Textual Analysis

Music Video - 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers'- "Can't Stop" (Directed by Mark Romanek)

• Rock Genre
• Performance and Conceptual based
• The music video serves to promote the song through amplification.
• Opening sequence, camera travels through yellow tunnel (digitally produced) using a p.o.v. shot to take the audience to the lead singer at the end of the tunnel.
• Uses performance shots, typical convention for rock bands, provides authenticity. Lip Sync.
• Band members portrayed as very close, good friends, promoting their image of being 'fun', they joke around with each other , very appealing towards the audience. (ironic humour often seen) helps the band seem more 'human' and likable, the audience will want to be friends with them, it looks like the band are just having fun and there is also a lot of comedy in the video coming from the artists.
• Attempts to reinforce their rock status- Band members in conventional poses with guitars, typical rock motifs; hand symbols/gestures, facial expressions and stereotypical rock style non-verbal language of attitude displayed.
• Lots of close-ups of the main singer, the voice is one of the most important aspects, he is also very charismatic and long shots of band together and of individual members of the band, they are what sells the music- star image.
• The video promotes the bands live performances showing them all as having stage presence, they are often seen jumping around topless and playing with attitude.
• Reflections in the mirrors of main singer, singing to himself convention of music videos- voyeurism.
• The fast- cutting and montage editing fits the beat/rhythm of track creating a visually decentred experience, this is necessary for the consumption of the music video as many of the images are moving so fast that it is extremely hard to understand them on first viewing therefore the video will need to be watched again, giving it repeatability.
• The authenticity of the band is also reinforced through the close-ups of the instruments that the band members are playing, emphasising their skill.
• There are Lots of bright colours used in the video especially in the random objects representing the colourful and playful nature of the band, also they perform in front of an orange background.
• The use of the random and eccentric objects and activities of the band members fits with the lyrics- "This life is more than ordinary".
• We are able to understand the significance and context of the strange objects and activities we have just witnessed at the end when it says, 'Inspired by the 'One-minute sculptures' of Erwin Wurm.