An analytical power point of the codes and conventions of one of the Arctic Monkeys music videos.

1. Arctic Monkeys – Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Released – 10th August 2013
Album: AM
As part of the Domino Record Company
Nabil Elderkin is an English professional photographer, music video and film director of mixed
American and Iranian origin. Elderkin created this music video for the Arctic Monkeys which
features each of the band members, but mostly Alex Turner. The videos concept is slightly
adulterated so it has to be labelled with a parental advisory for explicit content.

2. Lighting is a very key aspect throughout this music video, it helps to convey meaning and to also add emphasis. In this one scene of the music
video a very dramatic red lighting is used to express a certain idea to the shots.
Lighting
These two starting shots show Alex going into a bathroom, and so walking towards the red light, and getting blinded by a very intense white light
whilst in the bathroom. This could be used to so Alex leading himself into danger (the danger being drugs) so the red is used to symbolise the
mess that he is going to get himself into, and that he should have known to avoid it.
Because of the slightly dramatic red light on the left side of his
face; we are led to believe that this is the direction which Alex
is heading in. The red on the left could symbolise the wrong
path to choose, and the white on the right could be the right
path, so we know that the choices Alex is making are wrong.
Because we see Alex coming out of a very intense red light,
we are shown that he has made the wrong decision, and so
will have to face the consequences of his actions (or the
hallucinations of the drugs he has been taking).

3. There are many ways in which this music
video links to intertextuality which Andrew
Goodwin has made reference to.
This style of showing text messages has featured in such television programmes as Hollyoaks. This helps a
viewer to draw reference from this show into this music video, because sex, drinking and drugs are major
themes in the Hollyoaks show.

4. One of the shots in the music video is the band all together drinking. This shows unity to a viewer, to show
what they would probably get up to and how they would behave on a normal day. Because of the
stereotypical pub shot, with pool and women in the background, the band can have a certain image of
‘getting all of the ladies’ and being able to have a laugh. This shot is really important to the development of
the video, because only Alex Tuner features in the video after, viewers need to see the band as a unison to
let them know that they are still together.

5. Drinking, as well as drugs is heavily dealt with in the music video. This could be used to warn
the dangers of drinking and doing drugs, or it could be used to promote the idea of it.
Elderkin uses Alex being drunk and high to his advantage by using a lot of point of view shots
with shaky cam. This then emphasises his drunken state and puts the viewer in the position of
Alex. This effect has been used by Elderkin really well to show to a viewer how the behaviours of
Alex have been influenced.

6. The only real establishing shot which is used is this one. This automatically helps the viewer to understand the location of
the music video. It is located on an unassuming street which is an actual point of interest instead of a set. Because we are
introduced to this street at the start of the music video, as a viewer we are then able to identify factors of it which makes it
British, such as; signs, licence plates, road markings, shops etc.

7. As a viewer we witness a number of visual effects which help to add to the effect of Alex being
high. Some of these shots are from the point of view of Alex and some are showing what he is
feeling. By using these visual effects, Elderkin can show to a viewer an interesting way of looking
at his video, so guaranteeing multiple views to understand the video. Through the use of these
scenes surrealism is conveyed to slightly obscure the realist factor which is conveyed in the
video.

8. I feel that it would be impossible to
watch this video and not analyse the
different aspects of sex and the female
gaze.
A certain representation of women has
been placed on this video and that is
that they’re easy. Admittedly we are
seeing the hallucinations of a mixed
drunk and high man, however the way
in which these women are presented
in the music video makes they seem
almost slutty. Through the use of the
conventions of the female gaze these
women have been characterised as
something to be desired by men and
something for women to model
themselves on. This aspect of how the
women in this video have been
presented could emphasise the ‘sex,
drugs and rock & roll’ element which
most rock bands try to highlight in the
majority of their music and videos.
With that in mind the music video to
this song fits really well, and it almost
reveals a new style to the Arctic
Monkeys which none of the fans have
seen before.

9. Close ups
Because Alex has been singled out and left by himself, the demands for
close-ups by the record company are very high. This is because it follows
one of the conventions in which Goodwin has put in. By having a lot of
intense close-up shots of Alex, a fan will be able to see his face a lot
clearer, so feeling that they have more of a connection with the singer.
Also because of the mass of shots of Alex, we as a viewer can see that he
is the lead singer of the group because he is of most importance.

10. The lyrics have a lot of relation to the music video with the reference to drugs this helps the viewer to follow
the lyrics and the video more. This follows one of Andrew Goodwin’s theories in how the lyrics add
reference to the visuals. Not only is there reference to the use of drugs through the use of the music video,
but some of the elements from the lyrics match up.
‘Its three in the morning’ as an audience we are shown the indication of time through
the use of Alex texting Stephanie. This helps the viewer to see reality in a otherwise
implausible video.
‘Left you multiple missed calls’ at the end of the video we are shown an indicating to
how many times Alex has rung and texted this woman. This helps to emphasise his
desperation to not spend the night alone.
‘I need a partner, well are you out tonight?’ this lyric is referenced throughout the video to show that Alex is
looking for someone to spend his night with.