The music video to Helena beat was directed by Ace Norton. The video begins with Mark Foster escaping from a destroyed LA in the future along with his dog this takes intertextual reference to the film Mad Max. He journey is halted by a baby pram which with curiosity he goes to explore. Shortly afterwards he is ambushed by rebellious clique of children whom attack him and takes him hostage. Where he is taken hostage the other members of the band Cubbie Fink and Mark Pontius are taken hostage as well and where they are tortured. Mark Foster is then seated where he Is to be joined to a strange machine which an old man has already been strapped to. When the machine powers on, bright bolts of electricity arc back and forth, and the machine looks as if it is going to transform the older man into someone young again by stealing Foster's youth. Instead, it works quite the opposite and when the device is turned off, alternately most of the life is drained from the man (now very old) and Foster is turned into a young boy. After being turned into a child, he is now accepted as one of them.
At the first scene of the video an establishing shot is used to see the destruction of LA in the back drop, as Mark Foster escapes the struggle within the region. As the lead singer of “foster the people”, as the music video is mainly narrative based, Mark Foster is used as the star image of the band as he is the main character in the narrative, although embracing his character it would the use of close ups of Mark Foster’s face, as the record label might demand as they are able to maintains his visual style. Long shots are primarily used as there viewer has opportunity to see the chaos and mayhem that occurs in the headquarters of the children. Camera movements of tracking shot, is used to track the movement of the rebels as the follow through with their torturing of the band, which is followed by a panning shot which identifies the incident that is about to occur as the old man and Mark foster are sitting in the contraption. As the camera zooms in via mid shot, we are able to distinguish the reaction and fear that is Mark Foster’s eyes as he is restrained on to the peculiar piece of equipment. Long shot used for the viewer to establish the use of special effect of the electricity being passed through from a distance. In conclusion, we are able to get a close up of what had happened, close up of his arms and his face we are able to see that Mark Foster has been turned back to his youth days.
Furthermore the costumes that the character have been given, contributes to the knowledge of the rebellious life, as they are wearing clothes that are significantly bigger than them and that are old, which represents that they have been living the way of lifestyle for a while. The setting of an old abandon warehouse implies the state and condition that they are living as the break away from the disruption of Los Angeles, within that warehouse, barrels of fire which symbolises homelessness, which is illustrated by the dressing of the rebels. The props of the weapons of torcher of hockey stick, baseball bats and shot gun are used to threaten the group and capture, this emphasises on the rebellious lifestyle, similarly with the dim lighting representing a dark a mysterious incident may happen.
There are a lot of ideas that reflect the meaning of the songs, such as at the beginning where there is a montage of all the conflict and disasters in the world that are due to the government corruption. In the first scene of the music video of the establishing shot, the technical use of the soft focus is used concentrate on the vehicle at the same time; establish what is going on behind it the vehicle which is the destruction of Los Angeles. Moreover this is replicated within the warehouse where the children are causing mayhem, and a series of long shots are used to variety of disorder that I happening. The use of clean cut editing is to give the effects of continuity of narrative, as we are able to see the movement of Mark foster from different perspectives and angles. Special effects are added during the transfusion of the old man and Mark Foster, as they are restrained in the machinery, the electric current transmits from one side of the room to the other and this is added in enabling the viewer to see the intentions.
When the music was realise the first release was on alternative radio in the US, the radio station consist of different bands within the alternative genre such as Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, Strokes and Phoenix. These bands tend to be associated with teenagers and young adults. Although, The music video has a wide range in terms of the target audience as it attempts to convey the political side of the world as the same time keeping it comical with the inclusion and complicated contraptions and rebellious children. However, the primary market would be of a male audience as it illustrates the science fictional element, which is a male dominated industry. With the montage that is used at the beginning it is there to raise awareness of the things occurring within our society. The mixture of the children and serious topics in the world, meets in the middle with the band’s intended target audience.
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