Coursework Preliminary

1. Prelim Music Video Analysis
Run - Foo Fighters
Toby Haslam

2. Music
‘Run’ is a song in the Rock genre, which is common from Foo Fighters as
they are famous for it. There is a moderately fast tempo and the volume changes
throughout the song, but it is mainly loud. Guitars are used throughout the
length of the song, reinforcing this, and drums are also used. The performance in
the video reflects common rock video aspects with ‘head banging’ and mad
dancing, with the narrative showing something crazy.

3. Lyrics
The lyrics in ‘Run’ mainly revolve around the title of the song, and other words suggest connotations of this. The
song opens with “Wake up”, which could imply escaping from something – tied in with what appears to be an old people’s
home and the old people revolting against it. “In another perfect life/In another perfect light” also reflects how the old people
might be idealising a better life, with “light” connoting positivity. These lyrics are part of the chorus and are frequently
presented. In the verse as the song picks up more of a heavy metal feel, we can see a clear relationship between the lyrics and
the video. “The rats are on parade, Another mad charade, What you gonna do? The hounds are on the chase, Everything's
erased, What you gonna do?” In the music video at the point, the old people and the carers are fighting (the ‘rats’ against the
‘hounds’). “Rats” is used here to portray the subservient group out of the two, but they are on a ‘parade’ and are rising up. To
counter this, the carers are fighting back to stop them; “on the chase”. Overall, the lyrics constantly play with the theme of
revolution/breaking free.

4. Mise en scene/genre
As the song is under the Rock genre, the music video follows this. There is a brief scene without music at the start in which the
narrative of the video is introduced. Narratives are found in rock videos as well as the performance aspect, and in the performance parts of
the video we see very powerful and aggressive movement – in the beating of the drums, the strumming of the guitar, and in the head banging
of the lead guitarist and vocalist – Dave Grohl.
The video displays well to the target audience of 16-25 year olds, mainly men, with the comical violence shown between old
people and carers; something which is completely out of the ordinary. This violence and madness which is conveyed in the video fit well into
the typical elements of rock genre music videos.
To illustrate the old people and the carers in the video, props and costumes have been assigned well, with stereotypical aspects
being assumed for both groups. For the old people we see buttoned shirts and mellow/dull colours, either on plainly coloured clothing or
chequered/striped outfits. Again playing with the stereotype, the old people begin as grumpy, before defying this and becoming much more
active within the narrative. The producer would have broken these stereotypes to create an interesting narrative to prevent boredom. Props
include glasses, wooden canes, and glasses which are very stereotypical items for an older person, and the hair and make-up used clearly
portrays typical aspects of an old aged person with wrinkled baggy skin, and grey/white hair; in some cases balding or no hair. Opposing this in
particular is when the ‘leader’ of the group of old people steals a teenagers vape pen or e-cigarette, an item which is seen as edgy or
rebellious (the opposite of the stereotypical old person), and begins to use it. This scene alone shows how the song is about defying
stereotypes and ’run’ning from them. Following more stereotypical assumptions are that of the carers (the negative group of people in the
video). All carers but one are in blue medical overalls with white underneath, immediately denoting to the viewer that they are a carer of
some kind. The carer that does not follow this look still dons another medial outfit to denote her occupation, but it resembles an older feel
such as a 1950’s nurse. The tight fitting outfit slightly accentuates her assets, which slyly hints at a sexual appeal; especially since the target
audience would mainly be young men.

5. Mise en scene
Following more stereotypical assumptions are that of the carers (the negative group of people in the video). All carers but one are
in blue medical overalls with white underneath, immediately denoting to the viewer that they are a carer of some kind. The carer that does
not follow this look still dons another medial outfit to denote her occupation, but it resembles an older feel such as a 1950’s nurse. The tight
fitting outfit slightly accentuates her assets, which slyly hints at a sexual appeal; especially since the target audience would mainly be young
men.
In terms of hair and makeup, the band’s appearance has been altered to make it seem as if they are old people. The hair and
makeup team of the music video have given the band grey wigs to appeal to the generalised characteristics of older people, and wrinkles and
patchy skin have been applied to create a more realistic look. Apart from the band members, the other characters in the narrative have not
had much done to them in the sense of hair and makeup, as their look mainly comes from the stereotypical costumes assigned to them.
The location of the music video is ‘H. Daniels’ nursing home, and is made to look dim and very plain as we can see in the opening
scenes. This would suggest the lyrics’ connotations of running from something bad (the nursing home), and would demonstrate Andrew
Goodwin's theory on how there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. In connection with the location, the lighting also creates
an effect as to suggest the atmosphere of the nursing home. Dim lighting is used to imply an unhappy mood, and the glow and the white
noise of the TV in the opening room also creates the sense of emptiness and unhappiness through its prior representations in other media
texts. Again in context to Andrew Goodwin’s theory of relationship between the music and the visuals, the lighting changes as the song
progresses - with the lights becoming broken and beginning to flicker as the song takes up a louder and more ‘violent and aggressive’ feel;
that of which is common in rock genre videos. This lighting thus establishes a more rebellious feel, with the flickers of the lights connoting
panic, or in this videos sense, a rush.

6. Camerawork and editing
In the music video ‘Run’, editing is used in collaboration with the camerawork to make the video
more interesting for the viewer. The video begins with a slow moving progression of scenes, in which the
editing is slow, and the camera pans horizontally across the first room we see. In this initial progression,
the shots become more and more focused on the first person we see, ranging from a wide shot that has
been panned into, to a close up. After this, the camera angles do not follow any particular pattern, but at
this point, the music begins, and the editing follows the steady time signature of 4/4. As the music, and
resultantly the music video, become louder and more intense, the editing speeds up to a cut every half a
bar, and the camera focuses on particular individuals during this time. During the loud and very ‘rocky’
verse, the cutting becomes more frequent, and the camera adopts a handheld approach to the filming.
This happens while the fighting between the old people and the carers is taking place, and subsequently
creates a violent sense to the video, engulfing the viewer in the action taking place. From then on in the
video, this particular link between the video and the camerawork stays as the music transitions between
the verse and the chorus. In the closing scenes of the video where the choreography takes place to
accompany the outro, the camera adopts a long shot to include the group of dancers, and pans slowly
horizontally to include every choreographer in the scene.

7. Context and intertextuality
The music video is said to have paid homage to the novel-based film ‘One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’, though it mostly shares aspects with the film cocoon
as most of the characters are either old people or carers, and both are based in a
nursing home. Also, the video end with a brief routine of choreography, that of
which is said to have been similar to the routine in Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’
video. This is because of the moves encapsulated, the mist surrounding the
dancers, and the darkness and colour scheme used for the scene.

8. Narrative/Performance
The music video portrays a clear narrative while also including scenes of the
band performing. The narrative follows the short story of how the badly treated
old people in the nursing home revolt against the carers, and escape the nursing
home to do very un-stereotypical things for how the older generations are
represented. These things include (as mentioned) vaping, dancing, and physically
attacking other people in a comedic way. The performance aspects stay within the
standard codes and conventions or a rock video, with very powerful movements
and ‘head-banging’.

9. Star image/branding
There is not much branding in the video besides the very obvious,
outstanding a colourful lettering of ‘FOO FIGHTERS’ on the wall behind
where the band is performing, and the imaging of the band playing,
although they have been made to look like old people with hair and
makeup.

10. Voyeurism
In terms of voyeurism, the video is set in an old people’s home with scenes
that make the viewer feel as if the narrative is taking place behind closed doors.
Every scene that is within the nursing home can be seen as voyeuristic, and there is
one other scene that can clearly be seen as voyeuristic. As the elderly people incite
riot against the carers, they progressively become more and more rebellious, and
one old woman, who is sitting on the shoulders of another old man, tears open her
shirt. This scene is the most prime example of voyeurism in ‘Run’.