BASTILLE – GOOD GRIEFConcept and Performance

Music Video Idea.

WHY THIS SONG?I have chosen the song Good Grief by Bastille as it is a song which explores various interesting themes surrounding the death of a loved one. I also find that the music sounds fairly upbeat, which does not correspond, in fact contrasts, with the nature of the lyrics or the themes explored, such as death, fire and a mourning family. I feel that this contrast would lead to a music video that would be interesting for the way that the mood/tone and narrative do not truly match.

A second reason I have chosen to come up with an idea for this song, is that it is one which is known well by our group, it is not over played, and explores themes that are relatable to all people, but avoids becoming depressing by contrasting its music style.

STYLE?I have decided that this will be a combination of both a performance and concept music video. This is because the style of the song supports the idea of a band performance in the video, as well as having recurring themes in the lyrics which could add to the concept element of the video.

HOW WOULD THIS SYLE BE EXPLORED?

I would explore the concept style of the video by including various shots of fire and smoke in the transitions to enforce the fire as a recurring theme, to match the line, “burning bright right ‘till the end…” This will make my video compatible with Goodwin’s convention of a match between the lyrics and the visuals. I will secondly link my music video to the theme of death by carefully planning and adapting the outfits of all of the performers to give the impression that they are at a funeral.

PRACTICAL DETAILS- Mise En Scene -

During their performance, the band will wear a black tie suit to convey the theme of death to the audience by suggesting the band member’s presence at a funeral service. Secondly this will enforce the idea that the singer was close to the deceased. This idea is suggested through the lyrics: “I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more…” and “What’s gonna be left of the world if you’re not in it.”

I will include flashback shots of the deceased female, who I have chosen to dress in white to connote her innocence to the audience. These flashback shots will be bright, using high-key lighting to further enforce the idea of positivity and innocence and link to the lyrics, “burning bright right ‘till the end.”

PRACTICAL DETAILS- Camerawork -

I will include a range of straight-on-to-moderately-low-angled shots of the band to convey their importance to the song but not to the point which they become dominant and antagonised as this will not help with enforcing the meaning and messages in the lyrics.

The innocence of the female character will be enforced further through the use of high-angled shots, which make her seem smaller and less dominant, as well as close-up shots of her innocent smile to convey her virtuousness.