Music Video Analysis #2

Michael Jackson - Thriller

This music video, featuring Michael Jackson, starts with titles to introduce it to the viewer. The use of these titles show the viewer right from the start that it is not an ordinary music video. The video starts with Michael Jackson talking to a woman in a car.  The start of this video is much like a film, showing the relationship between a young man (Jackson) and a young lady.  They run out of fuel for their car in a dark, wooded area. They walk off into the forest, and Michael asks her if she would like to be his girlfriend. She accepts and he gives her a ring. He warns her, however, that he is "not like other guys". At this moment a full moon appears on screen, giving viewers a glimpse into what is to come. 

After this scene there is a cut to another scene set in a cinema. Here Michael and his date watch a horror film called "Thriller". They leave and then walk down a foggy road as Michael teases her by singing the verses of "Thriller". To create this foggy effect a fog machine will have been used. As this scene is shot at night floodlights will have been used to illuminate the actors. The lights will have been placed behind the fog, to illuminate it as though it is the moonlight.

The next scene features a grave yard, and the 'zombies' begin to rise from their graves. The zombies corner the two main characters. This scene shows the camera spinning around them. This is used to what  Michael and his date see and how enclosed they feel. A fig-rig or camera dolly will have been used here. Michael then becomes a 'zombie' himself. 

Michael and his fellow 'zombies' chase the frightened girl into the corner of a nearby abandoned house. Michael then reaches for the girl's throat as she screams, only to awake and realise it was a dream. In this haunted house the lighting is very poor. This effect puts the viewer on edge and makes them nervous for the girl. This follows the technique used in most horror films, by featuring a dark room to make the viewer scared. Low artificial lighting will have been used here.  

Michael then offers to take her home and she accepts. As they walk out of the house, Michael turns to the camera with a sinister grin, revealing his yellow eyes. This makes the viewer think that what they have witnessed is real and not a dream at all. Much like a film this video features credits. Then the same 'Thriller' evil laugh is heard and the screen fades to black.

A range of different shots are used here. As this music video is very long it features a wide variety of shots, from extreme close ups of Michael and the zombies faces, Close Up shots of the girls terrified face, Long shots of them both and wide shots, allowing the viewer to see all of the 'zombies' and Jackson dancing.


This music video appears to have been the inspiration behind Justin Bieber's Beauty And A Beat video, as MJ is one of his inspirations and they both tell a story. 

The purpose of this music video is to promote the singer Michael Jackson and his music. As this advert will draw attention due to the length and content as it was unlike any other music video at the time the sales of the record would increase.