Textual Analysis - Music Video Goal Pt.1

As I want to start forming ideas as to what I want my music video to look like, I've researched videos that I find inspiring. By researching and analysing these videos I will gain information on techniques and concepts I'd like to explore in my own video.

The first video I have chosen to look at is Take Shelter by Years and Years. I chose this video mainly for the use of visual narrative that isn't directly linear to that of the lyrics, but still makes sense within the context of the whole music video. Another reason I have chosen to look at this video is that I like the use of techniques such as panning and lip sync within the video as I feel the director has been creative with his shots in order to tailor the video more specifically to the song, in comparison to a more mainstream and commercial song.

The first shot in the music video is an extreme close up on a girl, this is an incredibly intimate shot, combined with the glimpse of matted hair and streak of paint smeared across her face and the fact that this shot is much shorter than most of the other shots in the video, gives the audience the feeling that there is something wild or mysterious about this character.

The next shot is of the band, walking through woodlands, establishing that the band will be present throughout the video, also that there will be some form of journey throughout the storyline of the video.

There is then an out of focus, fast paced pan of the girl (Emily) running out of shot. The audience are aware of the fact that Olly (pictured in centre of screenshot above) has seen her as he turns and then runs after her, this shows the audience that there is now a chase. Next we are shown a shot of a symbol painted onto a tree, as it is the same colour yellow as was on the girl's face, the audience know that it has relevance to her. The audio of the song begins and the video commences.

The next two shots work in conjunction with each other as they establish that the boy and the girl are from different worlds, as he is inside a office block type building and she is in the woods yet they still seem connected through the direction of their gaze.

The video is constantly punctuated with shots of sunlight through trees so as not to let the audience forget that these surroundings are unfamiliar to the boy but also to allow the audience a sense of location.

The shots of the boy inside the building continue to be shown, now with projection and occasionally other band members in shot, this begins to illustrate the sense of these shots being more like the boy's thoughts. There's also a slight feeling of power play between the two main characters as in the shots of him being inside, the boy seems entirely in control. Yet in the shots of the girl, now dancing, she seems to be mesmerising the gaze of the boy and the band.

The two main characters then make eye contact and the audience are shown progression in the storyline through connection through the previously separate characters.

The video ends on an almost identical shot as it began, giving the storyline a cyclical feel, letting the audience know that although there has been a journey within the video, and the characters have experienced it, they might not remember it or be affected by it. It also never answers who actually wins the power play, leaving the audience with a feeling of mystery.