1. Music Video Analysis
The final videoIhave chosentoanalyse isSaidit All bythe pop bandTake That,the videowas
directedbyLindyHeymann whohasalsoworkedonmusic videosforotherartist’srelatedwiththe
popgenre,suchas FaithlessandSuede.The musicvideocontainsaperformance bythe bandalong
witha narrative enigmaoccurringthroughout,withthe circustheme beingfeaturedthroughoutthe
musicvideo,whichisevidentthroughthe mise enscene of the musicvideo.The musicvideobegins
witha mediumshotof one of the bandmember’s:MarkOwen,walkingthroughacorridorslowly
whilstlookingdownatthe floorwithquite amournful expression.Thisexpressionisparallel withthe
song’sinstrumental,whichisalsoquite slow andmelancholy.
Extreme close upshotsof the bandmembersintheirclownmakeuphighlightsthe ironicnature of
the costume withthe stereotypical humorous conventionsassociatedwithclownsincomparisonto
the sombre nature of the song and alsothe facial expressionstheydisplaysuchasGary Barlow’s
whichisquite a despondentexpression.The settingof the musicvideointhe beginningsectionis
backstage of a stage location;the use of thissettingfurtherhighlightsthe performance aspectof the
musicvideoandalsocreatesthe feelingof acircus style video. Eachof the band membersare
dressedasclownsbutwithdifferentstylesof make-upandcostume,whichcreatesthe feelingof
individualitybetweenthe group.Individualityisevidentinparticularwiththe clowncharacterJason
Orange is playing,withblueoverexaggeratedlips;blue hasthe connotationsof glumnessandisalso
anotherexample of ironywiththe usual connotationsof clowns.
The charactersare establishedby
theircostumeswhichare quite flamboyantwhichistypical of the usual clowncostume,however,in
comparisontotypical clowncostumeswhichusuallyfeature ostentatiouscolours,the band
members are dressedindarkredtones whichhave denotationsof passion,whichrelatestothe
lyricsof the songwiththe undertonesof arelationshipbreakdown.The character’seachhave props
that are associatedwithclowns andso
therefore are examplesof iconography.
Withthe iconicclownimagesandprops
such as bowlingpins,aclownwig,clown
glovesanda circus hat.These helpto
establishthe clownandcircusaspectof the
narrative andthe performance. There isan
extreme close up shotof one of the band
members:HowardDonaldfeaturedinthe
sequence of the musicvideomakingdirect
2. addresswiththe audience,asdirectaddressisused,there isaconnectioncreatedbetweenthe
bandand the audience. Directaddressalsomakesthe audience feel empatheticforthe character,in
particularhere,where the characterlooksasthoughhe isemotional aboutsomethingthatisn’t
reveleadtothe audience,whichfurtherillistratesthe narrativeenigma.
The enigmanarrative beginswith close upshotsof the bandmemberspreparingtheircostumesfor
whatappearsto be an onstage performance.The
close upshots create a sombre feelingforthe
audience astheirfacial expressionsandlingering
staresintothe distance or makingdirectaddress
to the audience are parallel tothe lyricsof the
song:“staring intospace”.The use of parallel
actionto the soundhelpsto create a more
emotional appeal forthe musicvideo. Multiple
overthe shouldershotsfeature throughoutthe
videoof the characters applyingmakeupinthe
mirroror staringintentlyattheirreflection.The overthe shouldershotshelptocreate asense of
empathyforthe characters and the audience asthe audience cansee whatthe character is looking
at, for example here,the clownpersonaHowardDonaldisportrayingisapplyingthe blackeyebrow
makeuptohimself.The use of the colourblackconnotatesa sense of grief,whichisparalleltothe
underlyingtone of the song,whichisabouta relationshipbreakdown. Inthe mise enscene through
the overthe shouldershotisHowardDonald’sreflectioninthe mirror,inthismirrorreflection
Howard’sreflectionis disconsolate whichfurtherestablishesthe sombre tone of the songandthe
lyrics. The narrative continuesontothe band member’sintheircharactersperformingonstage in
frontof an emptyaudience,thissuggeststhatthe
character’shave metaphoricallylosteverything,
whichissymbolisedthroughthe emptyseatsand
despite this,findsomekindof solace through
theirdancingandperformingonstage.The
lightingislow key,withanoff yellow colour
illuminatingthe stage.The off yellow colourhas
negative connotationsof:cowardice,deceit,
betrayal,jaundice,illness,faithlessness,
unrequitedlove,hazardandemergency.The main
negative connotationthatappliestothismusic
videoisthe theme of betrayal;thisisestablished
throughthe lyrics:“Hurt beginstofade as you
finda new direction”whichsuggestthatthe
narrator of the songhas experienceda
breakdownof a relationship,where the other
personhasmovedon,despite themtryingtofix
things.
3. Towardsthe endof the narrative of the musicvideo,eachbandmemberremovesthe make upfrom
theirfaces;thisissymbolicof the “newbeginning”andfreshstartthe characterswill have after
acceptingthe endof the relationship.
