Task 2.1: Research Into Existing Products: Textual Analysis of the Music Video "Howl" by Have Mercy

Details of the Video:

• Directed by Mike Henneberger and Bowie Alexander.
• Uploaded to YouTube on the 30th of September, 2014.

The video is a combination of Narrative and Performance, as footage of the band playing the song is integrated into the storyline of a young man reminiscing on his childhood and dead father when a love interest is introduced into his life.

Mise en scene:

Immediately the audience is introduced to the setting of a graveyard. This as well as the flashback sequence of shots and events and the black/ dark clothing introduces the context of the protagonist's loss of his father.

Editing:

Fast paced editing is used throughout the video and the events are sequenced like flashbacks instead of in chronological order. These shots are repeated multiple times throughout the video, thus mimicking the fast paced nature of the brain's workings and recollections of memories. Shots containing similar actions such as hands being held are placed next to each other in sequence to give the impression of the same experience across a space of time in the protagonist's life. This repetition of events also reflects how the protagonist is repeating the memories made with/by the older generation of his mother and father, adding the theme of the circle of life to the music video.

Camera shots, angles and composition:

Handheld shots are used when tracking the young protagonist as he runs through the graveyard, giving the audience a greater involvement in the narrative of the video. Close up shots of situations such as hands being held emphasise the importance of these gestures and the influence that they have had on the protagonist's emotional well-being. There are also close up shots of instruments within the video, thus conforming to some codes and conventions of music videos. In one scene, a close up shot of the framed photos trigger the subsequent shots depicting the protagonist's memories.The occasional close up of the protagonist's face clarifies that the memories and train of thought belongs to him, and it is his story being told in the video.

Sound/ Lyrical context and analysis:

The lyrics "a frozen moment that is only yours" relates to how the protagonist in the video consistently visits memories of his past in order to maintain the relationship with his father. The lyrics "you're still a wolf without a howl" are very significant, as it implies that the protagonist is still learning and developing and that he is still in the process of regaining happiness and stability after his father's death.