AN - Music Video Deconstruction 15: Numb

Name of Song: Numb
Artist: Linkin Park
Year: 2002
Genre: Alternative Rock
Director: Joe Hahn

Linkin Park is an American rock band which was formed during the mid-90's. The band adapt the genres of nu metal and rap metal in most of their songs, such as Meteora. The song, Numb was released as part of the band's second studio album, the song became one of Linkin Park's best known songs and it was well received.

• The video begins with a mid-shot of a student standing next to a wall looking around, which cuts to three long shots of Prague, the city where the video is set in.
• We then get a mid, bird's eye view esq shot of a man spinning one of his decks.
• After that, it quickly cuts to a high angle shot of the band performing in a cathedral.
• The video transitions between the performance of the band and the narrative of the video.
• The narrative is about the domestic and social problems that a young teenage student faces in her regular daily life.
• We get a mid, over the shoulder shot of the student drawing in her notebook, while in class. This is a signifier that she is the unpopular girl stereotype.
• When the lead singer is singing via the microphone, we get a mid-shot which pans around the lead singer.
• Next, we get a low angle shot of a statue that the student is sketching.
• A speed up effect is used at different points in the video which is used on the people around the student. Since the movements of the student aren't sped up, this signifies that she is an outcast to society. For example, when she is lying on the floor of the hallway, the movement of the other students is sped up.
• A mid, long shot is used for when the girl's mum is complaining at her about not being the type of daughter that she wanted. This links in with the lyric, "Is be more like me and be less like you."
• Another mid shot is used for when the student is joining a group of other students at a table, but then they walk off and leave her. This is another signifier that she is the unpopular girl stereotype.
• We then get a mid, close up of what looks like the girl covering a wound with her hand.
• A close up is used for when the girl is tying her hair with a paintbrush.
• Panning mid shots are used for when the girl is throwing paint onto canvas. This symbolises her anger towards the demons in her life and maybe the picture on the canvas symbolises that as well.
• The last shot we get of the band is a high-angle shot which is similar to the first shot of the band in this video before they disappear, which links in with the end of the video.
• The video ends with a long shot and another high angle shot of the student running into the cathedral.

Here is the video: