Music Video Analysis: A Fine Frenzy - Electric Twist

1. The music, lyrics and imagery work in collaboration: This is present in this particular music video, as there is clear sound-vision editing. The lyrics also occasionally work with the imagery, especially with the telephone to match the '... thanks for the call' lyric. Some of the dance moves also echo the lyrics, such as the twisting move that accompanies the chorus and the 'Don't talk' action.

2. The performance drives the music video and is sustained throughout: Alison Sudol, the lead singer, continues to sing throughout the video, directly addressing the camera, and the other members of the band make an appearance when the beat picks up, playing their respective instruments. However, there are also both narrative and conceptual elements; the lyrics tell the story of a bittersweet love, which provides the narrative aspect, whilst the theme of childhood  (toys, paint, goldfish, building blocks) creates the concept of young, and perhaps immature love.

3. The artist sings/ mimes throughout: Alison sings throughout the music video, and the lip-syncing is believable.

4. The role of the artist may switch between artist performance and artist-in-character performance: As well as singing, we see Alison in several roles that connote naivety. We see her appearing to be wooed by a potential love interest, who gives her a goldfish, which directly relates to the bittersweet nature of the lyrics of Electric Twist. We also see her dancing with a pregnant woman and messing around in paint, both of which are fairly immature actions and therefore accentuate the kooky brand associated with A Fine Frenzy.

5. The audience will expect to see singing/ dancing/ movement/ playing instruments: Aside from Alison singing, there is also some dancing, which often matches the lyrics (for example, with the words 'don't talk' and 'twist'). The dance moves are quite quirky, which conform to the expectations of the alternative genre and also fit with the brand image. Other band members, with guitars and a drum kit, appear when the beat picks up in the middle and at the end of the video.

6. The artist performance will be engaging/ impactful/ visually striking: The engagement in this particular video comes from the construction of the brand identity through the use of costume and props; her laid-back costume work in conjunction with the props, particularly the toys, to create an impactful image. The development of the love story in the lyrics, along with the development of the band relationships up to the end of the video, are both fun and aspirational, and therefore engaging.

7. The video features a highly stylised variety of costume, hair, make-up, backdrops and effects: Throughout the video, Alison changes outfits various times, from a stylish, canary yellow dress for her 'date' set, to dungarees, big t-shirts, tights and boots in other sets. Her make up and hair are fairly natural in all the sets. The costume, hair and make-up are all stylised in a way that allows the quirky aspect of the artist to shine, and the natural hair and make-up could emphasise the theme of naivety. The sets are quite plain, but well lit, and often feature props such as a bench or a window. The effects on the video, including the border around it and the occasional split screen also add to the playful mise-en-scene.

8. A strong sense of development is expected: The development in this video comes primarily from the appearance of the other band members when the beat picks up. The addition of the paint at the end, when the band are with their instruments, also allows the viewer to see the relationships between band members through their childish of fun.

9. A strong sense of artist identity is crucial and must be aspirational to fans: The elements of costume, dancing and visual effects are used together to construct a brand identity that suggests that A Fine Frenzy is cute, kooky and alternative. For example, the dance moves are quite easy to replicate, especially the twist, the marching and the hair whips. The sets that feature the baby, the 'date' and the pregnant woman are also very cute and convey innocence, whilst the costumes, particularly the dungarees and t-shirts, move away from the sexualised female figure of mainstream music, which may make A Fine Frenzy more aspirational to young girls and women.

10. Beauty shots/ money shots are expected: The close-ups of Alison's face throughout the video are softly lit to accentuate her unique look and auburn hair. Furthermore, the set up in which she wears the yellow dress could be said to be a beauty shot as she is closer to conventional, feminine glamour here rather than in her dungarees/ T-shirts.

11. Extreme juxtapositions and binary opposites make the video interesting: There is a clear juxtaposition between the props used in the video, particularly the various toys, and the adults who feature in the video, as the toys act as signifiers of childishness and innocence.

12. Discontinuous editing is standard: Discontinuous editing is used throughout, with the video swapping regularly between the various set-ups, in order to create interest and develop the music video.

13. The audience will gain pleasure from references to popular culture: There are conventional symbols of childhood throughout the video, including the building blocks, the vintage-looking puppets, the animal toys and the hula hoop, all of which connote carefree fun, whilst the goldfish is also a symbol of childish love.

14. The video will be polysemic in nature, offering different layers of meaning: The lyrics tell the story of a bittersweet love and consequent indecisiveness, and whilst the toys could symbolise childhood and innocence, they could also imply that the love interest is not 'wild' and carefree enough.

15. It is likely to provoke a strong audience reaction: In my opinion, this video could be enjoyed by people of all ages, especially due to the easy dance moves and memorable lyrics. The market for teenage girls is probably most likely to be attracted to this kind of video, as some will aspire to be like Alison, whilst others may appreciate the way in which the character is not sexualised, as many females are in the music industry nowadays.