Heart skips a beat-Olly Murs

Video Analysis 2

The music video I have analysed is Counting Stars by One Republic. The video is shown below.

Props

A record is used for the beginning section to go with the mixed record-playing that a DJ may do as the introduction of the song. This sets the feeling of an upbeat song before the audience even knows what type of genre the music may be. There are multiple skate boards used throughout this section as the video is set at a skate park. There are also girls using a skip rope to show the childish feel of the Skate Park and the liveliness and fun that they are having. There is a giant record spinning which is used as the stage for Olly Murs and the drummers, the drums are used throughout the song, as they are a key element for the song as this is the instrument that you hear the most. A couch and mannequin is also used within the lyrics of Rizzle Kicks verse.

Clothing

The lead singer is wearing a striped blue and white top with a hat. Hats are not always a trend for the audience of this type of music however for this song it shows the lead singers personality, which is also highlighted with the facial expressions and dancing. He is also wearing burgundy chino trousers. These are not an item of clothing that the target audience and fans of Olly Murs would wear however this is a staple piece of clothing for him and therefore this fits the quirkiness of the video. The other singers within this music video are Rizzle kicks they are wearing hoodies to start off with however as you watch other scene they are wear a plain shirt which is smart and professional or a plain light yellow t-shirt with chino shorts which match the clothing of Olly Murs. The other people around the singers are wearing ‘Skater clothing’ this consists of plain t-shirts, long trousers or shorts. They are very causal and comfy clothing in order for them to skate around the park. The drummer is wearing slightly more punk like clothing. He has wristbands on, sunglasses and a white printed top and cap making him seem more intense than the others, which fit well with the music, as the drum is the most intense instrument heard.

Setting

The setting is a skate park there is graffiti over all of the walls and ramps. Near by there are trains passing with skyscrapers above them. The setting makes the video seem more fun and exciting. There is a lot going on all of the time with different people skating by, some on bikes and other skipping or doing the Hula Hoop. The liveliness of the setting makes the audience understand the lyrics more. ‘My heart skips a beat’ this can often be said when skateboarding, as there is always an element of danger within this.

Lighting

The lighting for this video is very bright. It is natural lighting due to the setting being outside. This makes the video seem bright and vibrant and exciting. By having the natural light it adds more character to the video as it adds more energy and therefore this fits with the song and the lyrics. By having the natural lighting you are able to see each singer clearly and the colours of the graffiti looks more bright and vibrant. some of the shots have a bright light shining through making the shot seem more pure it is often hiding someones face or what they are doing however you are still able to see that they are dancing just not as clearly as you would normally. At the end of the song the lighting is slightly darker and in order for their to be enough light to see the singers clearly there must be an artificial stage or photographer light being used in order for the audience to sense that it is night time however there is still life and energy within the song.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Mise-en-scene

Editing

Cut transitions are used they are fast paced which fits with the genre of music and is appealing to the audience. The lead singer ‘Olly Murs’ has the most screen time as he is the most significant person in the video however he does collaborate with the band Rizzle Kicks, they have the second most amount of screen time. They have a lot of fast paced cut transition when they are singing as they have a rap section and through these transitions it fits with the pace of the lyrics therefore fitting the purpose of the song.

There is a key section within the song were there is a repetitive beat. The three singers all nod their heads at the same time in tune with the music and stare directly into the camera. By doing this video becomes more personal to the audience more excited to watch. This section is also very quirky and adds to the ‘cheeky’ personality of the singer and therefore this adds more energy to the song and makes the audience want to nod their head in time as well.

When the main drumming is played for one of the final choruses there is a shot of the drums being played therefore making the audience notice the drums being played?

There is also a slow motion being used when there is dancing at the beginning as ell as throughout the skating section as the lead singer stands in the middle. This makes the song feel more hip-hop and also adds to the theatrical element of the song.

Within the song the lyrics say ‘nothing really matters when were dancing’ this then cuts to people dancing within the street making the audience identify to the rhythm of the song and makes them want to dance.

The lyrics also say ‘skips skips a beat’ this is then represented through the shots that jump like a CD player jumping and replaying the footage this adds more energy to the audience making them want to join in with the dancing.

Sound

The beginning sound of the video is a crackling noise of a record player. This is then followed by quick sharp beats of a DJ deck being spun quickly. Before the beats the record play stops and starts four times. The first lyrics is 'my heart skips (x6) a beat’ the last few skips have a lower range within the voice which makes it sound more funky and prepares for a drop within the beat. The instruments used for the song is keyboards, drums, tambourine.

The chords are the same throughout the song making this sound more upbeat rather than a slow ballad, which is often a genre Olly Murs produces for his music. The drum then becomes more prominent and from this there are scenes of the main drummer and other smaller children playing the drum. The singers then join in with this drumming and a shot of this is shown as the chorus approaches. The aping section also has a change in the way the music sounds. As there is a fast section of rapping the main melody reduces and makes the vocals seem sharper which adds to the bright and vibrant video.

Close to the end of the song there is a repetitive beat of a record being spun. the editing matches this pace and timing as the shots are played faster some have been rewinded and played again of both the two main singers. This makes the audience feel a sense of excitement as the sound bring suspense to the song. the sound of this section changes the genre of music slightly as it sounds like something that you may find at a rave, the beat is very high pitched and sharp which is different to the melody of the song.

Camera Movement, Shot, Angle and Composition

There are multiple medium shots throughout this video this makes the video slightly more personal and makes the audience more engaged with the video. There are also multiple long shots, these are mainly used when establishing the location of the video or to show off Olly Murs dance moves this makes the lead singer seem more down to earth and having fun with the video as he expresses lots of energy throughout. Close ups are used when there is key singing this makes the audience intrigued into the lyrics of the video. There are other shots such as ped up and pan downs when there is sharp body movement. This makes the audience intrigued to look at what is going on around them. There are also multiple bird’s eye view shots, these are of Olly Murs skipping or mainly on the large record playing. This is to establish the size of the ‘stage’ which the record represents the skipping on the record also fits with the lyrics ‘heart skips a beat’ and therefore this is something that adds to the overall vibe of the music video. There are also pan shots that are shown as Olly Murs dances as well as when standing on the main platform. Most of the shots are handheld shots apart from some pan shots that may be recorded via a lift or a drone. Low angle shots are used when skipping this makes the action look natural as it does not look ‘staged’ or ‘rehearsed’ therefore adds the energetic feel to the genre.