Video analysis- Emma Bentley

1. Plan B: She Said
The video has a clear narrative which runs throughout the whole video.
Editing: The editing is very closely connected to the song. The shots often change
when there is a beat in the music, and there
are lots of fast, jump cuts which help to
keep the audience engaged. Within the video, the
editing must ensure that the music video is
evenly divided into areas of: narrative,
performance, star, lyrics and song. The music
video's editing does evenly distribute the
different areas, for example, the performance
from Plan B is placed strategically into the
narrative and he is part of the narrative
storyline. As a result, there is no area with
significantly more coverage of the different aspects than any others. The editing of
the video is very noticeable, and the audience easily detect where the editing is,
and why it has been cut/compiled that way. The video does show the shots to be in
a rough order, however they do include flashbacks which incorporates
discontinuity editing. This type of editing means that the narrative is not fully
explained, and as a result, ensures that the audience stay engaged and it also makes
them pay attention. There are other shots that are out of order, yet besides this, the
editing still keeps the overall flow of the video going.
Cinematography: Throughout the video, there are several long shots, this helps to
give greater prominence to the figure.
We also get to see a better view and insight
into where the characters are, and what the
location around them is like. Along with
long shots, there is also a mixture of
close-ups-showing the audience expression/
detail and also mid shots - shows both the
character, and the space around them. The music video is more relaxed in terms of
cinematography, for example, the characters often 'break the fourth wall' and look
directly at the camera, and the 180 degree rule is also relaxed. Both written,
and unwritten rules involved in the whole production in comparison to the
television and film industry are also broken.
It is important to incorporate lots of handheld camera movement into a music
video. The video never uses much static camera shots, and even in the courtroom,
in a place of respect and solidarity, there is still movement within the

2. cinematography. Plan B is the accused, however
although the audience would
expect for him to be presented as vulnerable and
powerless, he is often shown by
low angles, which present him as quite the
contrary. He however, is presented as
being powerful and clever.
Showcasing the star: There are frequent close-ups
of the main character, which help to showcase,
and draw attention to Plan B. Although we are
shown an insight into the woman, the jury, and
the police inspectors, they never get as much
screen time as Plan B does. When Plan B is in
the box with the 2 men are either side of him, they
are his backup dancers, and are there to show off,
and support the star.
Editing, Image, and Sound: The characters
in the music video interact with the
sound. For example, on some of the beats,
the characters click simultaneously with
each other, which corresponds to thesound
track. Obviously, the main character,
Plan B cannot sing his track live, and
therefore lip syncs to the song, especially
when he does the rapping verse. Building on editing, the image cuts on the beat,
for example, when the are prominent beats within a bar, the editing will match the
sound that the audience can hear.
Mise-en-scene: The video must be filmed in
an appropriate place according to the artist's
genre, song, and also the narrative. The song
is entitled "she said", that fits with the location,
as a court room is where different perspectives
are heard. The courtroom location suggests that
the video is more narrative orientated, and will
be trying more to promote a story and a message, rather just performing the song.
There are also other locations, that contrast one another, for example, the bedroom
scene, the taxi, scene, and also when Plan B is being interview/interrogated. The
clothing that they are wearing demonstrates to the audience which character is
which, and what role they are trying to represent.