MUSIC VIDEO DECONSTRUCTIONS

While She Sleeps – Our Courage, Our Cancer

Type Of Music Video

Our Courage, Our Cancer is both performance-based and concept-based.

Genre Characteristics

The music video has the element of performance to it throughout, and this is common to a lot, if not all, Metalcore bands. Common instruments can be seen as well, such as the guitar, bass and drums. There is also a piano, which is quite unique in the genre.

Relationship Between Lyrics And Visuals

“My Inspiration”Seems to be

talking about a specific person, or

a person that symbolises a group i.e. War

heroes.

“We think of you with love”Shows a boy

hugging a man (Father and son presumably),

which is a sign of love.

Most of the lyrics have no direct

relationship with the visuals, the visuals just illustrate the

meaning of the song and the main theme;

life and death.

Relationship Between Music And Visuals

When music slows, so do the visuals: shots are longer and often in slow motion.

When the music is fast, and the guitar and drums kick in, the visuals accompany this: shots are shorter, the band move faster.

The video also demonstrates on beat editing:

- 0:42 – 0:45- 3:07 – 3:10

Close-Ups And Artist Motifs

These print screens also demonstrate this feature, as throughout the video there are close-ups of the band. A motif would be that the whole band are wearing black, and this does not change at any point during the video.

Reference To The Notion Of Looking

3:38

0:02

0:54

0:56

Reference To The Notion Of Looking

0:140:16

2:14 2:15

Reference To The Notion Of Looking

2:40 2:41

2:16

2:17

Intertextual References

The music video refers to war through images frequently.

Intertextual References

Life/Death is another reference, which also links to war.

Intertextual References

Rebellion/riots also seems to be another reference.

Goodwin’s Theory

Goodwin’s theory was that every music video will fulfil at least 4 of these features, but Our Courage, Our Cancer fulfils all of them even if it is only vaguely.