Music Video Analysis 3

This is my music video analysis of ‘The Art Of Loosing’ from the Album ‘The Art Of Loosing’ by ‘American Hi-Fi’. The album was released in February 2003 by ‘Island Records’ and the featured songs were ‘The Art Of Loosing’ and ‘The Break Up Song’.

The song is about rebellion in the kids of America, and how they don’t want to be who they are told to be, and how they rebel. This song says they are proud to be different and don’t care if they lose.

The music video itself does have a small plot but not from the very beginning, it starts of with an animation of hundreds of hands doing the classic ‘Rock’ sign followed by another animation of a hippie van driving into a giant eye. I can’t see any connection with this scene to the lyrics ,next it shows five different location shots of southern America ( I’m guessing as a location shot).

The next sets of main shots are of the band setting up their equipment in American sub-urban house. this is the beginning of the plot line. they use a light leak and a grainy overlay to further push the idea that it was filmed in the southern united states. The video then introduces the band with further animation getting the viewer attached to the band, now the rest of the video is a concert video and it follows the plot, the band continues to hold a concert in the Sub-Urban house with a crowd of people having a party around them, it cuts to scenes that would normally happen at a part and also uses more animation before each chorus keeping you interested.

Throughout the entire music video each cut changes after and average of two seconds, separately during the chorus the cuts depend on the beat of the bass.

The band gets the most screen time because it is partially a concert video and the constantly smiling crowd gives the atmosphere of happiness and fun making the viewer smile and enjoy the clip, the animation adds a bit of comedy furthering the enjoyment of the viewer.

There is no obvious connection between the lyrics and the video, the only connection I can make is that they are having a party which can be seen as rebellion which is what the song is about. The target audience is young teenagers figuring out who they want to be. The band dresses in band shirts and jeans, by dressing like them plus holding the party in a sub-Urban house, where most average American teenagers live, they manage to connect with them by providing familiarity.

(This music Video Analysis was created by Sarah Legg)