In thinking about texts as heavily stylized as music videos, I keep wondering what certain formal elements might say about a song’s meaning and how issues of identity inform aesthetic choices. As an ongoing project, I intend to showcase some music videos that highlight form, specifically those that play with space and time in framing and shot composition. If you have any ideas, feel free to share.
Tonight, I thought I’d pick two music videos that use slow motion toward very different ends. Enjoy!
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
“Dr. Blind”
Knives Don’t Have Your Back
Directed by Jaron Albertin
PJ Harvey and John Parish
“Black Hearted Love”
A Woman a Man Walked By
Directed by The Chapman Brothers
