Music Video Analysis

MUSIC VIDEO
ANALYSIS
Steph Colderick

ANDREW GOODWIN’S 7
FEATURES OF MUSIC VIDEOS
1) Music videos will follow the characteristics typical of the genre-rap will often include
performance and solo female pop artists normally have a narrative feature.
2) The shots filmed will very often have a relationship with the lyrics of the song. This can be
done by illustrative, amplifying or contradicting techniques and sometimes a mixture of all.
3) Normally there is a key relationship between the music and the shots/visuals by the tone
and atmosphere of the music video. This can also be done by illustrative, amplifying and
contradicting techniques.
4) Each record label may have a distinct style; this style will be re-occurring throughout the
video as will close up shots of the artist.
5) The idea of looking is a key feature within videos and this can be presented by screens,
direct looks, mirrors and more. There can also be a lot of empathise placed on the female
body.
6) The artist may also have their own style consisting of motifs and iconography which will
appear regularly.
7) Many music videos will also feature a lot of intertextual references to other medias such as
television and films.

VANCE JOY
Vance Joy (James Gabriel Keogh) is an indie pop Australian solo singer
song writer. Vance Joy first gained widespread fame and prominence in
mainstream media with his song “Riptide” in 2013; this will also be the music
video I am analysing. “Riptide” won numerous awards including coming first
on the 2013 Triple J Hottest 100 and Vance Joy himself won the 2015 Best
Male Artist at the ARIA Awards.
Vance Joy released his first EP “God Loves You When You’re Dancing” in
2013 and later went on in 2014 to release his album “Dream Your Life Away”.
Vance Joy has also toured as the support act to Taylor Swifts 2014 The 1989
World Tour.

CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF GENRE
Lighting: The lighting used throughout the video is mostly bright, clear and a slight enhancement of
natural lighting which helps to clearly portray the storyline to audiences. This also works to make the
storyline more realistic.
The other lighting style used is a key empathise and involvement of shadows; this is typical of the indie
genre as this different style helps to differentiate indie music videos. This can also add an air of mystery,
suspense and multiple meanings to the video which is typical of the indie genre. Mixing with the bright
lighting the music video is well balanced to be clear but also intriguing.
Coloured lighting is also used within a few shots of the video and this continues to relate the video back to
the indie genre as this technique is commonly used and a key feature of indie music videos. By only using
this lighting in some places the video is able to still look professional and not overwhelm audiences. This
lighting also works well with the other lighting used to create the mystery almost dystopian air and feel of
the video.

Type of Video: This a narrative and disjunctive music video. The song itself is almost written like a story, with the lyrics flowing to tell a tale; this would
have helped to give the music video an clear direction and plan.
“Riptide” is an mostly narrative based music video following the story of two lovers and their growing relationship. This is clearly demonstrated by the
narrative of the music video showing the shot of the same woman “running down to the Riptide” and using her alongside the same male actor who is an
“cowboy running from himself”. By using the same actors repeatedly in the different situations that the song follows, the music video is presenting a
narrative to audience.
Disjunctive techniques are used to fill in the parts of the song that follow the narrative less such as the chorus; here shots are filmed that have much less
of a clear link to song and do not match the rest of the video. These can sometimes be very witty and subtle links to the lyrics which will satisfy audiences
of the indie genre and is a typical quirk of the genre. This is used rarely and the video is mainly narrative and both styles are typical of the indie genre.
Many indie songs follow a storyline similar to this narrative video, for the story is full of individual twists and turns; developing the story deeper than
narrative would be in different genres such as pop. This more unique and quirky narrative which is massively enhanced by the disjunctive shots is very
typical of the indie genre.
Narrative of
“lady running
down to the
riptide”
Repeated
use of
characters in
the story.

Camera&Editing: The music video sticks to very basic editing of mostly simply cuts to change scenes and setting and in
areas where the setting is remaining the same a fast pan is used. This simple but sophisticated editing allows for the
story line to flow well and does not distract audiences from the narrative.
The fast pan allows the story to move along in time with the song and is also a more interesting technique that audiences
will appreciate and as this is repeated becoming a familiar feature of the video. This fast panning technique is used
within shots to show a continuity of setting and is also used as a way to zoom in on areas in the shot.
Zoom is another key camera technique that used within the video to place empathise on characters or objects important
to the narrative. Zoom shots work with high angle shots and the occasional tilt shot to create an interesting music video.
These techniques all working together enhances the quirky, different and engaging air of a typical indie music video and
allow the simple cut editing to not look boring or bland. The use of unusual shots differentiates this music video from
other genres such as rap and follows the characteristics of the indie genre.
Fast pan High Angle Shot Tilt Shot

Styling: Due to Vance Joy (the artist) not appearing in the video and the music video being largely narrative, so
performers acting as characters, there is less of the styling to analyse. However some of what the actors wear in the
video as their characters do demonstrate clear characteristics of the indie genre such as: statement shirts, statement
sunglasses, fur coats, hairstyles and the colour yellow. These are items that can be easily related and linked to the indie
genre, allowing audiences to recognise the genre quickly.
A clear indie style is evident in this video by having the statement clothing of bright and patterned shirts. This style is used
for both men and women within the video. Different types of fur coats are also repeated for the main female character and
this is another statement piece of clothing that is typical to the indie genre.
The colour yellow is also a key feature of the styling within the video and also typical of the indie genre as a statement
colour used within items of clothing. Sunglasses for the main male character are another statement fashion piece that is
typical of the indie genre. The male hairstyles are often curly and unruly, not perfectly styled and this more carefree feel is
also an characteristic typical of the indie genre.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHOTS AND
LYRICS
As a narrative video based mainly off the storyline of the song the music video for “Riptide”
has clear links and relationships between the shots of the lyrics. The director uses a lot of
illustrative techniques to show this, by showing the audience a literal meaning of the song; this
can be shown from the beginning of the video with the first line being
“I was scared of dentists and the dark” and the shot being a woman at the dentist looking
scared before the screen turns to black.
This illustrative relationship continues throughout the song:
“Your the magicians assistant in their dreams” is accompanied by a man doing magic card
tricks.
The line “They come unstuck” also uses some amplifying techniques mixed with visuals as
this is a shot of a woman freeing herself from being tied up. While this is not a direct visual
of his friends coming “unstuck” the link is still there, just more subtle. The same link is
made further on in the video for the same line of two ice lollys being split apart, again
amplifying techniques are used for this relationship.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHOTS
AND LYRICS
“Lady running down to the riptide” is followed by shots of the same woman/her legs running
down to the beach throughout the video and then a often high angled shot of the sea. The use
of showing a mid shot of the woman at the start of the clip, then her legs for the next three
choruses, and the back to mid shot helps to present the narrative of the video and lyrics.
For the lyric “I wanna be your left hand man” each time a close up shot is
shown with someone holding an object in their left hand accompanied by
the word “left”. Due to this being a less clear link to the lyrics this is an
contradicting technique, that helps to make the music video an partly
disjunctive music video.

AND LYRICS
The rest of the video continues to use illustrative techniques to present
the rest of the narrative to audiences:
“There’s this movie that I think you’ll like” is matched with an old
fashion tape recording of a movie.
“This guy decides to quit his job and head to New York City” is followed
by shots of a resignation letter, a plane ticket and then a plane.
“This cowboys running from himself” is matched with a scene of the
main male character running in the desert dressed as a cowboy.
Amplifying techniques are then used for the line “She’s been living on
the highest life” where a shot of the main female character is shown on
a balcony looking down. This allows audiences to understand the
metaphor demonstrated by “living on the highest shelf” that she is an
higher class female.

AND LYRICS
Another disjunctive feature of the video is the shots for the line “I got a lump in my throat ‘cause you're gonna sing the
words wrong”. Every time this line is sang the same woman is used singing the line, and each time her makeup slowly
gets more smudged and ruined. There are also screen titles at the bottom which read “you gone and sank the worlds
wolf” while over the top is Vance Joy signing the correct lyrics. This is a ironic link to the line “you’re gonna sing the
words wrong” and the use of the woman, who only appears in the video for this reason, is disjunctive and
contradictive. As the chorus has less of a clear link to the narrative shown by the verses more disjunctive and
contradicting shots are used such as these ones.
A clever use of a metaphorical amplifying techniques are
used for the lines “I just wanna know, if you’re gonna, if
you’re gonna stay” by using shots of fortune telling cards
and a packed suitcase. This has less clear links to the lyrics
however this almost witty technique works very effectively
with the slightly unusual mood and feel of the rest of the
video.

AND LYRICS
A narrative illustrative storyline is continually used for the verses:
“I swear she’s destined for the screen, closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen”
is matched with shots of the two main characters filming on a beach with the main female
character bearing a striking resemblance to Michelle Pfeiffer.
Overall the video uses mainly illustrative techniques to present the narrative to audiences,
however amplifying techniques are also utilised to follow the indie genre of the video adding a air
of quirkiness and intrigue to the video. Contradicting techniques are sometimes used for the
chorus as this is more separate the to rest of the storyline.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND
SHOTS
The song begins with a very upbeat and cheerful guitar playing that is matched
with a shot a summer blue sky that slowly pans down. This shot is amplifying as
the shot has clear links to the music and is one of the typical images that
audiences would link to the sound of the guitar. By beginning the video with this
shot and link this helps audiences to understand more links within the video.
The editing of the shots also plays a role in helping the audience to link the
visuals to the music; during the sections of the song where the music
increases tempo and pace the editing also becomes faster. There is more
cut editing which is sharper to create this relationship and this is an
amplifying technique. Camera pans are also used more regularly in shots
and scenes where the music is slightly faster and this is another amplifying
technique that builds up the relationship.
Overall the content of the shots, the editing, the camera movements, the lighting and
the actions of the characters works to create an recognisable relationship between the
music and shots/visuals.

SHOTS
As mentioned this video consists of mainly natural lighting of a softer
ambience and this works well with the music and the upbeat and happier
tone of the song. The use of artificial lighting is only in areas that match the
lyrics and most of the video is clear and gentle lighting. This allows the
lighting to match the feel of the song and the light, carefree guitar tune that
most of the song is based off.
The speed of the actual actions happening in the shot by characters also
help to create an relationship to the music. In the parts of the song
where the tempo and speed increases, the movements and behaviours
of the characters are also faster. This allows the visuals of the
characters on the screen to match the music playing over; this is an
amplifying technique as this helps to show the audiences in a less
obvious way than a illustrative technique.

RECORD LABEL STYLE
Vance Joy is signed to the Liberation Music record label company which is Australian and ran company
from Melbourne. Liberation Music’s main aim is to stay independent and they sign many different indie
artists, such as indie pop, indie rock, and rarely work with mainstream/pop music artists.
Liberation Music defied the normal conventions of the music videos for “Riptide” by not having Vance Joy
feature in the video. Liberation Music have occasionally not featured their artists in the music video such
as the music video for “Ordinary” by Sean Heathcliff. The reason behind telling a narrative was due to the
song being such an natural story anyway. The directors Dimitri Basil and Laura Gorun were happy to have
the song be very literal via illustrative techniques as the lyrics told the story perfectly well.
Liberation Music did follow some normal conventions of the music video however by using repeat shots
and scenes for the chorus. This allows audiences to become familiar with the music video and be able to
link both the video and the song back to the artist. Liberation Music also used their own knowledge to
keep an clear indie feel to the music video via styling and by having a narrative video with a slight
disjunctive component, demonstrated illustratively and by amplified and contradicted techniques.

THE IDEA OF LOOKING AND EMPATHISE
ON THE FEMALE BODY
The notion of looking is made clear for the music video to “Riptide” and
this begins with the introduction of the main performers in the story. Near
to start of the song they are talking to each other facing away from the
camera, before then turning abruptly to look directly into the cameras as if
they have just realised that the audience is there. This direct address with
the audience that begins to break the fourth wall, allows audiences to start
learning about the characters and as the first characters the audience
meet it is clear that they are important to the narrative.
The direct address used here at the start of the video allows audiences to
build a relationship with characters and feel involved in the video, which
will help to make the video and song more successful. The main
characters turning to break the fourth wall and have direct address with
the audience is repeated throughout the video, which continually builds up
the relationship and involvement with the audience.
There is even a section in the video where the main female character is
standing on a balcony with binoculars looking down and then settles her
sights on the audience as the camera slowly pans up to her. This clear
relationship between the audience and music video is made possible by
the notion of looking and the props that allow this such as binoculars.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
During the sections of the chorus where the female singer ironically
sings the “words wrong” it very clear to audience watching the video
that she is not signing to them. By the camera angle being just off
centre this allows the audience to see that the woman is singing to
someone else/another audience. This gives the audience the notion
that they are looking at the woman and how this is deliberately
constructed to be so.
The idea/notion of looking is also shown in this
music by having the audience watch a TV in
which the characters appear. By doing this the
director is following Goodwin’s theory of
screens appearing in music videos. By using a
TV in the music video the audience is really
able to feel as if they looking into the characters
lives and following a storyline.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
The notion of looking is also presented by the way objects are shown. Any objects or props used within
the video are always placed down somewhere and shot from a high angle, this ranges from the plane
ticket to a packed suitcase as part of the narrative to the amplifying shots for the line “they come unstuck”.
By using a high angle to fill in the narrative where the characters don’t appear the audience is still able to
feel involved as if they are looking into a characters life and seeing the events how the character would.
The audience feel as if they following the characters through their lives/story and this can be further
demonstrated by how the audience always see shots of the woman/her legs running towards the “riptide”.
Overall this notion of looking allows the audience to feel involved with the story line and the characters
perspective which builds up the relationship and familiarity of the video to audiences.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Linking in with the idea of looking is also the empathise on the female body which is also
known as the male gaze. Constructed by Laura Mulvey the male gaze is a theory that woman
are presented in the media more as objects to satisfy heterosexual men. The idea of looking
combines with the male gaze in this video during the section where in the song a reference to
Michelle Pfeiffer is made. The men are all filming the main female character (the main male
character appears to be the director) and the camera pans from the director to camera men
who are all looking at her. This builds up the notion of looking as the audience are following
the actions of a film set and the perspectives of the characters and also the male gaze, as all
attention from both the audience and the men in the video is drawn towards and focussed on
the woman. The camera even zooms in on the woman to place more focus on her body and
the key similarity to Michelle Pfeiffer “closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen”
continues to show how in this instance the female is only being used for her striking looks .
This demonstrates an empathise on the female body and is a common way that women are
shown in the media for only their looks and not themselves.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Empathise on the female body is also shown in
this video by one of the shots being a woman
undressing out of her swimming costume. While
the camera cuts before the woman has
completely undressed the clear empathise and
male gaze is there. The swimming costume is
also more a revealing outfit for the woman to be
wearing and this will help attract male audiences
to video. As the music could stereotypically be
classed as more “girly” music and by a male solo
artist which would be more interesting to
females, by featuring an attractive female the
director will be hoping to also attract male
audiences to the video. The next shot is
continues this theme of being a book on the
“Techniques Of Photographing Girls” which
supplies clear hints about empathise on the
female body.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
There is also an possible allusion to female gaze as it can be seen that the
main male character is attractive and also used for his looks. However, there
are far less close up shots of this male character and during the scenes he is
in more empathise is placed on his actions rather than his looks. This is
contrast to the main female character who in most shots has focus placed on
her by camera movements on her body than her. This demonstrates how the
male gaze is more prominent in this video.
The male gaze is also shown by the repeat shot of the woman “running down to the riptide”
which are mostly of her legs. As this shots are of her lower legs this less erotic however the
repetition of these shots is still placing a clear empathise on the female body. This would have
been done by the director to continue attracting men to the video.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
The singer used for the chorus fits to the male gaze as a typically very
attractive woman, who when she first appears in the video has perfect makeup
and hair. She is dressed in a sparkly dress and this is a very stereotypical
representation of women. As the video continues her makeup slowly becomes
more ruined which moves away from the male gaze and this deterioration adds
the air of mystery typical to the indie genre.
Another aspect of the male gaze within this video is the photo of a
Playboy Bunny Girl in the background of the shot for the resignation
letter. Unlike the rest of video this shot and the beginning shot of the
women in the swimming costume, is the only time that women are
presented to be very scantily clad and sexual. While this background
image is there for the purpose to satisfy male audiences the image is in
the background and could be missed as it does not remain on the screen
for long. Overall there are some definite links to the male gaze and by
the camera movements that linger on the female body there is an placed
empathise. However most of the time the women are modestly dressed
and do play an important role within the story as characters as well as
for their physical attributes.

ARTIST’S OWN STYLE
Throughout Vance Joy’s videos he often appears adding an
performance element to videos for his songs such as “Lay It On
Me”, “Mess Is Mine” and “Fire And The Flood” in which he is
dressed in very casual simple clothing. While Vance Joy himself
does not appear in the music video for “Riptide” the main male
character alludes to him strongly in looks. Both have very curly dark
hair as is this the style he follows in his other videos. Linked into
this is the yellow colour is a strong characteristic, similar to how the
characters in “Riptide” wear yellow as does Vance Joy in “Lay It On
Me”. This can show how part of Vance Joy’s style is to have himself
or someone very similar in the music video in relaxed clothing and
sometimes with something yellow.
Similar to “Riptide” the music video for “Mess Is Mine” is also very
abstract featuring shots that do not typically match the song. For
“Mess Is Mine” a polar bear is the main character which is similar
to the woman singing in “Riptide”; both have no relevance to their
song or narrative. Vance Joy’s videos tend to be more outlandish
which is very typical of the indie genre.

Another feature common of Vance Joy’s videos is the appearance
of women and this often works well within telling the narrative
which is a common style of Vance Joy. Like “Riptide” most of his
music videos work well with the lyrics of the song to tell a story
such as the music video to “Fire And The Flood”, “Lay It On Me”,
“From Afar” and “First Time”. Likewise to “Riptide” these music
videos are based on a love story matching the songs well and are
mainly narrative videos; the involvement of females is key to these
storylines and often the male gaze is employed as shown across
all the videos.
Cut editing is another common feature across Vance Joy’s videos. This
simple editing techniques allows for the narrative of the videos to flow
smoothly without taking attention away from the story. Artificial and colourful
lighting is another reoccurring feature in Vance Joy’s videos as shown by the
music video for “First Time”. Here colourful lighting is used in the same way
as “Riptide” and provides the audience with some unique differentiation that
follows the conventions of indie music videos.

INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES
“Riptide” and the music video for “Riptide” is littered with intertextual
references many of which are recognisable by audiences. The song begins
with “I was scared of dentists and the dark” followed by a shot of a scared
looking woman at the dentist before the screen turns black. These are both
very common fears and relatable in today's society, by having the shot
match the lyrics here the music video is able to appeal and offer familiarity
to most audiences.
For the lyric “You’re the magicians assistant in their dreams” a shot is
used of what is an instantly recognisable magician, a man doing card
tricks. Later on typical impressions of people in today's society are also
used for the lyric “This cowboys running from himself” as the main
character is shown in what is stereotypically cowboy clothing. Followed
on when the story changes to the characters living a life luxury they are
shown to be at the motor-racing, another typical representation of the
upper class and their way of life. Within the different roles the characters
adopt in this story a lot of subtle intertextual references are used to
enforce these roles to audiences. By recognising these roles audiences
will be able to relate the video more and this will help the song and
video.

The feature of the Playboy Bunny Girl in the background is another clear
intertextual reference that is also part of the male gaze. This will have
been mainly done to satisfy male audiences however is a clear allusion
to today's popular culture and will provide an form of similarity to
audiences.
The lyric “I wanna be your lefthand man” followed by the images
accompanied by the flashing sub text of “left” is witty intertextual reference.
This is play on the saying “righthand man” and audiences will recognise
this. The clever twist will intrigue audiences and also by repeating the
significance of “left” within the visuals of the video and the uniqueness of
this links the music video to the indie genre.

The use of fortune cards to cleverly amplify the lyric “I just wanna, I just wanna
know” is another intextual reference as audiences will instantly recognise the
cards and what they are used for. The shots of these cards also continue the
mysterious and quirky indie theme of the video, which audiences will also
recognise.
The most obvious intertextual reference is the clear link to Michelle
Pfeiffer an actress and singer from the 80s to early 2000’s. The main
female character is portrayed to have an striking resemblance to here as
sang in the song “closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen”.
By having in the video her at a film set and also employing the male gaze
audiences, in particular older audiences, will instantly recognise this
reference. Like the other references this will provide the music video with
an air of familiarity and be relatable. The editing also works well to provide
this music video with the feel of a old fashioned films and videos which
audiences will also recognise and match to the indie genre.

GEORGE EZRA
George Ezra is a British indie and folk solo singer, song writer and musician. At the age of 24
Ezra has had a top 10 single of “Budapest” (which is the music video I will analysing) and a
Number One selling album in the UK “Wanted On Voyage”.
Ezra has been the support act for many different artists including Sam Smith, Tom Odell and
Bastille and was also nominated for four Brit Awards in 2015.
Ezra’s first album “Wanted On Voyage” was released in 2014 and as well as being a Number
One selling album this album was the third best selling album in the UK in 2014; with only Ed
Sheeran’s album “X” and Sam Smith’s album “In The Lonely Hour” selling more copies.
Exra has a very powerful, souful voice that is unique and different to anything else in the
music industry allowing his very individual style and songs to be hit successes.

CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF THE
GENRE
Lighting: The lighting for “Budapest” is made up of three key types all of which are constructed and artificial. The main
lighting technique used is constructed lighting to create shadows on the faces and bodies of those in the video. This is
bright and clear lighting that helps to make the image of the video sharp and professional, giving the effect of studio
lighting. The shadows created by this add depth and perspective to the video. Having shadows created and used is
typical of the indie genre as this can add an air of mystery and intrigue to the video which is typical of the indie genre.
The next type of lighting is the use of red artificial lighting in replacement of the shadows. Similar to the shadow lighting a
red shade is used to create the shadows instead of the clear normal lighting. The third type of lighting is the same effect
however in blue and not red. By using red and blue lighting the director was able to create differentiation in the video; this
is key for this video as all the shots take place in the same room of the same people. By using different colours and
shades of lighting the audience will not become bored of video and provides the video with eye-catching features.
Colourful artificial lighting is an key characteristic of the indie genre as this creates the different, edgy moods that make
indie music videos different to other genres such as Hip Hop. As this lighting dose not remain on screen in the video for
long before returning to the standard lighting the effect of the lighting continues to add to the mysterious and quirky air
typical of a an indie music video.

GENRE
Type of Video: This video is mainly an performance video; a majority of the shots feature the
artist, George Ezra, performing directly to the camera. There is also an disjunctive element to
the video as Ezra is standing in a crowd of people who begin to move around as the song
goes on. The whole video is based off the crowd starting off as motionless and dull to
becoming active and more interesting; while this can be see to have to some slight links to the
song this in as interesting way to portray the song which is more disjunctive achieved by
amplifying techniques.
Having a partly disjunctive video is a common characteristic of indie music videos as are
performance videos. Performance videos allow for the artist to become known and familiar to
audiences building up their profile; this is particularly important for indie artists as they may be
less well known than mainstream music artists such as rap and pop. The disjunctive element
of the video allows for the quirkiness and individuality of the genre to come through helping
the artist to be able to showcase/ express themselves how they want.
Disjunctive
element.
Performance
element.

GENRE
Camera&Editing: There are four main different camera shots and one main editing type used within this video: high
angled shots, close up shots, mid shots, right&left angled shots and cut editing.
The high angled shots allow for the audiences to have an unique perspective and view of the music video which is
common of the indie genre. This different angle continues to separate the music video from that of a typical more
mainstream pop video. Zoom is also used within these shots adding to the unique feel that this shot offers. The close up
shots and the mid shots both allow for the audience to have a deeper look and understanding into video. This gives them
glimpses into the video which continues the quirky and mysterious air of a indie music video-a typical characteristic.
Within all three of these shots slight pans are used to expand the shot and shot time on screen; this continues to reveal
more of the content of the music video to audiences and pans are a common characteristics used to keep audiences
interested and engaged in the video.
The right&left angled shot also allows the audiences an different view into the video. These shots help to continue the
different and slightly off perspective feel which is typical of an indie music video. Out of focus shots are also briefly used
to blur out the background and draw the audiences attention to George Ezra; this is typical of a indie music video as this
will help to build up the artists profile and familiarity to audiences. The simple cut editing is used to not distract audiences
from the video, however in the sections of the music video where the cuts are faster and more frequent this can add
interest into the video. Faster cut editing is also used to move from high angled shots to mid shots adding to the interest
of the different perspectives that different shots offer. Cut editing is a common characteristic of indie music videos for
these reasons.

GENRE
Styling: George Ezra’s dress and hair is typical of the indie genre within this music video; his hair is
styled to be almost perfectly scruffy. This relaxed and casual style is very common of the indie
genre. He is dressed in a clean and sharp blue shirt with white buttons and jeans. While the shirt is
very simple the white buttons help to add that quirkiness which is typical of the indie genre.
The rest of the people within the music video are portraying different styles and cultures such as
the girl dressed up for the hen party and men who are football supporters. Amongst the different
styles and dress sense of the characters within the video there are some that are typically indie
such as the woman in the black bowler hat and the other woman in the bowler hat and striped shirt.
However the idea that people from all different walks of life are dressed in way that also individually
expressed their selves can also be seen indie, as this the meaning of the genre-to be individual.
This allows the video and the performers within the video to be styled in a way characteristically
typical of the indie genre.

AND LYRICS
Due to this being an disjunctive and performance video there are some links between the visuals and the
lyrics however which are displayed by amplifying techniques. The majority of the video has contradicting
techniques to create an relationship between the shots and lyrics. Amplifying techniques are used for:
The lyric of the second line of the song “My hidden treasure chest” can be seen
as amplified in the music video as the shot shows George Ezra standing in a
large crowd singing this. It is possible to believe that the director is representing
Ezra himself as the “hidden treasure chest” due to him standing in crowd where
it is possible to miss him within the shot. This amplifying technique also works
well with presenting love and romantic element of the song, with Ezra being
seen as someone in love.
Slightly further on in the song is the line “I’d leave it all” is then followed by
shots of the different people in the crowd. The range of people in the crowd
which include a doctor, could possibly seen as an amplifying technique to show
how Ezra is prepared to leave everyone/society behind to be with the one he
loves. This representation of the line is also repeated in the song when the lryci
occurs again.

AND LYRICS
The lyric “give me one good reason why I should never make a change” is followed by a man sneezing
in the crowd and everyone turning to look at him. This a amplifying that in a way uses humour to take the
micky out of Ezra’s lyrics; the director is showing that even sneezing which can be seen as possibly
“making a change”, gets accusing looks and is frowned upon which could be a “good reason” to not
“make a change”. However as Ezra is singing about continuing to “make the change” despite the
reactions of the crowd this continues show the romantic element of the song. This is further shown by
how Ezra is the only one in the crowd who dose not turn to look at the man.
The lyric “Then all of this will go away” is followed by shots of people in
the crowd in synch putting on 3D glasses and eating popcorn as if they
are at the cinema, then all looking up in time. This again can represent
how Ezra is willing to escape the preying eyes for others for his love. This
could also be a reference to the newfound fame he is experiencing.

AND LYRICS
In a rare occasion within the music an illustrative technique is used to create an relationship
between the shots and the lyrics. For the lyric “My many artefacts” a medium shot of a man
treasuring an intricate vase is then quickly cut edited to a close up shot of a vase. Here the
shots are visually representing the lyrics in an clear and distinct way.
For another repeat of the lyric “give me one good reason why I
should never make a change” amplifying techniques are used to
represent this. The lighting rises to increase the brightness before
flashing to be bright; at this point all the people in the crowd in sync
put on sunglasses other than one woman who uses a reflective
panel to reflect the sunlight onto her. Here it is another person in the
crowd making the change and this time there is no judgement from
the crowd.

AND LYRICS
Within the sixth and seventh chorus, the lyrics “I’d lose it all”, the last line
of the chorus is also presented to audiences by amplifying techniques. For
the first “lose it all” two people are shown within the crowd to be dancing
widely. In metaphorical terms this can be seen as representation of lyrics
being “lose it all” as they lose their senses and perhaps their fears of
judgements and reservations to be able to dance with carefree ease in the
crowd.
For the second “lose it all” everyone within the crowd begins to pass on
items to other each, items that appear to be personal such as drawings
and suitcases/briefcases. By passing these items on to someone else the
crowd can be seen to “lose it all” and this is done by an amplifying
technique.
For the lyric “They don’t understand” there is a women from a hen party on
the phone, looking like she might be upset or in a argument. This can be
viewed as her not understanding the person on the other side of the phone
and is an amplifying technique.

AND LYRICS
For the next two lines of “make a change” shots are shown of a
woman taking off her glasses and then her wig. This is an another
amplification technique to show the lyric and again this time the
woman receives no judgement from the crowd. This portrays the
idea that as the song goes on the people are agreeing with Ezra-
there is no “good reason” to not “make a change”. The look of
shock realisation on the woman's face also demonstrates this.
For one of the last lines of the song “I’d leave it all behind” a
shot is shown of Ezra walking on top of the crowd who are
continuing to pass on items, taking off his guitar. This continues
to empathise the possible message that he would lose his
fame and his normal life for the person he loves.

SHOTS
At the start of the music video with the guitar tune Ezra can be seen
stood in the crowd nodding along to the mix. Not only dose this
immediately identify Ezra as the main artist and attraction of the
video which is important as an indie video this small dance move
creates a link to the music. The simple dance move helps to create
the relaxed and casual mood of the video.
During the song where a loud, harsher more echoic guitar strum is used the shot is changed by cut
editing. Every time the guitar strum is used the shot is changed and as this sound is used when the
tempo of the song speeds up this allows the editing to mimic and copy this. This helps to present the
slightly faster and energetic mood of the song and view more aspects of the crowd in more detail.

SHOTS
Where a guitar is used to create a deeper toned sound within sequence repeated three times
this is also used to introduce a cut edit. After each round of this sound the shot will change via
cut editing to a different shot; by having the editing fit to the music and changes within the
music the mood of the song can be effectively shown. This slower use of cut editing and have
shots on the screen longer allows for a relaxed and carefree mood to be shown.
Cut edits are also introduced at the finishing of a round a lighter and softer sounding guitar
sequence. This gentle guitar sound works well with the harsher to help the sequence of
editing; at times when the softer sound is more prominent the editing follows this and is faster
and then swaps to follow the deeper sound when this is more clear. This effect is continued
throughout the video and allows the video to match the mood of the song being conveyed by
the music. This key in a video to interest audiences and is done by amplifying techniques. This
can be shown by how near the end of the song the tempo increases as does the speed of the
editing and the as the song slows the cut editing is much less frequent and shots stay on
screen longer to represent the mood change of the song.

RECORD LABEL STYLE
The music video for “Budapest” was distributed and created by Sony Music Entertainment UK
Limited (SME). SME are an American music business and is a subsidiary of Sony
Corporation of America. SME is known as one of the “Big Three” record companies within the
world and has international prominence and prestige. SME have signed a variety of artists
over the years as a company which ranges in genres and styles. This allows them to have
very good knowledge in a wide area of music type range.
For “Budapest” SME followed a key convention of having the artist feature in the music video
by having the music video mostly performance; this is particularly important for indie artists as
this allows the artists to build up their profile and gain more recognition. Linking into this SME
do employ close up shots of George Ezra within the video. At times Ezra is looking directly at
the camera and at other times away; this helps him to build up a relationship with the
audiences which is what SME would have wanted. By the video being partly disjunctive SME
have also been able to keep a clear indie element and feel throughout the video which will
relate and interest audiences and viewers.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Throughout the video a fair amount of high angled and overhead shots are used to present
the scene to audiences. By having the audiences feel as if they looking down onto the scene
unfolding below highlights the notion of looking within the video; the audience are aware they
are being constructed to look at the people. Sometimes within theses shots a pan is used
adding to the audiences depth of understanding.
Further linking into the notion of looking and the overhead shots the people in the crowd never
make eye contact or look directly into the camera. They are filmed to be shown as if they
oblivious to the cameras and unaware they are being filmed. This increases the idea of
looking within the video as the audience now feel as if they are looking into the characters and
their lives. This is can key element of music videos and continues to add to the quirky tone of
a indie music video.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Throughout the video Ezra makes a lot of eye contact and direct address towards the camera.
This direct address allows the audience to feel as is he is singing directly to them and helps to
build up a relationship between him and the audiences watching. This will also help Ezra and
his iconography become more familiar to audiences. At times in the video Ezra turns to look
directly at the camera and this helps to create the effect of breaking the fourth wall as Ezra
acknowledging the presence of an audience, which continues to build up the relationship. This
also helps to add to the quirky and unique feel of an indie music video.
Another notion of looking within the video is the way audiences are shown Ezra
looking at the crowd around. Here the idea of looking is key as Ezra is shown to be
acknowledging his surroundings and audiences feel as if they watching him and
involved with him as he watches them. This different and unique feel is typical of a
indie music video and is a clear idea of looking.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Another example of the notion of looking is the left and right angles used
to film Ezra while he is performing. These angles again present the idea
that audiences are following and watching Ezra through the music video.
This helps the audience to relate to Ezra as they see him in the crowd,
and the use of angles continues the different feel of an indie music video.
Within this music there is very little empathise on the female body and very little
of the male gaze is employed. The crowd is completely made up of different
women, all with very different looks and body types and is not just focussed on
the mainstream idea of a perfect woman. This is typically indie as people are
shown to be different and happy with this; there is no shaming or disapproval of
any body type/outfit within the video. One of the main women to appear in the
video is someone dressed for a hen night wearing a cropped top and skirt; this is
the most revealing outfit that a women is wearing within the video. While this can
be viewed as slightly the male gaze, within the shots no-more empathise is
placed on her than anyone else in the crowd and other women are also filmed.
Overall this video has very little empathise on the female body and instead is
more focused on the artist.

Throughout a range of videos George Ezra’s own style is clear and obvious helping him to build up his
profile. One aspect of his style is that a large majority of his videos are all performance videos which
include direct address. This technique can be shown in Listen To The Man, Blame It On Me, Cassy O’
and Barcelona; all these videos have Ezra performing often with guitar and looking directly into the
camera. By having performance videos Ezra is able to become recognisable and build up
relationships with audiences while breaking the fourth wall which is a quirky indie feature.
Cut editing is a key base for Ezra’s videos and this editing technique is also seen in Blame It On
Me and Cassy O’ as well as in Budapest. This simple editing technique allows audiences to be
focussed on Ezra performing and other parts of the video instead of being distracted in the
editing. Cut editing also allows the video to flow well and be enjoyable/easy for audiences to
watch and follow.

Another feature of Ezra’s own style is that he dresses very casually in simple and neat clothing.
Within Listen To The Man, Blame It On Me and Cassy O’ he is wearing a button up shirt which
appears to be his signature style as this also appears in Budapest. These shirts are also in
shades of blue and sometimes with details in the colour white. By using the same colours and
same items of clothing this is iconography as audiences will now associate this look with Ezra.
The majority of Ezra’s videos begin with a title screen that says “George Ezra” then a white
line after which is the title of the song. This logo is always written white and in the same big
blocky font. This is iconography as Ezra is building a name for himself and a symbol
audiences will instantly recognise as him. This also helps to introduce Ezra to new audiences
and build up his status.

Similar to how a running theme of Ezra’s music videos is to be the mostly performances the
rest of the video is made up using disjunctive techniques. Similar to Budapest within the
videos for Blame It On Me and Cassy O’ the other events that happen in the music video
have less of a clear link to the lyrics and song. Like Budapest there are some links in places
whereas in other parts of the video there is little to no link. This allows Ezra's videos to be
distinctly indie and recognisable as his style.

Within the music video for Budapest there are some intertextual references that audiences will
recognised relating to their lives within the 21st century.
One of the first references is the person standing in the crowd who is clearly dressed to be like
a doctor, wearing scrubs, a white coat and a stethoscope. Audiences will be able to identify
this immediately as an recognisable figure in today's society and this will help audiences relate
and understand the video. Another figure/persona that is recognisable within today’s climate is
the woman dressed up to be at an hen party. Again audiences will recognise her and this
helps them to understand the depth of the crowd in the video; this helps audiences to fit in as
they feel they would be able to suit in with the crowd.

Later on there is shot during the music video where the crowd all wear
3D glasses and some have popcorn; this is clearly an intertextual
reference to the cinema and helps the audience to relate to crowd
more. By using intertextual references audiences are able to
understand the video more and help audiences remember the video
better, as they can now link people and activities in society to the
video.
Another type of recognisable person with in the video would be the
“football lads”. As shown wearing a Liverpool scarf adorned with “The
Pride Of The Merseyside” this not only making a link to Liverpool FC
but also their famous and fierce derby rivalry with Everton. This
intertextual reference will be more obvious to football fans and may
help to attract stereotypically more males to the video as they will be
able to relate to this. The man wearing the scarf is also accompanied
by two friends and by daring each other to eat a hot chilli this can be
seen as typical “lad behaviour” which audiences will identify.

BASTILLE
Bastille are British indie band which was formed in 2010 by the lead
vocalist Dan Smith. Originally planning on a solo career Dan then joined
up with Kyle Simmons (keyboard player), Will Farquarson (bass and
guitar) and Chris Wood (drummer). Smith’s birthday is the 14th of July,
which is also Bastille day and where the band name came from.
To begin with Bastille released their own music independently which
included a debut single and EP before signing to Virgin Records. Bastille
shot into mainstream media and general knowledge in February 2013
with release of the song “Pompeii” which hit number two in the UK charts
and number five in the US charts. Shortly after in March 2013 their debut
album “Bad Blood” was released and became number one in the UK
Albums Chart. From there Bastilles success continued to increase with
more singles and another album “Wild World” released in 2016,
becoming one of Britain's most well known bands. I will be analysing a
music video from “Wild World” for the song “Glory”.

GENRE
Lighting: Scenes of this video take place in both the day time and at night; for this natural
lighting/ the effect of natural lighting is used. The daytime scenes are lighter creating a softer,
gentle feel while the night scenes are darker and less clear adding an air of mystery to the
music video. The natural lighting allows the music video to feel non constructed, drawing
audiences into the narrative and music video, which is a typical feature of indie music videos.
The intriguing air of the natural darker lighting for the night scenes continues the feel of
interest and mystery, another feature typical of the indie genre.
Shadows are slightly used within the video, during the shots that take place at night to add to
feel of the video by showing the audience a slightly different view of the video. This different
perspective adds depth and intrigue to the video. Coloured artificial lighting is also used within
the scenes that take place within a club adding a quirkiness and uniqueness to the video. Both
these lighting techniques are used uniquely to add interest to the music video in a way which
is typical of the indie genre.

GENRE
Type Of Video: This video is a narrative video, with the lead singer of the band, Dan Smith,
appearing as the main male “character” alongside another female “character”. A narrative
video if typical of the indie genre as this allows the band/artist to express the meaning of their
song. A narrative video is also very interesting for audiences to watch which will help to grow
the popularity of the band.
This narrative is the story of two lovers remembering their various adventures and trips; they
are lying on a car reminiscing these stories while the video features flashbacks of these
memories which are different every time. This quirky way of telling a story is typical of the indie
genre and by using a narrative style video the band are able to very closely follow the
meaning and lyrics of this song. Illustrative techniques are used throughout the entire video to
convey the story to audiences as are use of subtitles different to the lyrics to tell the story. This
more complicated narrative, which is helped achieved by flashbacks, is typical of the indie
genre providing a deeper and more interesting narrative than other genres such as pop.

GENRE
Camera&Editing: Throughout this video a wide variety of camera shots are used and all edited together by
mainly cut editing with the occasional use of shot reverse shot. The cut editing is simple but effective allowing
audiences to follow the narrative easily without being distracted by the technical construction of the video. This
seamless effect is typical of the indie genre as this allows audiences to be fully drawn into the video and
understanding the message of the song. The cut editing sometimes changes in speed to allow the narrative to
flow with the pace of the song. Shot reverse shot editing is used to show the interactions of the two main
characters, clearly showing the narrative of the video which is typical of the indie genre.
At the start and end of the video a mix of low angled shots that pan up and high angled shots that pan down are
used to show the shots of the plane. This flowing camera shots allows the narrative to flow while still being
interesting for audiences to watch; as this technique is repeated at the end of the video this also provides a
circular narrative. These quirky camera shots paired with the effect they have on the narrative is typical of the
indie genre. Side shots are used which a create a point of view perspective paired with shot reverse shot editing,
as if the audience are seeing the video through the characters. Point of view shots are also used to show the
audiences the scenery and this effect of involving audiences into the video is a common characteristic of the
genre.

GENRE
Camera&Editing: Most of the video is shot by simple mid shots, this allows the audiences to
see parts of the backgrounds and settings while still focussing on the characters. As this is the
most used camera shot used this also allows the video and the narrative to smoothly unfold
which is a characteristic of the indie genre.
Close up shots are used to add in detail to the narrative and draw the audiences attention to
certain aspects of the video. This also works explore the depth and meaning of the story/song.
Finally, wide long shots are used to show the variety of settings and locations that the video
takes place in again; this helps for the audiences to add understanding of the video. Using a
wide variety of camera shots to illustratively add depth to the video is a common feature of
indie videos and this has been successfully used for Glory to create a interesting and typically
indie music video.

GENRE
Styling: Throughout this video a clear indie style is shown the range of different outfits that both the main female and
male characters wear. The female is shown to be more typically indie in her range of outfits; within the recurring scene of
the video of the couple laying on the car she is wearing a glittery statement top that is typically indie, paired with red
shorts. The male is also shown to be wearing clothes that are characteristics of the indie genre by wearing a bright
orange top and a vintage old school style jacket paired with baggier rolled up jeans. This style is instantly recognisable as
indie.
Throughout the video the female is often dressed in tight, sleeveless crop tops in a range of colours from red and orange
to muted yellow. These colours and this style of top is very typical of indie genre and a style that audiences would
recognise. The female also wears a variety of statement clothing and accessories such as quirky sunglasses, big intricate
ear-rings and an oversized denim jacket; these statement pieces is typically of the indie genre.
Tattoos and hairstyles are also styled onto the female to show the genre, as her hair colour changes twice from her natural
dark colour to white and then pink. The audience are also show that she has two tattoos one on her wrist and the other at
that base of her neck; these unusual designs and places for the tattoos and the bright brilliance of the hair colour also
demonstrate characteristics typical of the indie genre.

GENRE
Styling: The woman also wears a variety of jeans, shorts and skirts which are all typical of the
indie genre, these include: green shorts, purple shorts, flared jeans and a silver skirt. All are
either bright colours or very different to mainstream fashion and these items of clothing are
typical characteristics of the indie genre
The main male within the music video is also dressed in typically indie clothing and styling
ranging from a patterned shirt, baggier rolled up jeans and a oversized printed jumper to
messy hair and statement sunglasses. The patterned shirt is a very distinctive statement
clothing piece that is easily relatable to the indie genre as are the jeans. The messy hair is a
very typical look for males within the indie genre helping to convey the relaxed and causal
mood of indie music.

AND LYRICS
As this is a narrative video following the story and meaning of the song there are times
when the lyrics are demonstrated in a relationship literally and illustratively with the
shotsand other times where the whole video is showing the theme and the message of
the lyrics. The literal lyrics are:
The song begins as “Deep in the corner of the night” is sang as the shot
on screen illustratively shows the two lovers laying on a car in the middle
of the night.
Further on within the first verse the lyric “inconceivable imaginings” is
shown as they lay their imagining/remembering different adventures
which is aided by the subtitles. It is unclear to audiences at this point if
the scenarios are made up or real flashbacks and this adds real
interest and depth into the music video for audiences.
The lyric “you make me laugh until I die” is followed by a shot on
screen of the main female laughing. This is an illustrative technique
showing the narrative for audiences.

AND LYRICS
For the lyric “Stories told to me and stories told to you and did you ever feel like they were
ringing true” the video changes from the couple laying on the car telling “stories” to each other
as shown by the subtitles in the video, to what appears to be a flashback of the story
representing the “they were ringing true”. This is a mix of illustrative and amplifying techniques
as the audiences delve into the twists and turns of the lyrics and how the relationship between
the shots show this uncertainty of if the “stories” really happened or if they are just dreaming.
These types of shot patterns from the car to the scenario occurs twice in the video matching
as the lyric is repeated, carrying on the narrative for audiences. This lyric is also one of the
main themes of the video and a good lyric to show what the entire video is based off as the
video shows all their different “stories” that are “ringing true”. This whole theme creates an
very intriguing and intricate video that is very enjoyable and effective for audiences to watch.

AND LYRICS
Amplifying techniques are used for the lyrics “not everything had
gone to plan but we made the best of what we had” as the first
section is sang while two stereotypically rougher and more violent
looking men are shown with the male subtitles say how they “wanted
a fight” which is a amplification of “not everything had gone to plan”.
However the female goes on to correct him saying “Oh, there were
fine they just wanted to dance” which represents the “we made the
best of what we had”. This amplification of that lyric allows the
audience to follow the story more and begin to suspect that the story
tellers are not completely reliable.
The lyric “All their words for glory ” is represented illustratively by a
man holding up a sign that says “Glory” as the characters drive
past. This has the effect of the characters driving past and noticing
the glory of their stories, again hinting and highlighting how their
stories might be unrealistic.

AND LYRICS
The sign motif and symbolism is repeated for the lyric “looking up for heaven” in the same way
with a man standing on the side of the road to show this. As this lyric is repeated throughout
the song there is a continued relationship between this lyric and the shots; at one time the
camera pans up to a plane flying overhead and at another the characters are sat to be
admiring the sky. This technique is amplifying the lyric as both show the sky and height
representing “looking up”; the panning camera movement in particular really involves the
audience in this lyric and builds a relationship between the lyrics and the shots.
Also linked to this lyric the relationship of the shots build up a image of “heaven” in the video.
At some points in the video when “heaven” is sang the shots shown on screen are often of
nature and naturally beauty. This natural and raw beauty shown by wide and long shots may
be a representation of what the band believe “Heaven” to be/be like. This continues to add
depth and meaning into the video.

AND LYRICS
Also for “all their words for glory” the “glory”
part in particular has a amplifying relationship
between the camera shot and lyrics. At two
points in the video as the word “glory” is sang
accompanied by a shot of the characters
looking happy to demonstrate the “glory”. As
the song is titled “Glory” this is a key part of
the song and video and demonstrates some of
the meaning of the song.
There are also general meanings from the lyrics that flow throughout the song. At many points in the song
the shots shown on screen are related to lyric that have been sang previously and explain the whole
story. These lyrics are “laying in the middle of the road counting the planes as they flew by”, “we watched
the planes leave us behind” and “laying in the dark” as at times the couple are seen to be laying on the
car, at night, near a airport watching the planes. These lyrics provide the background for the story of the
song and the relationship with the shots while are not directly linked they are a major theme of the video.

AND LYRICS
Also linking into the theme of the couple watching the planes pass them by as they remember
is the lyric “passing the drink from hand to hand” which they do as they lay on the car. Similar
to the other lyrics this is sometimes sang while completely different shots of different events
are used, however the relationship between the lyrics and the shots have already been
established by showing this action earlier on in the video.

SHOTS
Throughout the song there is a distinct “eh/oh” sound, which is unique to Bastille, and at many points in
the song at this sound there is a shot change. This shot change is completed by simple cut editing and will
often change the setting and scene or the angle of the camera within the scene. By having the music
signal and partly control the editing allows for a relationship to build up between the music, which
audiences may recognise and allows for a bond between the music and the music video.
During the almost mini chorus, where the song adopts a slightly different tune and speed there are also a
shot and setting using cut editing. The scene will then change once again at the end of the mini chorus
using cut editing. This allows the shots on the screen to link up and create a relationship with the music,
flowing well with the different paces and types of music within the song.
To the left is screenshots of the first mini
chorus, where the same scene/mini story
within the video is kept the same. This
shows a clear relationship between the
shots and the music, as the shots only
change story when the music changes.

SHOTS
During the main chorus, where the music is much faster paced the
actions and events that are filmed are also faster as is the editing
of the shots. Events that are filmed during the faster tempo of the
song are also more active faster, such as jumping into a pool and
shots of them driving. This relationship between the shots and the
music help the audience to understand the mood and feel of the
song. Fast paced editing is used throughout the chorus section of
the song where the music is more upbeat to create the relationship
between the music and the shots. The audience will be able to
recognise this and this will enhance the song for them, the faster
editing will also help to keep the audiences attention and convey
the mood of the song at that point. The editing of the shots
themselves include more setting changes with more jumps from
place to place, with the story appearing to jump around more in
link with the more “jumpy” writing.

SHOTS
Similar to how the shots used and the editing change for the faster sections of
the song, the editing and shots are also different for the slower sections of the
song. Here the same shot and setting will remain on the screen for longer
with the camera panning to create a continuous shot rather than fast cut
editing; this also means the setting of each shot remains the same helping to
slow down the video. This relationship between the shots and music helps the
audience to understand and appreciate the different moods and tones of the
video.
Another way that a relationship is built up between the music and the shots is as
towards the end of the song the distinct sound of the drums (possible a symbol)
is followed by a cut edit of a shot change. The drum symbol, while sometimes
more in the background, still has a clear link with the shot changes which
audiences may recognise. This simple technique allows for the song to work and
flow with the music video, which though audiences may not consciously
recognise will still provide enjoyment and familiarity while watching the video.

RECORD LABEL STYLE
Bastille have been signed to Virgin Records Ltd since 2011, and have had their music videos under the
control and distribution of Virgin Records since then. Originally a British-American record label company
founded in 1972, Virgin Records was brought by Universal Music Group in 2012. Universal Music Group
is one of the “Big Three” record label companies that also consist of Sony Music and Warner Music
Group.
From 2012 under the running of Universal Music Group, Virgin Records have signed many indie artists
such as Circa Waves, Jamie T, The Kooks and more. Due to signing a range of indie artists Virgin
Records will have very good knowledge in this genre and audience, meaning they are fully able to aid
Bastille in making an effective video.
As typical with conditions of the record label the music video for “Glory” features the lead singer in the
band, Bastille. Dan Smith is often seen as the front man of the band and this is clearly shown by the
music video as only he, out of the four band members, features in the video. By having him in the video
Virgin Records are able to make the band more recognisable to audiences and build up the bands profile.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
Women are presented as equal characters within this narrative video and although there is some more
empathise on the female body than any of the males in the video, this video represents the genders more
equally.
In most scenes the woman is presented to be more scantily dressed than the male; often in shorter shorts
and skirts and sometimes showing midriff with lower necklines and no sleeves. This is a stark contrast to
the male who is never not dressed in jeans and is mostly covered, even his arm in long sleeves. However,
the camera dose not linger on the woman's body anymore than the males and the dress may have been
more to represent the females unique fashion and style. Throughout the video there are more shots of the
female used, which can sexualise her slightly, however this may also be to tie in with the notion of looking
of audiences seeing the video from the males point of view. Overall there is a little more empathise on the
female and she dressed more to match the mainstream stereotype of females within music videos,
however this video only uses this slightly and works well to present women as equal and less sexualised.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
The idea of looking is built up right from the start of the start of the video
with the shots of the plane. The audience feel as if they are following the
plan, by the way the camera pans up and tilts back, as if the audience are
tilting their heads. This effect happens again throughout the video and
again at the end; by doing this the audience are able to feel as if they are
involved in the video and this helps the video to become more familiar
and enjoyable to watch.
The notion of looking is continued on in the video with the use of mirrors.
Some of the shots film the interior mirror in the car with the male’s reflection
shown in this. This creates the feeling for audiences that they are watching
this story unfold and the characters are unaware of the presence of the
audience. This sense is heightened by the fact that the characters rarely
look directly into the camera; these effects of the mirror and no direct
address are used to present to audiences that they are looking in on the
couples story as a by-standers, allowing feelings towards the couple and
video to develop.

ON THE FEMALE BODY
At some points in the video the idea of looking is used to make audiences feel as if they are watching the events
unfold from the male’s point of view. The audience are shown shots of him looking at the woman before cut
editing changes the shot to a shot of the woman, which allows the audience to see what he is seeing. Side shots,
especially used while filming in the car, are another way the male’s viewpoint is presented. There are more side
shots/point of view shots filmed of the female than the male making the audience feel as if they are viewing the
video from his perspective. The only times where either main character looks directly at the camera, is towards
the end and this is only the female. The female makes direct address towards the camera and both these shots
and other shots in the same setting the male is not shown anywhere, leading audiences to believe they are
viewing this section of the video from his point of view. There are also shots filmed of the view out of the windows
of the car adding to the point of view effect, however this could be seen from either characters perspective and
not just the male.
By including audiences like this, making them feel involved in the video, the audience are interested and begin to
build a bond/meaning with the video. By mixing this in with impressions that audiences are also just watching this
story unfold allows the video and story to have a connection with audiences, which will help to make the music
video memorable and increase the status of the band.

Bastille have also released other music videos for some of their other songs
and there is an distinct style across the music videos:
In a large majority of their videos there is black border at the top and bottom of
the screen; his distinct allows Bastilles videos to be instantly recognisable which
will build up Bastilles reputation and familiarity to audiences. This effect is used
in the music videos for Send Them Off! Blame, Good Grief and The Things We
Lost In The Fire among others.
Another key feature of Bastille’s music videos is the feature of the
lead singer Dan Smith. Smith appears in many of the groups
music videos such as Send Them Off! Good Grief and The Things
We Lost In The Fire. Smith is sometimes accompanied by the rest
of the band however even then more shots are used of him than
any other member. By using the front man in the video Bastille are
able to build up their image making them recognisable in other
types of media such as magazines.

Many of Bastille videos are also a narrative video, similar to Glory. Both Send Them Off! and
Blame are narratives videos following a story of the character throughout the song. This type
of video will appeal to audiences as they are interesting and engaging to watch. This
familiarity of music videos will also excite audiences when Bastille release a new music video
as they will forward to another story told by the song and the video.
Similar to how many of Bastilles videos are narrative videos, both Send Them Off! and Good
Grief feature a scene/shots of people running. This quirk is unique to Bastilles videos and is a
distinct styling of theirs. By having this scene in the narrative Bastille are able to link most of
their narrative videos together providing familiarity for audiences.

Throughout the video there are some intertextual references helping the
video relate and engage with audiences. One of the references is the start
and end of the video with the couple laying on the car, watching the
planes; this setting is very typically romantic and links in with the common
theme of aeroplanes being seen as shooting stars that people wish on.
This romantic setting will immediately tell audiences that the music video
is partly a love story and from the beginning and end scenes audiences
will recognise this.
Another intertextual references is the appearance of a typical American
cowboy. Twice in the video a man is shown to be riding a horse, in plaid
shirt and wearing a cowboy hat; this image is typically American and
audiences will recognise. This intertextual reference along with the
setting of typical American towns and highways allows the audience to
understand the setting of the story. This will be particularly familiar to
American audiences, allowing Bastille a British band to become familiar
with a wider audience.

Another striking American intertextual reference is the way the “glory” is in
very typical American colours of red, white and blue. This allows audiences
to instantly recognise this as American and ties in with the ideas of the
American dream and America being the land of glory, a place of success.
This idea can be recognised worldwide and is familiar to international
audiences which will help to expand Bastilles profile.
Bastille also reference their own band by having the symbol for their
album “Wild World” where Glory is listed, feature like a road sign. This
subtle reference allows the band to continue to drive their image to
audiences, making them become more recognisable and increasing
their success. This is also another quirk of Bastille and having a unique
logo that features is a typical feature of indie music videos.

Bastille also use other types of people as intertextual references
within this video; the first to appear are what audiences would
recognise as and label as “Goths”. The couple appear to be giving
another couple and their dog a lift somewhere. Instantly the second
couple can be identified as Goths from their clothes, makeup and
attitudes. This modern day subculture will allow audiences to create
links with the video and make the video recognisable.
The second type of subculture is that of bikers; these two men appear
to be rougher looking and be stereotypically labelled as more violent.
While the video goes on to prove this stereotype wrong, after
identifying it within the subtext, the characters are still instantly
recognisable and this allows the audience to relate their modern day
lives and the people/stereotypes they know to the video.

Music Video Analysis

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