After debating for a long time we finally settled whether or not to use The Brink or Esion. We've chosen to go with a track called 'Mainline' Esion due to the freedom inherited by using a drum and bass track. Also the title 'Mainline' conjures a lot of postmodern interpretations relating to our reaction an interaction with the 'controlling' media as a nation. The word Mainline resonates with the word mainstream and gave us many initial ideas for Alec, the writer of the group, to create a innovative script based around our concepts.
Also as the main target audience for this genre of music is largely males between the age of 18-35. Because of this we have decided to have teenagers featuring in the video in order to try and widen the perspective audience to teenagers without deterring its established audience.
This is the initial script drafted by Alec:
Mainline Music Video Script by Alec Dent
We see a fold down projection screen upon a stage. The camera films the images appearing upon it whilst slowly moving down the aisle, getting closer and closer to the screen. The footage shows various shots of a well dressed man, an evil looking character much like a stereotypical villain from the silent cinema era.
Although to open only spurious and vague shots of the man are shown to promote mystery and suspense. As the camera gets about as close into the screen as it possibly can the audience and action is transported into the screen footage, no longer viewing it from the perspective of an outsider.
A close up shot of the villains face then comes into view, he is finally presented to the audience and he is laughing an evil hearty kind of laugh. He looks over at a small group of youths standing to one side of his position and he rubs his hands together in a devious and satisfied manner. He beckons them over with his hands and an evil glint in his eye.
The youths approach him casually before he seems to lure them into a state of obedience. The villain begins to draw a chalk line upon the floor and the youths seem to just naturally follow it. This continues for some time as the villain looks very pleased with his new found power and control over the youths.
But at 1.30 we hear the sound of a bomb slowly dropping through the air. The youths stop following the line and hold their heads as if in agony, as if a deafening sound can be heard within their heads. The villain is puzzled and somewhat dismayed at this, he is determined to keep his followers in line.
But at 1.50 after the bomb sound has finished each of the youths separate and begin to follow their own individual lines, no longer led by the villain. The villain is furious at this and their new found independence. He wolf whistles and beckons over his three henchman, each of them smartly dressed in suits.
The three henchman are masked and each has a note pinned to their backs. One says ‘society’, the other ‘the whip’ and the last says ‘governance’. The villain sends his henchman to do their dirty work. The henchman each try to convince one of the three youths to return to the mainline.
All three armed with briefcases with messages written inside. These are, ‘expectations’, ‘control’ and ‘persuasion’. The three henchman try their best but the youths are having none of it, each of them carrying on with their own individual lines. The villain is now extremely angry as he jumps about furiously, although not quite willing to give up yet.
He clicks his fingers and appears in front of the three boys, holding his hands out as if to stop them. the youths do indeed stop in their tracks. They look to the villain who seems to yet again have a devious plan to once again control them. He begins to speak and in silent movie style, his words are then put up upon a black screen.
He promises them that if they follow the mainline, they shall want for nothing. All they must do to achieve this is to follow blindly when they are led. The villain excitedly looks at the three youths as they take a moment to think. He is sure that they will agree to his terms. The three youths turn to one another before looking back at the villain.
They look at him determinedly before each one of them crushes their individual sticks of chalk and lets the broken pieces fall to the ground. The villain is thwarted and falls to his knees defeated, he cries and wails at his loss. The three youths walk of into the distance in their own chosen direction, knowing that they are now free from the grips of the mainline.
- Within the video we could feature subliminal messages , the likes of which the villain would encourage. Such as, ‘follow’ and ‘maintain’.
Our video will have a number of strong links to films such as Eisenstein's 'The Strike' and music videos such as 'Come To Daddy' by Chris Cunningham (Aphex Twin).
Another key influence to our video is the postmodern idea of rehashing of old style genres. We intend to create the beginning section of the video in the style of a silent movie, with a very typical evil villain. This villain will become the constant source of comparison between old and new and encompasses the 1920s silent movie genre.
We also will keep the shots to within the capabilities of the equipment used at the time of early cinema.
A postmodern theme will be evident throughout the video and through the henchmen called 'Expectations', 'Control' and 'Persuasion' we will explore Baudrillard's notion of simulation as a controlling force, trying to keep the youths enslaved.
Another key influence for our video is the work of film maker Dziga Vertov and one of his most innovative pieces of film "The Man With a Movie Camera":
"The Man With a Movie Camera - Dziga Vertov (1929):
Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy:
Eisenstein - Strike (1925):
Friday, 22 January 2010
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