The Fray - How To Save A Life

Artist - The FrayTrack - How To Save A Life

Genre - Pop / RockReleased - September 13th 2005

Producers - Aaron Johnson and Mike FlynnAmerican based band

Genre Characteristics • The main characteristics of pop rock has emphasis on live performances

which is identified in this music video and mainly appeal to general audiences rather than niche audiences. Another characteristic is stage performance but also a narrative or collage of images which is used in this video.

• This music video shows the band performing the song in places which shows off their ‘piano-rock’ style of this song which has references to the British bands such as Coldplay. This shows the current styles which are creating powerful and successful music and showing off their genre of pop rock within their music videos.

• The visuals also show the band members and actors in the videos to be wearing high street brand styles such as t-shirts, long sleeve shirts and jeans which are genre characteristics in the pop rock genre to be seen as casual.

• Pop rock is also known to be associated with rock guitars as it’s a new alternative to the rock sensation and the image shown of ‘How To Save A Life’ shows two rock guitars in the middle of the drums and piano which shows the dominance and importance these instruments still have in this genre of music.

• The traditional representation of gender is that males are seen as serious artists whilst the women are represented as passive and vulnerable which is emphasised in this music video.

Both lead vocalists are playing the piano is these music videos which puts emphasis on the alternate genres and the instruments being added together for great music

How To Save A Life – The Fray

Fix You - Coldplay

Relationship Between Lyrics And Visuals

• “Sit down. it’s just a talk”. The eye shows it’s a serious talk and the extreme close up shows to emotion in the eyes of the girl. ‘Listen’ is shown just after it which shows the relationships between the lyrics and the visuals to listening to someone when they’re talking. Relationships require being able to listen and it’s expressing that it’s important to be respectful.

• “Had I known how to save a life” which cuts to a visual of a faded, blurry person with their hands in the air which looks like a plea to ‘save a life’ or some has died and they are looking to the sky. Then it cuts to a close up of a girl looking up in the air and the top right of this visuals shows the letters ‘dad’ which is fading away and dropping down the screen. It shows that the person singing has tried to help in many different steps but doesn’t know how to save a life and unfortunately there is misery and sadness for the girls losing someone the love and care for.

Relationship Between Lyrics And Visuals

• “Between the lines” shows a relationship with the visuals as there is someone holding a necklace with a love heart on the end of it showing the love is there but may be hidden. ‘8. Hold still’ is shown in this visual which could be interpreted as stopping and focusing hard to read between the lines to fine the love that is hidden away and it is because they have just lost someone they love and are seeking comfort from the male in this situation. The next shot is a close up of a girl which her water filled eyes stand out so looking into her eyes could be the answer to what she is trying to say.

Relationship Between Music And Visuals

• The music and the beat is synchronised with the visuals as it is clearly seen that the instruments being played are real to what is being heard which shows a clear connection between the music and the visuals.

• There is an image of a girl with tears filled in her eyes and she looking up to the heavens for guidance. This visual is shown after the line ‘If I known how to save a life’ which is the end of the chorus. The sound and beat of the quietens and slows down and then this shot is shown to be respectful to people who have died and gratitude to the people grieving.

• ‘How to save a life’ could be interpreted as a number of steps to be taken in order to do this. At the beginning of the video shows the number one, then in a couple of shots later the word ‘listen’ in shown. At the end number 99 is shown which is the final step which is ‘say goodbye’. Looking at the relationship between the music and the visuals being in sync to a possible narrative of steps to take to save a life could be interpreted as the steps needed to be taken to get over someone who has died and the final step is to finally move on.

Notion Of Looking• There is voyeuristic treatment of the female body as there many close ups females

throughout. Some are more sexual than others and alternate shots of females can be viewed differently. For example, some shots are of girls looking upset and in need of comfort and others, females are looking into the camera and their eyes stand out which males can see as a connection to speak to the females

• An interpretation could be that they are all done to show the females emotions in times of pain and suffering and they are being shown to need comfort which can be voyeuristic because males can see it as an opportunity to take advantage of the females and are seeing them as sexual objects.

Girl is angry and in need of comfortThe bright green eyes stand out and the slight smile can be seen as sexual

This shot is voyeuristic as her face is to the side but her eyes are moving towards the camera showing she cannot look away from what’s in her sight.

Notion Of Looking• Most of the shots are of people staring into the

camera and it is as if they are speaking to someone, possibly the lead vocalist, so the shots could be point of view shots as they could be looking into the someone else’s eyes to show they need help and comfort or they’re just staring into the horizon.

• All staring into the camera with blank faces and it’s a high angle shot so they are looking up to the camera in disappointment or also they are upset and disillusioned. With their blank faces and a bright light shining on them, they could be seen as being lost from the real world and just staring into the light, where their lost ones are there. There are all standing still which shows they are waiting and the notion of looking suggests their innocence.

Close Ups• The use of close ups is important to this genre of

music as it identifies the main vocalists within the band but also the story which goes on in between. The use of close ups in this music video is similar to another one of Goodwin’s theories which is the notion of looking. There are many close ups of females throughout the video with a few close ups of males in between which again emphasises the voyeuristic perception of females in modern day music videos. • There is a collage of melancholy close ups which

shows the song to be upsetting and down heartening which is done to make the audience connect with the track and feel the passion and emotion of it all.

Intertextual References• One of Goodwin’s theories shows that there is Intertextual references within

music videos. I noticed that in this song, it has similar references to the song I am currently promoting. In Summer Song, the title sounds happy and uplifting but it has words such as ‘pouring rain’ and ‘tore out’ in it which contradicts the title of the song. This is similar to How To Save A Life because the lyrics suggest that they don’t know how to save a life but in fact there has been death and they are trying to help them through the tough times and contains words such as ‘cry’ and ‘scared of death’ in the visuals. The lyrics contain words such as ‘lost’ and ‘bitterness’ which doesn’t suggest words of saving a life which is heroic and uplifting which can be an interpretation.