The video for Weezer’s ‘Buddy Holly’ is an imitation of the TV series ‘Happy days’ which represents the stereotypical vision of life in 1950s America. This is evident as the video follows the typical format of a television series and creates and instant sense of nostalgia. We too are trying to create a sense of nostalgia in our video through our intertextual reference to Grease. Spike Jonze directed the video and had already directed 8 other music videos before this project.
The visuals and lyrics are not necessarily linked, although this is also the case for the title of the song and the lyrics. It seems that the only link to the 50’s genre is ‘Buddy Holly’, an American rock ’n’ roll singer. Throughout the video there are many establishing shots of the band, giving them a united front, however there are also many close ups of various members of the band. This is common editing for music videos for bands, as it gives them an image overall but also individual characters that people can relate to. The editing is slow paced and follows the rhythm of the song and simple cuts are used throughout. This reflects the simplicity of music videos in the 1950s era, where most videos were taken in one shot or had very little or basic editing. The editing is almost perfect in merging the contemporary footage and clips, making the music video seem like an actual episode of Happy Days.
The mise-en-scene is crucial in creating this video and had to be spot on in order for audiences to instantly recognise the genre and reference. The video is actually performed at the original Arnold’s Drive-In Diner from the show Happy Days and combines clips from the show as well as the modern footage of the band. The cast are all in 50s attire as well as the band. They are featured in identical outfits which again gives the sense of unity but also was a common feature of bands at the time. The decoration of the set, props and furniture are extremely detailed and makes the setting look authentic. The frequent use of establishing shots ensure that the viewer take in the 1950s setting. The cameo appearance of the Fonz also reinforces the idea that we are watching an episode of the show.
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