1. A2 Media Studies
Lauren Barrett

2. Identify the institution for this video and the
institutional codes employed by the institution:
• This video was directed by Ben
Coughlan and Max Knight, who work
for the company, Sneek Films.
• Sneek Films is based in Hackney, London.
• Sneek Films aim is „to create and produce an
extremely high standard of work across all areas of
film and video.‟
• Their clients include Universal, Sony, Sega and
Polydor. They have also worked with artists
including Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey and Snow
Patrol.

3. Identify the institution for this video and the
institutional codes employed by the institution:
This is an example of
what Sneek Films‟
portfolio currently
looks at.
As you can see from
the examples of
videos they have
produced, you can
automatically tell
from just the visuals
that they work with a
specific tone and
genre, especially
judging by the use of
really natural, rustic
colours.
Aside from their continuous use of the same editing techniques, especially in terms
of colours and filters, the company also commonly uses similar settings, typically
natural settings such as forests and lakes, as well as rustic, urban parts of London.
The overall visuals of their videos tend to have a very unique, grungy look to them,
often including a „home-video‟ look about them.

4. What are the key selling points of this video?
• The video is shot in a „home-video‟ style, evident of the „flickering‟
motion between different shots and the ever-changing zoom and focus –
this is quite a unique concept to filming a music video and would definitely
help to sell the song and video to the very genre-specific target audience.
• The music video content is very personal to the singer – Ellie Goulding – as
it was all filmed in her hometown of Hereford, including a selection of
settings which might be recognisable to anyone else from this town.
• The video is also very personal as it depicts Goulding‟s
life on the road – the video includes some of her real-life
friends and also shows the singer as she would look
ordinarily in a recording studio. Goulding‟s cat also makes
an appearance in the video! This would be a very appealing
selling point to any major fan of the artist.
•The content is also very relatable to the target audience
so would also act as a key selling point.

5. How does the video establish genre, mood and
expectation of the CD?
Bright Lights, 2010; • Genre: The song is a cover of Elton John‟s „Your Song‟
Polydor.
(1970) from the album, ‘Elton John’. The song is
described as a rock/pop ballad, which is shown in the
video from the rather slow, rhythmic cuts in between
different shots. Genre of the song is also depicted in the
video through the „characters‟ present – they all interact
with each other and show a certain closeness which
directly relates with the ballad genre. Goulding‟s album,
Bright Lights, is more of an indie-genre record in
comparison to Elton John‟s original, which is depicted in the video through
the warmth and natural elements in the mise-en-scene such as the rustic
colours, autumnal clothing and the forestry setting.
• Mood: The general mood of the song is one of love and friendships, and
this is depicted in Goulding‟s music video through, again, the interactions
between the „characters‟. Because the song is a ballad about love and
friendship, the mood is brought through in the video also through the shots
of Goulding and friends playing the piano, as well as the flash-backs in

6. How does the video establish genre, mood and
expectation of the CD?
Bright Lights, 2010; • Expectation of the CD: This music video doesn‟t
Polydor.
actually help to give off accurate expectations to the
target audience because the genre and style of the album
as a whole is completely different to that of the singular
song. As this is just a cover of a song in comparison to the
original songs that make up Goulding‟s album, the genre
is completely different, and those watching this video
might expect that the rest of the album is going to be
compiled of mostly ballads and slower songs, when in
reality, her album is described as indie/pop/electronica, shown through the
collection of more up-beat „dancey‟ songs. This is evident actually through
analysis of her other music videos, which involve lots of studio-sets, bright
lighting, fast-pace shots, feminine costumes and dance moves.

7. How successful is this video? Identify which elements
work and which do not work for you?
I personally really like this video – I think it has a really sweet
and innocent tone to it, and the style in which it is filmed in
is very unique and individual.
However, what I don‟t like about the video is that the „home
video‟ style can become quite annoying and irritating to
watch, especially when the camera doesn‟t focus all the
time. I also feel like some of her „friends‟ aren‟t focussed on
as much as they should be, we as the audience don‟t really
get to learn who these people are in relation to Goulding‟s
life. I could also argue that the content doesn‟t really relate
to the corresponding lyrics.
I think that the mixture of narrative and „performance‟ is
quite good as well, as after every few narrative shots, there
is a lengthy performance shot, where either Goulding is seen
singing to the lyrics, playing the piano, or in the recording
studio. The use of colours, setting and costume also works
really well in relation to the genre of the song, and this is
what I find makes this video successful.

8. What appears to be the target audience for the music
video?
People who like the
Students
outdoors/nature
Aged 16 - 24
People who like to
travel/explore
Target
Audience
Concert/Music
enthusiasts
Mostly
Females
Autumn/Winter
/Christmas
period
Family/Friend
ship –
oriented
people
Ellie Goulding
Fans
Elton John
fans – fans of
the original
song
Those who
aspire to be
like Ellie
Goulding

9. How is the audience explicitly targeted in the video?
There are specific characteristics of the audience
which are represented within the music video in order
to target them more specifically. For example, the
majority of the audience is likely to be female, and
this segment of the audience is targeted through the
use of the cat making an appearance – cat‟s are very
feminine objects, because they are so cute and
innocent, and is likely to make this audience go
„aww‟.
I think this video also targets the age segment of the
audience because of the location, style and content.
The age s likely to be older teenagers and young
adults, specifically those who are full time students in
say, perhaps, university. The content of this video links
directly with these people because students are too
also likely to travel back to their hometowns in the
winter to spend quality time with their friends and
family.

10. Identify the institution for this video and the
institutional codes employed by the
institution:
• This video was directed by Dawn Shadforth, a director
working under the company, „Sonny London.‟
• Sonny London is based in Westminster, London.
• Sonny London‟s „astute eye for spotting and nurturing
exceptional talent means that SONNY now represents a
stable of the best commercial directors currently on the
scene.‟
• Their clients include Kodaline, Tinie Tempah, H&M,
Heineken, Qantas Airlines, McDonalds and Emeli Sandé.

11. Identify the institution for this video and the
institutional codes employed by the institution:
This is an example of
what Sonny Films‟
portfolio currently
looks at.
As you can see from
the examples of
videos they have
produced, you can
automatically tell
from just the visuals
that they work with a
specific tone and
genre, especially
judging by the use of
really natural, rustic
colours.
One of the biggest institutional codes employed by this company is the retro/vintage
look they denote in the majority of their music videos. All of their videos, whether
they be advertisements or music videos all use the same musty and rustic colour
scheme, connoting a warm, autumnal mood and tone. Those that do not employ this
tone have a slightly more fun cartoon-like theme to them.

12. What are the key selling points of this video?
• The concept of this video is looking at how a cancer
patient lives out the rest of her life with her best friend.
Because of this shocking, yet very realistic and relatable
concept, this is going to act as a major selling point for
any audience member, as people may be able to connect
with the characters‟ position.
• The setting for this video takes place by the seaside in
Hastings, which might act as a selling point for the
audience both old and young. Younger viewers are likely
to sea the funfair setting as really fun and exciting and
are likely to want to go there themselves. Older viewers
may instantly recognise the setting if they have been
their before, and may introduce some childhood
memories for them. Both of these concepts are likely to
really sell the video for the audience.

13. How does the video establish genre, mood and
expectation of the CD?
Our Version of Events, • Genre: My Kind Of Love is described as a R&B song
2012; Virgin
drawn from a soul genre. Emeli Sandé also shows off her
impressive, powerful vocal range in this song, and I think
this is well demonstrated in the video through the use of
the strong topic of life and death (cancer). The genre of
the song is also depicted in the music video through the
use of really slow, „dreamy‟ shots of the seaside which
puts the viewer in the position of the characters within
the video. To also help show the genre of the music video,
between scenic shots, simple clips of Sandé on her own singing along to the
lyrics also suggest the soul side of the music genre as it adds more drama.
• Mood: The general mood of the song is quite slow, sad and arguably quite
depressing. The use of a story of a cancer patient initially evokes this mood,
as the audience automatically feel sympathetic for her, especially when the
shots show her in the hospital alone, and when Sandé gives her the wig to
cover her head. The mood of the song also suggests a theme about love and
friendships, which is shown in the music video through the interactions
between the two characters, and the flashbacks of the two of them when
they were younger

14. How does the video establish genre, mood and
expectation of the CD?
Our Version of Events, • Expectation of the CD: I think this music video is
2012; Virgin
actually a very accurate representation of the CD itself,
but I think that is helped by the fact that the album in
general is very monotone; that all of the songs have a
very similar sound and genre. I personally find that the
album has a very everyday easy-listening vibe to it, and I
think this is represented in the music video by the choice
of a shocking storyline which has and will somehow affect
most people who watch it. Aside from this shocking
storyline, there are also really heart-warming, fun elements to the video
which hint at the ideas that the CD itself also has a very young, fun vibe to
it.

15. How successful is this video? Identify which elements
work and which do not work for you?
With this video, I love how it uses several flashbacks to tell
the story as I think it creates various layers for the video and
allows viewers a better understanding of the plot and
characters.
I also think that the camera shot types are really effective
and work well with the corresponding lyrics. For example, a
lot of close-ups are used in the „car scene‟ to emphasise on
the characters‟ emotions and sadness as she gazes out of the
window. I also think that the camera cuts to more of the
more fun flashbacks during the chorus which brings a regular
pattern in for the play-out of the plot.
What I don‟t like about the video is that the plot is dragged
out quite a bit during the song, making the overall pace of
the shots very slow. It does work very well with this genre of
music, but I do find that viewers may find watching the video
very slow and boring, and may even turn it off before the
very end. I wouldn‟t suggest this is a good video for
promoting the CD itself.

16. What appears to be the target audience for the music
video?
Full-time employee
People who live
near the seaside
Aged 22 - 30
People who may have
(specifically
been affected by cancer
Hastings)
in some way
Mostly
Females
Target
Scotland
Audience
Autumn period
Family/Friendsh
ip – oriented
people
Emeli Sandé
Music
enthusiasts
and aspiring
vocalists
Those who aspire
to be like Emeli
Sandé – those
who like her
voice

17. How is the audience explicitly targeted in the video?
One specific segment of the market that this video will be
targeted at is those who live close to the seaside, or can
associate nice nostalgic memories of being by the sea, not
necessarily Hastings (the setting of this video). This is
simply done by using a combination of long shots with the
rest of the video to continuously show to the audience
where the video is taking place, and to allow a distinction
to be made between plot, characters and locations.
Seeing this footage may evoke certain warm emotions in
the viewer if they can also associate happy emotions with
similar occurrences.
The characters/actresses are also essential in the video
for targeting the family/friendship-oriented viewers, and
so are the corresponding shot types. The actress playing
the sick girl purposely looks similar to Sandé to open up
the idea that they could either be friends, family or
lovers. The use of close-ups help to identify the
relationship between the two, helping viewers to also feel
similar emotions to the people they love around them.

18. Identify the institution for this video and the
institutional codes employed by the
institution:
• This video was directed by Emil Nava, a director
working under the company, „Pulse Films‟.
•Pulse Films is based in London, and they also have
locations set up in LA and Paris.
• Pulse Films produces footage for TV and Film, but put
most of their pride in their music. “Music forms part of
our heritage and is an area where we strive to push the
boundaries of what is achievable with creative
collaboration.”
• Their clients include Very.co.uk, Ed Sheeran, Paloma
Faith, Rita Ora, Mumford and Sons, ASOS, Dr. Martens
and Converse.

19. Identify the institution for this video and
the institutional codes employed by the
institution:
This is an example of what
Pulse Films‟ portfolio
currently looks at.
As you can see from the
examples of videos they
have produced, you can
automatically tell from
just the visuals that they
work with a specific tone
and genre, especially
judging by the use of
really natural, rustic
colours.
In comparison to the first two videos, you can immediately tell that this company is a
lot more „mainstream‟ than the others, working more closely with the Pop genre. This
is evident through the company‟s use of strong, bold colours and modern settings
throughout all of the videos, whether it be advertisments of music videos. I also find
that with this company, they work to create strong „characters‟ with the artists
themselevs to give them more of an identifiable image.

20. What are the key selling points of this video?
• One of the biggest selling points for this video is the use of
a really strong, and identifiable plot. I know from
experience that with a song like this, you can listen to it
once and automatically picture what the video is going to be
perceived as, and this is a perfect example. Because of this
„sweet‟ storyline, the video as a whole is going to be much
more memorable, and will definitely help to sell the single
itself.
• Characters are also particularly important in this specific
video as they are all really relevant and identifiable within
the target audience. With a music video that is based
around the them of love and relationships, it is quite
common to get the stereotype of a white boy falling in love
with a white girl, but this video shows no signs of prejudice
against different races or bisexual or gay people, as they are
all also included in the video, which is likely to sell the
video, and the single, to a much wider audience.

21. +, 2011; Asylum,
Atlantic
How does the video establish genre, mood and
expectation of the CD?
• Genre:+ „Plus‟ is an album described as a folk, hip-hop
soul and acoustic album. I think whils the song itself
promotes this sort of a genre for the album, the music
video doesn‟t so much, due to the use of more ubran
settings, which gives off much more of a rap, electronica
or hip-hop vibe. The video does do well in the sense that
the plot is based around the theme of relationships and
love, and especially heartbreak, which is very
stereotypical of the acoustic/folk genre.
• Mood: The general mood of the song is quite slow, sad and arguably quite
depressing. The use of a story of a cancer patient initially evokes this mood,
as the audience automatically feel sympathetic for her, especially when the
shots show her in the hospital alone, and when Sandé gives her the wig to
cover her head. The mood of the song also suggests a theme about love and
friendships, which is shown in the music video through the interactions
between the two characters, and the flashbacks of the two of them when
they were younger

22. How does the video establish genre,
mood and expectation of the CD?
+, 2011; Asylum,
• Expectation of the CD: The CD, +, has a very mixed
Atlantic
genre to it, with the vast majority having that easylistening vibe to it, whilst the rest include rap, beatboxing, folk and pop elements within them. I think this
music video limits the expectation of the CD, as the style
of it and the emotion within the storyline relates more to
the songs which have those sadder, easy-listening themes
about them, whilst there are no hints of Sheeran's more
urban vibe within this video. However, despite the altered
expectations concerning genre of the CD, the music video could arguably
suggest that the entire CD will also have been made with as much care and
attention to detail as the video had been, as looking at the music video,
listeners are likely to expect a well-made, fully „polished‟ CD.

23. How successful is this video? Identify which
elements work and which do not work for
you?
I think a lot of the success with this video comes from the
suspense created with the enigma code at the very end. With
Cupid as the main character, we eventually learn and
understand the plot as the song continues, but we never fully
understand it as there are multiple assumptions people make
as to what happens to Cupid in the very end scene.
The choice of Australian actress, Isabel Lucas, was also vital
in making this a successful video as it made the whole plot all
the more believable because of her acting ability and
appearance. The use of costume, setting and other mise-enscene elements also worked well to create verisimilitude in
the sense that we as the audience believed that this could
realistically happen.
I did feel at points however that this video might come across
as unsuccessful to some people as they are likely to lose
interest, as I feel that, the plot is very short and stretched
across a 4-minute video is quite repetitive and dull. It may
have been more interesting to build-up the ending more.

24. What appears to be the target audience for the
music video?
Students, part-time
People in London.
employment.
Aged 18 - 24
All sexualities; straight,
gay, bi, etc
Mostly
Females
Target
Audience
Couples
Diverse
cultures; a
variety of races
+ religions.
Family/Friendship –
oriented people
Fans of the
Australian actress
Isabel Lucas.
Music
enthusiasts
and aspiring
vocalists
Those who aspire
to be like Ed
Sheeran– those
who like his voice
or want to play
the guitar

25. How is the audience explicitly targeted in the
video?
Because the biggest theme in this video is the idea
of love, it was important for there to be no bias in
the video or prejudice, in order to make the video
more suitable for the target audience. So to
explicitly target this segment of the audience, the
producers used a storyline and a large cast of
actors of different sexualities and races to ensure
„nobody was left out‟.
This song is likely to appeal more to women rather
than men due to the themes present within the
lyrics, and to target this segment of the market,
the use of a female central character is important
as it allows the viewers to be able to directly
connect with her because they might be able to
relate more to the plot. If the song had more
masculine themes for example, I would expect a
male central character instead to create that bond
and connection.

26. Is there an identifiable format across these videos?
Does this apply for other videos? Is it successful?
Across these three music videos, there is definitely an
identifiable, recurring format. The music videos all mostly contain
a narrative-based plot. However, the first and the second videos
have elements of performance within them, whilst the last does
not. Similarly, they are all not narrative in the sense that they tell
a straight-forward story which has a start, middle and end, or nor
do they completely conform to Todorov‟s Narrative Theory, so you
might argue that they also all have elements of conceptual within
them, making them all a hybrid format. Yes this sort of a format
for a music video does apply to others that are out there, and a
hybrid is most certainly the most common, but it al depends on
the genre of the music and the co-ordinating lyrics. A hybric music
video can definitely be identified as successful if it is produced
well. The performance-based elements allow for a viewer to
make distinct connections between the song and the artist or
band, whilst narrative elements allow for the audience to
understand the mood of the lyrics and the song all the more. And
conceptual-based elements are often thrown in to music videos to
give the footage a more creative and attention-grabbing edge.
Narrative-based video
Performance-based video
Concept-based video

27. Why are videos constructed in this way?
Like stated before in the previous slide, music videos are
constructed in this way in order to directly connect with
the target audience. A hybrid would consist of two or more
of the three types of music video: performance, narrative
and conceptual, and they each have their own advantages.
Performance would allow the audience to get to know the
artist or band more as it is nice for the viewers to be able
to identify who has made the song they are listening to.
Narrative allows for an audience to understand the
meaning of the song more through the mood portrayed in
the plot against the co-ordinating lyrics. And a Conceptual
video would give a video that ‘edge’ that makes it stand
out from all the rest, giving it a fun element that would
definitely make it all the more memorable.

28. Music Vidoes:
•
•
•
Your Song – Ellie Goulding
My Kind of Love – Emeli Sande
Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran

29.  Barthes'
Enigma Code is a theory that
suggests a text (whether that be television,
film, a poster etc) portrays a mystery to
draw an audience in, pose questions and, as
such, become intrigued in the piece. For
instance, a murder mystery will often not
reveal the identity of the murderer until the
end of the story, which poses the question
"Who is the murderer?"

30. • Visual Codes: The visual codes in this music video
are essential for identifying the setting and the
tone of the video. The video has a very lighthearted, warm tone to it and is set around
autumn/winter as the single was released as part
of the John Lewis Christmas advert in 2010. in
order to evoke this idea certain visual codes were
employed, such as aspects of the mise-en-scene.
A combination of props/setting is used to show
that one of the central themes is the autumnal
setting, looking at natural locations such as the
forest and including close-ups of autumnal leaves.
Costume is also used to connote that the ‘plot’ is
occurring in a slightly colder time of the year,
with the characters mostly wearing coats, thick
boots, hats, scarves and gloves. The cat can also
be technically classed as a visual code as it is sort
of like a prop/character rolled into one, acting as
a connotation for the theme of closeness and
happiness.

31. • Audio Codes: Whilst some music videos might include
other audio codes such as dialogue and diegetic and nondiegetic sounds, this video only includes the actual song
as audio. Whilst a song might be used to set the mood of
the plot in a TV drama or film trailer for example, with
the music video, it is simply there to allow viewers to
make a distinct connection with the song and the
actions/characters taking place. The audio of the song is
also essential for viewers of the music video as it may
allow them to understand the plot a lot better as in this
case the actions are symbolic of the meaning of the lyrics.
• Narrative Codes: Todorov’s Narrative Theory can be
applied to this music video, but only slightly and that is
because of the genre and style of the music video. The
song itself is quite light-hearted and to match that so is
the music video, so it follows Todorov’s theory to some
extent as there is a happy equilibrium throughout the plot
of the video, but there is no need for disruption so it
essential challenges this video. This only works with this
video because of the genre of the song.

32. • Action Codes: The action codes within this video are very
basic in order to reflect the dreamy, light-heartedness of
the song. The basic action that takes place is the ‘journey’
at the start of the video showing Goulding and friends
travelling to her home town in numerous different shots.
The only other main actions shown are Goulding and
friends again exploring the forest together, and simple
shots of Goulding in the recording studio and on her
rooftop at home. This is all reflected through the different
shot types and the pace of the editing of them. The most
important actions include shots of Goulding mouthing the
corresponding lyrics to allow viewers to really connect
with the song, and also add a ‘performance’ element to
the video.
• Enigma Codes: With this video in particular there are no
enigma codes because the plot looks at flashbacks of a
journey, so the question of ‘where are they going’ or
similar is answered for us throughout. This is one of the
downsides to this video as there is no real hook to draw in
the attention of the viewers and keep them interested.

33. • Technical Codes: Technical codes include the editing of
the video, which might be the pace, the special effects
etc. ‘Your Song’ has a very unique editing style to it,
where the majority of it is shot in a ‘home-video’
style. The editing of the video was done purposely to
give off this effect, including the shots to flicker
slightly as they change and the camera is often slightly
un-level to give the impression that one of Goulding’s
friends is filming rather than professional cameramen.
The colours of the shots all also appear to have had
the brightness reduced to give the colours a slightly
duller, but more natural tone to them to suit the genre
of the song. The pace of all of the shots are quite short
to match the pace of the music but are long enough for
viewers to focus on what is happening in each frame.
The editing of the video also appears to have included
some blurring techniques to some of the frames to also
give off the impression of a home-video. The
effectiveness of all of this is that it gives the video a
much more personal feel about it.

34. • Visual Codes: One of the biggest visual codes
within this music video is the use of setting.
There are two primary settings; the hospital and
the fairground/seaside location, and these are
essential in identifying the sort of mood within
the video and the song. The hospital connotes a
sad mood whilst the fairground contrasts with a
happier memory or mood. The lighting is also
essential as it starts off quite dull and gloomy to
connote a sad emotion again, but then it
brightens to suggest happiness, before ending
again how it started. Props are more evident in
this video compared to the first, such as the wig,
as this helps viewers to identify that the ill girl is
likely to have cancer. Towards the end of the
video the camera focuses a lot on the two
‘characters’ eating the sweets, which acts as a
major prop as they connote a child-like quality in
the two women and evoke more of a fun emotion
within this section of the video.

35. • Audio Codes: Much like the first video, this video
for ‘My Kind Of Love’ doesn’t feature any other
audio elements, which is effective as it allows the
viewer to focus more on the song, but this video
could have perhaps included some audio elements
such as fairground noises to help identify the
location better and add a stronger sense of
verisimilitude, but again may have taken the focus
away from the song.
• Narrative Codes: There is a definite sense of
Todorov’s Narrative Theory in this music video, but
it is arguably challenged and doesn’t conform as the
order of events is slightly different. The video
arguably starts with the disequilibrium as the
characters look distressed and are unhappy. When
Sande enters the video, she brings the equilibrium
when she takes her ill friend out for a nice day, but
a disequilibrium is then produced again when we
are left the characters looking sad and upset again.
This links with the Enigma Code (SEE NEXT SLIDE.)

36. • Action Codes: Because of the genre of the song, there is no real
action such as dance moves or performance elements, but there are
key action elements to the overall plot, as this is what allows the
audience to understand the message behind the lyrics. The first key
action is Sandé escaping the hospital with her friend in the
wheelchair – this shows to audiences that the girl is clearly sick and
needs cheering up. The second key action is the fairground scene
where the two characters cheer each other up and have fun. The
last is shots of Sandé mouthing to the lyrics. These ‘action’ elements
are essential in understanding the enigma and narrative codes.
• Enigma Codes: There is a definitive storyline in this video in this
video in comparison to the first. There are a few enigma codes in
this video which are useful as acting as a ‘hook’ device to draw in
the attention of the audience and retain it. Firstly, we don’t know
for sure why the ill girl is in hospital, and we don’t know what is
going to happen to her. As the plot progresses we also get the
enigma code that we don’t know where Sandé is taking her, which
causes us to continue watching. The final shots show Sandé in the
waiting room alone and it makes us wonder what has happened to
the girl and where she has gone, and this is never resolved.

37. • Technical Codes: The first frame I find is actually
far too long and could perhaps bore the
audience, but is essentially done to set-up the
overall mood and tone of the video based on the
genre of the song. The different shot cuts are
really effective however as it gives the
impression of flashbacks and also acts as a hook
device as it makes the audience wonder what
has happened to the characters and what will
happen. It also adds different levels to the video
and prevents the viewers being bored from the
same plot. The different shot types are also
really important in this video, especially the
over-the-shoulder shots of the ill girl as this
places us as the audience in her shoes and allows
us to sympathize more. Close-ups are also
frequently used as they focus on the severity of
the situation and helps to evoke emotion from
the viewers.

38. • Visual Codes: In comparison to the first two videos,
this music video has relatively dark lighting but
that is because of the dark connotations the song
holds, as well as the plot. Because this singer is a
male, the use of dark lighting automatically makes
this video a lot more masculine despite the fact
that the central character is played by a female.
The costume helps for viewers to identify the plot
of the video because otherwise the characters
would not be as clear as they are. The plot
revolves around the idea of ‘Cupid’ but this
wouldn’t be as evident without the girl’s costume,
as it is her wings and her bow and arrow that
identifies her. The same overall setting is used
throughout the video – the City of London – and
this not only flatters the darker choice of the
lighting, but it suits the more urban side of the
song’s genre. It also helps to connect with the
audience directly as the target audience will
typically be those who live in and around London.

39. • Audio Codes: Other than the song playing
throughout the duration of the video, at the very
start for approximately 20 seconds there is
additional audio of police sirens and mumbled talk
to add to the verisimilitude of the plot. These
sounds make the video look more realistic as it
mentally puts the audience in the position of the
story and will act as a hook to keep them
watching the rest of the video.
• Narrative Codes: Todorov’s Narrative Theory
doesn’t really apply to this video as much because
the majority of the video consists of the
disequilibrium, for the central character. There is
some equilibrium for the minor characters as they
all find love but ‘Cupid’, the central character
doesn’t actually find an equilibrium, but we are
lead to believe she might possible do at the very
last second of the video, but this is unanswered
and links in with the Enigma Codes (see next
slide).

40. • Action Codes: The key action in the video is the idea of
Cupid shooting her arrow and making everyone fall in
love, and this circulates throughout the video as the
key theme. Unlike most videos, this doesn’t have a
particular ‘dance’ action unless you consider the ‘club
scene’ towards the end as a ‘dance’. This included
action is essential to the audience as it allows them to
actually understand the plot and by understanding it
they are more likely to continue watching.
• Enigma Codes: There is a lot of confusion circling this
video including a lot of unanswered questions, which is
what we call the Enigma Codes. By creating a lot of
mystery within the video, the audience is more likely
to become intrigued with the video and continue
watching it. To start, we don’t know how Cupid got in
the state she is in, but that is revealed in the video.
We never find out how she came to live on the Earth
and we never find out if Sheeran in his little cameo
role finds love, and we don’t really find out what
happens to Cupid and the policeman at the end.

41. • Technical Codes: This video if definitely the most technical
of the three and involves a lot more detail in both the
physical shooting of the footage and the editing. In
between action shots there are some location shots of a
clock tower where the speed of the shot has been
increased to make the motion of the dark clouds look more
dramatic and to darken the mood and the tone. A lot of the
plot is based on the idea of mystery and confusion, and to
add to this particular tone some of the shots have been
blurred and distorted to change the way the audience may
perceive it. The shots are all relatively slow-paced towards
the up until the real build-up of the song to suit the pace of
the music itself and also the build-up of the storyline. Once
the action gets going and Cupid begins to release her
arrows at everyone the shots become much faster, flicking
between the different couples she has effected. This is also
the only video of the three I have analysed to use graphics.
Although only a small amount, graphics have been used to
make the arrows ‘disappear’ once they have been fired,
making the action look a lot more realistic.

42. Identifying the similar codes within these three
music videos is essential to me as it allows me to
identify the common conventions of this media
format, so that I can then perhaps work on
implementing them into my own work.
I will look to implement all different kinds of codes
into my own music video in order to reach out to my
specific target audience and maximize viewers and
coverage for my chosen music.

43. 
Audio Codes: The audio codes for all three of the music videos are
very much the same, as typical elements of this format don‟t
normally require other forms to be included in the video as the most
important aspect is the music itself. However, with the 3rd video,
there was some evidence of additional sound effects to add
verisimilitude, but I find this quite distracting in a music video, so I
will make the song/music itself the most important audio code in my
coursework.

Narrative Codes: Todorov‟s Narrative Theory does apply to all three
of the videos, but only partially because this theory applies better to
films. This theory can often apply to music videos quite well, but it
does depend on the genre, and with the particular genre I have
looked at, the theory is mostly challenged, either looking at just an
equilibrium, or ending with no equilibrium at all. If the video was to
end with a disequilibrium, this is likely to link to an enigma code, as
viewers may not be happy with the result, but this will act as a hook
device for viewers. With my genre of music video however, I am going
to challenge the theory and keep it at a complete equilibrium as this
generally suits my light-hearted genre more.

44. 

Action Codes: Unless you are looking at a highly stereotypical
genre of music such as Rap or Pop, then it is unlikely that you
will get any sense of real action in the video. For example, a
Pop video will feature dance moves and a Rap video might
include a lot of performance-based actions. All of my analyzed
videos had very minimal action in them as this suited the lighthearted, indie genre more, and all but one of them featured
the artist singing along to the lyrics which is what I will feature
in my own video as this is very conventional of this genre.
Enigma Codes: With my chosen genre of music, love,
friendship and heartbreak is a very common theme for music
videos, and so enigma codes often come hand-in-hand with
this. Enigma codes were present in all three of the videos, but
mostly so in the 2nd and 3rd videos, where we don‟t really find
out what happens to the characters towards the end of the
video. I will definitely employ this into my own video as they
act as great hook devices to keep viewers interested.

45. 
Technical Codes: Through this research I have completed, I
have seen that editing is often kept really minimal with a
music video of my genre, especially as for the artists it is often
about the song rather than how interesting the video is. The
editing really has to match the meaning behind the song, and
so with my video I am going to keep the pace of the video
slow-medium like these three videos, but switch continuously
between different scenarios, and the past and present, such as
in the first and second videos, to build on the emotion of the
song. Pacing is really the only major technical codes within
these videos, other than the use of text towards the end of the
video stating the year of release and the record company,
which I will also include in my work. Because of the technology
available to me, I won‟t be able to include major graphics in
my video, like with the last, but I will be able to play with the
colours and filters to help edit my video so it is genreappropriate, like the first video.