Music Video Analysis

Dykeenies - Stitches



This music video visualises a song called 'Stitches' by a primarily indie rock band called Dykeenies. The video, produced by Dave Eringa, emcompasses the original style of music video in which the band is shown playing live. Meanwhile, still incorperating a modern day music video narrative in keeping with the topic the lyrics in the song put forth. The video portrays an uplifting look back to one of the band members childhood stuggles, and in conjunction with the anthemic motivational song, it shows how he overcame it.
The extract begins with a collaboration of shots composing the band and small boy in similar shots, for example; the first MS is of the lead vocalists feet/legs standing by his microphone, the following shot is of a childs legs walking onto a playground. This juxtaposition suggests that the director is conveying that the little boy is the lead vocalist as a child. The variety of shots are neatly timed to the music, it starts as a slow pace and gradually builds up, the first shot of his feet is held for one whole measure, then the next few shots of the band and the boy walking are held for half a measure making the pace of the editing seem faster, and then shorter shots still andd then the boy kicks the football and it hits the fence parallel to when the music sounds a loud beat.
This conjunctive music to action continues through the intro until the singing begins, when the use of lip-syncing creates further connections between the song and the narrative in the video. At 0:27, a CU shot is used to show a girl appears walking towards the screen as she begins to singing in sync with the song, it then cuts to the vocalist singing the same lyrics. A S.R.S. presents a CU of an examiner/judge writing, then to an LS of the girl singing on stage shot over the judges shoulder, and then back to the judge giving a disapproving glance up to the girl singing. This represents an audition for something, connoting the pressures and stuggles of childhood relating back to the content of the song. The following shot displays an ECU of the girl head with the boy shot in the background, head down and playing with his hands conveying that he is nervous, which suggests he will also be auditioning. As the girl finishes and walks off stage she looks at the camera, putting the audience in the eyes of the little boy, this allows the audience to relate with him because everybody has felt scared or nervous and can sympathise with the boy.
The boy stares longingly at the girl as she walks off and then at the stage, then it cuts to the band as the music quietens and the drums soften and form a heartbeat like tempo, then the lyrics "It's not out of reach" are sung repeated, increasingly louder. As the boy walks onto the stage in MS, he appears blinded by the lights and anxiously stands and sings whilst cutting frequently to the band singing as if to motivate him. They sing "burst those stitches" which i believe is a metaphor for being brave and taking chances. As the judge is shown CU again looking even more disapprovingly and shaking his head, the apprehensive boy throws off his tie and runs for the door. A series of shots focus on him running away outside until he falls over and smack his head on the ground, this is when the song slows down pace again and so does the pace of editing, it has one shot showing the boy lying face down and then the girl appears and lip-syncs "It's not out of reach" and kisses him on the forehead.
It then begins to rain as he looks up, blood pouring down his face, the vocalist is shown singing "Don't, don't run away dear". To which the boy is shown walking back to the stage, covered in blood and singing whilst smiling to the judges disbelief. The song builds up to its climatic ending and the vocalist is shown with wet hair and blood stained shirt as a graphic match to the boy who is seen doing the same.