Analysis of Artistic Techniques/Editing - 'Breathe Me' (Sia Furler) - 2007

Although this music is from the ‘Power Ballad’ genre, I really like the way that the editing and cinematography has been used in order to produce the Still Motion technique. It is a similar technique to the one of Stop Motion and I really think that it adds narrative to the video. At first, I looked at the music video without the music and thought that the song must be quite fast in speed (as I have never heard of it before) because of the pace of the cuts between the shots. However, the fast cutting rate/rhythm of the shots I now think suits the tempo of the song and I might actually try do this technique because it could suit the speed of the ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ song that I intend to use. It also could be used to create a narrative (such as a person looking back at relationships/memories by using a photo album).

Analysis of Cinematography - Length of Shots & Narrative

Although the genre of this music is not of Alternative Rock and is of Pop Rock, I have chosen to analysis this music video because of the cinematography used mainly (there are a few other features that I will discuss as well).
   To begin with, the first shot used is a close-of the musician for the video (Brandon Flowers) and he is looking downward with his eyes semi-closed. He then looks up to a point at which the audience cannot see (creating a sense that the character knows more than the audience and so they want to continue watching in order to find out what happens). This is a long take because the initial shot last for about one minute eight seconds and slowly zooms out gradually. Furthermore, the camera is shaky and so a hand held camera was probably used in order to bring tension and suspense to the narrative. The cutting rhythm is affected because the cut to the next shot is prolonged so that the sense of danger is built and subjective time is created because the long take enables the audience to feel how he feels – weak and unable to move easily like the camera.
   When the long shot is shown of Brandon, he looks right past the camera at something and an explosion occurs next to him following a man with his arm on fire flying past. This is when the theme of crossfire is introduced because the narrative shows that he is caught in the middle of it with whoever he is looking at. When the female character is finally shown, a motivated cut goes back to Brandon’s facial expression and the audience see him looking hopeful for the first time – showing that she has come to help him. It is then followed by a sequence of mid and close up shots in order to built the narrative and show their relationship.
   This relationship is supported and developed because a similar situation is then shown when a jump cut to the next scene is used. This implies that she is the hero in the narrative and that he is the one that needs saving every time (a role reversal from the stereotypical narrative of the male saves the female). This enables the narrative to become like a film because of the detail and moreover, neither of the characters ever look at the camera – Brandon always looks beyond the camera and the female does the same. It is like the audience it just a spectator and is not in the action. This loss of direct address is just like a film because the fourth wall is not broken – which normally is broken in a music video.

From this music video, I have widened my knowledge of the length of shots that I could use for effect and that maybe the cutting rhythm doesn’t have to be really faced paced. Also, I know that the narrative can be really creative and have a film-like edge to it in order to create a wider audience and make the repeatability increased.

Analysis of Cinematography/Mise en Scene - Lighting & Colour (Pendulum's Witchcraft)

I have chosen to analyse this music video because I like the way that the strobe lighting effect has been used to bring drama and tension to the video. The lighting effect used when the woman is floating in the water creates an ‘eerie’ effect against the water background and implies the witchcraft theme to this woman; firstly being because she is a woman and that witchcraft was associated with women and also because the haze effect that is produced by the light hitting her at that angle from above. However, it contrasts to the idea that witchcraft is evil because bright lights have connotations towards the heavens.

Furthermore, the crystal ball shapes used in the mise en scene really amplifies the witchcraft theme because they are linked to ‘crystal gazing’ and foretelling the future. This progresses the narrative of the music video and helps to explain the distorted shots of the band singing. This is an example of the ‘Notion of Looking’ because it is as if the audience is looking through a crystal.

Another important factor that I think really enhances the witchcraft theme is the colours used for the water and how the lighting effects that. When the woman is in the water, the background is a purple colour and purple has connotations to poison; therefore linking back to the title and theme of witchcraft in the music video. Also, the black/darker shaded ribbons (or like an ink fluid) that shoots through the water towards her creates a narrative because the audience know that something is going to happen to her. At the end of the video, the ribbons wrap around her and she is pulled backwards away from the camera – as if she has been lost from the audience (direct address). 

The shards of rock that start to reassemble around the band involves them with the narrative because it suggests that they are involved with the witchcraft – also supported by the strobe lighting effect used (which matches with the beam of light on the woman at the beginning). A performance video aspect is introduced as well because the special effects may have been used in order to create a performance and entertainment element to the video – as this increases repeatability for the audience.

What I have learnt from this music video is that I should really think about colour combinations and effects that can be created by the use of colour in order to see if it could link to the narrative. Lighting is a very important aspect that I should consider when deciding my genre of music because I think that the strobe lighting used in this video fits well with the electronic genre.