This document analyzes 9 frames from the music video for the song "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J. The first frame shows a woman submerged in a bathtub with a cinder block weighing her down, setting a gloomy tone. Frame 2 shows a close-up of a man and woman fighting over the breezeblock. Frame 3 reveals the run-down setting of the place with makeshift furniture. Later frames provide more context, with frame 4 showing the lived-in apartment and frame 5 depicting the man aggressively shoving the woman. A turning point comes in frame 6 when the woman holds a knife, revealing she may be the aggressor. The narrative is completed in frame

1. 9 Frame Analysis
AltJ – Breezeblocks
Frame 1
Frame Time:00:01
In the firstframe I have chosen,whichisalsothe firstframe of the video,youcansee a medium
close upshot of a womanina bath. She isunderthe surface of the waterwitha cinderblock
weighingherdown.Thisshotintriguesthe viewerasobviously there isalife threateningsituation
happening,butbecause the shotissoclose up,it isunknownwhetherthere are maliciousintents
behindit.The colourpalette of thisshotisa verydull gray. Thispalette fitsinwiththe songtitle –
Breezeblocks. Italsosetsthe moodof the videowhichseemstobe quite depressing.Thisfitsinwith
the melancholicstyle of the music.The breezeblockis takingupthe rightthirdof the shot,fittingin
withthe rule of thirds.The lyricsbeingsungduringthisframe are “She maycontainthe urge to run
away,but holdherdownwithsoggyclothesandbreezeblocks”.Thisisclearlyreferencingthe girl in
the soakingwetclothesinthe bathtub and alsothe breezeblock.

2. 9 Frame Analysis
Frame 2
Frame Time:00:57
By the time of thisframe it has beenshownthatthisvideohasbeenreversed.The womanandthe
man are fightingoverthe breezeblock.Thisisaclose upshot focusingonthe handsand the
breezeblockthatthe manand womanare fightingover.Thisshotalsocloselyfollowsthe rule of
thirdsas the womantakesup the leftthird,the breezeblockisthe centre third,andthe mantakes
up the rightthird.The breezeblockmovestothe leftandthe rightas theypushandpull it towards
themselves.The colourpaletteisstill the same,adull graysettingthe videoasmoodyandsad.The
wallsalsomake itlooka sad and gloomyplace,paintedwhite bricks.Theirclothinglookslike natural
everydayclothingwhichmakesitseemlike thisfighttheyare havingoccurrednaturally.The viewer
couldthinkat thispointthat theyare a fightingcouple andthathe endsupkillingherinthe bathtub.

3. 9 Frame Analysis
Frame 3
Frame Time:01:15
Thisframe,chronologicallyhappensbefore the mangrabsthe breezeblockonthe left,showsa lot
aboutthe place where thisvideoistakingplace.Itisa mediumshotof a cornerof the house or
apartmenttheyare in. The objectswithinthe shotare twobreezeblocksholdingupaplankof wood
to act like a shelf.There are some booksplacedontop of it, butit looksverydusty.The bare walls
and the makeshiftfurniture give achill tothe videoasthisplace doesnotseemlike ahome for
anyone,itjustseemslike aplace nobodycaresabout.
Frame 4
Frame Time:02:02
In thisframe,theyfell in reversefromthe floorontothistable astheyhad beenfightingandrolling
overit.In thisshot youcan see a lot more furniture andthe place seemstobe a lot more livedin
that ithas in previousshots.Youcansee art on the wall and part of a sofa.Thistransformsthe
audiences opinionof the abandonedplace where amanseemstomurdera woman,to hintat the

4. 9 Frame Analysis
ideathat thisistheirapartmentandperhapstheyare a couple. Thiswide shotgivesalotof
informationaboutthe entire seenandentices the audience.
Frame 5
Frame Time:02:15
In thisframe the man shovesthe womanagainsta bookshelf. The aggressive behaviourfromthe
man portraysa lot of emotions,includingangerandfear.Thisisresponsible due tothe darkshotand
lowmediumangle thatisused.The hairacross the woman’sface hidesherfearbut at the same time
amplifiesit.She issoscaredshe cannot lookat her attacker.She isbackedintoa cornerand scared.
The dark backgroundas well asthe dark clothesandbookshelf inthis shotrepresentsthese
emotions.
Frame 6
Frame Time:02:35

5. 9 Frame Analysis
In thisframe the womanisholdinga knife.Thisgivesthe audience amuchmore seriousview of the
fightat thisstage.Thisprop isgivesoff a verythreateningideathatthe male isdefending himself
from.It becomesclearat thispointthatthe manis notthe aggressorbutit isin fact the woman. As
the theoristNicholasAbercrombiesays,“Televisionproducerssetouttoexploitgenre conventionsit
makeseconomicsense”.Ithinkthisappliestothismusicvideoasthe conventionsof indierockare
oftendisplayingalotof performance inamusicvideowhereasthisone containsacomplete lackof
any performance. Thishasexploitedthe conventionsof the genre itclassesastoappeal to a wider
audience,whichiswhatAbercrombie meansbyeconomicsense.
Frame 7
Frame Time:02:56

6. 9 Frame Analysis
Thisframe completesthe narrative storyline,the manhasarrivedto findhiswife orpartnerina
horrible situation.Thisthenmakesthe viewerthinkabout the restof the videoandthe eventsthat
transpired.The audience realizesthatthe manis notthe bad person.Thisisa statementabout
equalityof genderfromthe artistAlt-Jthe mise enscene inthisframe isverysimilartothe whole
video.The colourpallette isgreywhichisrepresentativeof the situation.
Frame 8
Frame Time:03:23
Frame 9
Frame Time:03:38
Thisis the final frame thatshowsthe man arrivinginhishome.Atthispointthe audience knows
whatis goingto happenbutthe actor doesn’t.Thisisanexample of dramaticirony.The mise en
scene isslightlydifferentinthisscene,itisblackagainstalighterbackgroundbehindthe maninthe
opendoorway.He slowlyshutsthe dooronthe scene andthe screengoesblack.Thisletsthe viewer
reflectonthe videototry and understandit.