Will Abbott

The Prodigy are an English electronic dance group who formed in 1990, the founding members consisting of Liam Howlett (Keyboardist and producer), Keith Flint (dance and vocalist), Maxim Reality (MC and vocalist) and Leeroy Thornhill (dancer). They are recognised as pioneers in the rave/dance genre who emerged from the underground with their signature energetic performances and dance style that has won them many awards and nominations over the years.

 

Firestarter was an EP released on The Prodigy’s third studio album The Fat of the Land (1996), at the time of its release it posed as The Prodigy’s first number one hit UK single staying on top for three weeks. Additionally there was some controversy over the title and lyrics due to its “violent” nature as described by critics.

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Upon analysis Firestarter proved to be a straightforward music video to analyse. This is due to the fact that on a general scale the location pretty much stayed the same throughout and the same costumes were worn by each group member throughout the duration of the video too. Additionally the camera work specifically emphasised that violent portrayal in which this video is known for due to the aggressive movement of the camera throughout the video. Moving onto the specifics as you dig deeper into the conventions in which the video is composed of you begin to understand why it still stands to be an iconic video then and now.

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Sound

When analysing the sound within Firestarter its immediate within the first five seconds of the video beginning that you know it’s a very upbeat and energetic track, that being known due to the high BPM speed and deep surrounding bass, additionally as the song progresses vocals come into play from a member of the group (Keith Flint) followed by a chant that echoes either before or after the vocals are heard. Furthermore there is a mixture of sounds present as the non-diegetic from the tune of the song backed by the diegetic sound of the vocals. From 2:40 – 2:53 the track dramatically slows and the drums phase out, reducing to a drum machine loop that plays through. This effect sort of plays in as a cooldown period during the song preparing the listener for the upcoming drop soon to occur. Within the video no additional SFX are added from any props situated within the video.

 

Editing

The editing within Firestarter holds a major role of the music videos structure as it must allow the frames to flow along with the speed of the BPM. In the case of Firestarter it is an upbeat and fast BPM song, therefore meaning that at points when the song is at its highest BPM the frame rates must be very short in order to keep with that balance between the music video and sound in good flow. This is demonstrated towards the end of the song as the final drop comes into play the BPM of the song rapidly picks up, causing more cut transitions to be used therefore shortening the frame rate and matching the music video to the BPM of the song.

 

Furthermore another key role in which the editing plays part is the representation of the mood. For example the whole Firestarter music video is shown in just black and white, portraying a dramatic and violent feel towards the music video. Especially with the location being an underground tunnel the use of black and white emphasises an eeriness that can be felt by watching the video.

 

 Mise En Scene

Within the first ten seconds of watching Firestarter the London Underground tunnels, artificial lighting flickering and vivid appearance/90’s rave costume indicate a perfect match to the genre of music and style of the song. Furthermore the vocalists (Keith Flint) movement/dancing indicates a ferocious style indicated by the constant movement and running on the spot style break beat dancing, suiting the flow of the music perfectly.

 

The eerie style of the music video is also backed up by the use of props such as all white contact lenses worn by a group member (Maxim), portraying him in a creature like form. An angle grinder is also used by the vocalist (Keith Flint) to create sparks by running it along the railway lines, again adding a spooky feel within the music video. Furthermore the vocalist (Keith Flint) in some frames is suspended in the air by ropes in a spider’s web like style, once again adding to that spooky vibe similar to all of the other props.

 

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement

Throughout the Firestarter music video a various range of shots, angles and types of movement are used. At the start of the music video an establishing shot is used to give the viewer an understanding of the location of the music video. This is then followed by a full shot of the vocalist (Keith Flint), leading to a cut transition of the camera zooming towards the whole group posed together within the tunnel. As soon as the vocalist begins to speak the camera immediately zooms into him, the camera movement also involves tracking shots of the vocalist moving forwards and backwards. The various close ups upon the vocalist also allow the viewers to witness his energetic and lively persona portrayed through his body language and facial expression. In addition to that close ups are also used upon the props within the video such as the angle grinder being used to create sparks on the railway lines.

 

Furthermore the camera moves frequently throughout the music video in order to match the aggressive body language/dancing given off by the group. Camera movement included throughout the duration of the music video includes pans across to other group members (Liam Howlett) and around the location to further establish it. Tilts to reveal more group members (Maxim), a zoom forwards followed by a cut transition to an immediate zoom backwards. Additionally different camera angles are also used as the camera is situated at a low angle when filming the vocalist being suspended in the air. By filming at a low angle it makes the vocalist seem dominant over the viewer as they are looking down on them.

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