Music Video Analysis - The Strokes: Last Nite

This establishing shot shows that the video is going to be a
performance video, and the background establishes a 50s/60s
setting and vibe.

The genre of the music video is alternative rock, which matches the genre of the artist. The video is completely a performance video, which is made to seem like the band are performing the song live in the studio. This means that there is a typical narrative for a performance video within the genre of rock, as the camera is largely focused on the lead singer rather than the rest of the band. The audience for the video are likely to expect this, along with a lack of storyline, in order to make the live performance seem as authentic as possible. This is why it has been constructed for some of the microphones to fall over, as it adds to the authenticity and entertainment for the audience. 

Shots like this show that it is clear there is little narrative
to the video, as the band aren't established as being characters
in any way.

In terms of narrative, there is very little storyline to the video, with the only noticeable change being that the musicians become seemingly more energised as the video progresses - there is no change of scene or dialogue in order to suggest that there is actually an underlying story to the video. This could have been specifically done by the director in order to make the video seem unorganised and chaotic, which is a key theme which matches with the music. Another theme within the video is the 1960s theme, present in the way that the band members are dressed, and the background of the studio they are performing in contains cartoon graphics which are often associated with the 50s and 60s. This is because the band are trying to show that the music they make is influenced by the music of the 60s, which is often described as a "golden era". There is no recognisable narrative structure such as the Todorov's theory of five stages - this is due to the live performance feel of the video. In a way, there is a reflection of the video within the music, as the video appears to be very much improvised and uncontrolled - this reflects the music as it is fairly underproduced.

The socio-demographic group which has been represented within the video is men in their early twenties, as this is not only the group which the band fit into, but also the audience. The video reflects the band as being reckless and not having anything to care about - this seems appealing to the audience, who will then, theoretically, want to act more like the band do in order to become more similar to them. This is based on the hypodermic needle theory, which despite often being described as outdated, still works on a basic level as it shows how audiences will change to become more like the characters in a media product. This means that whilst it seems there is very little representation within the music video, it is actually a clever attempt to win the band more fans by making them seem so appealing to a target audience, that the target audience want to become them.



The video has been recorded in a basic way, with one camera on
each musician and then a camera following all of them

The recording institutions which the band are signed to have a lot of pull in what goes into the video, and the overall aesthetic of the video. This is because The Strokes are signed to RCA Records in the US and Rough Trade in the UK. RCA is a major record company, and Rough Trade a independent company, which means they have to be marketable to both a mainstream audience and a more niche one. This mixture is evident in the way the video has been produced, as it is shot quite technically with a focus on different angles and shot framings, yet it also appeals to a more niche audience due to the recklessness of the band and realistic setting.

The audience for the video is likely to be made up of people from the C1, C2, D and E groups, as it is music which has been produced with a raw production ethic, and so is unlikely to appeal to the upper and middle classes. This also matches the class which the band are trying to get the audience to perceive them as being, because the video uses the uses and gratifications theory in order to get the audience to apply the video more to themselves. In terms of age, this video is likely to appeal to those between the ages of 20 (around the age of the band) to about 35/40, as anybody above this age is unlikely to be able to relate to the raucous and destructive nature of the video.