Shot by Shot Analysis

To see whether a music should follow codes and conventions, a shot by shot analysis is necessary to see how a video is composed. For this task I have decided to study a music video from Indie Rock band Arctic Monkeys. The song is called "Crying Lightning" and the video for it has a very interesting and orginal setting premise. A shot by shot analysis will determine whether the conventions set out by theorists are used in this video.



Song: Crying Lightning
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Date: 2009

Analysis

Shot 1: Long shot to medium shot. 54 seconds. Title dissapears and we see band on boat. Straight cut.
Shot 2: Medium shot craned to long shot. 9 seconds. Lead singer pulled back to band. Straight cut.
Shot 3: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 4: Long shot. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2. Straight cut.
Shot 5: Medium shot. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.

Shot 6: High angle. 1/2 second. Continuation of shot 2 and 4 but we just see the drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 7: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 8: Close up, craned back to long shot. 16 seconds. Drums pulled back to whole band. Straight cut.

Shot 9: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan across boat and band. Straight cut.
Shot 10: Long shot. 3 seconds. Crane shot from band to just drums. Straight cut.

Shot 11: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.

Shot 12: Medium to extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Lead singer then cranes back to band on boat. Straight cut.

Shot 13: Long shot. 2 seconds. Whole band on boat from back. Straight cut.
Shot 14: Close up. 2 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.

Shot 15: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist, bass and drums. Straight cut.

Shot 16: Medium shot. 3 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 17: Medium to long shot. 4 seconds. Side shot of lead singer, pull back to whole band. Straight cut.

Shot 18: Extreme long shot. 6 seconds. Zoom towards boat. Straight cut.
Shot 19: Close up. 7 seconds. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 20: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 21: Medium shot. 1 second. Lead singer and guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 22: Long shot. 4 seconds. Boat. Straight cut.
Shot 23: Long shot. 1 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 24: Medium shot. 5 seconds. Tracks from guitarist around to drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 25: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Side shot of singer. Straight cut.
Shot 26: Long shot to medium. 2 seconds. Cranes toward lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 27: Close up. 1 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 28: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Giant lead singer rises out of sea. Straight cut.
Shot 29: Long shot. 2 seconds. Continues to rise. Straight cut.
Shot 30: Medium shot. 2 seconds. Band look up to giant figure from boat. Straight cut.
Shot 31: Medium shot 2 seconds. Low angle shot of giant lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 32: Long shot. 1 second. Crane up, high angle of boat. Straight cut.
Shot 33: Extreme long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer and boat. Straight cut.
Shot 34: Close up. 1/2 second. Bassist. Straight cut.
Shot 35: Close up. 1/2 second. Guitarist. Straight cut.
Shot 36: Close up. 1/2 second. Lead singer. Straight cut.
Shot 37: Close up. 1/2 second. Drummer. Straight cut.
Shot 38: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer, low angle. Jump cut.
Shot 39: Long shot. 1 second. Continuation of last shot. Jump cut.
Shot 40: Medium shot. 1 second. Continuation of shot 38. Straight cut.
Shot 41: Long shot. 1 second. Giant lead singer drops to knees. Straight cut.
Shot 42: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Low angle asboat goes under giant lead singer's legs. Straight cut.
Shot 43: Medium shot. 4 seconds. Pan along boat. Straight cut.
Shot 44: Extreme long shot. 2 seconds. Boat emerges from behind legs. Straight cut.
Shot 45: Medium shot. 1 second. Drummer rises out of water. Straight cut.
Shot 46: Medium shot. 1 second. Guitarist rises from water. Straight cut.
Shot 47: Extreme long shot. 3 seconds. Whole band playing on water. Straight cut.
Shot 48: Long shot. 7 seconds. Band continues playing. Straight cut.
Shot 49: Medium shot. 7 seconds. Tracks backward over boat from lead singer crouched. Straight cut.
Shot 50: Extreme long shot. 5 seconds. Big band begin to sink into water. Straight cut.

With a variety of different shot types and jump cuts, this music video conforms to the codes and conventions laid out by theorists. There are, however, music videos that do not meet these standard conventions. Radiohead's "Knives Out" music video is a single shot and is a very unconventional music video. Arctic Monkey's music video for "Cornerstone" is also a single shot video.