Music Video Analysis - 'Cocoon' Catfish and the Bottlemen

Cocoon - Catfish and the Bottlemen



'Coccon' is a single from the debut album by Catfish and the Bottlemen, the music video was released in July 2014 and was directed by James Moore. The band formed in 2007 and released many EPs before they found commercial fame when signing to Communion Records in 2013. Their music is housed under the label of alternative or indie rock, the music video itself demonstrates characteristics from music videos of this genre 

- Narrative of a couple

- Lowkey lighting

- Fast edits

- Montage sequences

The lyrical content of the song connects with the music video in terms of narrative, camera and editing. The narrative as whole echoes the meaning of the song and mirrors the most prominent line in the song "F**k it if they talk". The song is taken from the perspective of someone telling their significant other they will be there to support them no matter what judgement they receive from the outer world. 

"Rest on me

Honey, that’s all right"

The music video introduces a montage of a couple who are residing in the same hospital which the audience can assume treats mental health patiences. The montage includes a mixture of shots in terms of length and angles, this allows us to see both the emotional and physical isolation they have against society when they are together. 

                          

The video begins with the couple finding each other in the hospital and using their relationship as a 'cocoon' to escape from their problems and the judgements from the other patients. The use of mine-en-scene in terms of location also depicts the change in the relationship when the couple are seen in the clinical, claustrophobic care home rather than the atmospheric outdoor shots.

                            "I cocoon

Round your shoulders"

As the music video progresses it is evident the relationship has reached a breaking point with a lack of communication and the demise of the male character.

Lighting visualises this with a sudden dip in brightness when showing the two characters in comparison to the previous shots. The editing also picks up pace to illustrate the frustration of the man who cannot get through to his girlfriend until his mental health declines to the same level as her own. This is illustrated by the use of a final two shot and tracking on a close-up of the couple holding hands once more. 

The music video also connects to the music by utilising beat to drive the editing, the sequences of editing increase in parallel to tempo with solos of instruments being emphasised by narrative. For example during the struggle the male patient has with his doctors vocals are cut with just an instrumental utilised to amplify the atmosphere of the narrative.

The song also opens with a drum intro and guitar which is utilised to display the fade up from black transition, the speed is pretty constant for the first thirty seconds of the video before editing picks up with the tempo and narrative mirroring the change in all aspects of the music video as the characters first see one another. 

When the most dramatic scene is introduced intercutting is utilised to illustrate all action in the narrative with an ironic scene of the patients enjoying a music session which gets gradually more aggressive with the tempo and solos in the music. This is extremely effective as the editing is interesting and somewhat comical whilst keeping the main narrative interesting for viewers. 

Emotions in the narrative reach a climax with the music, as the vocals fully kick back into the track a close-up with shallow focus illustrates the couple who undergo huge emotional strain during their breakaway attempt. 

The music video gives no close-up or obvious hints at the star image or even performance scenes. As the music video is narrative based only in one scene do we see 1 band member and a crew member associated with the band. This is extremely subtle and comical to the audience who know the band thus commenting on their humour and laid-back attitudes towards the industry. 

This scene allows the record company to sell the track by focusing on the music but still injecting some personality and aspect of the 'star image' in a much more subtle way than usual. As Dyer explains the star must be a paradox and be both present and absent making the  quirky promotion of the band themselves even more interesting. 

This is a completely different approach than previous music videos released beforehand which were either all narrative or all performance based. Because of this we can finally experience the music and the band as a whole whilst still having an overall interesting piece. 

With no conventions as described by Fraser, the music video lacks the voyeurism and intertextuality seen in previously analysed videos making this a refreshing an comical convention that contributes to the success of the video as a whole. 

Though there are no performance scenes I think the use of camera, editing and mine-en-scene is sufficient to create a well executed music video. The diversity in narrative and lyrical connections translates well into visuals and captures the essence of the band whilst leaving out star image cliches and shots that seem misplaced in an effective video for the single.