OLIVIA EVITT
Bastille - Send Them Off!
Bastille, formed in 2010, are a British Indie Pop band. Send Them Off! was featured on the release of their second album; Wild World, in 2016. By September the album had reached number one on both the UK and Scottish album charts.
The music video for this track is both narrative and conceptual. It's based upon a character that seems to be living in a world of twisted reality, and the video follows him running from a extraordinary creature with antlers. The mise-en-scene for this video explores a world of supernatural beings which successfully accompanies/compliments the editing. The character proceeds through different locations in a city, such as an unusually quiet hotel, abandoned landmarks, churches etc. The colours are mostly very dark and dull, creating a feeling of mystery and exploration of the unknown. He wears a black hoodie which appears to be used as a safety barrier between the real world and the supernatural things he's seeing. It makes the mood of the video eerie and also prevents us from coming completely familiar with his identity. Black is also the colour of evil and mystery which adds to the intensity of the unknown.
In terms of casting, we are introduced to some obscure characters within the video. Our main focus is on the man of whom we follow throughout the whole length of the video, however he comes across some strangers on his journey. Bastille are featured in the video at the scene in which he runs through the abandoned church like location, however the main mystery lies within the conceptual feeling created from the other characters. He comes across a party of people in red blindfolds (red is the colour of danger) a girl that exhales bees/moths, couples engaging in arousing/explicit activities surrounded by fire, a man with a hidden identity leading slaves tied to his horse, and of course the demon like figure that follows the main character everywhere. The video concludes with every character featured in the video in one room for what appears to be a church ceremony. The intensity created as they all turn and look at the main character is severely effective. We feel just as vulnerable as he is for the whole length of the video.
A lot of editing is used in the video to enhance the conceptual side to it. At 0:16 blurring is used for the public that the main character comes across in the busy city. Immediately this creates a feeling of mystery and uncertainty. Fast paced editing and quick cuts are used every time the character changes locations; the speed of entering doors into the unknown intensifies the feeling of tension and apprehension. At 0:44 speed manipulation is used as the main character turns to see the demon following. The use of quick cuts between real life and his imagination creates instability and confusion; a feeling that is conventional for the indie-pop genre. At 0:57 editing is used to show a girl exhaling bees/flies, this creates an uncomfortable restless feeling as she's making the impossible appear normal. At 1:22 the ground is edited to make it look like the character is walking on nothing. This emphasises the world of illusion that he appears to be in and confuses the dream-like world with real life.
Finally, in terms of camerawork, we see that a handheld tracking shot is used more often than not. The use of this shot allows us to follow the main character on his journey through this world of supernatural beings and happenings, therefore creating realism and making us feel as though we are there. This also allows the audience to build personal relationships according to the uses and gratifications theory, as we feel attached to the character. In addition, many close ups are used each time the location changes. As well as emphasising the intensity of the video and the moods created within, the use of close ups puts the focus on the character's expressions and emotions, allowing us to empathise and understand him. Out of focus shots are used throughout when the camera is on the demon-like figure that is following the main character. The use of a blurry shot enhances the suspense feeling of the unknown for both us and the main character and suggests instability in his imagination. The identity remains hidden, and the use of this supernatural monster like figure follows Levi Stauss' Theory of binary opposites; human vs supernatural / good vs evil.
In conclusion, the music video shows the paths of reality and imagination crossing leaving the main character, but most importantly the audience, baffled and confused. Questions remained unanswered and the conceptual side to the video is very strong and effective. On investigation I consider this video to be conventional and well suited to the indie-pop genre.