Research: Music Video Analysis 6 - shot types and camera movement - James Bay

James Bay - Let It Go

The song is 4 minutes 12 seconds long and consists of 22 shots, with the shortest amount of shots in any music video I have researched, however I think the lack of shots is balanced out with the extravagant fire in the music video which is impressive in its self.

The establishing shot is a camera gliding forwards from behind a wall to show this shot. There is a similarity in the pop acoustic genre of showing the back of the artist and the star image before showing the front of them.

This is similar to other music videos and I am now beginning to pick up on certain trends as I have noticed they all tend to use natural lighting in their shots, and also tend to be sat down and wearing very casual clothes. The hat adds to this particular star image.


 This video has a similarity to Adele - Someone like you music video, I have not done a post on this, however I have noticed that they will do long shots of the star singing into camera, and then pan around the artist, zoom/fall into the artist back and cause a black screen in between versus or during instrumentals.

Also pan around the artist when they are meant to be singing however once the camera reaches the artists face they are not singing.

(shot from Adele - Someone like you, to compare)

 This reflection shot is similar to the shot in Sam Smith - I'm Not The Only One, and Mine by Taylor Swift.  I will definitely incorporate a reflection shot.

There is links to visuals of the chorus "just let it go" as the fire consists of their old belongings. I am aware I would not have the funding or the health and safety permission to actually cause a fire for a music video however I do like the lighting it provides and how it adds excitement to a simplistic video.

This is the second location of the music video and is about to go into the third location of a car and introducing a new character. This video only consists of four location, two characters and no outfit changes.

This is the third location. This shot seems to be successful and popular in narrative music video for example Beyonce - If I Were A Boy, as it explains the relationship between the two in the car and their atmosphere by where they are staring and their face reactions.

For example these four shots from Beyonce - If I were A Boy, all show different atmospheres in the car between the male and the female, and all have a different impact on how each gender role is being represented.




This has influenced my research and planning as I will now consider beginning with an over the shoulder shot of my star image playing the piano as my chosen song has an instrumental at the beginning and this will follow genre conventions. Another convention is the use of reflection shot as it has been in three of my similar music video research now. I like how the two shots of one person driving and one in the passenger seat can really show how the atmosphere and the representation of the relationship.