The song "Holocene" by Bon Iver was released in 2011 and was very successful. The music video features an Icelandic boy wandering the island's volcanic landscapes. This contrasts the small boy with the vast expanse of the landscape, mirroring the song's lyrics about feeling small yet part of something greater. The video uses the boy instead of the band to make the audience feel more sympathetic. It follows Goodwin's theory of relating the visuals to the lyrics to help the audience engage more with the song.

1. Holocene
Bon Iver

2. CONTEXTT
Released on September 5th 2011, Holocene is a song by American Indie Folk band Bon Iver, the second single
from their album ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’. Named as one of the best songs in 2011 by various music publications,
it was very successful when first released, and currently has over 32 million views on YouTube. It was
nominated as Song of the Year and Record of the Year for the 54th Grammy Awards, and has featured in films
“We Bought a Zoo”, “Wish I Was Here” and “The Judge”.
When asked about the song title (Holocene), frontman of the band Justin Vernon said "It's partly named
after the geological era, but it's also the name of a bar in Portland where I had a dark night of the soul." He
also stated that "the title is a metaphor for when you're not doing well. But it's also a song about
redemption and realizing that you're worth something; that you're special and not special at the same time.“
The music video is used to suggest this idea of the song, as it features an Icelandic boy roaming the island’s
volcanic landscape and glaciers. The contrast of the small boy compared with the expanse of the landscape
fits with the lyrics of the song which describe the idea that the self is part of something greater. This shows
evidence of Goodwin's theory which suggests that there is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals.

3. This wide shot
allows for the
audience to see
the contrast
between the boy
and the
landscape,
suggesting a
vulnerability and
insignificance,
which links to the
lyrics “And at
once I knew I was
not magnificent”
The colour scheme in
this video features
neutral earth colours
such as greys, browns,
greens and blue’s.
This creates a sense
of the purity and
unrefined nature of
these landscapes, this
could perhaps
represent the
“something greater”
that the meaning
suggests, the
innocence of the
unmarked land, and
the innocence of the
boy perhaps being
superior.

4. Close-ups of the boy
allow the audience
to feel a connection
with him, the
intimacy that is
created makes the
song carry more
emotion. We could
use this technique
in our video by
including close ups
of Finn while he is
singing to
emphasise his range
of emotions that are
evident in the lyrics.
The use of a child instead of a member of the band
makes the audience more sympathetic, as they see him
as someone with childlike innocence, allowing them to
engage with his journey in the video.
Limited close-ups are
used in the video, the
audience usually
placed behind or at a
distance from the boy.
This is not only to
show the contrast
between him and the
landscape but also to
make the audience
feel they are following
him on his journey.

5. As one of the opening
shots, this close-up
creates an connection
between the character
and audience. Also
because he is looking
up, this further links to
the idea of “something
greater” within the
video, his expression
creating a sense of awe
and curiosity before he
begins his journey.
The composition of this
shot follows the rule of
thirds, his eyes although
not in the centre, are
still an important
feature which allows
the audience to connect
with him. This use of
composition to create
emotion and meaning is
something we could be
influenced by when
creating our own video.
For example we could
place Finn’s eyes on a
third as he is singing to
convey the pain his is
experiencing while also
connecting his with the
audience.

6. At 3.40 in the song,
the music builds in
both pace and
volume. This change
in the music is also
represented by the
visuals, as in this
moment the boy
begins to run. This
shows further proof
of Goodwin's theory,
as a relationship
between music and
visuals is created.
Tracking shots are often used
within this video, the shaky
camera movement creating a
sense that the audience is
running with him. We could use
features such as this to create a
connection between the
audience and artists within our
video, allowing them to engage
further with the video. For
example, as an argument takes
place towards the climax of our
video, we could switch to a
handheld shot, the unsteadiness
conveying the anger and
torment experienced by our
characters, which would allow
our audience to connect with
them more as they would be
able to witness their emotional
state.

7. CONCLUSIONT
Although the video follows a narrative, it does not conform to usual music video conventions, as it does
not feature the band, have any elements that are particularly voyeuristic, or have a stage performance.
Dissociated from the band, the video instead focuses on the meaning of the song. Other music videos by
Bon Iver, such as “Towers” or “Calgary”, also follow the idea of a journey led by someone unknown,
allowing the audience to feel a connection to their character and actions.
• From this video, we could enhance our use of composition and use it to construct meaningful and
impactful shots.
• We could also follow Goodwin’s theory of having the visuals amplify the lyrics, allowing our audience
to engage more with the song, which is clearly displayed within this video.
• Another feature we could take inspiration from is the use of camerawork to create a connection
between the artist and audience.