Blink 182 Always Analysis
- 1. BLINK 182 – ALWAYS MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS BY ALEX MCEWAN
- 2. INTRODUCTION • The music video produced for ‘Always’ by Blink 182 uses a variety of techniques to entice the audience, using visuals, colours and intertextuality to do so. The shot below is the first image seen as the video starts, depicting a white lily, which itself symbolizes faith, passion and promise; ironically, each of these factors are opposed throughout the video. The lily features constantly in this hybrid video, being both a narrative and performance based production. The skateboard in the background holds connotations of youth, a characteristic that band members attempt to convey as part of their collective demeanour. The camera itself doesn’t have a significant depth of field, yet the lily is intentionally the focal point of the shot, to contrast against the background, in order to emphasise its significance to the scene and even the production as a whole.
- 3. OVERVIEW • The narrative depicts the protagonist, Sophie Monk, flirting with each of the band members. DeLonge, Barker and Hoppus all attempt to win her heart, which is met with arguments, frustration and passion, in the form of kissing. The relationship they each have with her is obviously separate, yet the split-screen attempts to bind each character together, to create a singular, dysfunctional relationship. Travis Barker is always the character to be seen kissing Monk, which is a clarification of the reality of the band members, with Travis Barker often known to be quiet, mellow and nonchalant in real life, whilst Mark and Tom have somewhat extravagant personalities. The lyrics also intertwine with the video, as when the chorus repeats ‘Come on et me hold you, touch you, feel you, always’, then followed by ‘Kiss you, taste you, all night, always’, the visuals are either of the characters kissing, touching, holding or feeling Monk, or performing the song, exhibiting Hoppus’ iconic pink Fender bass guitar and Travis’ breakneck drumming. There’s an evident motif of deception within the narrative, as whilst the three characters often merge into one, they are indeed separate, therefore Monk is regularly seen to be hiding another band member, in order to make way for the next, cheating on all three. This conforms to female stereotypes, which states that women are flirtatious and dishonest, whilst also conforms to the stereotype that men are easily led on and only want intimacy, rather than a deep connection.
- 4. • The video that my group are attempting to create will also feature a split- screen, inspired by this video, due to the positive reception it received. We also gained inspiration from Weezer’s music video ‘The Good Life’ which portrays a pizza delivery girl on her daily route, highlighting the tedium that she feels towards her duties. This video also uses split screen, yet does it vertically, whilst also using obscure and intriguing camera angles. This appealed to us tremendously, as the music video became a pleasure to watch, fascinated by what the next scene might be, an effect that will surely succeed through our target market, being teenagers and early adults.
- 5. CAMERA ANGLES • The camera angles used within the video often change, however using a tracking shot to capture the constant movement of the characters, due to the incessant fighting they endure. It’s evident that the video was shot handheld, rather than on a dolly, as the variety of low shots, close ups and even fast-paced movement couldn’t be captured on a dolly, apparent in the shaky movements and lack of stability. However, this is intentionally used for heightened effect, as in the first few scenes, the visuals are segregated, becoming a split-screen, hybrid video. The screen is split three ways, horizontally, to first depict the clock on the wall. Whilst the camera attempts to merge each screen together, to create one image, it cleverly differentiates slightly by being noticeably out of position, potentially capturing the visuals of three individual characters. A clever use of camera angles is shortly after this, when the camera tracks down, to quickly focus on the floor, covered in shattered glass. This immediately represents danger, which is followed by the introduction to shoes stepping across the screen, indicating that this individual is the source of such danger. The camera pans upwards to capture the attractive, idealistic body of the protagonist, Sophie Monk. By doing so, the slow track of her body allows the female to be seen through the male gaze, identifying her impeccable figure, therefore creating an enigma code, to who she is and her underlying intentions. The close-up shot of Travis, Mark and Tom as Monk opens the door to each of them is so powerful, in relation to the context of the video. This is because the camera holds its position, almost lingering on their faces, to again attempt to view them as one singular person, however with their individual feature so distinct, it’s evident they’re very different, allowing the viewer to process this. Furthermore, both DeLong and Hoppus are singing in the narrative, therefore creating a cross-over between the narrative and performance aspects, which is noticeable during the entirety of the video.
- 6. PURPOSE • The attire of each character is very similar, only differing in the distinction of their ties. This is deliberate, to again encompass the motif of one character, however incorporating the differentiation between this and their individual characters by a single tie, possibly suggesting that the intense sensation of love is the identical for all of us, no matter who it is you love or how you show it. The shot of Hoppus performing the song with three separate backgrounds is a successful way of strengthening the case that each character is indeed separate, with each character in the shot wearing the same tie, indicating they’re all Hoppus, therefore stating that they are individuals, and whilst all feel the same passion for this woman, do not occupy one body. Additionally, this may signify that their love is just as profound no matter where they go, with the locations differing, yet the repetition of the lyrics only enhancing their validity. The video itself also incorporates Star Image, when the camera lingers on their faces at the beginning of the video, used to identify the band members, with the audience identifying their significance, whilst highlighting who’s behind the lyrics, rather than random characters portraying their roles. This is only heightened by the fact that the band are performing throughout the video, whether it be singing, drumming or playing guitar; they’re always selling themselves to the target market. There’s also a clever implementation of intertextuality within the narrative, as Tom DeLonge is seen performing through the television, within a music video. The positive impact that this has on the music video is due to the recognition that the director has for an evolving society, therefore incorporating other forms of media to entice younger audiences to watch the video, appealing to their interests, almost suggesting that the band hold such superiority that they can fluctuate between a music video and live television as they please, a conveyance of their status and quality of performance.
- 7. GOODWIN • Theories such as Goodwin’s ‘Relation of visuals to the song’ is relevant within this music video, especially his ‘Amplification’ theory. This suggests that re-enforcing or repeating a crucial aspect within the video will preserve its significance within our memory, therefore associating that artist/specific song with the memorable meaning, potentially implementing this factor into our own lives. This is certainly applicable within the Always video, with the prelude to the chorus always incorporating a fight or argument between Monk and the characters, however as soon as the chorus is introduced, they simply begin to kiss, forgetting all their prior differences. This suggests that despite the fact every couple will argue, it’s worth it to eventually solve your problems, as the love between you is so strong it overshadows any other emotions you may bear.
- 8. CONCLUSION • In conclusion, the reason for creating such a unique music video is to ultimately draw the attention of the audience, to then portray a story that’s relatable to a variety of viewers, especially teenagers experiencing their first love or adults who are struggling to keep the spark alive in their relationship. The split-screen concept is incorporated potentially to suggest that no matter who the character is, the underlying theme is still relevant, despite aesthetic features or personal barriers.