Arctic Monkeys - Snap Out Of It: Official Video Analysis

Arctic Monkeys - Snap Out Of It:



The song I have chosen to analyse is Snap Out of It by the Arctic Monkeys. Like the band of my chosen song, the Arctic Monkeys are primarily described as indie rock. 

1. Thought beats - where you 'see' in the sound
When the music begins after the woman has emerged from the water, there's a steady beat that is present for most of the verses and the chorus. This beat is matched in the music video firstly by the woman walking, as she walks in time to the beat. Most of her distinctive actions also take place on a beat, such as turning her head and sitting down on the sofa. When Alex Turner begins to sing, as someone who is familiar with the music of Arctic Monkeys, it is very easy to identify that this is one of their songs. The electric guitar and the drum supports their distinctive sound. However, for an audience who isn't so familiar, the clarification is shown through the inclusion of the Arctic Monkeys with the videos from the studio. In this music video, the song is used to tell the story of what we see on screen. The woman featured in the video clearly has some sort of connection or obsession with Alex Turner and as the title suggests, he wants her to 'snap out of it.'
2. Narrative and Performance 
The music video for Snap Out Of It is narrative - focusing on a woman who seems to be obsessing over footage of Alex Turner, the lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys, that plays on her television screen. The video starts with a slow build up - a slow motion shot of a woman rising from the water of her swimming pool. This already suggests that this music video has a seductive nature about it, a trait commonly associated with Alex Turner. As the video progresses, the woman starts watching videos of the Arctic Monkeys, composed in a way that the audiences attention, just like the woman's, is on Turner. With the inclusion of the lead singer, like many of their other music videos, it guarantees it's repeatability as Alex himself is a huge selling point for the band.

In this music video, it could be said a full narrative is given although it only becomes clear at the end. However, I feel as though even at the end the video can be interpreted in different ways, which is effective because audiences will feel more engaged. To me, it seems as though the woman never actually left the pool, and the visuals we saw in the video were what Turner wanted her to be thinking about. However, I understand how people can come to different conclusions.
3. The Star Image 
Although Arctic Monkeys is a band, much of the focus from fans and audiences are on it's lead singer, Alex Turner. Visually, he is the embodiment of 'indie rock' with leather jackets and slicked back hair. He commonly features in Arctic Monkeys music videos, and Snap Out Of It is no exception. In this music video in particular, the audience see footage of him filmed on a camcorder, messing around and singing in the studio. This would help the audience feel more connected with him and empathise to some extent with the female character in the music video.  In an article on NME, Turner is described as a 'tricky character to decode' which is supported in this video, as throughout it all he still seems to be this unattainable character who woman love but can't have. All these factors would make the video more repeatable and maximise it's success.



4. Relation of visuals to song. 
In the music video of Snap Out Of It, the meaning and lyrics of the song are illustrated through the visuals.


After looking at the lyrics, I can see that the song is about a lover moving on and Turner wanting to 'snap [them] out of it' because they're being foolish. This narrative is mirrored in the visuals of the music video, particularly when the words 'snap out of it' can be heard and the woman appears to be in a trance.

The visuals help the audience understand the weight of Turner's words. This would again help the fans/audiences feel more connected to the band.
5. Technical Aspects of the video. 
Technical aspects are used throughout the Snap Out Of It music video. Slow motion is used at the beginning of the music video as the woman rises from the pool, the visuals and it's speed calming to the audience. This is continued throughout the first verse, long takes of the woman getting ready to suggest she is relaxed. However, this is contrasted when the chorus begins. As the pace quickens, short takes are used to show the woman at different angles but in the same position - this in turn portrays her distress. This is evidence of how the editing matches the song as a slower tempo means longer takes. Throughout the entirety of the music video, colour correction has been used so there's a prominent blue/green tint throughout. This helps portray how isolated the woman feels. This tint also makes colours, such as the pink of the woman's gown and the meat, amplified. This helps the video flow together and separate the clips of the woman and the clips of Alex. It also helps the video have more of a cinematic look which will improve the experience for the audience and increase the likelihood of them watching it again.

The only location used in the music video is the woman's house. This is effective because it reflects the realism of a situation like this. Many people watching this video would have cried over an ex-lover in their home. Yet again, this would make fans/audiences feel more connected to Turner as they both have shared the same experiences. Another thing this music video does well, is matching the beats of the music to the cuts. A change in shot or angle is used on a beat, which overall makes the video more enjoyable to watch.



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