The Video I am analysing is ‘Spanish Sahara’ by Oxford indie band Foals, released in 2010.
The video begins with a white screen which then fades into a wide long take of a snowy mountainous area. The shot last for 1 minute and in the shot a figure can be seen in the distance, we later discover that the figure is lead singer Yannis Philippakis. The scene fits the music as it starts with a slow drum beat, that sounds almost like footsteps (which can represent Yannis walking across) and a quiet piano and guitar riff. The slow vocals then begin before the shot cuts away to a close up of Yannis lying on his side facing the camera with half of his face and his shoulder visible. This represents that he has had a long tiring journey and has to rest on the snow.
The shot cuts to show a bag floating in the sea with a rope attached to it. The contents is unknown and makes the audience wonder what could be inside. A straight cut is then used to show a shot of ice melting on the surface of the water. Shadows can be seen passing over the ice, this may be Yannis but it is not made clear. It then cuts to a close up of Yannis’ face as he sings the lyrics of the song, He is staring straight down the camera to suggest that he is singing the lyrics to the audience or a certain person that the song may be about. It once again cuts to show the bag floating in the sea, but this time it is closer to the shore as there are rocks visible.
A shot then shows a figure (Yannis) pulling on the rope that is attached to the bag, and is pulling it a shore. He is having to pull it with some force, suggesting that there is something relatively heavy inside. Once again it cuts to a close up of Yannis singing, and then back to a shot of the bag floating in the sea.
As the music builds, the cuts become faster, switching between the close up of Yannis singing and shots of him dragging the bag along the ground. When the singing stops it cuts to shots of the sea with small shards of ice gently floating atop with the waves moving them. This represents the calmness of the song at that current point.
When the singing starts again Yannis turns back to face the camera whilst staring straight down the lens at the viewer. This then cuts to a wide shot of Yannis walking uphill on the frozen ground, struggling to pull the bag and its contents. It then cuts back to show Yannis singing followed by a shot of the sea. It cuts to a shot showing Yannis walking up the hill, now holding the bag, showing that it is too hard to drag it up with him. The camera then cuts to a pan of a mountain view and then back to Yannis struggling to get up the hill, this shows how high that Yannis has to climb to get to where he is heading. A collection of different shots are used showing Yannis uphill struggle including tilts and close ups. Shots of Yannis singing close up are also added to this collection before a shot shows Yannis lying down presumably exhausted from trying to move the bag. The shot then cuts from a close up of Yannis singing to a shot of him heading over the top of the mountain and beginning to disappear down the other side. This shows that he has had to climb the whole mountain to get to where he needs to be.
As the song builds to a climax, the light shining on Yannis’ face in a close up shot becomes brighter, and when the drum is hit on the final note, the shot cuts to a log that’s is placed in the ground on fire. The shot then pans from the snow to a pile of blue dust (which is not explained what it is in the video) which makes the viewer wonder what it is.
The shot then cuts to show Yannis walking with the bag over his shoulder, showing he is more determined to get there as it is easier to carry it then drag it. He then throws the bag on the floor on top of an identical bag, suggesting that he has made this journey more than once. The camera then tilts to show him tying the two bags together, making the audience wonder what was inside of them.
Cuts between shots of the sea, Yannis tying the rope, Close up of Yannis, blue dust piles, and the logs on fire. A wide shot is used showing Yannis facing the camera with two logs standing upright on fire either side of him in the distance, this suggests that the logs may have been what were in the two bags. A tilt shot is used on one of the logs to show what it exactly is to the viewer. It then cuts to a focus shot of Yannis as he is singing the last part of the song, a tear drops down his cheek but his facial expression is unchanged, so it is not clear if it was due to sadness or the cold wind. As the music begins to break down, pan shots of the sea, dust and fire are used before the final long take of the sea which then fades to a black screen.
The video as a whole contrasts with the title of the song as it is set in an extremely cold area, where the Spanish Sahara is a very warm area.
I like this video as it is simple, and fits the mood of the song. Also it makes the viewer think, which then makes them stay interested in the video, which is vital seeing as the video is almost 7 minutes long.
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