1. Critical Analysis of Music Video
‘The Killers – Mr Bightside’
By James Forbes

2. Key facts about ‘The Killers’
Background Information
Origins: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Genres: Indie rock, garage rock revival, New Wave
Years active: 2002–present
Record Labels: Island, Vertigo, Marrakesh Records
Members
• Brandon Flowers
• Dave Keuning
• Mark Stoermer
• Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
Track: The killers - Mr Brightside
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE&ob=av2e

3. Duration: 0:00-0:03
Long shot of band
Shows everyone is wearing a suit. The typical
instruments are being played, bass, drums,
guitar and vocals.
Vibrant red, gold colours maybe because they
are more established and so can afford to look
more glamorous then more other indie bands.
Duration: 0:04-0:06
Long shot of actors
Shows everyone is wearing wealthy
clothes connoting there all rich upper
class. There all just sitting around doing
nothing connotes there bored.

4. Duration: 0:06-0:07
Close up of actress looking bored, these
shots set the mood of the music video to
very dull.
Duration: 0:08-0:09
Close up shot of actor, he is smiling so he
must be amused by something.
Duration: 0:10-0:15
Long shot of band then slow zoom on
main singer, music starts

5. 0:16 – 0:47
Very quick shots between long shots
of the band (mainly of Brandon
Flowers) and the actors performing.
The ladies and gentlemen are flirting
with each other.
0:48 – 0:50
Med shot of Mark Stoermer playing
the bass. His poker dotted tie
connotes he’s more childish and then
serious.
0:54 – 0:55
Medium shot of Ronnie Vannucci Jr.,
playing the drums , gold colours in
the background makes them look
more glamourous.

6. 1:04 - 1:29
The next few shot switch from shots of the
band to just of the actors dancing to the band
in the background. Even though band appear
in the background they aren't a part of the
narrative.
It looks as though Band are performing live.
1:00 – 1:01 med shot of Dave
Keuning, it’s low angle making him
look more dominant.
0:56 – 1:00
Med shot of man hiding behind
curtain.
Man is spying connotes he is
jealous and doesn't trust her.

7. 1:38 – 1:59 The next few shot switch
between shows of shots the actress with the
actor buy looking back at Brandon Flower
while he watches her. This connotes a love
interest between the girl and Brandon
Flowers. The man is also looking over looking
jealousies
2:00 – 2:25
Long shots the Brandon Flowers and
actress dancing together. Spotlight is
on them connoting love interest.
1:30 – 1:37
Two shot of Brandon Flowers and actress
together with romantic night and fireworks in
background, done simply to connote there
passion between them.

8. 2:28 – 2:30
Another two shot of Brandon
Flowers and actress together with
romantic background which looks
like sun rise.
2:29 – 2:57
Long shots of provocative dancing from
actresses, shots of the band performing
and long shot of men just sitting
around watching, as it they are in a
strip club.
2:58 –
Men just sitting around watch as if they were
in a strip club, connotes the men are
mesmerised by the women.

9. 3:04 - 3:05 The image denotes a
close up of Brandon Flowers eyes to
connote confrontation like they do in
western film shoot outs.
2:58 – 3:03 In the image Brandon Flowers
and actor are paying checkers, and an
image of actress shown in the centre. The
checkers game represents the clash of the
two men fighting for the girl.
3:06 – 3:17 girl is dancing alone,
the smoke is used to good effect
making the stage and her look
more thrilling, connoting she is the
prize both men are fighting for.

10. 3:39 – 3: 45
Surprisingly final shot is of
main singer walking away and
not of the whole band.
3:18 – 3:20
Images denotes a two shot
that starts off blurred. The
images is blurred so the
audience don't know who
the girl is with.
3:29 – 3:30
The next few shots are of the two
together this connote that they will be
together in the future.

11. Narrative
• Plot man falls in love with a women who is already with
another man. Brandon and actress are seen dancing
together which could represents they are having relations.
• Actor spies on Brandon and actress and so finds out about
the affair.
• Brandon and actor battle it out over the girl. Brandon loses
but doesn't stop seeing her.
• The plot is based around more grown up matter like love,
cheating, battle etc but by using childish games like
checkers to represent the battle by Brandon Flowers and
that guy, they can show it to a younger audience.