRICS & GENRE CHARACTERISTICS

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS & VISUALSAndrew Goodwin said in his conventions of music videos that there is a relationship between lyrics and visuals, in the video “Attica” it shows perfectly how they can help emphasize narrative. The video starts with him been pulled out of him home by a prison guard and leaving his girlfriend behind then an image of his mug shot with his prison number. When the lyrics start and are sung, ‘I’ve changed my mind’ in the first verse it shows him spinning the dial on a phone with his prison overalls on then a quick cut in of an old film of him in bed with girl, then back to him in the prison on the phone. This shows how his mind is flickering between two places, the actual reality of his situation in the present time and his past. The song is about the truth behind their relationship and what’s changed whilst they’re apart, we assume that he’s ringing her up and whilst he’s doing so, he’s reflecting on all the best times in their relationship and what he misses. Usually when speaking to someone you love or someone you haven’t been able to speak to for a long time you don’t concentrate on anything else other than hearing their voice on the end of the line but he instead is thinking into his past. We can therefore assume that their relationship isn’t what it used to be and he misses it.

When the lyrics are sung, “surrounded by evil & hate it crept”, it shows a crab right which shows three different cells in the prison, the contrast of what the prisoners are doing in each one in comparison to him shows there is a big difference between the sorts of people they are. We can conclude that during this part he’s relating evil to the prisoners and the atmosphere around him to the evil and possibly thinking back to his old life, which is why little clips of his past cut in to the parts of him in the prison. When the lyrics say “into my mind and out my pores”, it shows polaroid pictures of him and his girlfriend, who’s featured in all the small clips of his past, on his grey prison wall. Pores are what belong on your body and help your whole system work and release things that aren't needed, by filming old photographs of him and his girlfriend when this part is been sung suggest that he needs her, he needs her to help get rid of all the evil and darkness around him and help him forget.

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However when the lyrics go on to say, “I felt what happened, the truth I know” it shows him alone in his dark prison cell looking at old photographs. When the beat of the chorus kicks in it shows clips again of old memories of his with his girlfriend then reframes into him banging his head on his prison cell looking upwards. This really puts emphasis on how much he looks behind him into his past and how much he thinks of her. When he bangs his head on the cell it suggests that he’s trying to bring himself back to reality where possibly that relationship is gone or disintegrating. Following clips that are shown when the lyrics are been sung, “the truth I know”, are off him sat in a interview room been interrogated by an officer and off him just looking down without answering, more clips of him and his girlfriend together and a close up of him in his prison overalls. In this section of the song it’s all about his reality and the main components in his life but also where his thoughts take him.

On the next verse where the lyrics are sung, “my heads been filled with doubts”, it shows him doing press ups in his cell and clips of him reading, all to rake his mind of of her as clips of their relationship continue to be shown throughout. “I’ve been looking for a reason to stay” shows him and his girlfriend sat opposite each other behind a glass window on the phone to each other. It suggests that their relationship is coming to the end and it isn’t working anymore. The visual of their facial expressions where neither of them smile, compared to the clips of them in their happiest times highlights how their relationship has changed.

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The whole of the second verse shows their interaction when on the phone and how they look at each other. “I’m out of my mind & I’m out of the door, I left alone, or so the story goes” with the visual of her getting up and putting the phone down then a short clip in their past of her moving away from him suggests that instead of thinking of the good times, he’s thinking of all the times she’s left him when he’s been venerable and alone. The rest of the lyrics are the repetition of “the truth I know” which at first is sung very quietly and shows him on the phone by himself, sat holding his head up, we assume that he’s trying to call her up and wants to speak to her but has no answer. When the beat drops it shows him slamming the phone down, the officer which was questioning him throwing files against the wall and a prison guard beating him up. This is where the reality of his situation really kicks in and to me it feels like it’s a conclusion of his time in the prison and shows all the disastrous points during his tie there.

The actual repetition of lyrics with these visuals really do tell the story and give the illusion of time passing. It shows how hard his life has been especially since she left and is the truth about what it’s like to have the person you loved above all else and who got you up to then leave you at the worst place in your life. The last scene in the music video where its only instrumental music is off him when he’s released from prison and he’s walking past his ex girlfriends house. She see’s him and they lock eyes but neither smiles at one another. This shows how he’s moved on and he’s going to a better place without her. All these examples are ones of how lyrics and visuals have a relationship and help tell a story.

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC & VISUALS Andrew Goodwin also said that there is always a relationship between music and visuals. The music first starts with a electric guitar solo with a minor key and the visual of a him been escorted out him home by a police officer, leaving his girlfriend behind him. These two match very well because the intricate music gives the story a sadness to it and makes it look as if it’s a scene that is hard for their relationship. The screen then shows him in his prison overalls holding up his number for his mug shot with a black and white filter running throughout these two scenes. The next scene is of him spinning a phone dial which spins on the word ‘I’ve’ and the music suddenly drops into a beat with a very punchy rhythm with his lyrics been the main harmony. The scenes change their cutting rate to the beat and flick in-between different scenes of him on the phone and clips running throughout. At the end of the first verse where the music i=has a continuous beat, suddenly more instruments add to the beat and make it louder and the pitch of voice gets higher.

This breaks up the verse from the chorus, the visual that goes along with the chorus are off him been shouted at by an investigator or guard in an investigation room and the argument between the two men. The is stood up leant against the desk directly in front of olivver looking down at him whereas olivver is sat and the close ups of his face shows that he doesn’t particularly care about what the man is saying to him.

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Most would be frightened of an authoritive figure like that when they are vulnerable however shows of him doing an impression of him talking at him, suggest he isn't scared. The clips of him and his girlfriend that cut in between this scene show on the parts he isn't singing in-between lines and I think are there to represent what's going on in his thoughts during this argument between him and the guard.

When the chorus ends the music goes into a few string strokes of a guitar then the drums repeat the same rhythm that plays throughout the chorus with just his voice layered over the top. I’ve noticed that when this section of the music is playing, when it’s just his voice and the music, the visuals tend to show parts of his life that are the worst or what things angered him enough to make a song about it. It shows him at first in his cell doing things to keep him busy, however the scene after was of a phone conversation with his girlfriend. In other videos like ‘Bbblue’ by Olivver the kid when he’s with the girl he loves the music flowed well and was in a major key. However when he’s reunited with his girlfriend in this video neither look glad to see each other. The scene ends when she puts the phone down and walks away, leaving him more alone then ever before. The punchy, heavy beat music really compliments this scene and gives the viewer the feel of anger that he felt and I think the music is meant to be a representation for how he feels.

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When the section the lyrics is repeated from the chorus, the music is very quiet and his voice gradually fades the visuals that are played when this section of music occurs is when he’s sat down with a phone trying to get hold of her or in his cell thinking about her. When he realizes that he’s not going to get hold of her, he throws the phone down, this is where the beat drops again and the music gets louder and louder with more musical instruments layered over the top.

Eventually after the chorus the music goes into a small guitar solo which is played when he’s just been beaten up by the prison guard and is on the floor. It then shows him in his cell with a bruised face and a different police guard running his baton through the prisoners cell bars. The relationship between visuals and music is very strong at this point because it’s used to show how he’s at his most venerable point yet during his time at the prison. The music picks up and the drum beats start again when the guard reaches his cell and nods to let him out and release him. This music carries on throughout the rest of the video when he’s released and see’s his ex girlfriend, it puts emphasis on that he wasn’t sad he was no longer with her but felt confident enough to walk past her house and feel like he can get on with his life without her.

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CLOSE UPS Andrew Goodwin said that close ups are used in all music videos and there is a common theme of close ups of the artist or band. In this music video most of the close ups are of the artist and this is a feature than runs throughout a lot of his videos. Close ups are used to show their emotion and capture the moments in expression that show a distinct feeling or thought within a character. For example, the top screenshot on the right is of his girlfriend right at the end of the video where she firsts see’s him since his release. The bottom screenshot is off his expression when he first see’s her after his release.

The difference in how they’re looking at each other can suggest a lot about where each of them lies with each other. She looks surprised to see him and looks as if she is watching him walk away from her with disbelief. The video shows that as he walks past she opens the door to look at him and this is the moment they catch eyes. He, on the other hand, looks very much moves on and looks at her more like a stranger than an ex girlfriend or someone you used to love. This suggests that he’s still angry at what she did but is moving on it whereas she looks surprised that he’s out of prison and looks more as If she wants him to come over to her. All of this can be inferred through the use of close ups and give the viewers a more personal feel to the characters or artist.

The middle screenshot of a clip that cuts in to the scene of him been beaten up and Is of him sat at the desk where the prison officer is questioning him. The look on his face gives the impression that he’s fed up and no longer cares about what the officer is saying. These three examples are perfect to show how close ups can be used to show emotion within characteristics.

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NOTION OF LOOKING Notion of looking is a convention that Andrew Goodwin said is in every music video. This music video is a good example of how this can show the relationship between people in the video. The part in the music video where Olivver the kid is been interrogated by a investigator or guard the shots of how he looks at him suggest that he looks down upon him and thinks that he’s beneath him. The second screen shot is just after his girlfriend walked out of their phone face to face conversation and when he’s trying to get hold of her again. The way in which he’s looking into the camera gives the idea that he’s fed up but also a sense of disparity. He’s got his head in his hands which suggests that he’s been sat there for some time, prisoners have a set amount of call time a week and therefore this suggests that he’s using a lot of his call time, if not all of it, to try get in touch with her. When the chorus kicks in he throws the phone down and looks as if he’s screaming. I can assume that she didn’t pick up and the frustration really gets to him because of their separation and her stubbornness.

The last screenshot is of a prison guard, possibly the one that previously beat him up, looking into hiss cell. He is stood similar to the man in the first screenshot, looking down on him. The way he’s looking and the angle of the camera emphasis this because he has no joy on his face or even a regard that he’s looking at another human being. This shows how prisoners are treated in prisons and can give the viewer a feel for how he’s feeling seen as a lot of the shots look as if they’re from his perspective.

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TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Camera work:Angles that the music video use in “Attica“ use are listed below and why I think they have been used to create an effect:- Close ups of his hands dialling her number and of both there

facial expressions to capture their emotion.- Track in shot- in first scene it zooms in closer to her doorway

and is the closest when he comes out of the door. - Low angle shot- makes whoever is in frame look more powerful

or strong. - Crab right shot- follows horizontally along the prisoners in their

cells.- Ped up- shows his polaroid photograph on bed then peds up to

him with his head against the prison walls. - Wide angle shot - Over the shoulder shot- shows how other people in his

surroundings treat him and how he treats them. - Arc shot- spins around his head when he’s sat in in front of the

police officer and gives his view from a wider angle. - Point of view shot- a lot of the shots of the prison officers or

guards are from his perspective.

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TECHNICAL ASPECTS Mise-en scene:In the music video they use lots of mise en scene to emphasise the characters and their surroundings, they do this by:- Props- props that he used in the video like his reading book as

well as all the polaroid photographs on his prison walls make him have a soft spot and not look as if he’s the stereotypical prisoner. It also adds something to his story that he’s separated from people that he loves and can’t do anything to be closer to them.

- Costume- the prisoners and the guards are both dressed very accordingly to their position and shows the viewers an obvious difference between them and the control they have.

- Locations and sets- shot in mostly a set up studio that’s meant to look like a prison or has hired that place to film in to make it look like a prison.

- Lighting – the lighting is probably the most important aspect of mise-en scene to get this music video to be this successful.

- They have used in the prison environment very low key lighting with a very strong casted shadow in some scenes. However in other scenes, such as the first part of the video where he dials and picks up the phone, are lit slightly differently. They have used lights in the background of the video that have quite a warm tone to them. This contrast against the grey concrete walls make the prison look more cold and isolating because it overrules any brightness or light in there.

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TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Editing:In the music use a range of editing techniques that I have identified and will be listed below:-motivated cut- parts of the video that the people in frame look over to something and the viewers can’t see it makes them want to know and gives mystery to the video.-Cutting rate- gets faster as the music gets faster.-shot, reverse, shot- shows how the people in frame respond to each others action & can provoke nervousness or intensity when it doesn’t go well. For example when he see’s his ex girlfriend for the first time since she walked out on him. -cutaways- show him at different points during his time in prison and cut in-between each other to follow on from what's happened previously in a scene. -match on action- follow him from different angles when he’s released from sitting in his cell, the guard saying he can be released then a back shot of him walking away.

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TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Sound:In this music video, sound is a big part of the production and a lot can be told about the video through the music and lyrics. The techniques of sound they have used in this video are listed below:- Sound bridges- the song continuously is played over the

scenes to make the video as well as the music fit together and flow nicely.

- Non diegetic sound- all sound that is in the video has been edited in post production.

- Synchronous sound- right of the song he is miming the at the beginning lyrics but it makes it look as if he’s singing them. Therefore there is clear source of where the sound is coming from in the frame.

- Asynchronous sound- when he’s not miming, there is no other things in the whole video that the music would come from therefore the viewer can’t see the source of the music, making it asynchronous.