Aerosmith – I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing
I have chosen to analyse the music video of ‘Don Wanna Miss a Thing’, by Aerosmith. Throughout this analysis I will mention the use of Costume, Make-up, Location, Lighting, Atmosphere, Sound and also other details I feel relevant. I will be comparing this music video with Andrew Goodwin’s writing in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (Routledge 1992) 6-point analysis theory. This music video is more performance based than narrative or conceptual; however they do play a slight role in this video.
Aerosmith are an American Rock Band and the famous director Mark Wright produced this song ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’. It was recorded in 1997 and released in 1998. This song was however, originally written for the film, Armageddon. Hence, the clips from Armageddon throughout the music video. This music video is very dramatic and passionate; it also creates tension for the viewing audience.
Throughout the music video there are lots of close ups on all the Armageddon characters, showing their emotional facial expressions. By showing their facial expressions it makes the viewing audience relate and listen more the words being played in these scenes. Similarly, the artist gets a lot of camera time. This relates to Goodwin’s 6-point analysis, as the record label wants their artist to have publicity at the same time as they are getting viewers for their song. The camera movement and camera angles play an important role when creating dramatic effect. For example at the beginning of the video, during the introduction to the song, the camera slowly zooms through space toward earth. This helps to create the dramatic tension before the song; the director uses this to set the mood before the song.
The director Mark Wright uses graphical matches to link the song with Armageddon. They uses special effects to have the rocket taking off in the background of where they’re performing and the smoke from the blast covers them when singing. they do this by using CGI. Also to have more exposure for the artist but still have the theme of Armageddon, the artist has been put on the TV, in the place of the father. This also helps to create more of a link between the artist’s performance and the film, Armageddon. Along with everything else, it also ends the same in the music video as it does in the film of Armageddon. This helps the viewing audience to link the two together. Once again, this relates to Andrew Goodwin’s 6-point analysis theory, relating to his point that the music links in with the visual relationship.
During this music video, Goodwin’s 6-point analysis comes into play when matching the lyrics with the visuals. There is a moment in the music video when the two Armageddon characters kiss just as the lyrics ‘when I kiss your eyes’ is sung. The kisses within this video also help with the idea that this song is passionate, although they are a rock band they use this very well to keep their rock like music but also create soft passionate love songs. Another way the director helped o emphasis the passion is by having the daughter on Armageddon crying in a close up shot, this makes the audience feel for the girl, especially if the viewer has seen this film and knows what is happening.
The lighting when Aerosmith are performing is very low key lighting. The lighting is placed on the main singer, this shows the audience he is the main singer and by having closes up with low-key lighting helps to create the dramatic effect the director wants. When the rocket takes off the lighting helps to emphasis the smoke and creates a mysterious yet dramatic atmosphere. The location of the music video is performed in a church; this could symbolise the love, life and death faced in the film Armageddon. The stain glass windows in the background also help to emphasis the idea of God and how he will be watching over them. By having the camera frames go back a forth between the all the Armageddon characters crying creates emotional feelings within the viewers and the fast changing pace helps heighten this.
To conclude, this music video uses all the techniques to create the perfect dramatic effect. Engaging the audience and keeping there full attention the whole way through, not only through their music but through their visual outlook as well. Personally I feel that this music video is fantastic and has all the elements needed. It made me want to watch it over and over again. By using clips from Armageddon it helped to create an emotional atmosphere, as all the passionate, dramatic and sad bits from the film were used. I felt like crying when watching that video along with the lyrics and visuals together, they created the perfect atmosphere. Mark Wright has used Andrew Goodwin’s 6-point analysis very well.
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