Analysis of Feist's '1234' Music Video

Music, Lyrics and imagery work in synergy:

• Music and dance moves work together
• Some of her movements match lyrics for instance a 'tears' movement

Performance Drives the music video and is sustained throughout:

• Feist's performance is the focus throughout
• She is never off screen
• She starts the music video alone, establishing her as the focus

Artist lip-synch believably throughout:

• Yes

Role of band may switch between artist performance and character:

• Feist continually performs throughout the video

Singing/Dancing/Playing Instruments:

• There is singing and dancing all the way though
• The dancers come and go
• Creative dance positions and formations provide the entertainment value

Conform to expectations of genre/artist:

• This was her first hit so it established her repuation as an artist
• Quirkiness of the video is reflective of the indie genre
• Made her appear funny, different and interesting

Artist Performance is engaging/impactful/visually striking:

• Feist is the main performer, stnading out in a blue glittery jumpsuit
• The complex cheorography is emphasised by the dancer's bright costumes, with Feist being the centre of the dance, drawing attention to her
• The shapes the dancers create around her as well as how she is lifted up

Highly Stylised costume/hair/make up/background/effects:

• Brightly coloured costumes
• Feist stands out because she wears sequins
• Backing dancers are a range of ages, genders and races
• Casual, laid back clothes
• Plain background of the warehouse contrasts with dancers
• Blocks of coloured board leaning against the walls
• Everything is quirky and connotes a sense of joy and fun

Strong Sense of Development is expected:

• Cyclical - begins and ends with her alone as the dancers appear and then disappear behind Feist
• Dance grows more ambitious and exciting
• Builds up to when she is put down and the dancers skip in lines

Strong sense of artist identity and aspirational to artist's fans:

• Creating a sense of quirkiness, fun and prettiness around her
• Establishes her as creative and someone to keep an eye on
• The brightness and happiness of the video is appealing
• The dancing looks really fun, and the originality of the video means that it would attract many new fans

Beauty/Money Shots:

• Feists jumpsuit, stylish hair and the fact that she is at the forefront of the video
• There are a few MSs and CUs, but she is the focus of the shot throughout the entire video
• The originality of the idea makes her seem more aspirational

Extreme juxtapositions and binary oppositions:

• The camera tracks in and out very quickly
• At one point it spins around as it tracks through the tunnel of dancers
• The greyness of the warehouse compared to the brightness of the mise en scene

Discontinious editing:

• There is only one shot
• When the dancers come in and go out may be an example

Polysemic:

• When the dancers from a spiral around her it not only makes her the centre, but also connotes time as it is reminiscent of a clock shape (which relates to the lyrics '1234'), as well as snails or shells

Provokes a strong audience reaction:

• The quirkiness and originality of it menat many people shared it online
• It's cleverness appealed to people
• The way the dancers appear and reappear is particurlarly impressive, and the intricacy of the dance being filmed in one shot impresses