AN - Music Video Deconstruction 5: Tribute

Name of Song: Tribute
Artist: Tenacious D
Year: 2005
Genre: Hard/Comedy Rock
Director: Liam Lynch

American comedy band, Tenacious D was formed in Los Angeles during 1994 with lead guitarist and vocalists, Jack Black and Kyle Glass. The band only released two albums, one of the same name as the band and The Pick of Destiny. Tribute, the band's most famous song, was the most request music video on Kerrang TV during 2002. However, the song has been forgotten by the band themselves since that time.

• The video begins with an establishing shot of a recording booth with Jack Black and his partner having a  conversation.
• Shot-reverse-shot is used to show that the characters are having a conversation.
• During the performance sections of the video, a mid,close up is used to show the duo and signify that they are in a cramped, recording booth.
• The video varies between performance and narrative with the duo singing the song in a diagetic manner.
• A fade out transition is used when the video first switches from performance to narrative and is used quite a lot during the narrative sequences.
• A close up is used for when Satan/Lucifer is threatening Tenacious D.
• A red, orange glowing effect is used on Satan/Lucifer to connote his villainy and denote how evil he is.
• Lip-syncing is not used that much in the video, meaning that this music video is defining one of the main conventions of music videos.
• A shining white light effect is used at one point of the video, when the song is at it's chorus. This and the lighting effects used for Satan/Lucifer create a binary opposition with each other, which symbolises the ongoing conflict between good and evil, and light and darkness.
• The song itself is not just telling the story of how they fought Satan/Lucifer, but it also tells the tale of how they defied fate.
• There is another establishing shot of the booth from the outside to show what is happening outside.
• The duo, then perform outside of the booth. This signifies their courage.
• The old lady attacking Jack Black is used to add comical effect.
• A third establishing shot is used to show the performance and people walking by casually, one of which is Ben Stiller.
• A mid-shot is then used to focus on the two men nodding to each other after they defeated Satan/Lucifer.
• A close-up is used for when the band's CD comes out of the booth.
• A mid-close up is then used for when the old lady(who was attacking Jack Black) is holding the CD.
• Then at the end, the old lady's eyes are glowing red and she starts doing an evil laugh. This signifies that she might be the devil in disguise.

Here is the video: