Video Analysis According to Goodwins Theory

Emelie Sande- Heaven

Represented- who is represented? How is the artist represented/promoted? Is the fan base represented?  Within this music video it is clear Emelie Sande is not recognised as a celebrity. This is because she wants to be seen as equal to everyone else in the street. This is presented to us through the way in which she is wearing clothes bought from stores such as Topshop, H&M instead of wearing designer outfits and lots of jewellery showing her wealth. I believe this is effective with her music video of Heaven as when you go to heaven wealth and class isn’t relevant.   Within this music video it is evident that poverty is a key factor that is being highlighted within this music video. This is important for her video because she wants to make sure that everyone is included within the video. I believe that this is because Emelie wanted to be shown as an artist that she realises not everyone is as fortunate as her and everyone is still connected through religion and God in their time of need. As both Emelie and the homeless man are looking for help and guidance from up above.

 This highlights the way in which both the homeless on the street and Emilie Sande are both sharing the same symbol of God and his help even though they are from different cultures, backgrounds and genders showing that God is about solidarity and be one whole instead of separate things. 

Emelie is further be represented as an everyday person instead of a celebrity through her clothing choices within the music video and the choice of locations for example the bus stop scene. This scene led me to believe that she was waiting for someone to meet her and that was god who she was waiting for. Whilst she is waiting there and the rain and cold are fogging up the window of the bus shelter one white car goes past stops a shadow turns looks at her and then drives off. My connotation of this is that she asked for god and he came and told her it wasn’t her time to be an angel yet. Her use of clothing is vital within this video as the use of dark blacks highlights that she is in a dark place and this is shown by the gloomy colours and the rain. Or that she is the opposite to the angels being white and pure and is instead dark and almost scary. This also presents fear of the unknown and death which could be acting as a dark shadow over Emilie as she is in a difficult place.  

There are further symbols of Christianity represented within the Heaven music video when she is sat waiting at the bus stop for God. Through the references to heaven and angels. For example, the man with the permanent tattoo of angel wings on his back and the girl standing directly where the wings are placed either side of her on the wall. With bright lights shining on them whilst they wait to go to heaven. The different age ranges between both the man and teenage girl shows any angels can go and be taken at any time. The lyrics connect to this because they say 'oh heaven, oh heaven i wait with good intention' showing that all of the good people are waiting for their moment to go and fly up into heaven. The use of intention presents that they are good people ready to leave for heaven. 

Furthermore, the high angle shot looking down from above the two little girls shows guidance from above. Within one piece of the video when two little girls are playing at the park smiling it looks although someone is watching over them from up above as a high angle shot has been used.  What I can capture from this is that god’s angels on the ground and up above are watching over those on the ground to make sure they are safe. As well as this the use of the fast faced swinging rosary in front of the lights could be a sign that the angels are soon going to be flying.

The distorted lighting within the church on the window panes flooded through with colour on the stain glass window with a variety of vibrant colours which lit up the bleak room. This interlinks with the fact that the light is meant to be at the end of the tunnel before you meet God. The use of the reconstruction of Jesus on the cross of the man standing in the street offering himself to God presents that he is opening his arms being his wings as he is ready to fly up the lights, clouds and sky which is heaven.

The use of the statue looking down upon us from above and all other minorities looking up is that they are waiting to be taken by heaven. 

The use the dirty window being written on saying fear is your only god is not implying that there is even is a god it is only when we are scared we want to believe there Is someone or something up there to answer our questions.

Target audience- who is it aimed at? Are their representations of the audience in the video? The piece is mainly narrative as it holds no high production values. This is seen clearly through the gritty camera quality. Which i believe has been done for affect because Emelie Sande wants to be viewed the same way as everyone else is presented in the video.  This video has no particular ethnicity they are representing in particular but instead a vast selection of people from various religions and ages. The artist is promoting herself as an equal within this video as no one walking past is even acknowledging her as a celebrity.

Narrative-  (themes? Use of mise, camera and editing

The narrative of the piece is waiting for God like everyone else putting all of her target audience in the same relatable situation as her to make sure they can feel the way in which she feels herself. She holds herself as a ‘normal’ women not making eye contact with the camera. This shows connotations of realism of Emelie as an artist as she is so down to earth. 

Settings- realistic?  Intertextuality?

Within the settings of the music video there is numerous occasions where figures and shadows are presented but no real identity is given. There is a snippet of a lady with short brown hair and a white flowy dress I believe she is an angel ready to fly up to heaven. The reflections in the puddle of water on the ground and the writing underneath as well as the cloud in the corner of the car windscreen you can see a shadow of someone sitting in the front of the car but no actual identity.

 The light at the end of the tunnel and the shadow Emelie is facing cannot be seen fully so there is almost a secret being hidden. The lady in the red dress and dark lighting could be the ‘fear’ of people in the video as she could symbolise the devil or demon.

The video itself has not been staged the grainy effect of the video is done on purpose because an average person (which is what Emelie is trying to achieve) wouldn’t be able to afford a very expensive camera to record a video on. This is therefore why the quality is gritty and grainy. As the focus is not on high production values but instead real life. The use of the old camera makes it stand out. Especially the blue light across her face looks although someone is interacting with the camera which only God would have the power to do.

Looking up every time it says “oh heaven” because everyone is the same religion, which is Christianity. Alongside the high skyscraper buildings to show the closeness of God and heaven.

This will help when making my own music video because i have now really looked at every feature within someone elses video and can see that most things within videos share links such as symbols of angel wings and high angel shots from someone up above (heavenly) watching all link to the choice of song Heaven that i can now take forward and use symbols in my own video to help people make connections to the video and song itself.