The video begins by showing a series of close-ups and mid-shots which establish some of the key elements involved in the video, for example we see a reel of chains being wound and the guitarist playing. There are also brief shots of what looks like an ancient manuscript as well as a woman with scales and a sword dressed in a white gown, these images help set the scene for the rather mythological verisimilitude which is built upon throughout the text.
These elements can be seen as elements relating the lyrics to the visuals despite the fact the singing hasn’t even begun. The woman in the white gown with the scales is likely to be a representation of justice (Roman God Justitia) this can be seen as an intertextual reference to classic texts as well as the cultural significance of the concept of justice. There is also the possibility that this could be an intertextual reference to the image of “Lady Justice” on Metallica’s “…And Justice For All” (1988) which is a rather influential album within the metal genre.
Having the band performing is conventional of rock music videos; additionally this satisfies the record labels demand for images of the artist being shown as a promotion. In a similar way to most other music videos the singer is given the most attention, this is done by having the singer in some shots in a different location without the band. It can be noted that the singer directly addresses the audience without even having a microphone, this helps make the performance feel more naturalistic in addition to involving the audience more.
The relationship between music and visuals in this video is particularly evident during the chorus, for example during the first chorus the line “Life feels like hell should, This Hell’s so cold” is accompanied by images of the chained up old man being tormented by cloaked figures, which are presumably meant to represent something along the lines of demons. There is also an element of voyeurism within this since the audience sees this image of “Hell” without being actively involved.
I think the most effective thing about this video is the use of physical effects to enforce the “hell like” verisimilitude. For example using steam effects in conjunction with a wind machine creates the effect of a cold hell like place. Additionally all the locations within the video have a similar mise-en-scene which helps to establish link between the seemingly unrelated act of the band playing and an old man suffering. This is done by using the wind and vapour as well as props such as dead leaves; these can be seen clearly on the cymbals particularly in one shot just after the solo. Addition of elements which have no technical use such as the leaves on the cymbals enforce the idea that music videos are most defiantly a “style over substance” based form of media.
One area where this video falls down is the CGI background which is used in some of the shots involving the chained up man. I feel that the intended effect of a storm in the background is commendable since it would add to the verisimilitude, however in comparison to the rest of the post production and physical effects used in this video it seems rather poor.
For our own production we may use:
-Fast paced editing, using mostly short takes prevents the video from becoming tedious.
-A consistant visual theme throughout, we will need to pay attention to the mise-en-scene as well as the effects used in post-production to acheive this.
-Expansion of time for the narrative, this will mean that we will only need to cover the essential elements of the narrative rather than having to shoot footage that has no relevance to our concept.
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