Narrative structure in Seethers Rise Above This

Narrative structure in Seethers Rise Above ThisBy Thomas CutmoreFirst about the bandSeetheris a South Africanrockband founded in 1999 inPretoria. The band was originally formed under the name "Saron Gas" until renaming it to "Seether" in 2002.The band consists of 3 members; - 1. Shaun Welgemoed (Morgan American name replacement) Guitar/vocals2. Dale Stewart Bass/backing vocals3. John Humphery Drums/backing vocalsTheir song Rise Above This was released as a single in 2008, which was also featured in Seethers Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces which was released in the late 2007/early 2008. The basic story of the songThe songs original purpose is a tribute to Shauns brother Eugene Welgemoed which was first written to help him out of depression, but as the band was on tour, Eugene jumped from the 8th floor of the hotel and took his own life. The band represent this through performance and give a strong meaning of unity through out the video in the way every family member, including Shaun himself witness what Eugene is witnessing. The lyricsTake the light, and darken everything around meCall the clowns and listen closely, I'm lost without you

Call your name every day when I feel so helplessI'm fallin' down but I'll rise above this, rise above this

Hate the mind, regrets are better left unspokenFor all we know, this void will grow andEverything's in vain, distressing you though it leaves me openFeels so right, but I'll end this all before it gets me

Call your name every day, when I feel so helplessI'm fallin' down, but I'll rise above this, rise above thisCall your name every day, when I seem so helplessI'm fallin' down, but I'll rise above this, rise above this doubt

I'll mend myself before it gets me(I'll mend myself before it gets me)I'll mend myself before it gets me(I'll mend myself before it gets me)

Call your name every day, when I feel so helplessI'm fallin' down, but I'll rise above this, rise above thisForty eight ways to say that I'm feelin' helplessI'm fallin' down, fallin down', but I'll rise above this, rise above this, rise above this, rise above this doubt

Open or closed narrative?The music video holds a very closed narrative as it emphasises the meaning of the song, the idea of helping and fighting depression and the unity of the family around the person who is suffering.This is shown by the performance by both the actors and actresses, and also Shaun himself who feel and replicate what the actor playing as Eugene is doing, i.e. when Eugene feels the wind against him, so does everyone else of his family. Another way it enforces this closed narrative is when Eugene falls, the family fall the same way. This emphasises the devastating impact of Eugenes suicide on the family and how the family were there to help him.Screenshots of closed narrative examples

Wind blows into Eugenes face and at the same time all of his family (except Shaun as he isnt shown in the photograph when Eugene selects them) stops and feels the same wind shows unity

Screenshots of closed narrative examples (continued)

When Eugene suddenly falls, the whole family who are in the photograph fall with him Continuity EditingThe music video is edited smoothly and well with continuity editing as the music video keeps jumping from shot to shot of different locations and people, which yet is mixed as it moves from the band performing, to the actor playing Eugene on the ledge, to the family members, and then back to either Eugene or the band. This has been edited well to create a constant montage of clips which build up the story, showing the different areas and people who are affected by the suicide. Mise-en-scene alteration (replacing flashbacks)The convention of colour alteration or blurred effects have not be used to indicate a flashback to provide the back story. But this is not required because of the differences within mise-en-scene between performance and storytelling, for example the different locations where the actors and the band themselves are the band are in a empty hotel room/studio, where the rest of the actors and actresses are in their everyday lives, apart from Eugene. The performance with the use of these different mise-en-scenes enforce the song title Rise Above This as the story progresses and reaches the end, the actor playing Eugene is still alive as if he was resurrected by the song.

Screenshots of mise-en-scene alteration

It cuts back and forth to the band, then Eugene, and then to a family member, and then directly back to the band again this replaces the use of flashbacks and instead creates a story through different locationsApplying Goodwins theory to the music videoThe type of music videoThe music video is both a storyline and a performance of the band. Both the storyline and the performance however are closely and strongly linked as the bands performance is controlling the storyline, and yet the storyline also has an effect on the bands performance. In describing this; - as the band perform, the lyrics Shaun sings are closely linked to what is happening in the story. While this is happening, as the story progresses and reaches a certain point (when Eugene falls off the building) the same effect that has happened to the actors and actresses (them falling along with Eugene) interrupts the performance of the band as Shaun was in the photograph that Eugene drops, applying the same sadness and feeling that the other family members feel with Shaun.Screenshots of performance and storyline

StorylinePerformanceThe link of Shaun falling in the photograph with Eugene and the family, and him actually falling where he is, - which is performing with the rest of the bandLink between visuals and lyricsThe visuals amplify the lyrics through out the music video, an example of this would be where; in the song Shaun sings Call your name every day, when I feel so helpless Im fallin' down at this point the actor Eugene has fallen backwards off the building and so does the rest of the family. This reinforces the lyrics as where it says Call your name as Eugene falls, the falling off the building symbolises Eugene trying to call out to his family, but being unable to, so the act of him falling from the building symbolises his lost call out to his family in need of help. Also at the end of the video where Eugene appears back up to the top of the building using reverse editing, the lyrics read I'm fallin' down, fallin down', but I'll rise above this, rise above this, rise above this, rise above this doubt. This link between the visuals and the lyrics give a strong ending to the music video as the music fades off, the actor is left standing on the edge of the building again as if it was a second chance, and that is what Shaun needed to save his brother. Screenshots of the link between visuals and lyrics

Call your name every day, when I feel so helpless Im fallin' down

I'm fallin' down, fallin down', but I'll rise above this, rise above this, rise above this, rise above this doubtReversed editingUse of close upsThe music video contains a lot of close ups of the lead singer Shaun when singing on the microphone. This could enforce the idea of the singer trying to show his true feelings to the crisis. It could also show how he is personally singing this message, and by that the close up blanks out the rest of the band to just him, giving the a sense of isolation of the singer even though the band are still there. In the close ups he constantly looks at the camera within the close ups, which also backs up the idea of him personally singing for/to Eugene as if he was there watching.Screenshots of close ups