Feel Good Inc.
- Gorillaz
Brief Introduction
Feel Good Inc. is an Alternative Indie/ Rock song created by the band Gorillaz and was released on the 9th May 2005 as part of their studio album Demon Days. The music video is a hybrid of Performance, conceptual and a loose Narrative section. The music video features the bands animated selves performing their song in a tower in the sky. This music video will be really helpful to analyse as my group and I are considering adding an animated section to our music video and not only is 'Feel Good Inc.' an animated music video but it is also the genre in which our group is focusing on.
ANALYSIS
Editing
In the music video to Feel Good Inc. editing has been a very large and important section for the overall production. One of the editing techniques which take up the majority of the video is CGI. The whole music video is animated and animation is computer generation therefore the successfulness of the music video relied on a professional editing job. This editing technique (CGI) has been used to stand out to their target audience. Gorillaz have relied heavily on CGI for all of their music videos. They have created these animated characters as a USP for their band, this gimmie is an effort to make themselves more memorable + impressive to their audience. This could be considered unconventional because the band has put a lot of time and effort into their band image and their 'animated personas' instead of focusing more on their music. However, they are consistent throughout all their videos and from the very start of their careers they have not changed. So if looking at Richard Dyer and his 'Star Theory' you could argue that Gorillaz do not fit the category of a 'Star'. This would therefore preserve the conventional aspect of their band to the Indie/Rock genre. These animated personas do not demonstrate any of the values Richard Dyer says a star must possess such as Youthfulnes or Sexual Magnetism. It is also very difficult to apply these personas to the two paradoxes Star Theory states an individual must show in order to be a Star. If these personas are the band members reconstructed as the animated characters then i believe that it is conventional as they are still showing themselves playing their instruments and showing off their skills just as CGI's. Their music is still being showcased just in a more creative way which is what my group and I are considering doing. Another editing technique used by Gorillaz in the music video is Quick Cuts. The use of these quick cuts can make the music video seem more energetic and full of action. This can make the audience feel more inclined to get involved with the music as it has an element of excitement, therefore the quick cuts are used to entice the audience in. As well as this the quick cuts can be used to help ensure comfortable viewing for the viewer. The score in the music video has a very fast tempo and therefore by using quick cuts the cut speed matches the pace of the score which is more pleasing for the audience than if the cuts were slower as it could disorientate them.
Soundtrack
In the music video to Feel Good Inc.certain elements of soundtrack can be heard. For example, throughout the music video different types of diagetic sound can be heard such as industrial sounds and city sounds at the very beginning of the music or the sound of helicopters flying through the air. The effect of this on the audience is that it can set the scene of the music video and grabs their attention and get the audience interested especially with the strong sounds such as industrial sounds. Another aspect of soundtrack present in the music video is Tempo. The tempo of the Score within the music video is fast paced, this is very energetic and can entice the audience in and make them excited - This can increase the chance of Gorillaz target audience enjoying their music. The use of a fast tempo is a very effective technique and my group and I have chosen a song with a fast paced tempo to take advantage of the effects that a fast tempo has.
Mise en Scene
In the music video to Feel Good Inc. certain elements of mise en scene can be scene. For example, when looking at props it can be seen that all the band members are playing instruments. This is done by the band to show off their skill to their target audience and to impress them, if the audience gets impressed by the band the band because more likeable to the audience and sub-consciously the audience will be more likely to like Gorillaz music because they find them impressive. This is a concept that my group and i will be incorporating into our own music video for the same effect. Another element of mise en scene present in the music video is costume. It can be seen in the music video that the band members have acquired the look of rockstars (they can be seen topless and wearing religious chains). By doing this the band members are getting really involved with their performance and putting a show on for their target audience. This again to impress the audience for the same effect as with the props. As well as props and costume, within the music video it can be seen that there is low key lighting. This is used to create an atmosphere for the audience, the use of the low key lighting can enhance the music for the audience as it fits the rock element of the song. It can also engross into the performance and allow them to give the band their full attention due to the strong atmosphere created.