The document provides an analysis of Sia's "Chandelier" music video, directed by Daniel Askill. It summarizes that the video tells an autobiographical story about Sia's struggles with alcoholism and substance abuse through Maddie's interpretive dance. Scenes depict the emptiness of addiction and illusion of escape through partying. Various camera techniques like long shots, close-ups, and zooms are used to emphasize Maddie's fragile mental state and the bleak, repetitive nature of addiction. Mise-en-scene elements like plain clothing, dim lighting, and run-down props further reflect Sia's inner turmoil.

1. Daniel Askill - ‘Chandelier’
Lucie-Rebekah Carr

2. Chandelier

3. The Narrative
Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ is a music video that is said to be an autobiography. The representation of emotions through movements within the dance. It I about the
emptiness and pain that accompanies alcoholism and substance abuse. ‘Party girls don’t get hurt’ and ‘cant feel anything’ because they ‘push down’ the pain.
Drinking provides an escape, but in the ‘morning light’ she’s awoken to an empty life. The ‘feeling the love’ is an illusion for the party friends who have no
meaningful relationship when they all have the same addiction. In the morning light, the realization that Sia is now trapped in an endless cycle which leaves you in
feeling of humiliation. That if you keep your glass full and don’t look down you can attempt to avoid painful truth.
For this particular music video, Sia had chosen a child to resemble the fragile inner child she was. The shabby surrounding reflect the desperate and bleak state of
mind she’s in. The never ending dance routine flickering between the hectic and depressive moods.

4. Camera/Cinematography
At the beginning of the music video we are introduced to the empty, bleak apartment by the use of extended longshots from low angle shots, high angle shots
and long shots. The whole camera action throughout the music video follows the lead of the dancer Maddie. The multiple long shots at the beginning of the
music video allow us to see the different rooms from a range of angles. We are firstly introduced to the bedroom where we are able to see the state its in.
Wallpaper peeling, broken window, it looks almost abandoned. Within this shot we are able to see the silence through the movement of the curtains from the
wind. The only bit of life it has until Maddie steps in. We firstly see her holding herself up in the door frame looking rather alert. Here, a long shot is used allowing
us to see the moment of silent it all posses until the music kicks in. This is followed by a medium close up where we see Maddie fall to the ground and drag
herself towards the bed. At this point the lyrics contradict the screen action as, ‘Party girls don’t get hurt’ get Maddie falls to the ground and in struggle drags her
body to the bed.
Further on in the music video a medium long shot of Maddie in a nude leotard is shown. We see her stood by the fridge rubbing her stomach looking awake and
vigilant. To empathise this prolonged hunger to be loved a close up is then used so that were able to see her face even clearer. An extreme close of Maddie’s face
is used when she’s making a brushing-teeth like motion which she then drives her hand into the wall. By using this we are able to identify that in a symbolic way
she’s not coping with her life and that its driving her to the edge.
At one point in the music video we also see Maddie perform a dance routine in the corridor with the use of a long shot. It looks as if she’s throwing herself at the
wall connoting her mental state being unstable. She then goes onto continuously twist her body around in the small space she has making the scene feel
claustrophobic and as if this feeling she has is never ending. Maddie then rushes to the lounge again where she raps herself in the curtains as a sign of protection
and love. As if someone was to hold her tightly. Here the lyrics speak, ‘Wont look down wont open my eyes’ tis is when Maddie’s motions tears in her eyes by
wiping her fingers own her face in reflection of a tear falling. An big close up is then used and it looks as if the curtain is swallowing her up making her appear
breathless, as if someone was suffocating her. This is then followed by a medium long shot of her waving goodbye as she falls into the curtains and becomes out of
shot. The whole camera actions makes the music video appear to be a never ending river of hurt which keeps flowing through the empty apartment.

5. Mise-en-scene (CLAMPS)
The clothing throughout the music video is very plain and keeps to the same nude leotard throughout. This could connote the feeling of being naked, feeling
ashamed and embarrassed. That Sia is wanting to cover he feelings but they always remain visible for people to see.
Throughout watching the music video I found that the lighting was always dimly lit and quite dark. Although this could resemble the fact its an old abandoned
house where nothing no longer works there were lighter rooms with white walls and open windows flooding the light in. An example of this would be the
bedroom where no lamp or artificial light is used by only natural light from the outside peeks in. I also found in the video that when ever Maddie was dancing the
light would be dimly lit on her but her surrounding would have the bright white light. An example of where this occurred in the music video was when Maddie was
dancing in the bedroom. To me, I saw this as he darkness that Sia possessed within herself yet she has the help around her but chose not to take it.
The props were very much what you’d expect to see in a apartment. There were items such as; sofas, tables, chairs, fridge, mattresses and a desk. These items are
all very stereotypical to the basic home. Although the state of them were as if they’d been there for a long time with no care. The items were dirty, the bottom of
the chairs had rotten and the curtains were full of dust. This shows the frailness of the items and that they’d been there for a long time with no care and were at
risk of braking. Like Sia herself she’d felt so love for so long that she was at risk of braking down herself.

6. Editing Techniques - Audio
At the beginning of the music video the audio starts very broken and monotone. This non-diegetic section of audio at the start sounds like a vibration echoing its
way around the apartment as it shows us the various rooms. This reflects the emptiness of the house as the sound is so open and travels through the air. This is
followed by a drum-like sound hat leads into the song and this carry's on with no other effects added. Towards the end of the music video as the scene fades away
into a blur of darkness the audio echoes out and cuts off leaving us in silence for five seconds while staring at Maddie.
The music video uses a lot of cuts from scene to scene to make it appear quicker. The pace of the while music video is rather quick and only slows down during
scenes they want to emphasise. A tracking shot is used as Maddie moves from room to room making it appear smooth and swift. Multiple zooms are also used
when Maddie is still and not dancing to highlight the fact she’s stopped and it being unusual as she’s all rushed around and alert that for her to stops a big deal.
The slow zoom out at the end when all is silent and the screen turns into a blur could resemble her final battle with herself that she’s lost and no longer can pick
herself back up again.

7. Artistic Performance
Overall, visually his music videos are extremely satisfying and unique to watch. He covers so many levels within his videos which make the videos have such an
authentic feeling to his name. His artistic performances reach heights that no other music video director would have thought of. Daniel goes above and beyond
with his ideas. Always referring back to her original intentions and ideas of the artist.
Here, you can see that Daniel
has experimented with colours
and their tones. The dusky pink
and blue really compliment
each other and make the whole
appearance feel cold and
empty
The close up shots of the actors
let us see into the finer details
that we maybe were unable to
notice before
The close up shots of the actors
also allows us to get close with
them and get feel to what type
of life they’re living
The variety of angles/shots
used and the different levels
they’re seen gives the audience
less 2D feel but feel apart of
the dance