Tonight Alive are an Australian Pop Punk/ Pop Rock band who formed in Sydney in 2008. The band consists of Jenna McDougall (Vocalist), Whakaio Taahi (Lead Guitarist), Jake Hardy (Rhythm Guitarist), Cam Adler (Bassist) and Matt Best (Drummer). They released their first studio album called 'What Are You So Scared Of?' in 2011 which debuted at number 15 on the Australian albums chart. The album was released on the major label 'Sony Music Australia' which is a subsidiary of the conglomerate 'Sony Music Entertainment', but after the band signed with the independent label 'Fearless Records' which is a subsidiary of 'Concord Bicycle Music', they then re-released the album in 2012. Their second album called 'The Other Side' was released in 2013 and debuted at number 5 on the Australian ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) albums chart and was also number 24 on the US Billboard 200 and number 59 in the UK. This album was released through both the major label 'Sony Records Australia' and the independent label 'Fearless Records'. It was originally released through 'Song Records Australia' in Europe and the UK and then was released through 'Fearless Records' in the US and Japan. Their latest album known as 'Limitless' was released in 2016 and again was released through both of the previous record labels mentioned as it was released in different countries through these different record labels.
'How Does It Feel?' was written by Jenna McDougall, Whakaio Taahi and David Hodges and was produced by David Bendeth. The music video was released on the 10th January 2016 through the major and subsidiary label 'Song Records Australia' and the independent label 'Fearless Records'. This song carries on for 3:29 minutes and is about a relationship which could have possibly been abusive, but the female is trapped and can't escape from what she though was valuable, but by the end of the song she is able to escape and asks her lover 'how does it feel' to no longer be able to control her and tell her what to do. The music video is all performance and allows the band, but mainly the main singer to express their emotions and to present to the audience that the singer is now free from what she were trapped in.
The mise-en-scene in this music video may seem very simplistic, but it has a lot of meaning. The location used may seem like it is just a small enclosed area, but the idea of this has been used to present how the person in the relationship was trapped which also complements the lyrics 'Built your walls up around me, now they're closing in' which highlights that the singer has been trapped by their partner and there is no way for them to escape, which is what this location reinforces. The lighting used in this video is essential as most of the time it is very dark which is stereotypical of this genre. The area the band are surrounded by is only lit by the lights shining into the enclosed area - this could have two meaning, which are; the singer is best to stay in the relationship because because she sings 'Lost in the world that you create' which makes it seem like she has been trapped for a long time and there is no way to escape the relationship as she has been in it for too long without knowing the truth. Or the use of these lights could imply that the singer now has power and is being noticed, so she is the one that can break her partner and can now take control of the relationship. When the non-diegetic sound of the lyrics 'I was weak when you found me' are heard, the audience are able to detect the lights turn off - this may reinforce that the singer was weak, making it a very bad and dark time, but also it was the time her partner found her and at the time she didn't know what was going to happen in the future. After the lights turn back on, it shows that Jenna is now free and can control what she does as she is away from the abuse. During the bridge of the song the audience will notice the lights continuously flashing on and off and this may present that the singer is finally able to escape from the relationship as it is quickly changing from dark to light and ends in the light presenting that she is going from being trapped to being free. At the end of the video, the audience will see all of the lights turn off which could again have more than one meaning and could mean that the relationship is over and the singer is now free to do whatever she pleases or it could mean the opposite and everything has gone back to the way it was before and Jenna is back in the dark in relation to her relationship.
The clothes worn in this video are conventional of Pop Punk music videos because all of the band members are wearing dark clothes, but these may have been worn to present how all of the members are trapped in the dark and especially how the lead singer is trapped in her relationship and has no way to escape - however, they do all have a small strip of white on their clothes, which may demonstrate that the singer is aware of what her partner is doing and she is going to do something about it. Also, the singer has her hair styled in a strange way which reinforces the fact that she is now able to do what she wants, but it is also a convention of Pop Punk because people from this genre often won't care what others think and will do whatever they want. Finally, the only props that have been used in this music video are musical instruments and this stereotypical of Pop Punk bands because they are a genre known for playing their own instruments, but also the use of these allows the band to promote themselves as they can show the audience that they actually do the majority of the things themselves and they are able to promote their new song as well as themselves. Nearer the end of the video, Jenna throws the microphone stand at the lights which are enclosing her - this may highlight to the audience that she is now breaking free and is escaping from the relationship that she is trapped in (like she is trapped in the enclosed circle), but she is now a respective individual.
The use of cinematography in this music video helps present how the singer is feeling and also to show the dominance that she has. The main camera angle that is used is a medium close up and this allows the audience to see the bands facial expressions to witness how they are feeling, but they are also able to see if the members are doing any actions - for example, a lot of the time when Jenna is singing she will be moving her body around a great deal to show that she has power and can control herself, so she can do what she wants. At the beginning of the video a few dutch tilts have been used which are shown rapidly as it often goes onto the next cut scene quickly, but these may have been used to express that the singer was once trapped and confused at the beginning, but by the end she knows exactly what is occurring and can take control of the relationship. This can also be represented through the use of a pull focus as this has frequently been used in the video - the use of this presents that the singer was once trapped and confused, but now she can escape and do what she wants and can get away from the relationship she doesn't want to be in anymore. An example of when a pull focus was used is when the non-diegetic voice says 'I was weak when you found me' and this again expresses the fact that the singer was once trapped as it is also dark at this exact moment.
A wide range of tilts upwards and tilts downwards have been used to let the audience identify the band members and to watch them playing their instruments - this reinforces the fact that the band play the instruments themselves, which also allows them to promote themselves - this is also more interesting for the audience as they are able to see what the band members are like when they are playing live. Furthermore, a handheld camera is occasionally used in this video which may have been used to demonstrate that the singer is free to do what she wants because she is no longer under control by her partner and is able to go insane if she wants to. Moreover, match on action has been used - this can be seen when Jenna is throwing the microphone stand which then cuts to the light being hit by the microphone stand and this expresses that Jenna has power to break things and can do whatever she wants as she doesn't have to do what others tell her, but it is also rebellious in a way which is a stereotypical feature of someone from the Pop Punk genre. Nearer the beginning of the video a few high angles have been used and an Arial shot, which may reinforce the fact that the singer is trapped and is unable to escape from her relationship, but by the end of the video a lot more lower angles have been used which demonstrate how the singer now has more power and control over her relationship and is able to do what she wants now. A range of other shots have also been used in this music video which include; pans, long shots, wide shots, zooms, close ups and establishing shots.
There is a quite a lot of editing in this music video, but it may just not seem obvious. Firstly, a wide range of jump cuts have been used and these are useful because of the fast editing that can be identified - these jump cuts makes the video more alluring for the audience because it will quickly jump from a wide shot to a close up of one of the band members (for example) and this will allow the audience to see the full figure of all of the band members. Similarly, the shaking effect of the camera has also been added which goes along with the beat of the song and makes it seem like there is more action occurring, so it is more interesting for the audience, also the camera can be seen bouncing back and forward which highlights that a lot is going on. Following on from that, some of the action has been sped up - this can be seen just after the bridge of the song where Jenna is seen spinning around. At this point the scene speeds up and then slows down to normal speed - this demonstrates that the singer is going through a lot and the relationship she is in may be a blur and is going too quickly that she doesn't know what to do, but then it goes back to normal speed and she knows exactly what is going on and is able to take control. In addition, slow motion has also been used and this can be seen frequently at the end of the video - for example, when the band are jumping into the air and also when the singing is about the smash the light with the microphone stand. This effects is mainly used in this music video because it builds up suspense as the non-diegetic music being played is quiet, which is when the scene is in slow motion, but when the drums kick in, the scene will either go back to normal speed or will speed up. The slow motion also makes the music video more fascinating for the audience because there is more action to video and it makes it seem like there is a lot going on so it is more interesting to watch rather than if the camera was just still all of the time. Furthermore, a reverse shot has been used - this can be seen at the end of the music video when the light that had been smashed by the microphone stand previously becomes 'unsmashed' as the shot is being reversed - this may either demonstrate that nothing has changed and it is all the same as Jenna is trapped in this relationship or it may highlight that you can fix the things that have been broken and may present that the singer is no longer broken and is out of the relationship, so no longer needs to worry about anything anymore.
Lastly, the most obvious sound that has been used is the non-diegetic song that is being played on top of the video - this is being played on top, as the video was originally created for the song, but was also created for promotional reasons. Sometimes the sounds can be noticed as synchronous sounds because the audience are able to see Jenna lip syncing the words at the same time or they may see the other band members playing their instruments in synchronous with the music which is entertaining for the audience because they are able to see that the band actually play the instruments themselves. As previously said, the purpose of just a performance is beneficial for the band because they are able to promote themselves and also the song they are playing in the music video.
Below I have created a video which explains the performance in this music video (each slide is only allowed a maximum of 20 seconds, so you may need to pause the video if the slide changes too quickly). Here is my video:
Underneath I have created a presentation which includes a LIIAR analysis of this music video. Here is my presentation:
The mise-en-scene in this music video may seem very simplistic, but it has a lot of meaning. The location used may seem like it is just a small enclosed area, but the idea of this has been used to present how the person in the relationship was trapped which also complements the lyrics 'Built your walls up around me, now they're closing in' which highlights that the singer has been trapped by their partner and there is no way for them to escape, which is what this location reinforces. The lighting used in this video is essential as most of the time it is very dark which is stereotypical of this genre. The area the band are surrounded by is only lit by the lights shining into the enclosed area - this could have two meaning, which are; the singer is best to stay in the relationship because because she sings 'Lost in the world that you create' which makes it seem like she has been trapped for a long time and there is no way to escape the relationship as she has been in it for too long without knowing the truth. Or the use of these lights could imply that the singer now has power and is being noticed, so she is the one that can break her partner and can now take control of the relationship. When the non-diegetic sound of the lyrics 'I was weak when you found me' are heard, the audience are able to detect the lights turn off - this may reinforce that the singer was weak, making it a very bad and dark time, but also it was the time her partner found her and at the time she didn't know what was going to happen in the future. After the lights turn back on, it shows that Jenna is now free and can control what she does as she is away from the abuse. During the bridge of the song the audience will notice the lights continuously flashing on and off and this may present that the singer is finally able to escape from the relationship as it is quickly changing from dark to light and ends in the light presenting that she is going from being trapped to being free. At the end of the video, the audience will see all of the lights turn off which could again have more than one meaning and could mean that the relationship is over and the singer is now free to do whatever she pleases or it could mean the opposite and everything has gone back to the way it was before and Jenna is back in the dark in relation to her relationship.
The clothes worn in this video are conventional of Pop Punk music videos because all of the band members are wearing dark clothes, but these may have been worn to present how all of the members are trapped in the dark and especially how the lead singer is trapped in her relationship and has no way to escape - however, they do all have a small strip of white on their clothes, which may demonstrate that the singer is aware of what her partner is doing and she is going to do something about it. Also, the singer has her hair styled in a strange way which reinforces the fact that she is now able to do what she wants, but it is also a convention of Pop Punk because people from this genre often won't care what others think and will do whatever they want. Finally, the only props that have been used in this music video are musical instruments and this stereotypical of Pop Punk bands because they are a genre known for playing their own instruments, but also the use of these allows the band to promote themselves as they can show the audience that they actually do the majority of the things themselves and they are able to promote their new song as well as themselves. Nearer the end of the video, Jenna throws the microphone stand at the lights which are enclosing her - this may highlight to the audience that she is now breaking free and is escaping from the relationship that she is trapped in (like she is trapped in the enclosed circle), but she is now a respective individual.
A wide range of tilts upwards and tilts downwards have been used to let the audience identify the band members and to watch them playing their instruments - this reinforces the fact that the band play the instruments themselves, which also allows them to promote themselves - this is also more interesting for the audience as they are able to see what the band members are like when they are playing live. Furthermore, a handheld camera is occasionally used in this video which may have been used to demonstrate that the singer is free to do what she wants because she is no longer under control by her partner and is able to go insane if she wants to. Moreover, match on action has been used - this can be seen when Jenna is throwing the microphone stand which then cuts to the light being hit by the microphone stand and this expresses that Jenna has power to break things and can do whatever she wants as she doesn't have to do what others tell her, but it is also rebellious in a way which is a stereotypical feature of someone from the Pop Punk genre. Nearer the beginning of the video a few high angles have been used and an Arial shot, which may reinforce the fact that the singer is trapped and is unable to escape from her relationship, but by the end of the video a lot more lower angles have been used which demonstrate how the singer now has more power and control over her relationship and is able to do what she wants now. A range of other shots have also been used in this music video which include; pans, long shots, wide shots, zooms, close ups and establishing shots.
There is a quite a lot of editing in this music video, but it may just not seem obvious. Firstly, a wide range of jump cuts have been used and these are useful because of the fast editing that can be identified - these jump cuts makes the video more alluring for the audience because it will quickly jump from a wide shot to a close up of one of the band members (for example) and this will allow the audience to see the full figure of all of the band members. Similarly, the shaking effect of the camera has also been added which goes along with the beat of the song and makes it seem like there is more action occurring, so it is more interesting for the audience, also the camera can be seen bouncing back and forward which highlights that a lot is going on. Following on from that, some of the action has been sped up - this can be seen just after the bridge of the song where Jenna is seen spinning around. At this point the scene speeds up and then slows down to normal speed - this demonstrates that the singer is going through a lot and the relationship she is in may be a blur and is going too quickly that she doesn't know what to do, but then it goes back to normal speed and she knows exactly what is going on and is able to take control. In addition, slow motion has also been used and this can be seen frequently at the end of the video - for example, when the band are jumping into the air and also when the singing is about the smash the light with the microphone stand. This effects is mainly used in this music video because it builds up suspense as the non-diegetic music being played is quiet, which is when the scene is in slow motion, but when the drums kick in, the scene will either go back to normal speed or will speed up. The slow motion also makes the music video more fascinating for the audience because there is more action to video and it makes it seem like there is a lot going on so it is more interesting to watch rather than if the camera was just still all of the time. Furthermore, a reverse shot has been used - this can be seen at the end of the music video when the light that had been smashed by the microphone stand previously becomes 'unsmashed' as the shot is being reversed - this may either demonstrate that nothing has changed and it is all the same as Jenna is trapped in this relationship or it may highlight that you can fix the things that have been broken and may present that the singer is no longer broken and is out of the relationship, so no longer needs to worry about anything anymore.
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