Product Analysis 1 - The Hives (Tick Tick Boom)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwhU99_66R8
Director - Kalle Hugland.
The track is a Performance, but mainly Concept based video.

Genre Characteristics

• The music video contains many generic conventions of a rock video, with the visual element of fire and a number of explosions which create tension, and a humorous effect.
• The band are all seen wearing what appears to be school uniforms as well. This is more connected with rock bands and shows the playful nature of the band.
• Though it is not seen, the use of guitar (etc.) is heard throughout.

Relationship between lyrics and visuals

• The title name, and chorus involves the word "boom" which is portrayed very visually in the video. A great use of special effects are used to cause explosions in a very humorous way though. The lead singer causes a small explosion to occur in his outstretched hand the first time, the second time it causes a mans shoe to disintegrate, and the final "boom" causes the museum the video is set in to explode dramatically.
• The "tick, tick" line is represented with the use of clocks in the video, and leading up to the various explosions, causing the light-hearted tension. The clocks appear in various ways, such as appearing out of one of the band members' head.
• The line "the man you tried hard to be, but it's too late" is represented towards the end of the video showing the band have resorted to being the rebels and not the men they "tried hard to be" and they begin to destroy the museum.

Relationship between music and visuals

• There is a general crescendo before each explosion takes place, setting that tense atmosphere and expectation.
• When the explosions do take place, the music seems to stop to let the audience appreciate the aftermath.
• Towards the end when the band are destroying the museum, the music is very fast paced reflecting the disruptive nature of the band as the destruction takes place.

Artist close-ups

• Various close-ups of the band are used throughout to establish the members as stars to be objectified and make the audience identify with them.
• It also makes them appear bigger than the people in the museum, as they are meant to be statues for people to view, which suggests a superior element that fits in with the band's arrogant background.
• Extreme close-ups of their eyes show the clocks ticking away as well, which empathises their cheeky and disruptive nature before they begin to destroy the place.

Intertextual References

• The name of the track is taken from a musical with the same name.