Analysing Music Video: All these things that I've done - The Killers.

For my media production, I am planning to make a music video. I am making a narrative/performance music video to the song I have embedded above.

This is the original UK video version of The Killers' song "All the things that I've done":

Brandon Flowers (the lead singer in the band) with the rest of the group members are shown walking towards the camera (following it) in a narrow alley with bricked walls in a medium long shot. This is the establishing shot, it sets the scene. We are left wondering: why are they there? Where are they going? This is all happening during the instrumental beginning part of the song.

We then see archive footage of, what looks like a concert (most likely there concert) - the question is answered: maybe they are on their way to perform. The mise en scene of the concert is dark, dim lighting, the crowd look anxious and they seem to be waiting. The camera pans around the faces of the crowd (medium close ups).

Then it goes straight back to The Killers in the alley, it seems to be nearing the end.

The fast editing shows the longing crowd again - still waiting.

This is done for the first 18 seconds of the song until they are out of the alley, the have crossed the road and on the pavement (medium long shot tracking)

The camera tracks The Killers throughout their journey and throughout the song. Brandon Flowers starts miming the words. We see medium close ups and medium long shots of the band members faces and his.

Then Brandon greets a male random passer-buyer, shakes his hand and then the man starts walking along side the group.

We then see a medium long shot of the legs of the group and the man - showing another person has joined this journey.

There is a shot of The Killers and the man from the side (long shot) but now with more followers - this increase of followers (fans) continues throughout the video. There are a range of shots (close-ups, medium close ups etc) of the members of the group and the followers to show that they look happy (pans around everyone).

Rapid editing is used after "I need direction to perfection" is said, when the "no, no, no, no" part is, it is accompanied by a fast edited sequence of medium close ups, medium long shots and close ups of the group turning a corner.

For the chorus we have a close up of Brandon Flowers' face, then it switches to a medium close up of the group again.

The camera-work is rather intriguing, it looks much like it is hand-held, yet the tracking is very very smooth. The hand-held technique, as well as the mise en scene in general suggests an easy-going, calm atmosphere, not pretentious.

There is a sequence of medium close ups of the followers' and the groups happy expressions.

At 1 minute and 47 seconds into the video, when Brandon sings "Your gonna bring yourself down" and the backing track disappears and we just hear a continuous drum beat. This builds up the suspence. We see The Killers (without the followers) in a high angled shot walking up a staircase in a building.

We flick back and forth (with medium close ups and panning close ups of faces) to the concert crowd looking as though they are still waiting for something, then to The Killers again looking like they are walking backstage, then to the crowd with lead by Brandon Flowers, then back again to the crowd.

Then we see The Killers walk onto a stage facing the same concert audience (long shot). There is the diagetic sound of the crowds roars for their longed for performance.

The camera pans around the crowds faces.

There is a comedy-like aspect to the video as, when the forth "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier" part of the song comes in, it sounds almost gospel-like; therefore, with the street scene we see The Killers and the crowd accompanied by a stereotypical gospel choir. The mise en scene is perfect, they have blue gowns on and look like they've just come out of church.

There is then a sequence of close ups of the Gospel singers' faces, then the crowd and then Brandon Flowers (meanwhile we still see people joining The Killers on the street).

The final chorus is again the same, the usual sequence of the different ranges of camera shots (medium long shots, medium close ups, close ups etc) of all scenes (the street scene, the concert crowd etc).

The last shot is panning of the concert audiences faces (close ups) and the diagetic crowd noise drowns out the song itself.