The music video for "Apologize" by One Republic tells a narrative story through performance and editing techniques. It follows a man whose love interest breaks his heart, though she later apologizes. Throughout, he is seen intensely singing and playing instruments with the band, conveying raw emotion over the failed relationship. Technical elements like close-up shots of the singer's face, slow zooms, fades and lip-syncing match the sad tone. Mise-en-scene elements like a countdown and calendars suggest he wants an apology but it is too late. The professional quality of the instruments and recording equipment establishes One Republic as skilled musicians producing a meaningful song about the complex difficulties of love and relationships.

2. What are Music Videos?
A Music Video is a song combined with images made for artistic and
promotional purposes. They are also often used as a marketing tool these
days. The different types of music videos include: performance, narrative,
mixture, concept, cameo and animation. Performance is where the artists/band
perform through most of the music video. Narrative is where the music video
tells a story. It can be linked to the lyrical content and it is popular in songs
which are featured in movies as they often feature clips form the movie. It also
usually involves actors. In addition, some music videos often have a mixture of
different types but usually performance and narrative. Concept based music
videos are where music videos are based around a single idea or concept.
There are usually unusual and they utilize of a particular film or editing
technique. Cameo music videos are where the musician features in the
narrative but are not part of the story and do not perform in it. Animation based
music videos is where there is animation edited in. This can create
entertainment and creativity. Codes and conventions of a music video can be
separated into technical and symbolic. Technical includes how technology and
equipment are used to construct meaning within things like camera, editing and
sound. Symbolic is where meaning is created beyond what is obvious to see;
things like face expression and mise-en-scene

3. What I will be looking for in this
Music Video
For One Republic – Apologize I will be analysing the micro-elements of:
camera, sound, mise-en-scene and editing. Camera includes: shots,
movement, shot composition and lighting. A variety these help make the music
video look attractive and interesting. Editing includes: CGI effects, transitions,
cuts, diegetic sound, jump cutting, lip synching and level of sounds. Editing
helps create mood and atmosphere and it makes the music video more
effective. Sound includes: mainly the soundtrack, lyrics sound effects and
similar to editing; diegetic sound and effects. Sound is crucial as it is for a
music video. Mise-en-scene includes: lighting, costume, acting, props, set
design and colour . Mise-en-scene means everything in the scene. It is
effective because it adds to the message or the image that the music video is
trying to portray. These are all used in conjunction with each other to make a
music video more attractive to the audience so it is viewed more and therefore
more records are sold and profit is made.

4. One Republic-Background
• A rock band from Colorado.
• Started in 2002 and highly successful on MySpace.
• Apologize by One Republic was a light rock song released in 2006.
• With help from Timbaland, a record producer it reached number one in sixteen
countries and it still has the record for the most digital downloads today.
• had 10,331 plays on radio just in the first week of release.

5. “Apologize”-Plot overview
• A narrative and performance piece confronting the viewer with the complex difficulties
surrounding relationships and love between a boy and a girl. The ‘rope’ symbolizes
his holding on to her and his heartache, that the video, in its entirety explores.
However, she gives him the wrong messages and he risks everything for her, due to
his burning love but she breaks his heart.
• It concludes with her being too late to have such a precious man back. The lyric, “I’m
holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground” is said by the main performer at
the very beginning and the end to indicate how he reminisces about their love.

6. Key screenshots
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

7. 10 11 12
1
13 14 15
16 17 18
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSM3w1v-A_Y

8. Analysis
The first 3 screenshots are close-ups of the main character, the
closeness allowing the viewer to see the raw emotions that are vivid
and apparent in his facial features that denote his pain and anguish at
having his heart being broken. You will also note that there is a
deliberate focus pull also apparent as only the piano is clearly seen.
This is because the piano is the main instrument at the beginning of
the song. However, as the song progresses the other instruments
come into focus as they are added into the non-diegetic soundtrack.
Thus a mise-en-scene of a band practice is created through the
various instruments, and recording studio being seen throughout. The
editing throughout consists of mainly cuts but also many fades being
used too- indicating the intense pain that is ever so slowly fading
away. The lack of effects and jump cutting allow the viewer to really
engage with the slow and real pain that has been felt by the main
character. They are immediately sympathetic. The intense look on the
artists face also implies his passion in playing music and this would
interest the audience.

9. Camera 13, enable the audience to
The various close-ups ,such as in screenshot 12 and
see the intense emotion on the singers face. There are also various shots that
introduce Timbaland (screenshots 4,5 &15). These show that he is the producer of
this song especially as he is behind a sound desk, he almost seems like he co-
ordinator and composer with his hands outstretched directing them (4) . This shows
that it is a performance as you can see the band playing the piano, drums, violin and
singing. The constant shots showing the band members of One Republic playing
their respective instruments (14,6 &16) also show the skill shown in playing these
instruments and the emotion seen would captivate the audience and interest them. It
is also a narrative music video as you see a narrative throughout where a man
seems to get betrayed a by a girl. There is also a countdown which may signify that
it is too late to apologize and the time has gone for her to make amends. The man in
the narrative sees the girl he likes betray him but it is ‘too late to apologize’.

10. Sound
The sound includes the actual soundtrack which is important as it contains the lyrics
and the whole message of the song. The constant ‘eh, eh, eh’ of Timbaland reiterates
the fact that he is the producer and adds a certain atmosphere that connotes
reminiscing the past and sadness. No diegetic sound is used because it does not fit
with the track as it is just the instruments that provides the sound because it is mainly
a performance music video. The acoustic sounds of the instruments provide more of
a reflection compared to constructed sounds and enables to the audience to better
connect with the soundtrack. The sound desk (5 & below) also suggests
professionalism and that fact that the song was recorded live . This music video is
unique however in the face that the band who perform the song seem sad themselves
and seem to almost be part of the narrative or know of the pain caused by love and
this would encapsulate the audience enticing them further to relate to the narrative.

11. The lyrics themselves would apply to a large audience as love is a common subject and
it is about a relationship between a man and his lover that did not work out. Although this
may be a common narrative it seems to be more meaningful alongside the acoustic,
slow-flowing soundtrack that connotes intense emotion such as sadness and bitterness.
The various gaps in the music mainly before the chorus are also effective because they
make the chorus a build up which is effective as it attracts the listener to the chorus
which contains the main message of the song. Verse 1: “I’m holding on your rope, got me
ten feet off the ground I’m hearing what you say but I just can’t make a sound. You tell
me that you need me then you go and cut me down, but wait you tell me that you’re sorry
didn’t think I’d turn around, and say”. Chorus: “It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late I said
it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late”. Verse 2: “I’d take another chance, take a fall take a
shot for you and I need you like a hear needs a beat but it’s nothing new”. Verse 3 “I
loved you with a fire red-now it’s turning blue, and you say…“Sorry” like the angel
heaven let me think was you but I’m afraid” The song then has the chorus repeated 3
times and then ends with “I’m holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground”. In
verse one the rope may suggest his eagerness to make his lover happy and to be close
to her, it also suggests that she has him on a rope and has control over him. Her risks
everything but she gives him a false hope and mixed messages and cuts him down, Yet
she regrets it and apologizes but for him, it leads into the chorus that, it is too late to
apologize and he will not forgive her. In verse 2 he is willing to get hurt and he feels that
he needs her but it is not the first time she has broken his heart. In verse 3 it seems that
he loved her with a passion but this fire is slowly being extinguished. She seems like an
angel, that he thought heaven had sent him but he does not know if he can trust her
again. The last chorus and the line at the end may signify that it is too late for her to
apologize to the special person she lost but he still reminisces about their love.

12. Editing and Mise-en-scene
For editing various fades are used (like below) . These fades are mainly slow to keep with
the general pace of the song and to reiterate the theme of love, sadness and reminiscing
about a lost love. The lip-synching is also exact with the singer and this is probably
because the song could have been recorded live both for the music track and music video.
There are also slow zooms into close-ups (12&13) that enable the audience to clearly see
the intense emotion on their faces to bring the audience in to be part of the narrative.
There are no clear CGI’s used as it is a narrative about a person so it is not really needed.
The slow zooms, fades and cuts are simple effects yet highly effective for the this kind of
narrative. Within mise-en-scene there is a theme of time as a countdown and calendars are
in shots generally in a subtle way. These link well with the lyrics about the fact that it is too
late to apologize and the fact that there is time left on the countdown and many days left on
the calendar for the majority of the music video may suggest that the man wants his lover
to apologize but eventually it is just too late. The instruments and equipment featured
(1,5,7&16) look new and expensive and this could signify to the audience that the band are
professional. The clothes also suggest a wedding theme and this links well with the
narrative that it is an important occasion.

13. THE END
By Benjamin Chandra