KM - "Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole" Deconstruction

Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Song Title: Head Like A Hole
Genre: Industrial Metal
Year: 1989
Director: Eric Zimmerman
Primary Audience: Male 15-24

Band performance

- This is a performance/ concept based music video that features the band performing live, at a gig scenario but also in a cage.

- An out of focus shot is used to start the video (0:01), this is something that I have noticed in other Nine Inch Nails videos, such as 'The Hand That Feeds', on which I have previously posted.

- Abstract, conceptual imagery is another aspect that is utilised in this video, as well as others from the same band, such as the man with silver face paint on, who's rotating head keeps being cut to from 1:50 - 1:53.


- The video features a guest drummer, Martin Atkins, who is performing with the band, as shown at 0:19.


- All the band members are wearing dirty, gritty clothing throughout the video.


-There are images that are shown for a few frames like "HEAD," "16 SOUND START," "S M P T E UNIVERSAL LEADER" and "PICTURE." Other images included a white dot set againist a black background, a mirrored presentation showing the words "REEL № PROD № PLAY DATE" colored in yellow, one with the words "PICTURE START," and a frame consisting of "C C F F" placed near a outlined ring. Source - Wikipedia

- At 2:33 a silver tint and distortion effect is used to add a psychedelic effect to the video. Different colour tints I have noticed seems to be a common convention of Nine Inch Nails videos.


- From 2:40 the shot repeatedly cuts back and forth from one drummer to the other in time with the beat, an interesting point is the fact that the shot breaks the 180 degree rule, so it appears as if it could be the same drummer, adding some narrative enigma to the video.


- At 2:58 the shot of the man on his knees in shot directly links to the lyrics of the track, as this occurs while Trent Reznor is singing the line "bow down before the one you serve". Relating what is shown on screen with the lyrics is a common convention of not just Industrial Metal as a genre, but of music video as a format.


- From 3:45 there is a repeated shot sequence used: a slow pan, followed by a very quick pan, followed by a slow pan etc. This is fitted in time with the beat, as the fast pan comes on every snare drum hit.