This document provides an analysis of the Gorillaz music video for the song "Clint Eastwood". It discusses several key aspects of the video: 1. The target audience is young adults who can relate to themes in the lyrics like drugs, death, sex, and mental illness. 2. Visual elements like animated characters and distinctive art style are important for constructing the band's image. 3. Intertextual references to films and songs enhance audience appeal by creating a surreal world that comments on real issues. 4. Strong links between the lyrics, music, and visuals immerse viewers but require listening closely to understand the meaning. Overall the video is an effective example of using imagery to

1. The Gorrilaz

2. Audience
The animated and surreal
nature of the video supports
the idea of a constructed or
false reality. If we apply the
uses and gratifications theory
to this, it can be considered
both escapism and
identification the audience
can relate to the lyrics and
identify with the underlying
meaning but also escape to a
fantastical, false reality- the
combination of these two
gratifications enhances the
appeal of the music video
greatly.
The target audience for the Gorrilaz will
be vast because they conform to the
conventions of a vast amount of genres;
hip hop, rap, rock and indie. However, in
terms of age the target audience would
be young adults who would be able to
understand and relate to some of the
themes, which include drugs, death , sex
and mental illness.
“Now squeal and remember
that it’s all in your head.”
“I got sunshine in a bag”- not only
is this phrase another example of
intertextuality in that if references
a line from Clint Eastwood’s “ The
good, the bad and the ugly” but
“sunshine” also slang for marijuana.

3. Demands of the label
The Gorrilaz have a unique take on the
music video; both in form and style.
The use of distinctive animations which
present characters consistently
throughout their videos is key to the
construction of their star image.
Signed to several major labels such as
UMG; Virgin, Def Jam, Parlophone and
EMI, the Gorrilaz is a fictional band
constructed by Jamie Hewlett (artist)
and Damon Albarn.(vocals and
instrumentals. Albarn and Hewlett
created distinctive characters to
represent each band member: Murdoc,
2D, Noodle and Russell.
One of the most successful "virtual
bands", The Gorrilaz- or rather, Damon
Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have proven
to be incredibly deft in their
manipulation of star image.
What is most effective in
establishing star image
and synergy across a
range of Gorrilaz
products is the
distinctive character
design and the
establishment of a
strong visual style. This
includes motifs that can
be seen in this video
such as the writing on
title screen above, and
the character of the
ghost- both of which
appear in many other
pieces by the Gorrilaz.
Star images is also
established in this video
by the wide spread use
of close ups and mid
shots not only of 2D, the
front man, but also of
Murdoc, the lead
guitarist.

4. Genre characteristicsGenre is ambiguous; but includes elements of
alternative rock such as rejection of mainstream
culture as is displayed by the non-conformative nature
of the video in its style and presentation. In actual
fact; the fictional band was established after the artists
behind it had been watching MTV, as the artist Jamie
Hewlett said: "If you watch MTV for too long, it's a bit
like hell – there's nothing of substance there. So we got
this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be
a comment on that". Musically, the use of distorted;
off key singing and a repetitive beat combines to create
a more unconventional tone; which would support the
fact that the band belongs to an alternative genre. It's
difficult to assign a genre to something which is
designed to parody.
However, representation is interesting to consider; once again the nature of the animation has a
great role to play here. It would be very easy to say that as surreal as much of the Gorrilaz work is;
there is a great deal of difficulty in applying normal expectations of regulation.
However, the Gorrilaz are a kind of parody of reality rather than an abstraction. So we can still apply
basic ideas of representation to it.
As such, we can separate each band member and associate them with a different music genre.
Russell represents rap/percussion. 2D very much resembles the typical image of a male indie artist.
It's almost certainly something to do with the bowl-cut hair. Murdoc is the archetypal rock star.
Noodle-being a cyborg- can arguably be considered a representation of the electronica genre.

5. Intertextuality
Intertextuality appeals to
audience; with references
to "T virus" on clothing
and "Thriller" by way of
choreography. This
intertextual imagery
supports lyrics with ideas
about life and death in
lyrics creates surreal
effect video is an example
of amplification- video
supports lyrics, but not in
a literal sense. This
creates a surreal; fantasy
world despite the fact that
by the lyrics they are
commenting on realistic
themes such as social
constructs, and their
places in society.
The opening shot is the first example of
establishing star image. The band title is
written out in their recognizable font,
while the vocal intro plays. Acts as a build
up, or introduction to the song. Smaller
text in the same font then fades in; at first
in Japanese which then dissolves to
English: "Every dead body that is not
exterminated, becomes one of them. It
gets up and kills. The people it kills, get up
and kill."
This is a famous quote from 1978 horror
"Dawn of the Dead"; and is the first
example of intertextuality throughout
referencing "zombies" in pop culture.
The intertextuality is prominent- I
would argue that the reason behind
this is that by its nature, animations
create a separate reality within
themselves. To provide the piece with
some grounding, intertextuality
is used. I would suggest that it is this
juxtaposition of the fantasy of the
animation with the honesty of the
content plays a large role in audience
appeal; in that it is both escapism, and
relevant to the target audience’s

6. Narrative
As previously mentioned this video is an
example of amplification; within this there
are narrative and performance elements.
Mise en scene devices such as instruments
and microphones are used to create this
performance element- along with
segments in which one character appears
to be speaking the lyrics throughout and a
large rap portion in which not only facial
movements but also with body language
This should be something which I utilise
in my own work to support my chosen
track; to a.) strengthen the connection
between lyric and video and b.) to
establish star image through the use of an
effective performance element.

7. Link between music and visualsThe audio heard during this opening is a sample
taken from the theme for "The good, the bad, and the
ugly." in which Clint Eastwood starred. There is then
a dissolve cut to an extreme close up of the character
Murdoc. Immediately, an ominous, near threatening
atmosphere is established by the intensity of the
extreme close up, the fact that the face shown to the
audience is shadowed and laughing , which is
supported by the continuation of audio from the title
shot. This is highly effective in building tension. The
audience is immediately aware that this song is not
light-hearted.
From here the camera zooms out and pans left
revealing the rest of the band members. Rather than
appearing stationary as you would realistically
expect, they appear to move, passing behind and in
front of each other without turning or walking. The
disorientating nature of the two different movements
of camera and characters adds to the sense that there
is something off key. This effectively supports the
music at this point which is slow, and a repetition of
one key chord. The zoom and pan not only follows
the rhythm of this chord, but also builds on the
ominous, foreboding tone that the repetition within
the music creates.
Additionally, a
sense of
continuity
between music
and visuals is
established in the
sense that at the
same time as the
drumming begins
in the song,
Russell slides into
shot.
Arguably another example of
intertextuality; the extreme close up of
Murdoc closely resembles this close up
of Clint Eastwood from “The good, the
bad and the ugly.”

8. Link between lyrics and visuals
Lifeless
To those the definition for what life
is
Priceless
To you because I put you on the high
shit
You like it?
Gun smokin' righteous with one toke
You're psychic among those
Possess you with one go
The adjective “psychic
and the verb “possess”
both denote the
supernatural- this
forms a very strong
link with the visuals in
that the rapper is
depicted as being a
ghost, in possessing
Russell.
The adjective “lifeless” is
supported not only by the
setting, which is a graveyard
and metonymous with
death, but also by the use of
mise en scene: the lack of
natural imagery and the
black and blue palette
describes a setting a which
is cold, isolated- and
lifeless.
This is furthermore
supported by the use of
intertextuality, which as
previously mentioned
makes reference to the
zombie genre of film.
The link between lyrics
and visuals is very
strong in this piece; but
not illustrative. As a
result, the audience has
to really listen to the
lyrics to understand
these links- in effect,
visuals are used as a
means of enticing the
audience into listening
to the song- so that
while the imagery and
style of the video might
appeal to the audience,
it is the strength of the
lyrics that is the real
selling point.