The document discusses how various music videos inspired the use of symbols and techniques in the author's own music video. It summarizes how Tori Amos' "Spark" used a blindfold and hand tie to represent depression and helplessness over losing a baby. The author applied a mouth cover in their video to represent lack of voice. Linkin Park's "Numb" showed isolation through sped-up background people, which the author replicated. Close-ups in RÁJ's "Ghost" emphasized sadness, which the author also included. The document discusses using various locations and tints to represent isolation and sadness. It concludes by noting how Kanye West left a message at the end of "Diamonds From Sierra Le

2. TORI AMOS ‘SPARK’
•In Tori Amos' video ‘Spark’ the hand tie is symbolic of the artist's helplessness to save her baby
and I interpreted the blind fold to connote depression. Therefore, it perhaps suggests that she is not
ready to face the world and is overridden by the darkness and depression of losing her child.
Blind fold: The blindfold is a
symbol that represents the lack
of light in her life which links to
the lyrics ‘She's afraid of the light in
the dark’. There is a real emphasis
on her depression.
Hand tie: helplessness of saving
her baby.
Mouth cover in my music video:
It is a symbolic reference to the
artist’s lack of voice in society
The mouth cover in my video
and blind fold in the music video
‘spark’ are both black
reinforcing the theme of
depression and contributing to
the dull like atmosphere.
These symbols play a great part in constructing the narrative and trigger the emotion of utter helplessness in this video.
This has inspired me to use symbols in my music video to suggest meaning rather than making it very literal, for I felt like
the use of symbols added an enhanced meaning to the music video and made it more intriguing to watch.
Therefore, in my music video I used the mouth cover to translate the key theme of a lack of voice.

3. LINKIN PARK ‘NUMB’
•
The theme of isolation is captured in ‘Numb’ through its special effects, which I aimed to achieve in my music
video, which shares this common theme.
The isolated girl is
shown in normal
motion. In contrast the
people in the
background are sped
up, which
differentiates her from
everyone
else, deeming her as
an
outcast.
I applied a similar effect into my own video to represent
the girl as an outsider akin to the video ‘Numb’ . To
achieve this, I instructed my actress to stand still amid a
swarm of people, with a helpless and sad facial
expression, for around 10 minutes. Subsequently, at post
production, when it came to editing I increased the
speed duration of the shot to 950%. Therefore, it
appears to show the girl in normal motion without
movement, which is juxtaposed with the fast moving
world surrounding her, enhancing her isolation. Just like
the music video ‘Numb’ I feel increasing the speed
duration, I drew more attention to the outsider because
she was still, deeming her as abnormal.

4. LINKIN PARK ‘NUMB’ continuation
I experimented more with speed
duration throughout my music video,
often increasing the speed duration to
950% when showing the public to
enhance the artists segregation from
society.
I used these speeded shots as a
reoccurring theme/image throughout
my music video, just like the music
video ‘Numb’. After observing many
other music videos I also found that
many included such reoccurring
images to reinforce the key themes of
the music video. In my case, using
the reoccurring shots throughout the
video reinforced the artist’s isolation
and showed as well as binding the
structure of my music video. Including
such shots in the beginning, middle
and end of my production suggested
the endless day to day process of the
artist being ignored as well as the
lack of change in her life
(monotonous lifestyle).

5. RÁJ ‘GHOST’
•
This music video has inspired me due to the sheer sadness and depression conveyed and sustained
throughout the music video. One way in which this has been achieved is through regular closeups/medium close-ups of the actress , which emphasises her facial expressions, which displays signs
grief of losing a loved one. One example of this is the close-up shot showed below. I liked this
because the women’s face is at the edge of her frame, perhaps indicating her vulnerability. In
contrast, many pop songs, when reinforcing a confident women, shows a women in the middle of
the frame a lot of the time, looking at the camera, signifying that she is in control. Additionally, the
beautiful background contrasts and therefore enhances her glum mood.
My music
video
RÁJ ‘Ghost’
•
In my music video, I also showed regular close-ups of the girl in various locations to
portray her sadness. Placing her in beautiful settings like the locations in ‘Ghost’
represents society as a façade of beauty, with the music video suggesting the reality of
life beneath such beauty. Additionally, it shows no matter what location she is need
sadness prevails. This music video has driven me to follow the life of the isolated girl in
my story through regular shots of her in various different places and to represent her in
isolation, like the music video shown above has successfully achieved. Additionally, the
shot in ‘Ghost’ has blue tints to consolidate the artists sad emotional state. Similarly, in
my video I included this blue tinge in few shots.

6. CONTINUATION RÁJ ‘GHOST’
Additional close-up/medium close-up shots I used to emphasise sadness and distress like
shown in ‘Ghost’.

7. CONTINUATION RÁJ ‘GHOST’
•
I loved the location shots here, which made me realise the importance of location in
conveying a tone as well as its aesthetic beauty. The woman here is surrounded by
natural imagery, which is a contrast to her deep sadness. Through the various different
locations, the message I took was that wherever she went, no matter how
beautiful, she dragged this bitterness with her. Therefore, for my music video I captured
various natural sceneries to conflict with the main actress’ mood and to show that
there is no escapism.
RÁJ ‘Ghost’
My music
video

8. KANYE WEST ‘DIAMONDS FROM
SIERRE LEONE’
• I admired how Kanye left a message
to the audience at the end of his
music video.
• Therefore, I was influenced and
inspired by this and have used a
quote at the end of my video to
leave the message that everyone
has a voice and to integrate
secluded individuals into society. Like
Kanye West’s video I feel like the end
quote reinforces the themes
portrayed in the video.