Research and Planning- 30 Seconds to Mars Music Video

Looking at the concept of a music video from a slightly different angle, 30 Seconds to Mars with their music video for 'Closer to the Edge' portray different messages from the two I have analysed so far. The band themselves would be classed under the rock/emo genre which instantly brings about opposing aspirations and styles to the previous two pop examples.

This music video is primarily performance based; there are various shots of different live shows in a variety of venues and countries as well as the lead singer in amongst the crowd. Using this style seems to promote the live performance of the band and may work as a pull factor for the audience who want to experience it for themselves. The editing work juxtoposed to the performance shots seems to fit with the typical conventions expected what with close ups of each member of the band, alongside their name so the audience can see them as real people; the group are not hiding behind a facade and it seems to allow them to become closer to their fans in this sense. Cuts are also made to the beat of the music such as in the "no, no, no, no" moments, a convention I have previously discussed as being typical of the music video media text.

Whilst the performance aspect is a major concentration of this music video, there is also the application of interesting inserts. Normally, the song will continuously play throughout the length of the music video and shots will fit into this such as seen in Lady Gaga and Busted. However, 30 Seconds to Mars have included inserts of mid shots with fans, discussing their view on the world and music's influence. This is unusual to be seen in a music video as artists will normally just want the song to be heard so people enjoy it and buy this commodity. I feel that in incorporating this break in the music style works to show the band care about the wider picture, not just about selling records. It also reflects on the fans, as they are given a voice. The messages that the fans say are deep issues which reflects on the band, giving them greater definition and portraying the sense that they are interested in giving something back to the society we live in. One boy says, "music makes the world go round and, for me, if it wasn't around right now, I wouldn't be around right now." This emphasises the influence that music can have on a person and, including him in this song, makes the audience think that 30 Seconds to Mars have been part of this influence thus selling them in a positive light.

The composition of the song as a whole has taken the style of a short film in a sense, therefore the aspect of intertextuality is present in changing the usual concepts of the medium of music video. The inclusion of captions on shots such as, "A Bartholomew Cubbins film," and, "presented by 30 Seconds to Mars," adds to this effect as well as highlighting the band as the stars. At the end of the music video and the inserts of fans speaking, credits play which tell of the director, editors, camera and others to do with the production setup. This goes against what is expected from a music video so therefore sets this one apart from others in terms of the construction and messages behind it. Short films always appear to have some kind of moral behind them so incorporating this style has allowed this to be true of their music video too, adding greater definition to it's ideals.

Overall, this music video shows me that sometimes it works to go against normal expectations. The short film style of inserts of fans amongst the performance sections works to sell the song, sell the band and it's live experience yet goes deeper than this with the positive message about music and wider issues. This then reflects on the attitudes of the band itself in an electronic shaman type sense. However, I feel this music video goes further than typical electronic shaman messages in that it does not distort reality but makes it seem a lot more real and down-to-earth for each individual to do something positive. Some conventions are still present within the music video such as close ups and editing matching the beat but it seems to portray deeper messafes than just the commercial exibitionist style with everything being fun and 'happy go-lucky.'