This song and music video presents alot of natural imagery an lyrics which link well both together as the video is shot outside using beaches, the sea, fields, road shots comparing these different areas to the relationship between him and the person he is singing about, bringing in the love of nature and the beauty of nature.
The first shot of the video is off a wheat field blowing in the wind. The use of the medium shot has some of the grass focused in the foreground while the background is out of focused, this makes the field feel at more depth making it more rich. The lighting in the shot from the backlight suggests the sun is rising, this could imply this is a new start, the lighting is very natural bringing a peaceful and soft setting and atmosphere to the beginning shots, there is also a lense flare where the light is hitting off the camera this brings a more warm and bright colour to the shot making the setting more realistic and full of life. The melody fits in with the swaying of the wheat in the wind as the song is very soft and relaxing fitting in with the breeze of the wind.
There are numerous medium and close up shots of Ben Howard walking through the field of wheat (0.19- 0.40) these shots contain the artist walking through the grass and field, touching the grass and tearing up pieces of grass as well, this could suggests to the audience he is on his way to somewhere, the way he is fiddling with the grass makes it seem he is thinking of something- being in his "own world" as if he is on a journey somewhere. His clothes are average atire and what people would wear normally during the day, his clothes are dark wearing blacks and greys, however I think this is effective as the darker his clothes are the more warm and rich the background of the field which also makes the eye focus on the artist as he stands out against the background with the dark colours contrasting. Through this sequence when making the tranisitions from shot to shot the lighting is used, there are flashes of red, yellows and oranges that hit across the screen from then sun, again using a lense flare which makes the straight cuts more natural, the lighting makes the shots warm and vibrant atmosphere.
The sequence uses a dolly shot using camera angles around the artists body it makes the shots have more movement and also as if the audience is on this journey with him following his footsteps behind him watching where this journey is going to take him.
After this simple sequence of walking there is a striking image of waves hitting across a cliff. The contrast of colours comparing to this shot to the walking sequences is much darker as there is blacks, browns and dark blues compared to the reds and yellows used previously. This gives a more threatening and darker image of nature, implying that it is dangerous and untamable, which links to the theme of a love song, as love can be both dangerous and threatening so this images of nature are a metaphor for this messge of love. I think this is also effective as when this shot comes on the singing starts so it stands out more and grabs the attention of the audience.
When introduced to the artist Ben Howard, it is a long shot of him of a dolly shot of him walking along a road. It is a very neutral image, the colours are more vibrant and warm against the artists costumes, he is wearing casual clothing which fits in with the mood of the song as being relaxed and calm. The colour of the video in these shots are almost a sepia contrast, this effect using the browns and dark greens give the natural and rich colour to the video giving a warm mood.
The use of the back lighting of the sun setting, makes the shot warm and vibrant with the brightness of the yellow from the sun, the natural lighting makes it realistic and conveys the theme of nature which is shown throughout the video. It gives a romantic feel to the shot having the medium shot of the sun setting behind the artist makes the eye focus on him as the back lighting is right behind him, making him stand out more in the foreground.
The video uses bold images to make the shot stand out, the use of the ocean in the video is used numerously to create this picture. The mixes of the dark ocean and browns and blacks of the rocks make the shot striking and stand out. The use of the extreme long shots of the sea crashing upon the cliff gives the previous message of nature being dangerous and uncontrollable, which contrast with the shots of the relaxed and calm scenes of nature of the calm waves of the sea. The lighting of the shot has changed to a duller and darker colour, this shows the mood of the long shots have changed to darker, and sadder tone. In the shot of the calm sea and the sufer swimming it is also a striking image similar to the shot of the ocean against the cliffs but in a more romantic, the lighting reflecting of the sea gives a more realistic and natural effect making the shot look like a "perfect" setting, while having the black silhouette of the sufer against the yellows and blues of the sea making the image of this person stand out and draw the eye of the audience.
There is a close up shot of hands and a fire, the lighting from the fire brings a warm and comfortable mood to the scene, from the colours of the reds, oranges and yellows. The shot is very cosy and warm, concentrating on the hands warming up in the fire makes the audience feel the same, they can image the heat and warmth coming from the fire.
A tilt shot is used on a long shot of the woods, this tilt shot makes the trees seem grand and outstanding, making them stand out in the shot. This shot continues the theme of nature, it is a very peacful scene, the sun beams through the trees which reflects off the camera using the lense flare making the shot rich and the colours of the greens and browns off the trees become more eyecatching to the audience. The camera work is quite shaky like a handheld camera, giving a point of view shot as if the audience are there looking up at these trees making them become involved in the video and making them witness what this artist is visualising.
The camera movement in this shot circles the artist, using also a close up shot so the audience can see the expressions and emotion in his face. This camera movement draws the eye directly onto Ben Howard, making the audience concentrate on what he saying and his message putting through. The circling effect using the camera suggests he is isolated and alone as the scenery behind him is rural and he is all alone so might imply that is in the world alone with nature. Ben Howard is looking directly at the camera making it seem to the audience that is talking to them, making them more involved and wanting to know how the story ends. The lighting of shot is very bright, the sky behind him is almost white this can imply innocence and purity of nature and also love which is denoted through the metaphor of nature being love.
When the music builds up more fast/straight cuts are used of striking and eyecatching images of nature. The colours of eat shot are bold and stand out amoung the screen compared to previous shots used in the music video. It gives a "wow" effect to the audience, it makes them want to be there in these shots and experience it. I think the use of the fast cuts are effective at this point of the music video as it is a build up to the ending, giving a fast pace feel gets the audience more into the video. In each shot the camera movement zooms in to the shot. The high angled shot of the night sky is effective as when zooming into the sky the camera also rotates I think this is effective as it fits into the space as being out there and unknowing, so the spinning effect creates a confused and unknowing effect to the shot. I think these shots are effective for ending the music video as it brings the beginng of the climax to the video.
This out of focused shot of the artist running away can suggest to the audience that he is running back to the beginning or because of the shot after this the setting becomes more dark and dull and the nature shown is dangerous so could imply that he is running back to the danger, but the out of focus shot could be a "cliff hanger" as the audience doesnt know what he is running from and where is going.
The colour of the scene is dark and gradient, it gives a dangerous and dramatic effect to the setting, the crashing ocean against the rocks and the artists being blown away in the wind gives the sense of extreme danger, however their is close ups and medium shots of him and his facial expression show he is enjoying himself by laughing and having fun in this dangerous
environment.
By the end of the music video the dark and dull colour of the different colours begins to use reds, greens and yellows to create the warm and rich colours that have been used throughout the video, giving a warm ending of the video. The end shot is a tracking shot of the road that previously the artist was walking on with the camera driving away from the place he has been standing, this could imply that his adventure is over or he has found what he is looking for. After this shot the edit of dipping to black is used to show the audience it is the ending of the video.
Overall I think this music video is really effective to show the lyrics and style of the artist, the use of the different shots of nature create a warm and beautiful setting for the video to be shot. The use of the warm and dark colours contrasting against each other throughout the video show the different moods of the shots and what the lyrics are putting across. The use of nature is a good metaphor for showing the good and bad sides of love.
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