Analysis of Digipak, Magazine Advertisement and Promotional Music Video - Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy -

• Formed in Wilmette, a suburb of Chicago in 2001, the band itself consist of lead vocalist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley.
• The band has released 6 albums since they formed in the early 2000s and are currently releasing their 7th album Mania which they have already released 3 singles to promote it.
• They have been winning award since 2004 and won awards from MTV, Kerrang, Teen Choice, Billboard, People's Choice and many others.
• Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group with distribution from one of the company's main labels, Atlantic Records. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida, is now based in New York City. This is one of the record labels the band has been signed to over the years.
• Some of the band's album's include; Infinity on a High, From Under the Cork Tree, Save Rock and Roll and America Beauty/American Physco. 
• They have currently released 3 singles from their upcoming album Mania, those songs all have music videos and they are called; Young and Menace, Champions and The Last of The Real Ones. 
  

Digipak Analysis -

Magazine Advertisement Analysis -

Promotional Music Video Analysis - 

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) 

From their studio album 'Save Rock and Roll' this alternative music video is a combination of concept and narrative. However the narrative itself runs across a larger scale of all the songs from this album, each one has a music video that continues the story and overall shows the meaning behind the songs and the album. 

Lyric Analysis -

Timeline -

• 00:00 - 00:30 = Music starts immediately and is accompanied with a slow motion tracking shot of a man wearing all black in a desolate environment. Superimposed onto this (created in post production) is the bands name and the title of the song in an of grey transparent font. The man appears to be holding a petrol canister, from first appearances he doesn't seem to be part of the band. Low key lighting and grey undertones create a sombre atmosphere that make those watching feel on edge. Shots vary in length and many cuts are used to go with the speed and the tempo of the music, unlike many other alternative music videos there is no lip syncing or influence from the band.
• 00:30 - 1:00 = The simplistic location and keeping all the action in one place is something my partner and I could take influence from due to have little to no budget when filming of music video. Fire becomes a focus point in this time frame, with matches and fires being started, this creates a correlation between the lyrics (light em' up) and the action of the video itself, fast pace cuts are used to build tension and keep the video at the same pace as the song. Zoom shot are used to show details of certain characters and elements of the video that are relevant and are important for viewers to notice and pay attention to. As the chorus starts and the song reaches the climax the action becomes more intense and engaging, with massive fires being started.
• 1:00 - 1:30 = As the chorus dies down two women also wearing black enter from the back of the frame. Their costume and make up subvert stereotypes of women being passive. The take on roles of power by throwing musical instruments into the fire, and creating tension. Although their role isn't typical, their character are still sexualized due to their revealing costumes and certain camera angels emphasize this.
• 1:30 - 2:00 = The girls are burning Fall Out Boy merchandise and instruments, this has deeper meanings that are relevant to the lyrics. The concept of the band starting fresh and changing their sound is really reflected in this time frame. A variety of different shots, taken from different angels and perspectives show the details of what is being burnt on the fire. Their actions and movements are slightly slowed down but match the key beats of the drums in the song itself, this makes the video flow better and keeps it engaging. Over the shoulder shots and POV shots are utilized to show things from their perspective making those watching feel more engaged with the action of the video.
• 2:00 - 2:30 = As the chorus continues the actions of throwing things onto the fire becomes more intense and frequent. However, to contradict this as the man walks back into the frame with a blow torch to assert his power the music becomes more mellow. This juxtaposition can create confusion however it work as it provides a good balance between an object of force and strength with more subtle music that follows on from the dramatic chorus. Slow motion close up shots on his face show his facial expressions and reactions to what is taking place in the video.
• 2:30 - 3:07 = The chorus repeats itself one last time and this time frame starts with the blow torch being ignited, the details are shown in different cut away shots that are slowed down to show the intensity of the flames, this overall makes the video more dark. The burning of the instruments and the end of an era for the band create an excellent base for the story that follows and the rest of the videos as this is the first video of 11 and they all together show a deeper more meaningful story behind the album. The video ends with a shot on four men tied up inside the back of a van and it is presumed that this is the band themselves although in this video it isn't confirmed. 
  

Mise en scene -

• The music video immediately introduces a vague location, and elements of a character who later becomes the center of focus of the video. Embossed on the screen in the center in transparent grey writing is the bands name and the title of this song, this establishes the band and makes those watching aware of the tile of the song so if they enjoyed it, it would encouraged them to go an purchase it.

• This slow motion medium close up shot of a match igniting into flames is reflective of the lyrics, the songs says 'light em up... I'm on fire' the constant theme of fire, bonfires and matches throughout the video are supportive of the meaning behind the lyrics that are being sang. Although no band members are included in the video, the use of another celebrity acting in the video is appealing to a wider audience.

• This shot shows the bands old CD's, digipaks and magazine advertisement being burnt, this shows how the band is changing it's style and the type of music they create. They are starting fresh and this entire thread of music videos shows their journey in creating Save Rock and Roll but all their musical journey's during their career's. The close up's on certain elements of the fire and the time spent on this aspect of the video show how the band wanted to make sure people noticed what was being thrown onto the fire and that they understood the reasoning behind it.

• This is one of the final shots in the video, the four people tied up in the van represent the band themselves, the single overhead spotlight on their heads with green undertones creates a rather sinister feeling. The match the lights up his face is rather similar to shot that happened earlier in the video, the constant theme of fire keeps the metaphor of the song as constant idea.