2. The Vaccines
• English Indie Rock
• Post-Punk Revival
• ‘Over romanticised past’ –NME
• ‘Teenage angst and inadequacy’ –NME
3. Influences
• Sleater-Kinney’s The Woods (2005)
• Arctic Monkeys
• The Rolling Stones
• Coldplay
• Beach Boys
• The Jam
• The Strokes – This is it
• Imagine Dragons
• Muse
• U2
4. Genre Type and Target Audience
• Alternative
• Indie Rock
7. Lyrics
Great Dane's cheekbones
Teenage hormones
Young complexion
Non-physical affection
You're a god send
Do you want a boyfriend?
Crazy crazy, easy tiger
Hayward-Young introduces the focus of
the song by stating Norgaard’s
nationality and complimenting her facial
features.
‘Teenage hormones’ indicates the age of
the subject, as well as hinting that
Hayward-Young is thinking back to his
own youth. Alternatively, these lines
could be interpreted as saying that
Norgaard makes Hayward-Young feel like
he did during his first love.
Here Hayward-Young states his
intentions openly and matter-of-factly.
This line could be seen as what
Norgaard’s response was to Hayward-
Young’s question, or what Hayward-
Young is telling himself in attempt to
restrain himself.
8. Her mind's made up,
She don't want to go
steady
She's only seventeen so
she's probably not
ready
A-m-a-n-d-a Nørgaard
I saw you on a cover on
cross bay boulevard
These lines state that Norgaard is certain
she doesn’t want to have a consistent
relationship.
By saying that Norgaard is ‘probably not
ready’, Hayward –Young could be
referring to having a relationship with
her. This line also sounds like he is trying
to convince himself of other reasons as
to why she is not interested in him,
highlighting here the age gap between
them.
This line tells us more about Amanda
Norgaard – she is a supermodel and so
has appeared on many magazine covers
on newsstands across the world. Cross
Bay Boulevard in a street in Queens,
New York City, where Hayward-Young
probably saw her face on a magazine on
a newsstand.
9. Smaller tits
And skinny framework
Tall, sharp hips
And you're all in the same work
Giving me the sweet talk
Walking down the catwalk
I want a mannequin
But she won't let me in
This description stereotypes models
figures in general, and does not refer to
Norgaard in particular. This highlights
Hayward-Young’s affection being purely
physical.
This line tells us of his rejection from
Norgaard.
Hayward-Young believes that Norgaard
is flirting with him.
Hayward-Young reinforces his interest in
the physical female form.
10. Concept
• Beginning: first verse and chorus
– Footage of Jess and Martha
– Real-time speed
• Middle: second verse and instrumental
– Footage on rides
– Slow-motion speed, but fast cuts
• End: choruses
– Footage inside tent
– Link to start footage
– Start to fade out, then cut to black
The Vaccines have been labeled as an English Indie Rock band, taking an active interest in a post-punk revival. NME describe their music as focused on an ‘over romanticised past’, along with ‘teenage angst and inadequacy’; their main theme being youth.
The Vaccines have many influences, although their latest album ‘English Graffiti’ was predominantly inspired by Sleater-Kinney’s ‘The Woods’ from 2005. They have described their sound as having been impacted by a wide genre of music – from ‘50’s rock and roll’ to ‘80’s American hardcore’.
iTunes put The Vaccines in the genre type of Alternative along with artists and bands such as The Stone Roses, Oasis and The Smiths. The connotations with Alternative music stem from the 1970’s, with the punk movement and the support of underground, new music.
Amanda Nørgaard is a young Danish model, and the main focus of the song. Justin Hayward-Young wrote the song after going on a double date with Nørgaard, although his affections were not reciprocated.
1. Hayward-Young introduces the focus of the song by stating Norgaard’s nationality and complimenting her facial features.
2. ‘Teenage hormones’ indicates the age of the subject, as well as hinting that Hayward-Young is thinking back to his own youth. Alternatively, these lines could be interpreted as saying that Norgaard makes Hayward-Young feel like he did during his first love.
3. Here Hayward-Young states his intentions openly and matter-of-factly.
4. This line could be seen as what Norgaard’s response was to Hayward-Young’s question, or what Hayward-Young is telling himself in attempt to restrain himself.
1. These lines state that Norgaard is certain she doesn’t want to have a consistent relationship.
2. By saying that Norgaard is ‘probably not ready’, Hayward –Young could be referring to having a relationship with her. This line also sounds like he is trying to convince himself of other reasons as to why she is not interested in him, highlighting here the age gap between them.
3. This line tells us more about Amanda Norgaard – she is a supermodel and so has appeared on many magazine covers on newsstands across the world. Cross Bay Boulevard in a street in Queens, New York City, where Hayward-Young probably saw her face on a magazine on a newsstand.
1. This description stereotypes models figures in general, and does not refer to Norgaard in particular. This highlights Hayward-Young’s affection being purely physical.
2. Hayward-Young believes that Norgaard is flirting with him.
3. Hayward-Young reinforces his interest in the physical female form.
4. This line tells us of his rejection from Norgaard.
I want to start my music video by introducing the two main characters – my friends Martha and Jess. I will do this by including close ups and footage of them laughing and having fun at a fairground to show a relaxed and realistic state, which will make the footage believable and allow the audience to gain an idea of their personalities. This is important because the viewers need to feel that Martha and Jess have qualities they can relate to. As this footage will be represented in real-time, this will add to the realistic approach I want the beginning of the video to have.
This footage will be of Martha and Jess on the fairground rides, and as it will be shot on a GoPro, will feel personal. As the ride is moving fast, the footage will be slowed down. The footage will be cut quicker here so as to match the tempo of the song, although the slower down visuals with contradict this. The footage will contain images of Jess and Martha on the ride as well as the views from the ride and the lights around the fairground.
In the last part of the song I want to use different footage as this is a very common element in many music videos. Although this will be shot again at night, it will be of a different scene, taking place in a tent with a stage at a festival. The contrast here will be that the frequency of people will be increased and the main focus not on Jess and Martha but more so on the stage and the performance of the band at the festival. The footage will flow naturally from the start of the song through the visual link of the lights – the lights at the fairground and the lights from the stage in the tent. The last piece of footage will be of Jess and Martha at the start of the night, in the fairground, laughing and walking away from the camera as the image starts to fade to black. This highlights the teenage spirits that the song talks about, as well as the rejection that Hayward-Young receives from Norgaard – she walks away from him instead of pursuing a relationship.
I want the footage for my music video to appear informal as this will make it easier for the viewer to engage with Martha and Jess, as well as make their performance more believable. This will be accomplished by the camera I use – it will be a GoPro Hero 4. This will be shot by attaching the camera to my head and so provide a first person, or point of view perspective to the video. The angles may also not be straight and the camera work not smooth so as to add to the personal effect and therefore will help the viewer to be drawn into the video.
The footage will be shot at night, lit by the bright lights of the fairground and stage lighting. This is a common setting for music videos of the alternative genre. Throughout history many different media texts have portrayed the night as being a gateway into magical encounters and mysterious events, such as Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. This is the image that I want to bring to my video as it is in keeping with the theme of youth – who often feel invincible or like anything could happen.
I chose a fairground for the beginning of the video as it is a place mostly associated with young people having fun, which is what Amanda Norgaard is described as. Her personality, therefore, can be reflected into Jess and Martha. The festival is fitting because it is one that The Vaccines have played at before, as well as many of the bands they have supported on tours, such as the Arctic Monkeys.
The narrative of my music video is not clear as it is not shot with a specific storyline. However, the footage is chronological, starting off at a fairground before going on rides, and then ending the night with the live band playing. The story is of two young girls having fun, representing Hayward-Young’s impression of Norgaard.
1. The song is about a girl in her late teens having fun, and so I have chosen to use two teenage girls at a fairground and festival enjoying themselves.
2. I have decided to use this convention as the fast pace of the song will be better emphasised and exaggerated by short cuts.
3. I feel genre will be included in my music video through the choice of a setting at a music festival, which The Vaccines have played at before.
4. The use of the Close Up will be predominant in the footage of Jess and Martha to allow the audience to engage with their characters.
1. TEMPO: The tempo of this piece is fast throughout.
2. DYNAMICS: The dynamics are quite loud, although in the instrumental they become softer
3. TIMING: The total length of the piece is 1:39
4. The introduction to the piece is short and snappy, summing up the song as a whole
5. The outro is similar, ending abruptly and not fading out.
