Green Day 21 Guns (2009) Directed by Marc Webb
Shot 1/ 0.38 Minutes: The close-up, or meat shot, of Billie Joe’s face, establishes him as the lead singer and also the narrator of the video. The framing of the shot, with the shallow focus relates to the genre of the song. It is framed so that the singers head dominates, showing his importance. The shallow focus ensures that the emphasis is on Billie Joe’s face. Again, the genre is also established by the dark make up on his eyes. This is typical of more rock and alternative band and singers. The microphone included in the shot shows his role in the video. This shot comes from a cutaway from the narrative of the video to show us the performance used.
Shot 2/ 1.09 Minutes: This long shot shows changes to coincide with the music and lyrics. Overall the music video for ’21 Guns’ shows illustration through narrative. The music has a higher tempo which goes with the narrative to show all is not right with the scene we are witnessing. The character is central in the frame, suggesting that she is central to the story. Visible in the shot are aspects of a ‘normal’ home. However there is writing on the wall and the bullet holes through the walls, scattering the outside light into the room. The costumes used are black in this frame, which is a running theme throughout the video. This frame illustrates the lyrics and title of the song.
Shot 3/ 1.55 Minutes: This low angle shot uses a shallow depth of field to show the importance of the flashing telephone. The background of the shot seems to be at a slightly odd angle. This could reflect the bizarre situation of the narrative. The main prop in this shot is the phone. This suggests that the people on the outside of the house are trying to contact those on the inside. The lighting seems quite murky in this frame. This could be explained by the dust, caused by the gunshots. During the shots previous to this, the cuts had been slower. This is due to the fact that the music had become softer.
Shot 4/ 2.08 Minutes: The over the shoulder shot of the mirror’s reflection looks quite surreal due to the broken glass. The reflection is shattered and shows the boys face distorted and the girl is seen twice. This looks quite spooky. The reflection is the only thing visible in the frame. This shows the destruction caused by the guns and could suggest the cracks in the relationship of the two characters. Again the colours, costume and lighting are all dark again, carrying on the theme and style of the video.
Shot 5/ 2.27 Minutes: The chorus has picked up again in this shot, a close-up of a bullet ripping a hole in a sofa. We see this action from the side. This makes it look more powerful. The vase in the background of the shot is still intact. This could suggest that there is hope, even throughout the destruction. This shot helps the narrative drive of the video and again illustrates the lyrics.
Shot 6/ 2.49 Minutes: A medium shot of the fish tank, leaking after being blown apart by a bullet, packs impact to the video. The addition of the telephone inside the tank suggests that the female character has taken control. She has thrown the phone into the water in disregard. It seems that she doesn’t care about the situation anymore and has left the safety of the corner to walk across to meet the male. The water pouring out creates urgency within the scene. The setup of this shot is against the wall of the home. The darker colours stand out against the natural walls.
Shot 7/ 3.09 Minutes: The long shot of the couple together and the wall of the house shows the closeness of the two characters. This is emphasised by how much space there is surrounding them in the frame. The light coming through in rays from the holes in the walls makes the shot look more powerful. This is the first time we have seen the couple touch, as the song and video draw to their climax.
Shot 8/ 3.26 Minutes: This is one of the most powerful shots of the entire video. It shows Billie Joes guitar solo. The high key lighting has gone and Billie Joe has been lit from beneath, which suggests his power, and from the intermittent explosions behind him. This shot shows the performance side of the video. He is central in the frame and shot at a slightly lower angle, making him look taller and more powerful. The darker clothing used in this shot makes Billie Joe blend into the background until he becomes more visible when the explosions happen behind him.
Shot 9/ 4.31 Minutes: An establishing shot of the whole band playing is the first time we see the band performing as a whole. The narrative seems to have come to an end and the focus is on the performance of the band. The side view of the band allows each member to be seen within the frame. The costumes used are typical to the band and goes with their already established image.
