HiFi's "Hard to Beat" is the third single from English indie rock group Hard-Fi, from their album Stars of CCTV. Despite being released as the third single, it was Hard-Fi's first of two top-10 singles, reaching number nine in the United Kingdom after being released on 20 June 2005. The music video I am analysing is one of two, this one taking place in a disco in Staines, a place where the band would often go.
Mise en Scene:
The music video has a very grungey and indie feel to it, very reminiscent of its era through clothing and technology. The mise en scene is typical of a working-class town and is very British. Mostly taking place in the disco for the performance aspects of the video, there is a small narrative, showcasing two parallels of men talking or interacting with girls they find attractive. Lots of shots, typically changing between long shots and close-ups are used to show performance.
I really like the use of multiple shot types for the performance, instead of single static shots, as I feel a more dynamic feeling is given, and if a shot is too static, audiences become disinterested. I feel the song itself is very anthemic, with a catchy rhythm that follows the conventions of a typical song; verse 1, verse 2, chorus, verse 3, chorus, bridge, chorus. I'd like to emulate some of the shots from this video and take inspiration from them for my own video.
"https://hard-fi.com/" is the band's official website. Seeing as this band is from the early 2000s, and whilst still, together, a lot of their website is outdated, still using the old twitter, youtube and Soundcloud logo, as well as a link to the now obsolete myspace. The official website has seemingly not been updated since 2012, but an active Instagram account is still present.
