Fall Out Boy: Video Deconstruction

FALL OUT BOY

'Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band originated from Chicago's hardcore punk scene, with which all members were involved at one point. The group was formed by Wentz and Trohman as a pop punk side project of the members' respective hardcore bands, and Stump joined shortly thereafter. 

The group went through a succession of drummers before landing Hurley and recording the group's debut album, Take This to Your Grave (2003). The album became an underground success and helped the band gain a dedicated fan base through heavy touring, as well as some moderate commercial success. Take This to Your Grave has commonly been cited as an influential blueprint for pop punk music in the 2000s.'

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Out_Boy

RECORD LABEL

The label that were signed at the time of the release of 'Folie A Deux' were 'Island Records.'

Island Records is a British record label that operates as a division of Universal Music Group. It was founded by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall and Leslie Kong in Jamaica in 1959. Blackwell sold the label to PolyGram in 1989. Both Island and another label recently acquired by PolyGram, A&M Records, were both at the time the largest independent record labels in history, with Island in particular having exerted a major influence on the progressive UK music scene in the early 1970's. Notable artists on the UK roster include Ariana Grande,  U2, Mumford & Sons, Amy Winehouse, Ben Howard, Florence + The Machine, Hozier, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Disclosure, AlunaGeorge, JP Cooper, PJ Harvey etc.Noticeably,the label signs Pop and Rock artists.

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Records

I DON'T CARE 

Say my name and his in the same breath

I dare you to say they taste the same

Let the leaves fall off in the summer

And let December glow in flames

Erase myself and let go

Start it over again in Mexico

These friends, they don't love you

They just love the hotel suites, now

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

Said,

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

Oh take a chance, let your body get a tolerance

I'm not a chance, put a heat wave in your pants

Pull a breath like another cigarette

Pawnshop heart trading up (trading up)

On the oracle in my chest,

Let the guitar scream like a fascist

Sweat it out, shut your mouth

Free love on the streets but

In the alley it ain't that cheap, now

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

Said,

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

Said,

I don't care just what you think

As long as it's about me, you said

I don't care just what you think

As long as it's about me, I said

I don't care (I don't care)

Said, I don't care (I don't care)

Said, I (I) don't (don't) care (care)

I (I) don't (don't) care (no I don't)

I don't care, (I said)

I don't care, (I said)

I (I) don't (don't) care (care)

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

Said,

I don't care what you think as long as it's about me

The best of us can find happiness in misery

"The song impacted radio on September 16. It is its album's best known song, being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments of one million units, with over 500,000 sales in its first four months alone. In the United States, the song reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has been described as a very political track by Patrick Stump, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band, but not political in the traditional sense; more about the politics of a relationship. Stump has said that this song is about the superficiality and selfishness that is associated with pop culture. "

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Don%27t_Care_(Fall_Out_Boy_song)

SYNOPSES

https://soundcloud.com/cigga14/i-dont-care-synopses

TIMELINE

Pat/ Patrick lead vocals & guitar

Joe on guitar

Pete on rhythm guitar & backing vocals

Andy on drums

• 0:00 - 0:24 : The promotional video opens with a mid shot of the band entering through a door. There is a straight cut to a long shot revealing the setting the band is entering- a green room with two men sat across the room. They set down and the camera cuts to a mid shot of the other two men to reveal that it's Gilby Clarke who appears to be judging them, when there is a straight cut to a mid shot of FOB settling. The shot quickly returns to Gilby who turns to his friend and says "What the hell happened to rock and roll? Eyeliner? Energy drinks? And no guitar solos? I've taken s***s with bigger rock stars than them!" - during this dialogue there is a shot reverse shot allowing FOB's reaction to be shown. There is only diegetic sound in the background of what appears to be a talk show audience, alluding to their location in this introduction.

• 0:24 - 0:28: Here a straight cut takes us to a mid shot of the drummer- Andy playing the poignant mini introductory drum solo.It quickly cuts to a side angle mid shot of Patrick and Joe, with a large crowd surrounding the bands stage in the background. Composition-ally, there seems to be a large amount of black and red within the performance scenes, which is exemplary of punk iconography. There's a straight cut to a front facing mid shot with Patrick and Pete in the foreground and Andy in the background. The camera cuts to a long shot reversing the view from before and revealing the crowd- could be a POV from Andy. In this scene there is 4 shots within 4 seconds of the footage, setting the pace for the song and video.

• 0:28 - 0:38: The camera cuts to a long tracking- steady cam shot of the back of Joe walking down a city street in a trench coat. The camera cuts to a mid shot of Joe flashing bystanders. Then at 0:31 it cuts back to a mid side angle shot of Joe and Patrick on stage, then cuts to a mid shot from behind Andy, at 0:34 the camera cuts back to the mid shot of Joe on the street showing him shrugging off the horror from the bystander. The camera cuts to an extreme long shot of the stage and crowd in the performance scene, then cutting to a close up of Joe on stage, following with a cut to the same shot type of Pete, then Andy.

• 0:38 - 0:46: The camera straight cuts to long shot of Patrick walking along a city street and kicking over an old mans zimmer  frame. The camera the cuts to the performance scene, with a close up shot of Patrick singing and then cuts to a side angle mid shot of him. This follows with a straight cut to an over the shoulder shot from within a car among the crowd. The camera shortly cuts back to a long shot of Patrick terrorizing the old man before returning to a side on close up of him singing into the mic, then cuts to a front on close up.

• 0:46- 0:59: Here there is a cut to a long shot of Andy approaching a bunch of street performers doing martial arts, there is a cut to a mid shot of Andy standing next to a busker and watching the performers. The camera cuts to the performance scene, with a close up of Patrick singing, and then cuts to a close up of Andy playing the drums before cutting back to the street scene. Here there is a low angle long shot of Andy observing the performers. The camera cuts back to a mid shot of Patrick and Pete on stage. At 0:54 the camera cuts to a long shot of Pete approaching a mime on a busy street. The camera cuts to a low angle shot of Patrick and Pete on stage, then a close up Patrick and Pete singing into the same mic, and then a reverse mid shot from behind the band. The camera returns with a cut to a mid shot of Andy attempting to fight the martial art street performance, before cutting to a mid shot of Pete mimicking the mime.

• 0:59- 1:13: The camera  cuts to an extreme long shot of the stage from within the crowd. There is then a cut back to the mid shot of Andy mimicking the street performer. There is a cut back to a mid shot from behind Patrick, following with a cut to a close up of him singing. At 1:04 there is a high angle pan across the crowd, before there's a cut to a long shot of Pete harassing the mime, and the camera cuts to the mid shot of Andy messing with the street performer. At 1:08 the camera cuts to a close up of Andy playing the drums, followed by a straight cut to a long shot of the stage. The camera cuts to the same mid shot from behind Patrick on stage. There is then a cut to an over the shoulder shot of Patrick getting fought with by the old man for his zimmer frame back, then there's a straight cut to a long shot of this scenario.

• 1:13- 1:26: The camera  cuts to a close up of Pete jumping across stage, then cuts to a low angle shot of Pat on stage. There is a cut back to the mid- shot of Patrick fighting with the old man on the street, with a cut to the long shot that follows of Pat walking off the the zimmer frame. The camera cuts to a low angle close up of Pat shouting into the mic and revealing the stage lights above. There is atmospheric smoke surrounding the stage.  the camera cuts to mid shot from the within the crowd in a POV style, showing Joe and Pete on stage. At 1:19 there is a straight cut to a new scene. It is a long shot of Andy, An Ice-cream vendor and a little boy with his dog, it appears to be on a roof with sunset and overlook of the city in the background. Andy is watching the boy buying his ice-cream. The camera cuts to a close up of the boy receiving the ice-cream, following with a cut back to the long shot to show Andy throw his ice-cream away and approach the boy. the camera cuts back to a mid shot of Pete on stage, followed by Joe and then a mid shot of Pete again. There is then a straight cut back to a close up of the boy having his ice-cream taken by Andy, before there's a cut to a close up of Andy smashing the kids cone into the ground and smashing it.

• 1:26- 1:43: The camera  cuts to a close up with a side angle of Andy playing the drums, before cutting to a close up of the kid reacting to Andy's rudeness. At 1:29 it cuts back to the long shot of the mime being harassed by Pete, followed by a cut back to a close up of Andy on drumming, and then there's a cut to a tracking shot with a manual zoom (imitating the style of paparazzi footage) on Pete following the mime down the street. There is a cut back to an extreme long shot of the concert, revealing more of the setting e.g. the cars and scrapyard like location. Following this is a cut back to the manual tracking shot of Pete and the mime. At 1:37 it cuts to a close up of Pete on stage, then there is a cut to a mid shot of Patrick sat on a street bench when a woman walks past and he grabs her bottom, next there is a cut to a close up of him singing. The camera cuts to mid shot of Patrick on stage. 

• 1:43- 1:54: The camera cuts to a long shot of a busker on the sidewalk, Pete is approaching her and Joe is stood in the background looking busy. There is then a cut to a close up tracking shot up Pat, before there's a cut back to a mid shot of Pete applauding the busker, and the camera cuts to mid high angle shot of Joe taking money from her guitar tips case and it cuts back to a mid shot of Pete and the busker talking (from the opposite angle). The camera cuts to a mid shot at ground level of Joe exiting, followed by a cut to a tracking over the shoulder shot Pete leaving- there is then a cut to a long shot of them both leaving and Pete takes more money. The camera cuts to a close up pan of Pat singing into the mic.

• 1:54- 2:04: Here the camera cuts to a long shot of what appears to be Pat and Joe on a rooftop filling water balloons. The camera cuts to a closer mid shot of them tying up the balloons. There is a cut back to a mid shot of the band on stage, then a close up of Pat singing, and then a cut to an extreme close up of Andy's drumming. This is followed with a straight cut to the top of the roof, with a close up tracking shot of Pat bringing the water balloon over to the edge of the roof. At 2:02 there is a cut to an image of a cat eating spaghetti, referencing a day time TV incident, before quickly cutting back to a mid shot of Pat and Pete singing into the same mic.

• 2:04- 2:15: The camera cuts to an aerial shot from the rooftop showing a queue of people on a red carpet, then there's a straight cut to a close up of Pat and Joe dangling the balloon over them. At 2:08 the camera cuts back to the aerial shot but in the foreground is Pats hand with the balloon dripping, and the camera manually focuses on the people below. The camera cuts back to the long shot of the pair over the edge and they Pat releases the water balloon. The camera cuts to a closer aerial shot of the water balloon hitting the crowd, And there is a cut to a mid shot of Pat and Joe celebrating. At 2:12 the camera cuts to the performance scene with a mid pan shot from behind Pat allowing us to see the crowd, before the camera cuts to the long shot of Pat and Joe on the roof rejoicing and Joe's trench coat has fallen open, then the camera cuts back to a close up of Pat singing into the mic.

• 2:15- 2:32 : The camera cuts to introduce a new scene, its a mid tracking shot of of a glamorously dressed woman leaving a building and through a crowd of paparazzi. There is a straight cut to a mid shot of Andy playing the drums. The camera cuts to a side angle tracking shot of the woman making her way to a car through the paparazzi, before the camera cuts to a high angle shot of the woman entering the back of the car, that has a famous rapper sat inside. The camera cuts to a mid shot of Pat and Pete on stage. The camera cuts to a long shot of the car pulling away and being chased by the paparazzi, before there is a cut back to a pan shot along the stage, followed by a quick mid shot of the crowd. The camera then cuts to a mid shot of the car window opening and the hand of an off screen person is gesturing for the woman to give them the money, the camera cuts to a close up of the woman teasing the person but then hands them the money- as if she is a hustler of some sort.

• 2:32- 2:52: The camera cuts to a close up of Andy head banging while drumming. The camera shortly cuts to a long shot of the stage, before cutting to a close up of Pat singing, then cuts to a close up side angle allowing us to see Pete performing behind Pat. The camera cuts to a long shot of a new rooftop, Pete is urinating against the wall on the left side of the screen and on the right a security guard is coming out of the elevator, the camera cuts to a mid shot of Pat performing and then another mid shot from the other side of him, followed by mid shot of Pete urinating against the wall and a cut to a mid shot of the security guard reporting him in on his walkie talkie. The camera cuts to a low angle shot from within the crowd of the stage. At 2:43 the camera cuts to a mid shot from within a store front looking out at the street, where Pete and Patrick are passing dressed as nuns, before there's a short cut back to a mid shot of Pat and Pete on stage, following this the camera cuts to the long shot of Pete and the security guard on the rooftop where Pete is aggravating the security guard. The camera cuts to a mid tracking shot of Pete and Pat as nuns entering the shop, the camera then straight cuts to mid shot of Pat and Joe on stage, and then a close up of Andy drumming.

• 2:52- 3:06: Here the camera cuts to a long shot of Pete in a boxing stance riling up the security guard, then there is a straight cut to a close up of Pat singing, followed by a close up of Andy drumming, and then a cut to a long shot Pete kicking a dust cloud at the security guard. The camera cuts to a side angle close up of Andy's drumming. The camera then cuts to a mid tracking shot from behind Pat and Pete posing as nuns, following them through the store as they start shoplifting, this is followed by a mid shot for a frontal view. There is then a cut to a mid shot on stage with all the band members in frame, before there's a cut to a mid side angle shot. The camera then cuts to a mid shot of Pete shouting the lyrics 'I Dont Care!' into the security guards walkie talkie, followed by a cut back to a mid shot of the stage where the band is hyping the crowd up, and the camera cuts to a low angle shot of Pete raising his hand in the air along to the music, and there is a short pan shot from within the crowd

• 3:06- 3:19: The camera cuts to a close up of Patrick posed as a nun taking something off the shop shelf and hiding it on him, then there's a cut to a close up of him on stage taken form behind, before cutting to a mid low angle shot of the stage where the band and crowd are simultaneously raising their arms in the air, which is followed by a close up side angle of Pat singing. The camera cuts to the mid shot of Pete and Pat working their way through the store. At 3:12 the camera cuts to a mid shot of the stage, followed by a very short close up of Pat punching the air on stage. At 3:13 The camera cuts to the long shot of Pat and Joe on the rooftop where Joe is releasing his water balloon, then the camera cuts to the aerial shot of the balloon falling on the queue below. The camera shortly cuts to a close up of Pat on stage, before there is a cut to a long shot of Joe flashing a woman on the street. Then the camera cuts back to a close up of Pat on stage, then a close up of Andy, and then back to a close up of Pat.

• 3:19- 3:40: The camera cuts to close up of the woman in the car bopping and smiling to the music, then cuts to a close up of a section of the crowd in the performance scene, and then cuts to a mid tracking shot of Pat and Pete posed as Nuns running out the store, then follows with a cut to a close up of Andy drumming. At 3:25 the camera cuts to a close up of the woman who then reaches over and is revealed to be Pete Wentz who smiles into the camera. Then the camera cuts to a long shot on the street where Pete and Pat are running out of the store. The camera then cuts to a close up of Pete using a nokia phone which is playing the footage of the band on stage (which was a product placement done by the record label, supposedly not agreed to by the band), before cutting back to the long shot of Pete and Parick running with all their stolen items, followed by a cut back to the close up of the phone and then there's a cut to a close up of Pete in the car singing along to 'his phone. At 3:33 camera cuts to a close up of the back of Pat dropping another water balloon over the balcony- then short cut to a close up of him singing- before he turns to celebrate. The camera cuts to a tracking shot of  Pete and Pat as nuns still running from the store keeper, with a cut to a close up of the store keeper getting hit with the stolen items thrown by the band members. At 3:38 there is an extreme close up of Pat who turns to camera and reveals that 'he was Pharrel Williams in a mask the whole time'.

• 3:40- 4:02: The camera cuts to a shot reverse shot of Andy with the street fighter, and then cuts to the close up of Pete in the car still singing along into his phone. Then at 3:44 the camera cuts to a close up of the street fighter throwing a punch and cuts to Andy receiving the punch before he turns to camera, and there is a cut to the close up Pete in the car, followed by a cut back to a close up of Andy who looks angry and then reveals himself as Mark Hoppus, who shakes his head and camera cuts to a mid side angle shot of him levitating above the street fighter, who then slaps him and pushes him off screen. Here the camera cuts to a mid side angle shot of Andy drumming, and then cuts to the close up of Pete singing in the car, which is followed by a long shot of Pete on the rooftop continuing to taunt the security guard. The camera cuts to a mid shot of the band performing, and then a mid side angle shot. This is followed by a cut to a close up of Joe on the street walking towards the camera and opening his trench coat, then camera cuts to a low angle long shot of him on stage, then a low angle close up of Pat, then an extreme close up. 

• 4:02- 4:14: The camera cuts to close up Joe who reveals himself to 'have been Gabe Saporta in a mask the whole time'. Here the camera cuts to a close up of Pat singing into his mic, before there's a close up of Joe playing guitar, followed by a close up of Andy playing drums. The camera then cuts back to the long shot of Pete taunting the security guard on a rooftop, then camera cuts to a mid shot of the security guard punching him, and then cuts to a high angle shot of Pete falling onto the floor. At 4:09 the camera cuts to an extreme close up of Patrick singing, before it cuts to a close up of Andy drumming. Camera then cuts to a close up of Pete on the floor with a bloody nose and the security guard removes his 'mask' to reveal it's Spencer Pratt. Here there is a cut to a final low angle shot of Patrick playing the last chord on stage and there is a fade to black.

• 4:14- 4:27: The camera cuts back to the opening location with a mid shot of Gilby Clarke laughing at the band, followed by a cut to a mid shot of the band on the other side of the room looking offended. Then the camera cuts to a close up of Gilby shaking his head and mimics 'fall out boys', then at 4:20 there is a twist as Gilby revealed himself to be Sarah Palin. The camera returns to the mid shot of the band who now look shocked, and the camera cuts back to the close up of Sarah and she gives her signature wink. The video finishes with a straight cut to black.

KEY SHOTS, CAMERA MOVEMENT AND EDITS

00:17-00:24

For me the most effective part of the music video is the transition from the little introductory clip to the the band starting the song. There is a clear contrast between the pace, camera movement, and shot types. Before the song begins, the shots are mostly mid shot reverse shots between the band and Gil by and the band and then there is an abrupt straight cut to a close up of Andy playing the also abrupt drum intro. From then on there is a noticeable pace change to match the tempo of the song. The camera movement is much more shaky as well creating a visual impact on the viewer as well as audio and the angles within the first view seconds are much more varied from front on to side angles, and mid, long and tracking shots. This sets the chaotic tone for the rest of the video and creates excitement/ intrigue for the viewer.

02:00-02:05

I find the manual focus in this shot effective when portraying intention and creating depth within the frame but also find the scene quite symbolic of a 'celebrities ego' as they are above everyone else, and they are addressing celebrities inflated egos throughout the song.

02:46-02:30

A highly prominent theme within the video is humour, and it seemed when reviewed by the focus group that it had a positive impact on the viewer and gave the band a fun and like able demeanor. I believe it was effective as it suited the tone of song, otherwise it wouldn't work. There is a break down in the song just as this shot begins and again they have noticeably made this shot longer to suite the pace change in the song, while also emphasis the most humouras scenario within the video.

03:03-03:05

During the break down there is a chant of 'i don't care' and the camera cuts to this shot of Pete shouting it into the mic. I found this shot effective as its the first lip syncing that isn't in the performance setting. I find it impactful as it is putting the message into a literal scenario and creates a sense of defiance even though they're playing a facade.

04:13-04:16

This transition singularly may not be effective, however throughout the video the only transition before this shot are straight cuts. Therefor by bringing the song to a close with a fade to black is effective as the song also fades, which is also amplified with the camera movement by just moving it down as it highlights the video coming to a close. It also seems to instill the image of lead singer posing making the shot memorable which is one of the goals of promotional videos.

LOCATION & MISE EN SCENE

location

For this promotional music video there were 5 main locations ; Stage/ Performance Location, Green Room, LA Street (several variations) , Rooftop (several variations), Private Car. On average throughout the music video there was no shot longer than 2 seconds - besides the green room as this was for the intro and outro of the video. The performance location had the most screen time...

The performance location is very dark and chaotic. The colour scheme of black and red is very prominent along with the artificial lighting. It is highly contrasting with the rest of the locations as it is the only artificial one. The rebellious atmosphere of the setting matches the tone of the song as they are slating mainstream media,

This location opens and closes the music video and therefor sets the scene throughout, the green room is very symbolic of the celebrity persona as its a room in a theater or studio in which performers can relax when they are not performing and this creates a sense of entitlement and 'divaness' which they're poking fun at throughout the video.

These locations are essential to the theme of the concept of fame and glamour as they have used several iconic LA locations as it connotes these themes. I believe the clean bright setting is essential when portraying the contradiction between the celebrity lifestyle and their scandalous actions.

 This location is more practical than it is symbolic however it does demonstrate the idea that nothing is off limits to the band members.

This location is specific to the character being portrayed as a private black car with blacked out windows connotes glamour but also dubious behavior. 

costume

hair and makeup

The only prominent makeup of the video is black eyeliner, which is also made fun of in the video, however it is part of Pete Wentz' signature look hence it featuring in the video. At the time it was highly popular within the genre as it was symbolic of rebellion and darkness which is a common theme throughout the genre. Along with this the band member was known for his black and long hair which connotes the same themes. The lead singer also is known for having side burns and wearing hats, being the lead singer his image is most seen, therefor in the video he is wearing a cap and has side burns. Andy and Joe have very similar looks in the video as the have long hair and scruffy facial hair to keep with the edgy brand.

FOCUS GROUP

'I think this video is lasting because it is genuinely enjoyable and doesn't take itself to seriously. I like the unpredictable and defiant nature of numerous scenarios. I think it makes the band more likable as they're making fun of infamy and mainstream celebrity culture, and as a fan of alternative rock I relate to the disdain towards the culture. However, the location although suited to the message, was unrelatable for me as an average person in the UK'

'I liked the performance scenes and found the colour scheme and nature of the crowd exciting and inclusive, however as a fan of a band, the nostalgia I have for the video may make me bias'

- I found this comment interesting as it was clear the video must be memorable if it brings back nostalgia for the viewer, making the video successful

'It's a bit too much for me and the shots are too short in my opinion. I can get a rough idea of whats going on but i like attention to detail and it's not demonstrated here for me'

'I loved this video as it was funny and a real statement against the annoying tenancies of celebrities to thrive on infamy'

' I think this video is really relatable in the sense that the celebrity culture can be aggravating, and is well dated' 

LESSONS TO CARRY FORWARD

• It is well worth combing the lyrics of a song for individual lines which might make for a good concept for a music video; in particular, it is worth keeping an eye out for any interesting metaphors that are employed.
• The tempo of the song should be considered when setting the pace for the promotional video

• It is very important to match the mise en scène to the tone of the song.

• When a video consists of a band performance shoot, it is important to have a large range of long. mid and close up shots to avoid repetitiveness.

• The lead singer needs to be the focal point of the music video, as this helps with brand recognition.

• It is worth creating and portraying a persona of the front man of the band and gear it to be relatable for the audience.

• It is effective to interchange between concept shots and performance shots, and make sure to be consistent with the rate in which you do so

• Breaking the fourth wall is often necessary when filming a band rather than an individual singer, depending on the tone of the video

• It can be important for elements of the video to be appeal to the audience, whether through satire, image or iconography

• Rebels / anti-heros / careless frontmen tend to be popular protagonists.

• In order to establish a rebellious or even unique protagonist, it is important to highlight that they are in some way different; this might be achieved by having them break social norms when it comes to image

• The editing in the introduction and the conclusion of the video needs to match the song; fading in and fading out work well if the song itself employs fade ins and fade outs. A song that begins or ends on a punchy note might benefit from a straight cut from / to black.

• People tend to enjoy videos which reveal a deeper meaning upon repeated watches. Therefor it projects the song while also increasing views

• Symbolism is highly effective within promotional videos, along with colour scheme to connote desired emotions within the audience.

• If edited correctly, numerous locations can create an engaging and effective video