Stressed Out - Twenty One Pilots Music Video Textual Analysis

The 'Stressed Out' song has had some incredible success. They won their first Grammy for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" with 'Stressed Out' and Blurryface (The name of the album which 'Stressed Out' featured in) has been officially certified a platinum album.

As of June 2017, a total of 66 videos have exceeded one billion views, 12 of which have exceeded two billion views. And Twenty One Pilots are part of those 66. 'Stressed Out' has also had over 764 million listens on Spotify.

Narrative and Theme

The video tells the story of two childhood friends spending a normal day together by going to each others houses and doing what they enjoy - singing and playing music. All technical aspects of the music video help establish this narrative in the music video. The music video also shows a narrative of people growing up what seems to be over a very small time scale. This is shown in the music video when the video cuts to them and their families in the white background set. This part of the video shows them being judged for not living a normal life, having a normal career and not acting the same as everyone else.

Although the music video creates quite a normal and relatively simple narrative it definitely helps to further promote the lyrics of the song. The genre of this song is Hip-Hop/Rap and Rock. The institution behind this song is "Fueled by Ramen". The person who wrote the song was Tyler Joseph and the lead producer of the music video was Mike Elizondo.

Editing and Sound

The editing in this music video isn't very complicated as it is slow paced during the verses and fast paced during the chorus or, in other words, it follows the tempo of the song. This helps make the song and the video seem part of each other which helps to promote the ideas that the song is attempting to put across. This simplistic editing can signify how the characters of the children have quite simple lives as they don't have to worry about things that adults do. 

There isn't much diegetic sound if any at all in the music video other than when the music stops and the two main characters of the music video do a secret handshake outside the house. The diegetic sound along with the sound helps to promote the idea they are children as a secret handshake is a rather immature and childish thing to do.

Just after a minute of the video passes there are some quick jump cuts which is done to add excitement. This is done to match the song and to show a lot in a few small moments may mean it contributes to the story that is being told.

Furthermore, at the end of the video, it begins to fade out and the camera moves away from the main character, this is done just like how the beginning was filmed. 

Mise-en-Scene

The mise-en-scene in this music video plays a big part in linking the songs lyrics to the music video. The setting of the majority of the music video is in suburban America which is shown instantly whilst the singer is riding the big wheel. It is also shown whilst they are in the houses there is quite dated furniture and a family friendly environment.

The lighting in the video was quite effective in setting the suburban scene, especially in the house as the lighting is warm and looks very natural. This helps create the feeling that the children characters are secure and don't have to worry which is contrasted when it cuts to the white and well lit setting as the two band members are then adults and are in a harsher environment.

The costumes of both the band members are a contrast. The clothes the characters are wearing aren't aren't what a child would wear which shows how this is them looking back at their childhood as adults.

Furthermore, as the singer is on the tricycle the black on his neck and hands shows his insecurities.

The use of the colour red on the houses and the clothing on the characters attire connotes danger but also connotes passion. Furthermore, due to the colours in the shot, it is also done to make the musician stand out and show that he is the main character.  The low angle shot also shows confidence and that possibly throughout, the musician has grown up a little.


There are some aspects of the music video where the is some script written down. This is done so that the music continues to play and there isn't any pauses for any reason.

Moreover, as the camera cuts back to the house, the audience can see that there are no outfit changes and because the outfits they are wearing a similar, it shows that they are united in a band.

Once again , the colour red is shown, this is done in order to connote danger and passion.

These photos and trophies on the mantle piece are used to show that they had a generic family life and they grew up living normal lives.

The red contact lenses on the black background adds real connotations of danger, plus due to the fact its on a dark background, the colour red stands out more. I feel that this may be some sort of alter ego talking or possibly his conscience. It was known that this album which this song involves has symbols of mental weakness and therefore I feel this is what it may be.

Camera

The camera movement in this music video is quite unstable, wobbly and are nearly all handheld shots. The shots in the white setting are a lot more stable and are tripod shots. The instability in the shots when they are children connotes how they are able to be unstable and do what they are free to do. The stable shots when they are adults represents how they are expected to be stable as adults and cannot do what they want if it is going to disrupt that. Furthermore, it shows things such as their strength has developed as well. This may be mental as well as physical strength.

The tracking shots as they are on the big wheels signifies how they as children are free to move around and don't have to worry as other people are making sure they are safe and comfortable which is contrasted by the very static shots as they are are adults because they are again expected to be stable, confident and strong.

The close up on the as the singer speaks shows the audience who is speaking. As he sings longer the shot sticks with him as it represents his passions through what he is saying. 

The outfit that he is wearing does however contradict the stereotype of the suburban lifestyle. However, I feel that he has done this on purpose as he wants to stand out and tell the audience that maybe he isn't someone who lives in the suburbs etc and therefore he is more of a big time person living in the main roads as he is a rapper he is deemed important.



The static positions that they adopt when they are in the studio room about to sing builds up tension for the audience. Furthermore, the name on the drums in this same scene is also used for emphasis to represent who the audience is listening to.

Furthermore, around 1:50 of the music video there are very simplistic shots, I believe that this is done in order to connect to the audience and not to seem over dramatic.

These shots from the music video are here and they are used to represent the previous album.

Due to the fact that this is shot is continuous, it builds tension for the remainder of the music video.

Audience

In my opinion, the audience for this song is in the target audience of teenagers aged between 14-19. However, some of these lyrics may target some people aged around 25-30. Therefore, in my opinion, the audience for this film is very wide spread however, the primary audience is between 14 and 30. This is targeted to this sort of audience because of how much the lyrics relate to them, it will remind them of their early childhood and what they used to do, although it may not relate in the same way that they did music, it may be something else such as playing video games together, playing football together or something else. Furthermore, there is a part in the music video where there is a teenager sat in the bedroom nodding along as the music plays and therefore, this is another reason as to who it would be aimed at - generic teenagers.

Representation

As previously mentioned, the characters are represented as children throughout the start as they are going round each others houses and playing music together and how they sit on the curb of the road and drink their drinks. However, as they are surrounded by their family it seems like they are not children anymore and therefore their characters have changed into adults. I believe that my music video will be similar to this one on terms of the how the characters are portrayed.

According to online sources the stressed out music video was filmed at Josh Dun's (One of the two musicians in the Twenty One Pilots duo) childhood home which was in Ohio.

My Three Textual Analyses

The three music videos that I am going to textually analyse are:

• "Don't" by Bryson Tiller
• "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots
• "Can't feel my face" by The Weeknd

To analyse the music videos to these songs, I will be identifying things such as:

• Audience - Who is the music video aimed at? A mass audience? A niche audience? 
• Institutions - Record Label? Was it in any films? Was it on TV? How was it promoted? Was it an independent studio? How large was the budget for the music video?
• Representation - The issues that are most relevant to my brief and my genre - What will the people be like in the music video? Where were these music videos filmed? I must also look out for things such as the age of the characters, the gender and the ethnicity.
• Genre - Are the generic conventions of the music video similar to the impressions given off by the song in the first place? Are the conventional? Are they unconventional? Is the music video a hybrid genre a.k.a merged with another genre? Is the music video a sub-genre?
• Narrative - What i the storyline of the music video and how does it link to the lyrics in the song? 
• MEDIA LANGUAGE - There are 4 aspects to this and in my opinion, the most important part of the entire textual analysis: 
• Mise en Scene - The arrangement of the scenery, props, etc. on stage or on the set.
• Camera Work - The way in which cameras are used, this could be through the different ways that the camera is angled, it could also be the way the camera hovers and pivots when showing something in particular etc)
• Editing - Where the extract has been cut and if any special effects have been added in to add to the situation occurring in the extract. 

These are all important as they are the key things that identify a music video therefore, I need to pay attention to these things as I may want to include similar things in my music video as well.

Things to do to make my Music video

Creativity 

Using my creativity is completely free and also limitless through what I can achieve by using it. Creativity can be applied to every aspect of creating and promoting (through the print products) my music video from casting to special effects such as the lumetri colour scale etc, obtaining gear and engaging the media and the correct target audience. The same creativity I may apply to writing, arranging and performing songs can easily be used across all aspects of my so called music video career. Especially how I may engage with media and the rest of the music industry. Generally I definitely shouldn't be afraid to use my imagination to achieve my goals! Overall, I feel that my imagination and using things such as storyboards and videos should be used in order to show my target audience what I may need to do and where I may need to do it.

Crew 

Due to the fact that I barely have any sort of budget at all my crew will probably just be friends and/or family. That being the case they need to understand the fundamentals of what it is that I'm aiming for each scene to be like. I do however need to make sure I review what I have shot again and again until I know that it is perfect. Issues with the exposure on my camera may hinder my result and may also waste time as I will need to re-film it. My crew are unlikely to be top professionals when it comes to making a music video. On a good note, friends and family are not likely to ask me for any form of money or wage, and they are likely to be motivated to help me create as good a video as I possibly can. I must also keep my crew motivated and focused. Having fun might keep a light atmosphere, but I still have to make sure every single shot is perfectly done and how I want it to be done. I also have to ensure that my crew/ cast are able to stick to the timings on the shooting schedule. Nothing annoys those who turn up on time more than others who hold up a shoot by not being there. Shooting can only start after the last person involved gets there! The smaller my crew actually is, the easier it will be to travel from location to location, and the less likely people are going to be late.

Concept, Themes and Style 

Medium and format are important considerations. I know that I must be careful when using black and white footage. The only time that I'm thinking of doing this is when the protagonist has a flashback. Black and white could have been chosen for things such as studio shots, lo-fi home cinema for one of the incidental scenes to give it that home-shot feel, maybe obviously hand-held to underline the idea of a home made aspect. To work without a concept is risky. It tends to lead to a disconnected sequence of images with no real pull through the song. I need to be asking myself things such as what sort of style and theme would my audience enjoy? What costumes should I use, the locations involved, choreography, props, story lines, scenery, lip syncing and more. Will my video fit into an established genre (historical, club scene, sci-fi, humorous etc). Will the entire video be story-boarded, or will there be a lot of improvisation?

Locations

With a little effort I should be able to find loads of free locations including locations such as colleges, universities, parks, churches, warehouses, public buildings, train and bus stations, woods, car parks, shopping malls... the list goes on. However, unlike last year I need to check if I need permission to film there, and where necessary get permission to shoot certain scenes of the video there. When you visit your locations, take some reference photographs. these may help with story boarding and any set design. Consider any lighting you may need, and of course whether electricity is available for you to use, or will you need to provide your own. It is good to have a choice of locations for a variety of reasons. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the mise en scene of a Rap/Hip-Hop music video is something which is vital and plays a big part in how the music video is viewed. The semiotics and the amount of people who are in shot are also vital, so if there are people who are walking right behind or in front of shot, then you will not be happy and will need to retake it.

My Decision and Ideas

I have come to the decision that I am going to do a music video. Today I have been looking at which song that I could potentially do, and so far I believe that I may have to go down the road of remixes. I have also been looking at specific artists such as Twenty One Pilots or a song which was recently created by Logic because I know that the lyrics are incredibly meaningful.

I'd like to do a song with meaningful lyrics as I feel that it would be easier to film and would give me a better idea of what to include as well. Through the lyrics I can gage ideas such as the props that I will use, the type of protagonist I feel will fit the idea that I will go for and also where I would need to film it; will I need to go into London? Will I be able to stay in the suburbs? Where will be the most suitable to film it. Furthermore, there will also be things to incorporate when editing as well such as different colours, the amount of exposure that I will need to use in every scene, will I need to use the lumetri colours? All of this I feel will be impacted by the song and its lyrics.

                                     

"Stressed Out (Tomsize Remix) Lyrics"

I wish I found some better sounds no one's ever heard,
I wish I had a better voice that sang some better words,
I wish I found some chords in an order that is new,
I wish I didn't have to rhyme every time I sang,

I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink,
But now I'm insecure and I care what people think.

My name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think.
My name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think.

Wish we could turn back time, to the good ol' days,
When our momma sang us to sleep but now we're stressed out.

...now we're stressed out.

Sometimes a certain smell will take me back to when I was young,
How come I'm never able to identify where it's coming from,
I'd make a candle out of it if I ever found it,
Try to sell it, never sell out of it, I'd probably only sell one,

It'd be to my brother, 'cause we have the same nose,
Same clothes homegrown a stone's throw from a creek we used to roam,
But it would remind us of when nothing really mattered,
Out of student loans and treehouse homes we all would take the latter.

...my, my, my, my name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think.
My name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think.

Wish we could turn back time, to the good ol' days,
When our momma sang us to sleep but now we're stressed out.

...now we're stressed out.

We used to play pretend, give each other different names,
We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away,
Used to dream of outer space but now they're laughing at our face,
Saying, "Wake up, you need to make money."
Yo.

We used to play pretend, give each other different names,
We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away,
Used to dream of outer space but now they're laughing at our face,
Saying, "Wake up, you need to make money."
Yo.

Wish we could turn back time, to the good ol' days,
When our momma sang us to sleep but now we're stressed out.
Wish we could turn back time, to the good ol' days,
When our momma sang us to sleep but now we're stressed out.

Used to play pretend, used to play pretend, bunny
We used to play pretend, wake up, you need the money
Used to play pretend, used to play pretend, bunny
We used to play pretend, wake up, you need the money
give each other different names,
We would build a rocket ship and then we'd fly it far away,
Used to dream of outer space but now they're laughing at our face,
Saying, "Wake up, you need to make money."
Yo.

There is a specific part in this song where it mentions "Sometimes a certain smell will take me back to when I was young" with this lyric, there will be a transition which may mirror a sort of flashback to the protagonist's childhood where he and his brother/sister went running through a field. However, I am sceptical to do this because I feel like it follows the stereotypical view of it.

Furthermore, I also have family relatives who are younger than me whom I am able to film if my plan is able to go ahead. My main idea is to have one of my younger cousins run through a field after doing some special effects to make it seem like it was a flashback for the audience.

These lyrics are meaningful and are exactly what I meant beforehand as they give me an idea of what to do my music video about in terms of the storyline.


Black Spiderman - Logic

I love this song because it relates to many modern day issues and the way that is expressed is amazing. Furthermore, the tune is very upbeat and very good and catchy and therefore, I feel that it is very good way to portray what he is trying to express. This will be done particularly through the use of the mise en scene and the semiotics because this is what the modern day rappers like to delve into with all of their money. The video that has been linked above also shows the meaning behind the lyrics said.

I feel like the music video should be a man happily walking down the road on a sunny day and everyone looking at him as if to say - 'What on Earth is wrong with him?!?' Even nowadays, there has been a lot of avoiding the issue and when someone who expresses themselves in modern society, the get shut down very quickly. The song also represents unity and therefore, I feel like there should be a representation of all men an women of many cultures uniting and singing the final chorus together to show that they are together and want to fight against all the supremacists and prove them all wrong. Overall my decision to make a music video will mean that I have to pay attention to things such as the mise en scene and the semiotics especially due to the genre of which I have chosen to do in Rap/Hip-Hop.

Something like this would be preferable as the lyrics that I quoted above would be ideal in my opinion.

My Initial Idea

As of yet, I am unsure of whether I am going to do my coursework on a music video or upon a documentary.

I was initially interested in doing a documentary on something that I have done since I was young like sports, it is something that I have done since the age of 4 and have loved doing it and venturing into it and as a result making a passion of mine and something that I really deeply enjoy. Another thing I was thinking of doing was a documentary on music because it was something I used to take very seriously, as I used to play the drums and the violin. However, I then began to sing and loved it. However, now what I'm doing is just listening to music and adventuring into new music genres and broadening my horizons. Therefore, music has always been a major part in my life affecting things such as my moods and feelings. There are a few issues however, the main ones are the fact that I am not able to provide many facts to go with it and that is the main idea behind a documentary.

However, I would also like to film a music video because it is a way that the music can be dissected and the meaning of the lyrics can really stand out. The only issue I see with this is which song to select to base my film on. There are also a couple of genres I am thinking to base my music video around and they are, RnB and Pop. There are a few that I have in my mind, one being by a music artist called J.Cole and several others by artists who are not very well known. Another option is to select a song that doesn't have any lyrics but just a tune behind it and based on the tempo and pitch of the song, will be how I work my storyline around it.

I believe that I am going to have to research and plan things such as costumes, locations, a script (based on stage directions), character studies and a lot more. My Research and Planning this year may also coincide with the Research and Planning that I did last year, in terms of the general things that I will have to research.

I may also need to research whether or not the song I choose has a music video as it may be harder to come up with an original idea if this is the case. Therefore, I will need a wide base of songs to choose from in case the majority of them have a music video.