The music video uses interconnected tracking shots and reverse shots to create a surreal dream-like sequence with creative changes in location through zooms. It stands out by not using close-ups of the singers, relying instead on natural lighting and locations like underwater to intrigue audiences. The complex narrative leaves viewers watching multiple times to understand its deep meaning, reunifying characters at the end to create familiarity and irony with the recurring dream theme.

1. Favourite music video

2. Cold Mailman - My Recurring Dream
It uses interconnected tracking shots, which overwhelms
the imagination. It obviously has had a lot of planning
gone into it, as it has been executed so perfectly. It's a
really surreal video. The Title, 'My Recurring
Dream', suggests it is a peculiar dream sequence. The
song is more conventional and fits into the mood of the
music video. The harmonies give this song a majestic feel
and decorate what would otherwise be a fairly decent
guitar-pop song, transforming it into something more
engaging and magical. You get lost in the video and the
song, as they both feel interesting and meaningful.

3. It also uses reverse shots which uses a play of time with a unique
editing composition. The change of location is done in a very creative
way, through a TV or a picture, a portrait or a banner and introduced
with a zoom to make It feel almost 3 dimensional. Unusually it does
not use close ups or extreme close ups of the singers which is very
rare from a normal conventional music video. Although this can be
seen as a negative because it doesn’t convey a feel of closeness to the
musicians, it works just as well as the narrative is so intriguing and
versatile. The film also relies a lot on natural lighting eg car headlights
and fire, which makes the frame colourful and not artificial. The
narrative is very complex and has a deep meaning but this is a
technique used to make the
audience watch it over and over
again to try and understand it or
see if they are missing out on
anything, it is used by many artists such as
Avril Lavigne with ‘Rock and Roll’.

4. It also uses the editing tool of fast forwarding the moving
image which again embraces the feel of playing with time.
Using multiple locations can create a sense of high
expectation on the performance, so using unique areas such
as underwater with also the use of props; it catches the
attention of the audiences and therefore is a successful music
video. Also mismatching the theme to the location eg wearing
clothes and surrounded by lampshades as props underwater
and wearing a suit while skateboarding creates a contrast of
mise en scene and location making it original and exciting. It
takes you on many journeys by using a tracking shot; it makes
you feel like you are following each character/characters into
a completely contrasting adventure as the one just before,
keeping it fresh and new for every scene, the reuniting of all
the main characters in the scene are shown towards the end
giving the video a feel of familiarity, this will be more
noticeable when the audience watch the video again which
they hopefully will to confirm there interest in the narrative.
Ending the music video with the same establishing tracking
clip creates a sense of irony with the title ‘Recurring dream’.

5. The hospital scene is used at the beginning
AND the end of the video.
This is an example of the rewinding technique.
Using a TV as change of location method.

6. We do not have a close relationship with the singers
but instead we follow them; creating a sense of
mystery and illusion.
Natural lighting with car headlights.
Example of Fast forwarding technique.

7. Using unique locations to make the music
video original
Contrasting use of mise en scene and location.
Using the same finishing shot with establishing shot
creating a sense of irony with the song