Form
The format of this video is a promotional music video.
Purpose
The purpose of this video is to promote the band's 21st single by entertaining the audience in hope that they will either purchase it alone or as part of the new album.
Content & MeaningIn this video the band wear costumes typical to their style and star persona. Keith and Maxim in particular maintain their looks by wearing their signature make up, displaying their tattoos and piercings. They wear similar clothes to the ones they wear when performing live; Keith in a white vest top, coloured jeans and a large belt, Maxim in a black sleeveless shirt and Liam in a t-shirt and leather jacket.
The video begins with shots of a derelict abandoned mental hospital and shadowy figures moving around. Throughout the video the shots cut sharply to the beat. The following shots cut between the actors; Keith, Maxim and Liam individually in the frame, looking forward menacingly into the camera, singing the beginning of the song. Mid shots then show the band dancing down a corridor towards the camera as it backs away. Keith's verse shows him alone, dancing down the corridor, playing to the camera, remaining the focus on him as an individual, demonstrating and maintaining his star persona. The shots frequently cut between these images of the band during the verses and images of a group wearing bear masks running around. The band make their way towards an ambulance, climb inside and trash it, hanging from the roof via medical equipment singing. The band and the masked group eventually meet when the three actors exit the vehicle with the group standing outside. The band's body language suggests that they are encouraging the group, as Keith nods to them as if to imply 'go!'. The group then proceed to vandalize the ambulance - throwing paint on it and spray painting it. The band then dance and sing in the foreground with the nearly unrecognizable ambulance in the background. The video concludes with a shot of the solitary ambulance with the camera slowly moving away.
The video essentially centres around connotations of a typical 'Hospital', taken straight from the title of the band's single 'Take Me to the Hospital'. The location (the fact that it was an old mental hospital) and central focus of this video (the ambulance) means that it belongs to this semantic field and has been designed to connote things that remind people of hospitals. The costumes worn by the group are interesting; black hooded jackets paired with bear masks. The masks are menacing because bears, especially in a hospital environment connote comfort for child patients, however the overall image of the gang with their masks under their hoods as they vandalize the ambulance is unsettling and sinister.
The video was filmed using an analogue VHS camera. The lack of quality and the grittyness of the film gives it an old school early 90s look and feel. This is exactly the impression the band and director wanted to give the audience.
Genre The treatment of this video is psychological thriller and the genre is electronica/rave.
Audience
The audience of this music video are fans of The Prodigy and people who enjoy electronica music.
The band and director describe their video: "We shot parts of the video in a derelict mental hospital. A proper death trap. Holes in the floor and sh*t falling out the ceiling. We broke in which involved being chased by dogs and a run in with the cops. We wanted a hospital in there but didn't want to shove it down peoples throats. The video was recorded onto vhs. We wanted it to look like an 80s movie you've just found at the back of the cupboard. Doing it analogue gave it a real unique look that you can't create on a shiney computer. Keep it real." - Dugdale & The Prodigy
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