Music Video Analysis

For my music video analysis I decided upon the music video Hum by the band Tigers Jaw. I believe that the video is both performative and conceptual. Due to the fact that there isn't an exact story line but rather many visual elements to interest the viewer. For example, light is very prominent in the video. There is influence of shadows and use of a light machines that visually stimulates the viewer. The performers, multiple times throughout the video have dots of light (most likely due to a projector) scattered across their faces. The use of lighting/shadows is very carefully constructed throughout the video and in one scene in particular (at 1:03), there is a shot where the girl performer has one side of her face cascaded by the light machine and different shapes spread across, whilst the other side of her face is shadowed. Line and shape both have a huge influence in this video as well. The lights that illuminate the performers in the video, for example at 1:08, create lines that point directly towards the singer. Meanwhile, the light machines create dots and lines that scatter across both of their faces. This creates a sense of rhythm as these elements are consistently repeated.

One key moment that I found, specifically at 0:09 to 0:18, has the camera approaching both performers in a long, dark, narrow hallway. The only light source is directly behind them, flashing in and out while they face the camera. This creates silhouettes of each person. While the camera is approaching, the male performer walks into another room. Another key moment is at 1:41 where there is a shot of two hands, upraised in front of the camera, that are illuminated by the light machine shooting straight lines downwards at the hands.

There is movement of the camera at the beginning of the video where the camera is approaching both figures, and appears at some other points in the video. However, the camera is mostly static throughout the video and the figures appear to be moving in most shots. I believe that the video reinterprets the song in it's own individual way. The video doesn't really have a story within itself even, nor is it following the lyrics/story of the song.