Music video analysis

1. Woodkid – Run Boy Run

2. Relating to Andrew Goodwin’s theories on how to
analyse a music video, I am going to analyse
Woodkid’s Run Boy Run music video. It can relate to
many different aspects of narrative, performance and
other techniques commonly used in many different
music videos of all genres. Woodkid is a French
singer/ songwriter who likes to create miniature
stories with his music videos that can lead the viewer
to be immersed in their own little world of
imagination and creativity. This is by his use of
imagery and creating and motivational lyrics, like
within Run Boy Run which is all about a boy
conquering perhaps his fears and overcoming them.

3. Reflected in this music video is the fact that this is
under the genre of ‘experimental’ and
‘alternative/indie’. The use of different
supernatural and extraordinary events help link
to these genres as they are often used in other
music videos. By using different filters such as
monochrome which is relatable to all of
Woodkid’s work, you can tell that it is part of the
Indie pop genre.

4.  Performance/Narrative/concept: This video is entirely powered by a
narrative and niche concept. There are no performance elements to the
video due to the artist not being a band, nor is the music involved with
material instruments (For example, guitar, drums etc.). The concept is a
boy from post war America running away from society in fear, arming
himself with sword and shield and summoning an army of monsters and
attacking a city (with 50’s architecture similar to where he came from).
This is a rather abstract concept and would be acceptable within the
experimental genre of music.
 Linear/ Closed narrative: The narrative is closed in the sense that there
seems to be a definite start and ending point to the story. An example of
this would be the fact that the boy runs away from his belligerents at the
start with nothing but his clothes, but by the end of the video he is
transformed and is leading an army against what would seem to be the
people he first ran away from (Judging by the similar architecture of the
buildings).

5. There is a considerable star treatment set
upon the boy protagonist. This is due to the
fact the story unfolding strictly belongs to
him. This star treatment even stretches so
far as the song’s name “Run boy run” is
dedicated to him. This star treatment is
evident due to the extended camera time on
the boy and the various close-ups of his
character throughout the production.

6. Throughout the video there are a plethora of
different shots used including that of long
shots, low angle shots, high angle shots close
ups, medium-long shots and extreme long
shots.
Long shot High Angle Shot Close Up
Low Angle Shot Medium Shot Extreme long /establishing shot

7. The video begins with a small isolated 1950’s
like building in the middle of a mountain-
range. In the corner of this frame we see the
boy running away. Throughout the rest of the
video we witness the boy running across a
countryside landscape featuring rocks, dirt and
trees. In addition to this location, we are also
seen brief shots of menacing 1950’s esc
buildings in the form of low and high-angle
shots revealing their significance. In terms of
lighting, there is a significant over-haul of low-
key lighting and due to the noire film style of
this video the lighting is minimal at best. The
high-key lighting we are shown however
comes from the city and the skies. The boy
wears a costume of that of a post-war school
boy, with clogs, a felt jacket and shorts. The
combination of formality and the strangeness
of the monsters is an artistic direction that
would be highly conventional of the
experimental genre. As for props, the boy is
armed with a sword, shield and helmet by the
end of the video with connotations of medieval
times. The boy also has a leather backpack on
his back for the entirety of the video, which
could mean he is fleeing school or an
institution.