Estelle Naughton Monday 27 th October 2014 Due on Monday 3rd November 2014

Media Homework – Music Video Analysis

Analyse a music video in terms of genre theorist Lacey and his idea repertoire of elements, including characters, narrative events, iconography, setting and technical/audio scores.

I am going to analyse a music video entitled ‘I’m not the only one’ by Sam Smith by

applying Lacey’s repertoire of elements. This song is currently number 10 on the top 40 UK charts; I believe this is due to the elaborate music video as well as the meaningful and beautifully sung lyrics. This video is a combination of narrative and

performance style of video, it’s classed as a narrative because of the in depth and concise story it creates before the musical score begins and throughout the video

and I also believe it is a performance video due to the acting of the characters represented within the video but also jump cuts or cross cuts of Sam Smith singing the song within the music video, acting as a narrator to the story told throughout the

music video which again indicates a narrative style to the video.

In the music video, there are three main characters within the music video with Sam Smith singing in the non diegetic sound, however in some edits it looks like a cross cut as it looks like he is singing in the bar of which two of the other characters are

which creates dramatic irony as it is undoubtedly relatable to the specific point or points in the music video. He looks as if he is performing in the bar due to the red

curtain behind him and the high key lighting in a oval like space, indicating a spot light but on the other hand, he could just be performing and not in the bar. Even before the musical score is played, we get a back story to the characters and even

from this small part in the music video, we learn a lot about the characters. Within the diegetic sound, we understand that the female character is a housewife who

waits on her husband hand and foot whilst he is too busy to realise the effort she is putting into being his wife and the marriage itself. An establishing shot of the house if the first thing that comes into frame, over which we hear the female character telling

her husband she made him breakfast within the diegetic sound, to which her replies he’s in a ‘bit of a rush’, suggesting his ignorance to her feelings, attempts to make

him happy and the effort she’s put in. Before we even engage with the characters we get a brief idea that he as a husband isn’t very affectionate and appreciative of the things his wife does for him. The first character we meet as an audience is played by

Dianna Agron who portrays a devoted housewife linking to the 1950’s with her dress, hair and makeup. Her character is very 1950’s with her character staying at home

and suggesting being a traditional housewife by making him breakfast however the audience’s idea of her changes throughout the video as the events unfold. The second character we meet as an audience is the male character, the husband of the

female character played by Chris Messina who strikes the audience as being cold towards his wife and when he brushes off her attempt at making him breakfast, we

suspect he’s on his way to work, reinforcing the 1950’s style including stereotypical gender roles. Despite the music video being based upon the deceitful actions of the husband, we learn more from and about the female character, as she is considered

the main character as the music video narrates her actions and feelings as a consequence of what her husband is out doing. Once the husband has supposedly

left for work, the music score fades in and the female characters whole demeanour

changes as if she’s putting up a facade as well as putting up with her husband and his cheating ways, this is a contrast to early behaviour demonstrated by the same

character who is loving towards him. The personality change is shown through a close of Diana’s face, allowing the happy smile painted on ever so forcefully slowly

slip away as she turns her back towards her husband as he drives off and she returns to the family home. By the female character being blonde, you would expect her to know nothing of what his happening, however she knows exactly what is

happening and reacts by uncontrollably crying which defeats the stereotype of dumb blondes however she doesn’t act against it by voicing that she knows or speak about

it with others. Her character is shown to be forgiving as even though she burns his clothes to release her anger about his actions, she still kisses him in the opening scene and welcomes him home with open arms knowing full well what he’s been

doing. Alternatively, she could be doing this as a way of keeping the peace as she could feel grateful that although he’s cheating on her, he hasn’t left her and still

comes home to her and her warm embrace at the end of the day. In one scene, she’s in the car and has been crying, she’s trying to shield herself from the sun light however could be seen as she’s shielding or hiding herself from the truth, like she

doesn’t want to believe his actions. The shots in the music video are in time and correspond to the lyrics playing alongside the shots, for example in one scene the

lyrics are ‘You and me, we made a vow’, which the music video reinforces as she’s touching her ring however it looks like she’s removing it rather than putting it one, showing a difference between the lyrics and the music video but still having a

connection as she once did with her husband, emotionally. Additionally, later on in the music video, there is a shot of the wife crying and then a jump cut to the other

female character I will discuss later and the lyrics are ‘When you call me baby, I know I’m not the only one’, suggesting that of course the wife knows about the cheating but doesn’t necessarily know who the other woman is or whether it’s the

same woman every time.

The second character present throughout a small portion of the video is the husband character; from the beginning of the music video even before the music is played we begin to form the idea that the character is very cold and abrupt towards his wife and

everyone else. When he refuses his breakfast he claims he’s in a ‘bit of a rush’, to which the audience assume he’s on his way to work which is completely plausible as

the video is continuously edited making the events of cheating look late on in the evening so he could have been to work. The audience is too busy watching the female character pour her heart and tears out, that we forget about the cheating

male character so when the lighting is darker both in the club and outside we assume he’s been out after work but we are unaware of what he’s done between the

time in the morning and then or whether he’s stayed in the bar all that time. When in the bar, the lighting is very dark which suggests the male’s shady personality and dark side as he is actively cheating on his wife and sleeping about. We also learn

that the male character doesn’t think about his wife when cheating but regrets his actions when returning home from the bar, shown by the close ups of his face

suggesting he is unimpressed by his behaviour and the longing hug given at the end of the video could be seen as a contrast in his personality as he is almost a different person in the bar with the other female to when he’s at home with his wife. This

suggests his need for love isn’t fulfilled, physically or emotionally as he loved physically and emotionally yet neither is enough, which then poses a narrative

enigma whether this is a reoccurring act within their marriage.

The third character is the other female within the video, who entices the male character to cheat on his wife not that he has any qualms or worries about doing so.

The fact the woman is alone in the bar, instantly connecting with a man could suggest that she isn’t very classy or respectful to herself and other as she enables

the male character to cheat, whether she knows he is married is a mystery but overall creating a negative representation of women.

Sam Smith:

Despite Sam’s appearance in the music video, he isn’t much of a character as he is only performing the song in the non diagetic sound but is made to look like a live performance and signing in the diagetic and audible sound. One element that could

make his remotely a character, is by him singing in the bar and with the red curtain an old microphone, it could have been made out as if he was singing in bar. If he

was supposedly performing in the bar, this would have been dramatically ironic as he would have been blatantly obvious, almost telling the male character that his wife knows exactly what is happening and what he’s doing.

Either way, he’s narrating the life of two of the main characters, the husband and the wife, through the lyrics of his song.

Wife/First female character:

Despite the over detailing of the dress on the right which is supposedly from the

1950’s, there is a similarity between the two dresses which indicate some pastiche like attitudes towards this era. The lace detailing and slim lined waist suggest the ideal housewife from the 1950’s, looking classy and pristine yet as we discover in the

video, with a slight twist and edge to her demeanour. This similar style of dress would have been popular and expected of a traditional housewife to wear and this is

carried through into the Sam Smith video as the whole character is similar and a slight pastiche to the era, as she is a stay at home housewife whilst her husband is

off out, supposedly at work. However, it can be seen as a parody as in mocking housewives of the 1950’s as they stay home whilst their husband is out doing the

dirty with other women, making a slightly mockery out of the housewives’ dedication and love towards their husbands. In the last scene of the video, Dianna has something different on to previously in the video, to get rid of the stench of fire on her

clothes and also she knew that he husband wouldn’t notice because he’d be too guilt ridden due to his acts and maybe he didn’t notice what she had on in the first place,

in the first few scenes with both characters together.

The hair is very 1950’s style as it is pinned up out of the way yet with a bit of

decoration at the front using the hair and curling it, although it isn’t visible in the picture on the left it is able to be seen on the picture above when talking about the

dress sense. By having her hair in a similar style, it allows Dianna Agron’s character to look formal and classy although what is happening to her and in her personal life is quite the opposite, showing a binary opposition in the way in which she presents

herself for her husband and the way she truly feels. In the bottom left picture, you’re able to make out the style of the hair, with the fringe curled and away from the face

with a small bun like shape at the back of the head, keeping it formal and simple. Additionally, the style of accessories as well indicates a 1950’s influence, as the character is wearing simple yet classy jewellery, what is made to look like small pearl

earrings, as is the other female on the right. Her makeup is of a similar manner too, with strong eyebrows and eye makeup with a neutral air about the rest of the

makeup, not having too much makeup as neither did the girls of the 1950’s have lots of extensive and overly done makeup on.

Husband/Male character:

Aside from the obvious colour changes, the suits are very alike, with broad shoulders

and made to look formal. This a binary opposition to the character is which Chris Messina displays, as his acts are very in formal and casual with other ladies despite having a loving wife at home. The style of suit shows a hint of 1950’s as he is also

playing the stereotypical role of a man in the 1950’s by supposedly going out to work, but he also ventures somewhere else leaving him guilty and ashamed. The

character represents a more 1950’s style rather than the suit although, although the dress looked similar of the female character, a suit is a suit and can be from any time period.

Second female character:

Although I am unable to find a comparable picture of the style of the second female character, he whole demeanour and attitude is 1950’s, going into a bar alone and

becoming very friendly very quickly with a man. However, I’m not saying all females of the 1950’s are risqué and forward in the way in which they put themselves out

there, but some women were of that type. You can tell she’s only looking for one thing, as she has her hands all over him and proximity wise, they’re very close, this breaks the stereotype of men always wanting one thing as it is a woman who

initiates the interest, but the man is still involved so it breaks the stereotype to some extent. The low cut top is very current and a modern way of catching attention and

definitely male’s eyes, suggesting that this isn’t her first time and this comes across in her confidence with the man, how she’s very relaxed and how not a lot of

conversing happens before they go into the bar/club bathroom. The large earrings are usually stereotypically worn on people who are seen and labelled as ‘chavy’ and

sleep around, as does this woman.

The most iconic elements within the music video would be those that link to the 1950’s, as the video is largely influence by this era as shown through the mise en scene in a variety of different ways. The 1950’s is demonstrated through the

makeup, hair and clothing of the wife character however this style isn’t carried through the other female’s style, which shows how the wife is more traditional and

does what is expected of her by being a housewife but not her reaction to him cheating. The plain makeup, pinned up hair and lace dress suggests a classy and elegant style whilst the other female’s clothes aren’t relevant as she removes them

soon enough. The vintage looking car also suggest the time period as it is dated and adds to the previous elements referencing the 1950’s. The male character reinforces

1950’s as he is wearing a suit, again a classy outlook and the gender roles are forced by the woman being a housewife whilst the man supposedly goes out to work, which could’ve happened before arriving at the bar.

The iconography present in the music video would be the elements that reference a

1950’s style; apart from the clothing there are other elements that indicate a feel of 1950’s genre.

Car:

On the left you can see Dianna’s character waving off her husband and just out of focus is an old, vintage looking car which is similar to the shape of a 1950’s car, not

necessarily from that time period but it gives off a vintage vibe as does the rest of the video. On the right, there’s a car from the 1950’s, the shape is similar with the central part with the windows and doors being a similar shape. I believe that in some parts

of the music video, these can be seen as a pastiche to 1950’s style and respecting the way in which people lived. I believe a small detail such as having a similar car

model and shape, suggests a respectful and honourable air about the way in which the characters and also the directors are attempting to represent 1950’s style.

Gender roles: The gender roles are identical to that of the 1950’s, as the woman would stay at

home whilst the man went out to work. Their clothes also represent their gender roles due to the man being suited up whilst the woman is still classy yet is only dressed up for around the house and on the rare occasion she goes out, as seen in

the video, she doesn’t have to get changed or spend too much time looking presentable to only go shopping or doing such activities.

In terms of setting, there are two main settings with another minor setting within the music video. The main and first setting would be the family home and most scenes

refer back to the home with the wife in the house crying. The house is bright allowing sunlight to come through, which is a binary opposition with the lighting in the bar as

the lighting in the house suggests a purity element to the house which would relate to the behaviour of both the wife and husband when the husband was getting ready to leave and when he left. The house is sizable and modern, which creates a sense

of bricolage as although the characters exude a 1950’s outlook and feel, the house is rather large and has a built in pool in the back garden which would be out of the

question in the 50’s. The second setting is the bar which has low key lighting and dark aspects to the scene, this connotes to the characters’ behaviour, both male and female as they are behaving in a way in which is inappropriate within the

circumstances, indicating the male’s power over the two women and the mystery of the scene when we’re first introduced to it. However, there is a small amount of light

which highlights the characters’ features and their actions as if everyone is watching them and the spotlight is on them. The other minor setting would be the shop, this is where the wife character demonstrates her fury, anger and wanting revenge almost

by buying alcohol and fire product which she uses later on to set her cheating husband’s clothes on fire. The shop assistant thinks nothing of these purchases

despite the fact she’s upset which you can clearly see, also you wouldn’t necessarily expect someone to do such a thing, especially not a blonde woman who is married.

Most of the video is set at the house as the wife character is primarily in the home, and we as an audience almost follow her through her daily events and most events,

take place in the home such as the opening scene, crying and burning his clothes. Home:

As this music video is filmed in America with American actors and actresses, the houses tend to be a lot larger naturally and the house on the left gives a 1950’s style

due to the large windows allowing light and large plants which corresponds with another house on the right from America in the 1950’s, which suggests a clear

influence and maybe some research had to be done to gain a house that showcased 1950’s style in a stylistic way.

Bar:

One thing that is noticeable of both settings from the music video and that of 1950’s, is the dimly light or low key lighting used this allows a sultry and enticing atmosphere

to be created and has worked in terms of the music video, The low key lighting suggests how the people in those types if bars can be shady and looking for one

thing and only that one thing, which perfectly connotes to the two characters in the picture on the left.

In terms of technical codes, ‘I’m not the only one’ is edited seamlessly and the only visible editing would be the jump cuts and or cross cuts when Sam Smith is singing

as it made out to be separate from the other scenes but also connected and relevant as he could’ve performed such a song in the bar. High key lighting is present within the shots of the wife character to suggest her innocence within the marriage as she

isn’t the one cheating whilst in complete contrast low key lighting is used to show the evil and devilish acts the male is committing.

In conclusion, I believe by analysing this chosen music video as allowed me to gain insight on the ideas behind certain events and the same though process will enable

my music video to provoke other ideas and thoughts from the audience based upon the lyrics of the song. Overall, I believe that the video to ‘I’m not the only one’ by

Sam Smith is both narrative and performance as analysed above. I believe this music video is a slight pastiche to the 1950’s with modern references and elements making certain scenes contain bricolage.