In this post I will gather some of my favorite shots. Also, I will attempt to explain on why I chose to use them.
The video starts with an establishing shot that “invites” a viewer to the location in which further action will take place. In my case, it is seaside. It is paired with diagetic sound of the sea and diagetic + non-diagetic siren sound as the song slowly fades in.
The most common shot in my music video is the medium shot ot medium close up shot. It allows a viewer to clearly see the location and me lip singing. I believe, it brings a sense of closure as I am personally addressing the viewer by directly looking at the camera.
Photography-wise, the framing technique is used as I appear to be “trapped” in between the stairs. This also brings closer attention to me as I am sitting right in the center of this frame. Besides that, Goodwin’s theory was in great use. The words: “and pretend you’re doing just great” were synced with my actions. This is the “and pretend” part.
Finally, my favorite! For some reason, I am obsessed with Dutch angle. Probably because of the effect it supposed to have on audiences and its frequent usage in ***** **** (rule number 1, sorry). Dutch angle brings a distorted point of view for a sense of unease in a suspenseful way – here, I used it while the song progressed into a dissonance before it got “resolved”. This wonderful shot is paired with an overlay of the attack on Kyiv. I chose this specific footage as the explosion appears to happen in the area of my heart, which gives even more meaning to these 5 seconds. Love it.
Extreme close up as I zoomed in on waves with a slight slow motion effect. This is a detail that I used on top of the most vulnerable part of the song, I felt that I shouldn’t be present for it.. this could encourage a moment of self-reflection for the viewer just how it did for me.
My guilty pleasure, 2000s-like overlays. This was more of an artistic choice than a “meaning choice”. It does add some texture to the whole thing and I’m just here for it.