This video was made by film-making duo Ben Foley
and Chris Hopewell at the now disbanded 'Collision Films' in 2007.
Purpose
The purpose of this music video is to promote the
single 'Second Sight' by Kula Shaker and to encourage people to buy it. It also
aims to entertain and humour the audience.
The form of this video is a music video.
Form
The form of this video is a music video.
Content & Meaning
The video begins as a silent film. It demonstrates
conventions of a silent film because it is in black and white, and uses
intertitles to show what the actors are saying and a piano playing, just like
the instrumental pieces played live during Silent Films in the past. It
establishes the scene by using a wide shot of Holmes from behind as he faces
the window thoughtfully, and zooms in slowly on him.
The actors all wear Victorian styled clothing;
Harry and Crispian in suits, Alonsa wearing a dress and fascinator and Paul
wearing a simple hat. The room is dressed with typical ornaments of the era;
shelves of books, a globe, candlesticks, portraits, a desk and furniture. The
set was dressed in this way to emulate Sherlock Holmes' study.
The narrative is fairly straightforward, as
Crispian's depiction of Holmes reveals to Lady Burlington (Alonza) that her son
the viscount (Paul) is not mad, but hypnotized. The piano music then becomes
the beginning of the song. He then proceeds to demonstrate the process of
hypnosis on Dr Watson (Harry) to evidence his deduction. Holmes claims he
"spent time in the Punjab", just as Crispian did in the band's
earlier days and says "Into the deep my dear Watson", referencing one
of the band's songs "Into the deep" and one of Holmes' famous quotes
"my dear Watson".
Watson falls into a sleep, as the camera cuts to a close up of Holmes's eyes and the pocket watch swinging in slow motion. The use of a pocket watch is typical to the traditional process of hypnosis. The camera cuts to progressively closer shots of Watson's face, cutting to the beat of the song. The shot then shows Watson stood in a room of mirrors with his fists raised. This image of the mirrors connotes paranoia. His stance and new costume (now consisting of beige trousers, a belt and boots) makes him look like a Victorian boxer, which is in keeping with the period the video is set in.
The shots then cut quickly between close ups of Watson's twitching face and his imaginary self in his dream. These shots then become a split screen, one of real Watson and one of Watson in his dream. The shots are juxtaposed to contrast that the dreamlike shot is in colour, whereas the real shot is in black and white. This effects the audience by connoting that Watson's dream world is colourful, exiting and imaginative, however the real world is dull and boring.
Watson in the dream looks into a mirror and tenses his biceps, once again reinforcing the idea that he is some kind of fighter. The action of looking into the mirror represents voyeurism, a common convention used in music videos as described by Andrew Goodwin in 1992. A mid-shot of Lady Burlington demonstrates her disapproval as she shoots a judging look across the room. Another split screen, with shots of Watson in his dream contrast with mid-shots of Holmes as he sings the chorus, staring at Watson.
The shot returns to a full screen shot of Watson, peaking around the mirrors walking slowly. The shot then shows the viscount's mesmerized face. A wide shot shows Holmes sing the until the end of the chorus, looking down on his friend. The shot cuts quickly between this image of Holmes, Watson and the face of a rabbit. In the verse, Watson explores the mirrors and the camera cuts between these images, a close up of real Watson's face and Holmes' eyes.
As the chorus starts, a mid shot of real Watson sees him wildly twitching and Holmes concludes "He's having a reaction!" and desperately applies medicine to him. Holmes tastes his concoction and appears surprised by its taste and tries it again. This action could have been used to connote Holmes' addictive personality and the fact in the original stories he liked to use cocaine to help his detective work.
In his dream, Watson is hit by something. The shot displays a human sized rabbit and then zooms in on Watson's face. Meanwhile, in the real world, Holmes picks up his violin and plays it in time to the electric guitar in the song. One of Holmes' most recognizable characteristics is his fascination with the violin.
Watson then fights the giant rabbit in mid shots and long shots. This image cuts into an image of Holmes continuing to play his violin. The camera then cuts to a shot of Watson touching his wound and tasting the blood on his hand. This iconic action reflects that of late Bruce Lee in 'Enter the Dragon' and pays homage to the actor. Watson continues to fight the rabbit, with shots taken using a free roaming camera to show both of their perspectives. Watson begins to win, punching the rabbit and the image pauses with a blood splatter across the screen. These interesting shots continue until the song reaches its climax and a zooming out wide shot displays Watson holding the head of the rabbit in his hand. The shot cuts to the image of the headless rabbit, which is in fact Watson inside a rabbit costume - he had been fighting himself! This connotes that "you are your own worst enemy".
A close up of Watson demonstrates his surprise at this twist and suddenly wakes up in the real world. Holmes stands with his back to Watson, looking out of the window, just how the video had started, with his iconic pipe. Watson claims how incredible the experience had been and puts his pipe in his mouth. Holmes turns to face his companion but instead looks up thoughtfully into the yonder. A close up of Lady Burlington shows her reluctantly raise a pipe to her mouth and quickly becomes content.
Watson falls into a sleep, as the camera cuts to a close up of Holmes's eyes and the pocket watch swinging in slow motion. The use of a pocket watch is typical to the traditional process of hypnosis. The camera cuts to progressively closer shots of Watson's face, cutting to the beat of the song. The shot then shows Watson stood in a room of mirrors with his fists raised. This image of the mirrors connotes paranoia. His stance and new costume (now consisting of beige trousers, a belt and boots) makes him look like a Victorian boxer, which is in keeping with the period the video is set in.
The shots then cut quickly between close ups of Watson's twitching face and his imaginary self in his dream. These shots then become a split screen, one of real Watson and one of Watson in his dream. The shots are juxtaposed to contrast that the dreamlike shot is in colour, whereas the real shot is in black and white. This effects the audience by connoting that Watson's dream world is colourful, exiting and imaginative, however the real world is dull and boring.
Watson in the dream looks into a mirror and tenses his biceps, once again reinforcing the idea that he is some kind of fighter. The action of looking into the mirror represents voyeurism, a common convention used in music videos as described by Andrew Goodwin in 1992. A mid-shot of Lady Burlington demonstrates her disapproval as she shoots a judging look across the room. Another split screen, with shots of Watson in his dream contrast with mid-shots of Holmes as he sings the chorus, staring at Watson.
The shot returns to a full screen shot of Watson, peaking around the mirrors walking slowly. The shot then shows the viscount's mesmerized face. A wide shot shows Holmes sing the until the end of the chorus, looking down on his friend. The shot cuts quickly between this image of Holmes, Watson and the face of a rabbit. In the verse, Watson explores the mirrors and the camera cuts between these images, a close up of real Watson's face and Holmes' eyes.
As the chorus starts, a mid shot of real Watson sees him wildly twitching and Holmes concludes "He's having a reaction!" and desperately applies medicine to him. Holmes tastes his concoction and appears surprised by its taste and tries it again. This action could have been used to connote Holmes' addictive personality and the fact in the original stories he liked to use cocaine to help his detective work.
In his dream, Watson is hit by something. The shot displays a human sized rabbit and then zooms in on Watson's face. Meanwhile, in the real world, Holmes picks up his violin and plays it in time to the electric guitar in the song. One of Holmes' most recognizable characteristics is his fascination with the violin.
Watson then fights the giant rabbit in mid shots and long shots. This image cuts into an image of Holmes continuing to play his violin. The camera then cuts to a shot of Watson touching his wound and tasting the blood on his hand. This iconic action reflects that of late Bruce Lee in 'Enter the Dragon' and pays homage to the actor. Watson continues to fight the rabbit, with shots taken using a free roaming camera to show both of their perspectives. Watson begins to win, punching the rabbit and the image pauses with a blood splatter across the screen. These interesting shots continue until the song reaches its climax and a zooming out wide shot displays Watson holding the head of the rabbit in his hand. The shot cuts to the image of the headless rabbit, which is in fact Watson inside a rabbit costume - he had been fighting himself! This connotes that "you are your own worst enemy".
A close up of Watson demonstrates his surprise at this twist and suddenly wakes up in the real world. Holmes stands with his back to Watson, looking out of the window, just how the video had started, with his iconic pipe. Watson claims how incredible the experience had been and puts his pipe in his mouth. Holmes turns to face his companion but instead looks up thoughtfully into the yonder. A close up of Lady Burlington shows her reluctantly raise a pipe to her mouth and quickly becomes content.
Genre
The genre is psychedelic rock and the treatment of this video is a sort of parody, historical comedy.
Audience
The audience of this video are fans of the band
and people who like similar bands to Kula Shaker. This demographic is more
specifically male and female adults who grew up in the 1990s, the BritPop era.
Also, because this video is a parody of the famous detective, fans of Sherlock
Holmes may also enjoy it.
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