Textual anaysis of a music video - The Plain White T's (hey there Delilah)

Mise en Scene



The main colour featured in the music video is blue expressing freedom however also reflecting the fact that the song is based on a sad theme the colours used when we see the artist singing are white and when we see the girl he is singing about the colours change to bright tones: this conveys the idea that it is her who brings the colour into his life, this is similar to the highlighting of his guitar another key feature of the video.

The costumes shown are quite plain and simple the artist is wearing a grey top and jeans and the girl is wearing a skirt and coat that blend into the blue background this is so that they do not stand out in the music video and just become part of the scene

The video is set in a street in what seems to be New York this is shown from a low angle shot making the audience feel inferior and distant, which is a common theme in the song. Another environment is a white/cream empty room that highlights the emotions of the singer – loneliness.

Camera shot and movement

The whole music video is shot with a split screen which connotes the idea of distance and different perspectives, as usually the band is shot in one section and the girl in another. This allows the audience to gain a sense of recognition and understanding of the generic elements – it is a quirky way to view a music video that emphasizes the indie genre.

Long shots and pans are used of the girl in New York Street and the artist and his guitar this links the two people together and shows their relationship but it also shows the audience the action and passion behind the artist’s song.
 

Close ups are used often to highlight main focal points of the video for example we see the artists lip sand his musical instrument we also so the girl’s lips reflected in a mirror again highlighting their relationship. The close ups also show to the audience how these features are key to the development of the music video.

Editing

The editing used consists of straight cuts and swipes this reinforces the reality of the situation and also the reality of the artist’s emotions meaning the audience will take them as an artist more seriously, and also keeps the music video running seamlessly.

Genre and Representation

The indie genre is shown through the quirky style of the screen layout and also the saturated blue tone they both signify that the audience is looking for something different and out of the ordinary.
The artist shown in the video is quite youthful, however is shown to be taken seriously - he is singing of long distant love. However the female is stereotypically shown to be applying make-up and looking pretty which reinforces the dominant ideology regarding a womens appearance.