2. Type of music video
I would consider Newton Faulkner’s ‘Gone in the morning’ as a disjuncture as
the lyrics are not reflected on screen at all and therefore the music video and
lyrics have no connection, however there are some images which linked to
the lyrics like “I’m going to grow a giant afro”. For example, pieces of jigsaw
are being put together whilst Faulkner sings about “Off to the land where no
ones been before, I’m going to take my shoes off at the door” this
encapsulates the However, there are numerous shots of Newton Faulkner
performing the song, which alters the type of music video to a Disjuncture
and a Performance. Disjuncture music videos is stylistic of Faulkner.
3. Setting
The setting scene throughout the entirety of the music video, is a high-rise[1].
The high-rise may resemble a sense of freedom as I inferred from the title
‘Gone in the morning’ that the song is perhaps about a one night stand.
Furthermore, the high-rise gives the music video a modern feel to the music
video it despite contrasting from every other setting. This modern feel may
relate to the Newton Faulkner being part of the modern era for Folk music
and carrying on that cult following. Furthermore the sun introduces
undertones of nature which is relevant to Folk as the codes and convention
outline that the utilisation of nature is common as it is the music is raw just
like nature.
[1]
4. Setting
• There are numerous settings in this music video which are stylistic of the
50/60’s, which coincidentally is when Folk Rock was founded. Some of the
settings include a traditional office with leather mats and a wooden desk
signifying that the desk is antique[2]. This then is pushed upwards to a
different setting where it is of some sort of kitchen, as there are half eaten
boiled eggs with a cup of tea. This submits the suggestion that the person
looking down on this is elderly as this is a traditional breakfast[3]. The same
transition occurs to a film of Bruce Lee which is reminiscent of the 1960’s
– establishing the 1960’s undertones[4]. Old American comics are then
displayed on a desk which further implies the 60’s feel[5], which is a
massive contrast to the high-rise seen throughout the music video.
[3] [4] [5]
5. Costume
• The costume utilised by Newton Faulkner in is pretty generic in regards to
the genre of the music. A chequered shirt and blue denim jeans[6] is rather
conventional in the Folk Rock music genre, as it doesn’t follow common
clothing trends and therefore veers away from the mainstream, which
reflects what Folk Rock music does as a whole because it is a totally
independent genre which focuses more on the meaning of the lyrics not
the materialistic values. His hair is also very different, a he has lengthy
dreadlocks which links to Rastafarians who are believed to be peaceful –
which reflects the nature of Folk Rock music.
[6]
6. Lighting
• The lighting used in Faulkner’s ‘Gone in the morning’ is hard to identify,
but throughout the music video there are snippets of Faulkner himself
with natural lighting in the background – the Sun[7]. This is important
because it relates back to Folk Rock music incorporating natural elements
to reflect how Folk Rock aims for simplicity and for the audience to feel
peaceful inside and to bring a healthy vibe to listeners. There are aspects
of artificial lighting in the music video, where there is a lamp on the
desk[8], this is not particularly significant however.
[7] [8]
7. Props
• There are many props that are completely separated from the Folk Rock
genre, like jigsaw parts[9], the breakfast[10] and the airplane seat[11] – this is
stylistic of Faulkner as the majority of his videos are disjuncture which
means the lyrics have no to little connection to the video. However, props
used in the video like the acoustic Guitar and the seat[12]are particularly
common in Folk Rock music videos because of the simplicity of the almost
stationary objects. These props reflects that the music is not about
materials but more about the lyrics themselves. The lyrics of the song may
address the transient nature of the comforts that we experience in life like
water which is the source of all life.
[9] [10] [11] [12]
8. Camera angles
• The camera angles used in ‘Gone in the morning’ are very limited. One of
the camera angles used is the birds eye view. This is the POV of the
protagonist looking down to at a table[13]. The other camera angle used in
this music video is a wide shot of Faulkner himself on the high-rise – this
links back to the genre of Folk Rock as wide shots give the audience a
better idea of the sense of place the artists has surrounded himself
with[14] and this would be achieved by a helicopter .
[13] [14]
9. CGI
• Unlike most Folk music videos, Faulkner's ‘Gone In the morning’
incorporates CGI in the sense that Bruce Lee appears on screen [15] to a
black community dancing [16] , and in general the jigsaw is CGI [17] . This
challenges the codes and conventions of Folk music as Folk music videos
tend to be low budget but CGI is expensive.
[15] [16] [17]
10. Was it successful?
• In regards to challenging or conforming to the codes and conventions of Folk Rock
music, ‘Gone in the morning’ has managed to do both. It conforms to the stereotype as
there are constant snippets of the video where the 50’s and 60’s are displayed on
screen which is reminiscent of the origins of Folk Rock music. Furthermore, the props
used is stylistic of the Folk Rock genre as the instruments link back to the simplicity of
the music videos. The costume worn by Newton Faulkner is also conforming to the Folk
Rock stereotype as his clothes aren't flashy, nor designer clothes – this further reflects
the simplistic nature which the Folk Rock genre encourages. The setting however
challenges the codes and conventions of Folk Rock as it is set in an urban area which is
associated with the mainstream which is exactly what the Folk genre wants to avoid in
order to be an independent genre. Moreover, the use of CGI in the music video
challenges the codes and conventions of Folk Rock as Folk music videos are simple in a
way that reflects the meanings of the lyrics.
• Overall this piece of contemporary Folk music utilised the codes and conventions of
traditional Folk music but incorporated its own modern spin on it, perhaps to attract a
new age of target audience as it would appeal to younger audiences if CGI is used,
whilst still attracting its usual audience who love Folk for its individuality.
