1. 1. Music Video Analysis.
2. 2. The scene then changes to a dark street where the camera pans to show the girl alive as hides behind the wall portraying her as invisible and alone. She also doesn't have wings however she is wearing the same clothes which tells the viewer that this is the night that she will die creating dramatic irony. The first words of the song can be heard here which are Give me love like her which suggests loneliness and jealousy. The music video starts with the sound of faint sirens and a birds eye view of what appears to be the murder scene of a girl with an arrow in her neck. She has white wings and is wearing worn clothing. As the sirens slowly get louder voices can be heard on a radio and we see a wide shot of a policeman. The camera follows him as he walks towards the victim then pans to show the scene as the music begins. As the lyrics continue to say Cause lately I've been waking up alone we see a long wide shot of a couple which the girl appears to be watching and the viewer understands that she wants love like that girl showing a direct correlation between the lyrics and the video and with Andrew Goodwin's point.
3. 3. We are then shown a wide shot of the girl sat cross-legged at the end of her mattress adding to the dramatic irony the viewer feels as that is the place she appears to die. Her blonde hair, pale skin and white clothes show her to be very light as well as the white sheet on her mattress around her and the white light coming from the lamp, however the light appears very small against the darkened surroundings in her home which looks like it is taking over. Here the darkness could be representing her negative feelings of loneliness and the small light that is left could represent her hope which seems to be going out. The camera then begins to zoom in on the girl which could suggest that the camera is also part of the darkness. We then see a close up of the girl sat on a mattress at what seems to be her home. The stone walls and emptyness of the room give off a lifeless feel and adds to the idea that she is lonely as it suggests she doesn't have the comfort of her home. Also a close shot of a black and white picture of a man and woman kissing is shown which reinforces what she doesn't have.
4. 4. We see her slowly look down and the viewer really begins to feels sympathy for her as they know that things aren't going to get better. We see her look up and a point of view shot follows of two wooden dolls that have been positioned embracing one another as the singer says I just want to hold you again illustrating the lyrics of the songs agreeing with Andrew Goodwin's theory. It could be suggested from the shots of the craft tools earlier that the girl has created these dolls and could have positioned them that way as a reminder of what she doesn't have. As the chorus starts we see close medium shots of the girl in some sort of pain as she writhes around grabbing at her back. We then see an extreme close up as she pulls a feather covered in blood from her back. We then see a wide shot of the girl sat in a cafe. The shot is being taken from outside the cafe looking in which could suggest that even the viewer can't help her. We are then shown a shot of craft tools before another close up of the girl on sat on her mattress.
5. 5. We then see a blurred wide shot from over the girls shoulder. This quickly comes into focus and the viewer sees that it is the singer Ed Sheeran who is also sat alone on another table. His appears to feel and act the same as the girl allowing the viewer to relate to him and his song as he appears alone too. The scene then changes to a close up of the girl as she appears to be crafting an arrow. We then see a long wide shot of the girl sat on a small wooden box near an open window now holding a wooden bow. We see a medium shot of her now holding the wooden dolls, however we see her focus more on one of them placing the other on the table suggesting that she is becoming more tolerant to being alone. We are then shown a close up of two girls walking together. This changes to a high angle shot of them which seems to be a point of view shot from the girl. We then see blurred long shots of the girl now with wings suggesting to the viewer that she could be some sort of angel and adding to the dramatic irony. We are then taken back to a wide shot of the cafe where she appears to be holding herself emphasising her loneliness as the camera pans to show her wings.
6. 6. We then see another close up shot of the girl holding the two wooden dolls. As she brings the two dolls closer together we see a wide shot of the boy in the tunnel talking to the girl and a close shot of the two girls about to kiss. The viewer now realises that the arrows make people fall in love suggesting that the girl is cupid. We then see alternating shots of two different stories. We see a long wide shot of the girl walking alone down a tunnel and a wide shot of the gril aiming her bow at the two girls as the camera zooms in. We then see a blurred shot of her aiming her bow at a boy in the tunnel with quite slow movements which could suggest that she has little effort or hope left. We first see a medium shot of an arrow hitting one of the two girls which appears to then turn to mist and a long wide shot of an arrow hitting the boy in the tunnel which also turns to mist as he is passing a girl. The mist could suggest it has some sort of magical quality and intrigues the viewer.
7. 7. We then see a series of flashbacks showing the couples she has made fall in love just before a medium shot from behind her as she stands at the edge of the building suggesting the series of flashbacks could be what she is thinking of. We then see the girl begin to lean forward and a close up shows her expresionless face suggesting that her loneliness has caused her to become suicidal. The scene then changes to an extreme long shot of the girl standing outside an empty building looking straight ahead portraying her as quite lifeless. As the chorus starts again she continues to make people fall in love and we see a long shot of her standing in the same tunnel she shot the boy. She appears to be standing where the girl had been reinforcing her envy of her. We are then shown a long low angle shot of a building where the girl seems to be standing on the top.
8. 8. We then see a close up of her wing as a drop of water falls from it which could portray her tears which fall on her wings rather than her face which remains lifeless. We then see another over the should long shot of a group of two boys and a girl. We see a medium shot of them as one boy is hit with an arrow and falls in love with the girl. We are then taken back to a shot of the girl now only holding one of the wooden dolls while the other can be seen thrown on the table suggesting she has given up. We then see the camera pan the group as the second boy is also hit with an arrow causing him to also fall in love with the same girl. This could suggest that the girls motives have become more sinister as she no longer cares and begins using her arrows for bad such as ruining friendships and relationships instead of creating them.
9. 9. The girl is then shown moving quite coldly through the crowd of people. As they dance around her they appear happy increasing her envious feeling as she strokes the tip of the arrow on different people in quite a threatening way. Also the light that appeared around her at the beginning of the video seems to have fully dimmed down and her head is bowed hiding her face showing how the character has developed throughout the song just as the song develops into a more demanding tone with the singer now shouting lyrics like Give me love. The music then also appears to take a turn as we see the girl walking slowly down a darkened corridor portraying quite an empty feel suggesting that she has lost hope. We can also see a light flickering above her which could also portray her hope going out. We then see a menacing wide close up of her right hand now holding an arrow like a knife while the outlines of different people can be seen in the background and it is suggested that these people are now in danger of her.
10. 10. There is also a quick shot of her in a wide tunnel as she appears and disappears to the beat in different areas along the tunnel conveying the idea that wherever she is she is alone. We are then shown more of her stabbing and dancing as we begin to see the consequences of her actions take place as the people around her begin to fall in love. We then see quick, cut to the beat shots alternating between her stabbing people with the arrow and close-ups of her dancing. Her eyes are closed and she is moving slowly suggesting she is in a world of her own and no one can stop her challenging the theory's of both Andrew Goodwin and Laura Mulvey who suggest that women are portrayed as sexual objects.
11. 11. The quick shots continue and a shot of the girl running away from the camera is shown going back to the idea that the camera could be like the dark and she is trying to escape it. We are then taken back to the shot at the beginning of the girl against the wall however this time it appears to be rewinding. As the fast music begins we are taken back to the close-up of the girl and the arrow which she now has the tip of against her neck suggesting she is getting ready to kill herself. We then see a medium shot of her falling over the edge of the building from earlier in the video and an extreme close-up shot of her face and hands as she holds an arrow close to her face. There is nothing in the background here forcing all your attention on her and the arrow. The shots of the people then begin to speed up with the music both of which seem out of control symbolising the girl herself showing a relationship between the lyrics and video. We are then taken back to the close up of her and the arrow as she appears to be readying herself for something as the arrow appears closer to her face.
12. 12. As the fast music slows the words My, my, my, my, oh give me love repeat as the viewer is taken back to the beginning of the music video to the policeman walking into the girls home. This time the camera follows him from behind alternating between the policeman and the girl dancing on her own. We see him walk into the room to stand above the girl's body. However, as the song ends the arrow turns to mist and the girls eyes open suggesting she isn't dead and a blurry shot of the policeman from the girls point of view is the last in the video. This suggest that the girl is now in love with the policeman. Throughout the video there are only two shots of the singer therefore disagreeing with Andrew Goodwin's point of there being many meat shots in a music video however towards the end of the song the video cuts to the beat accepting Andrew Goodwin's point of music videos cutting to the beat of the song.
13. 13. Throughout the video there are only two shots of the singer therefore disagreeing with Andrew Goodwin's point of there being many meat shots in a music video however towards the end of the song the video cuts to the beat accepting Andrew Goodwin's point of music videos cutting to the beat of the song. Laura Mulvey's theory of The Male Gaze is also challenged by this video is more about relating to the singer and the main girl in an emotional way rather than a sexual way. In my opinion I think this is a very effective music video as it gives a twwist to cupid and will relate to most people. I also think that the image of the girl appearing to be dead at the very beginning intrigues the viewer enough to make them want to watch the whole of the video and also enjoy the video more when they realise she is still alive at the end.