Music Video Research: Lone Digger by Caravan Palace

Artist: Caravan Palace
Track: Lone Digger

Visual Style/Mise-en-scene
The use of anthropomorphic animals is very intriguing and surprising. The camera shots are normally close ups of the various characters in the bar, but for most of it, it focuses on three main groups: The cats, the dogs and the Stripper. The entire editing process changed slowly through the video as it started slow, then being moving and following quicker as it keeps up with the pace of the song as well as the characters. Then slowing towards the end again as the song slows.
The most unusual, but interesting technique is the use of BCU (Big close ups) as it keeps us focused on the situation and characters before finally revealing the final shot which is a establishing shot, giving the audience a full view of everything except delivering it in close ups like the rest of the video. It also uses shock tactics throughout as something even more shocking happens each scene. 

Narrative
The story is very scarce and somewhat simple, but linked to a central message of the music video. We start the video following the gang of cats entering a strip club, planning on having a good time. When the bouncer opens up, they are introduced to the rest of people there, one which catches their eyes the most, the dogs. The cats and dogs act passive aggressive before the cats kills one of them, starting a massive bar fight over a simple rivalry, everyone dying except the deer stripper who turns to discover them all dead and the donkey. 

However, this fight seems random at first, but it could represent a message of power, dominance and war. Noticing that almost all characters that had died or had fought would be considered predators, Cats, dogs, bulls. crocodiles and snakes, each fighting to prove who is weaker. As well as that, a reference to war is that all of them die for nothing besides to prove they are better, it doesn't matter in the end as all the losses were quite painful and tragic, the only people left were the ones who weren't able to go to war, or fight like the prey animals. 

Conventional/Unconventional
The music video represents a world being fought over in many ways and form. The music video contrasts massively with the lyrics as the video could have some powerful messages, the lyrics are about dancing by yourself to the music and getting dragged in by it, lone digger is someone who dances by themselves because their friends refuse to join in. 

We never see any of the band members, lip syncing or performing of the band. However, this change was a good thing as it would be seen as out of place if they were playing during the massacre of the predators. It suited playing as a song put on in the background for a strange reason. 

What Works?
The entire video can be quite confusing and shocking the first time you watch it, but it is what makes you watch it again as you wanna understand fully what went on. However, it is extremely well put together and loads of meanings can be pulled from it because it is that ambiguous. The video and message of the video is quite controversial and is quite serious to the contrasting track playing besides it, but it is what made it rewatchable and forces the audience to draw their own meaning out of the video. It helps the videos lifespan and what sort of impact it had.
The settings and characters are all varied and quite interesting as it keeps you questioning the motives and schemes of the characters as well as the artists themselves. The use of a strip club is an extremely interesting, but strange. The ending shot is a very powerful and shocks the audience, wanting them to watch all over again.