This music video for "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan promotes the 2010 FIFA World Cup by representing different cultures united through their love of football. It uses steady camera shots and medium close-ups to clearly show people of all backgrounds celebrating together. While the location is never shown directly, football imagery implies a stadium setting. Through colorful costumes and musical styles, the video depicts South Africa and portrays how sports can bring people together across borders.

1. A2 G324 Advanced Portfolio Short Film Textual Analysis Worksheet Support
Short Film Textual Analysis Support
Wavin’ Flag by K’naan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXUr4rh2LRE
No. Element Textual Analysis Area
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2. A2 G324 Advanced Portfolio Short Film Textual Analysis Worksheet Support
1. Camera angle, movement and position
2. Micro • Where is the camera positioned within the scene? Why do you think
it has been positioned there?
In this music video the camera is generally steady and straight forwards in
3. the medium shot position with occasional low angle shot or close up. They
have positioned the camera this way to create clear clean shots and also to
show the maximum in the shot without losing intimacy with the audience
4. by being too far away.
• What shot types are used? What meaning is created?/How are camera
5. angles used to suggest character representations?
The first shot is a close up of a football so we immediately know that this
video represents football. There are lots of slow motion medium shots of
6. different cultures cheering for their team. These shots are all very much
the same as each other; with the people in them doing the same thing.
This has been done to show that all people from all cultures are really the
same ‘just people’ and have all been brought together by the sport. When
the first singer is first introduced the camera zooms out of him whilst he
sings in English. When the second singer is introduced the camera zooms
into him whilst he sings in his language. This represents the two singers as
very different in the way that they are from different cultures but also the
same as they are both singers, singing for the same cause.
• Consider camera movement? How does this create meaning?
The shots are generally very still to make the audience focus more on what
is in the shot. There is more movement used for transitions such as
zooming in very quickly before moving onto another shot. This adds
movement to the shots to make them more interesting and to intrigues the
audience into watching what’s going to happen in the next shot. When the
singers are singing in the shots the camera jumps slightly as if the drum
beats are so loud they are making the camera jump. This very much
represents the country South Africa where the world cup was held and its
ethnicities; emphasising the drums being used with this camera shot. Slow
motion has been used in the shots where people are cheering which
exaggerates their excitement and makes it last longer to show effects the
world cup has on people all over the world.
• What is the depth of field and how does this impact on the meaning?
Narrow depth of field is used in the first shot, only the football and the
persons foot is in focus this highlights this too elements in this shot and
shows they are important. This is again used in some of the shots of
people cheering to highlight them and their emotions. On the other hand
for the majority of the music video, deep focus is used to make everything
the shot focus and clear for the audience to see everything in the shot.
Framing
• How have characters/locations been framed? What meaning is given
through this choice of framing?
The location of a football ground is never shown in this video but things
like footballs have been framed in such a way that you cannot see that it is
a football stadium but you know it is as you can see thing which belong in a
football stadium such as a the edge of the goal and people cheering in the
in rows which are clearly stands. In the beginning the singers are framed
along in a medium shot with a blank background which shows their
importance. Later in the video they are shown in shots with backing
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3. A2 G324 Advanced Portfolio Short Film Textual Analysis Worksheet Support
8. Macro Genre Specific elements; codes and conventions
• What codes and conventions have been followed/challenged?
Consider all micro elements (camera angle, movement, position;
9. sound; editing; mise en scene) as well as macro elements
(representation; narrative)
Although this is a music video it still has a genre. I would categorise this
10. into sport primarily and then secondly culture and ethnicity. In this music
video they have used many sports conventions such as close ups on the
action like the ball landing in the top left corner of the goal, the animations
11. of the footballs in the background and also the celebrations and tensions
12. shown by supporters during the matches. They have also used many
cultural conventions such as bright colours to portray every culture and
depicture South Africa as the world cup 2010 location. Furthermore this
music video suggests different cultures are brought together through sports
like football.
• Are audience expectations of this genre satisfied/challenged?
The audience’s expectations are definitely satisfied as this video is a
promotion of the world cup so it must satisfy the audience in order to do
its job and as the world cup has such an almightily audience the music
video needed to meet everyone’s criteria.
Narrative
• How is the narrative being told? From whose perspective are the
audience viewing the film? (Consider characters, first/third person)
As this is a music video it has less of a narrative. This music video in
particular is more of a promotional video for the world cup. The audience
view this music video from many perspectives as all the different cultures
are shown in this video.
• How is the concept of time represented?
The concept of time is irrelevant in this video other than the fact that it is
the 2010 world cup.
• What part do the characters play in moving the narrative along?
Does not apply to this music video.
• What is the narrative structure?
This music video does have a slight structure in the sense of it starting off
calm and then bursts into excited followed by a calm finish again.
• How will the audience understand the narrative?
It is made very clear that this music video represents the world cup.
Representation(s)
• Context? What time is it set (Past/present/future)? How does this
impact on the character representations (consider societies views)?
This music video is set in the present days as and when the world cup was
happening. People in the music video are represented as being very
excited which shows that it is a present event.
• How are the characters represented through the use of the camera,
editing etc; the micro elements; how do the micro elements build a
representation for each character (what ingredients makes up the
character)?
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4. A2 G324 Advanced Portfolio Short Film Textual Analysis Worksheet Support
Ideas Generation/Reflection Area: It is important that you reflect on what you have
learnt from the short films you have analysed. You need to show a clear development/journey
starting from your research, which then influences your planning, and therefore your
production and you will then reflect on this in your evaluation. Consider how you could use
the techniques in your own production, or perhaps you have decided not to use a specific
technique because it wasn’t successful in the short film you analysed.
Ideas Generation/Reflection Area
What have I learnt from the construction of this short film? How can I apply any
of these techniques to my own short film?
I have learnt that a few simple ideas such as football and culture can be made into very big
productions.
Also I have learnt that simple camera angles can be used repeatedly so long as there is a reason
behind it.
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