Textual analysis of music video - Train (hey soul sister)

Mise en Scene

The setting shown is in the street with an emphasis on a small café where the band is positioned outside. The band being outside enforces a sense of natural music that is original and free – it shows that the band has been able to break out into the mainstream and be accepted by society.

A main colour used is white in certain environments everything is colored in white and is then tarnished by the lyrics moving through the screen – this creates the background to the musical lyrics and shows that words can colour and create many different moods and bring an ‘empty’ room to life.

The costumes seen are plain and lack pattern the band members are seen wearing: black, white and grey and so are the members of public this is so that the main emphasis is on the lyrics moving through the street not the public. The lyrics running through the scene create a quirky feel to the music video and allow the true meaning of the words to be absorbed. Also due to the band and public being dressed in similar clothes it allows them to be treated as being on the same level as society and nothing higher this allows potential audiences to relate to them on a more personal basis.

The items that carry the most colours seem to be the street props such as the New York water hydrant that is colored in yellow and the red stop sign these features create verisimilitude and reinforce the street scene.

Camera shot and movement

Long shots are used of the band so you can see them in their environment however they are difficult to identify as they blend in this helps them seem more normal again and makes the audience feel more at ease. Using a long shot also allows the audience to see the bands attire and attitude which seem relaxed and calm.

The close ups used also reinforce the laidback style of the singer but also show us the passion and emotion behind his words showing that the song comes from his heart and should evoke a feeling from the audience as deep as the feeling he is expressing – close-ups also help in identification which is a big issue with up and coming artists.  

Another shot used is a high angle shot this makes the audience feel inferior to the band and therefore shows that the band value their audience and place them of great importance.

Editing

The editing used is mainly straight cuts this creates realism which is ironic since the situation is quite absurd however there are some jump cuts used to emphasize certain aspects of the video for example a jump cut is shown of a cup of tea and a dog etc… this again relates to the inclusion of the band into main stream living.