Textual Analysis 1

The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button

The video starts with Meg White playing the drums, she is playing the same drum over and over again this is emphasised with her moving along each beat she plays. As this is happening the drum duplicates and another one appears as she moves along. The drums are red and white, this is because throughout 'The White Stripes' career their predominant colours are red and white. The White Stripes have associated themselves with a colour as this creates great association as when people see a music video and it has red and white in it predominantly, then the audience my associate it with The White Stripes. The camera shots are very few throughtout this video as it is just the equipment (the drums etc.) moving further or closer in relation to the camera. This video is located in a normal park like, city venue type area. This is to show the normality and simplicity of the video, essentially it is the two members of the band making their way through the city and on the train. This video does not have any real link with the lyrics of the song, as this is one of the rare occasions when the music video breaks the conventions. Meg White on the drums moves along with each beat, this movement has been edited and to great effect, I am hoping to use a variation of this technique in my own video. As the video progresses the minimulistic approach is carried on with few camera shots, this emphasises the movement of the drums and later on the movement of Jack White. Also Jack White sings with movement in the background. The setting of the movement changes also quite alot throughout, this gives a fairly simple idea variation and excitement, for example later in the video when in the tube station. This would have been a very difficult shot, it works so much because it gives the video identity and associates it with London or America were The White Stripes are from. The video then moves further into the city and the audience sees various different shots from different angles, most of these shots show Jack White in the foreground with space behind him were we can see Meg White playing the drums, again these is in time with the music, and the sweeping movements she makes round a building later in the song shows the tempo of the music. At the end of the song there is a low camera angle were the camera pans around in a circle, the camera sweeps around at a steady pace, along with this the setting is under a bridge in an urban setting. The same technique of the movement of Meg White on the drums is used, the technique is used with Jack White aswell, this creates a brilliant sweeping effect.