analysing music videos - summertime sadness

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Analysing a Music Video By James Hargreaves

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Analysing a Music Video By James Hargreaves

Lana Del Ray - ‘Summertime Sadness’

• The genre of the artist is indie pop/psychedelic and her songs have been remixed as well as used in films.

• In this song the artist sings about missing the feel of summer, reminiscing in the past

• The video correlates well with the mood of the song and uses a combination of narrative as well as performance elements to create the meaning of the lyrics on screen.

- The entire music video is filmed in a 1970’s vintage home video style. This creates the feeling that the summer has happened a long time ago and we are looking back on it like old memories. This ties in with the title of the song ‘Summertime Sadness’ as the artist sings about missing the past. Looking back on old footage can often leave you sad and wishing you were back there.

- The artist does perform in this video and starts by singing “kiss me hard before you go” this line connects with the audience as it could be interpreted that she is addressing someone (which the audience might think is them) so by showing her sing this line it means we are immediately engaged with the video and her performance. She is also dressed in a white top which means she stands out against the green shrubbery. It also gives the artist an almost angelic quality which is seen again later in the video.

- As the chorus starts some more fluid camera work is introduced to reflect the pace of the song. In this shot the artist stands in front of a projection showing telephone cables pass by. This could represent the artist feeling that things are just passing her by and that she has no control over the passing of events.

This shot is used a number of times throughout the video, and could be representing when you watch old footage over and over trying to remember the moment. This could be interpreted as the artist trying to remember the amazing summer she has experienced with her friends. Because of this storytelling aspect the video could be seen as a televised bard. As the artist is using the lyrics of the song along with creating audio-commentary to tell the story to the audience.

The artist does perform in most parts of the video. And because of the way the artist is represented throughout the video we could also say that this is a commercial exhibitionist. In this shot the artist is shown in a light pink light which highlights her features and beauty. She is also looking directly into the camera and is shot at a close up. This allows the audience to feel even more connected with the artist. This is a good way of selling the song through the video, by representing the artist in a positive way and making her desirable.

As the artist sings the line “honey I’m on fire” the video quickly jump cuts to some frames of fire being lit as well as the artist standing in a garden with a red and yellow filter having been placed over the footage. The editors have taken the lyrics literally for this line and decide to make it look as if the artist is surrounded by fire and heat. This jump adds an interesting look to the video and through the use of effective editing means that it is done subtly as well as well as effectively.

In a previous shot the camera moved into a statue of Jesus on the cross. In the next few shots the artist begins to raise her arms into the sky, mirroring the iconic position. This adds to the artists angelic look in the video, suggesting she is pure and godly. It could also be interpreted as the artist giving up. Now that summer is over she has nothing to live for and can not go on. She could be showing that she has nothing left by holding her arms out to the sky. This wide shot also isolates the artist in the frame as she is much smaller and cut of at the waist.

In conclusion the music video combines the narrative and performance effectively to create the feel of the song. The narrative techniques help emphasise the meaning of the song and visualise the words. This helps engage the audience into the song and video. Because it has been filmed in the style of a 1970’s video it could be said that the music video uses the ‘image and style scavengers’ technique in which the tone and look of the video has been borrowed from a previously existing text. The artist is represented positively throughout the video. Not only showing her musical talent by having a performance element in the video, but also having her dressed in white heavenly clothes with hair and make up on and emphasised through the tones in editing. Everything works together to create the feeling of loss and reminiscence that the song is about.