Analysis of a rock video (Sound of Truth - As I Lay Dying)

camera

The way this video has been filmed it has a very filmic type of setting, with a vast amount of actors used to have a story line shown, As I Lay Dying is only shown on a rooftop. This is designed to give the idea that the song has been made for a film or for a part of a film. The use of close ups of people having angry expressions empowers the feeling behind a lot of metal music. Establishing shots show that this is quite a high budget music video as they have managed to create a futuristic type effect.

Mise-en-scene

There are many props that are used throughout the story line and many for the band. Obviously the band have been filmed in the rain or artificial rain and are scene playing there expensive guitars in the rain show a rock star arrogance that they are rich and have money to spare. The fact that characters have been put at a low status within the video show that they are living under a dictatorship, this is shown purely from the fact that everyone that looks lower class is listening to a broadcast from a more powerful individual. The fact that people are wearing weird uniform that is not present in this day shows that the story line is set in the future. The constant use of rain shows off the darkness that is associated with the metal music. Low key lighting is also used to enforce this.

Performance

The fact that the people acting within the video are all actual actors the story becomes convincing and interesting unlike a lot of music videos that are made. The viewer can feel the sense of an overthrow of power through the story which is extremely effective as again metal music is about being different and not being the same as normal popular music. As i Lay Dying like most metal bands get into the music and start head banging which is something that there listeners would use to express there ways of liking the music. Again like other bands they are using this to appeal to there audience as audience members feel like they want to head bang along with the band.

Editing

There are a lot of parts were editing is used to composite videos into things for example in the picture above the crowd are being shown as if the viewer is looking at them through a raindrop. This is really effective as they are adding things that are keeping the viewer interested. Although this is a high budget film certain ideas like doing this to a shot can help people with low budget ideas to keep there audience interested. The editing has also been put in time with each shot changing on one of the harder played beats on the drums. There are a lot of flashing edits used as well for example there is the use of a flash through the solo behind the guitarist that looks a bit like lightning but has been put in through the use of editing.