Though not strictly a new wave song, this is one of the most interesting music videos from new wave band The Killers. It is directed by Tim Burton and is set in blackpool. This itself makes the video appealing to brit fans of The Killers, as they can relate and feel noticed by the band. The main actor is also welsh. Burton said that the 1935 film Mad Love influenced him, so there is some intertextuality as Goodwin would predict.
The video fades in to reflect how the music slowly comes in. A fade would not work so well in my video as the music is pretty abrupt. However, I do like how the first thing visible is the band logo - a trademark of the Killers. I haven't created a name or logo for my band yet, I will have this clip in mind when I do. The initial setting is a theatre, which suggests that this is a dramatic song, as well as giving it a sense of prestige. We also see the band in this first shot, which creates star image and confirms to the audience who is in it - creating hype and attracting fans.
A lot of fades are used in the beginning of the song. This is so that the transitions match the slow pace of the song at this point.
Effective lighting is used to shade half of the subject's face. This suggests he has a darker side and connotes insanity. This is could be useful for Psycho Killer. The dark red in the background denotes blood and connotes pleasure or indulgence, with a hint of danger. This sets the creepy atmosphere for the rest of the video. The actor uses stiff body language to seem inhuman and creepy. The use of an actor means the artist takes on the role of a storyteller, making the narrative more powerful. His glasses link to the lyrics and show how he is hypnotised by the woman.
This is a good example of what I am now calling 'match-on-sound' where something in the visuals links to a change in the music. Here, the song goes all rocky upon the visual entrance of the woman. Since the song is all about this woman, it fits that the song would get more emotional and powerful when we see her. This links with the lyrics. Another link with the lyrics is seen here as pictures are being taken of the woman, whereas our male character and the song; 'don't want your picture'.
This is a cool effect I'd like to use. All the people in this shot are actually the same woman. I think I know how to do this; providing that the setting, background, lighting and camera angle don't change, you can film the same thing but with someone somewhere else or in different clothes. You can then layer these clips onto one another to become one video. I'm not sure how you do that on premier pro, but I'd still like to do something like this to connote insanity.
Well, this bit is a tad weird... This could be telling us that the character's turn to insanity is complete. Candles could also represent obsession - you indulge by lighting the candle to create a pretty flame, but if you do it to much the candle dies, thus, obsession kills you. The fact he is a candle is significant as it reflects his obsession, and the fact that time is running out for him. Low key lighting is used for the creepy atmosphere. The mise en scene in this shot is pretty basic and replicable, it might be an idea for my video.
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