Music Video Analysis Zara Yaffe

Kodaline – All I Want (Part 1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtf7hC17IBM

Target Audience & Needs

The target audience of this song and music video, I think, is maturing females. Although, I feel it’s also those that feel different, those growing up and those that feel unaccepted. I kind of feel that it’s for heterosexuals too, although this cannot be 100% accurate as there may be people outside of these groups that enjoy this music too. I think that those groups would like to hear natural things so that they know their problems can be solved and are completely normal to have. I feel the heterosexuals would expect to see a heterosexual relationship as this is what relates to them, however not all of them would like to see this. I think these groups would like to see something that ends positively to show these groups that it doesn’t all end badly. I think the needs of this group have been met.

Lyrics (Meaning Implied?)

I think that the lyrics have a literal meaning in this song by Kodaline. I feel that they relate to either losing a loved one due to death or losing a close relationship, as they can be interpreted in two ways. The lyrics “If you loved me, why’d you leave me?” convey the idea that the death that has happened has left him alone in this world. He is questioning why this person had to die as he is now left alone with one less relationship. It could also possibly relate to a broken relationship. He is questioning why somebody would leave him if they loved him so much, as they obviously claimed they did. The lyrics “Take my body” are repeated six times in this song. This is repeated to emphasise the idea that this person wants to be taken to wherever his love has gone, whether it be a physical place or somewhere you go after you die. The emphasis shows how much he wants to go wherever his love has gone. “All I need is to find somebody” These lyrics show that his heartache could be solved by someone else and somebody else could make it better. Other lyrics include “our love was made for movie screens”. These convey to the listener that this was a very strong love that should have been seen by others, but is too late now. Their love was like a typical love film, although it no longer exists.

Tempo This song begins slow and is slow until about two thirds of the way through. When the narrative music video shows this man being accepted and finally finding his true self, the pace of the music speeds up. This could symbolise the idea that when you don’t like something, it feels like it’s going on forever but, when you’re really enjoying yourself and you feel happy, it’s like it’s gone too quickly and it’s gone in an instant as it speeds up. The happiness he feels correlates to the music video where this female who had been endlessly ignoring him finally sees his true colours behind his appearance and decides to give him a chance in a turn of events. It’s as though love can make him happy again and it makes your life easier to get through.

Genre The genre of this song and music video is indie rock and alternative rock. Those that enjoy these genres would typically expect to hear guitars and acoustics sounds with no electronic in it. They’d enjoy hearing pure voices rather than clearly edited voices. It is typical in indie rock to see things with very minimal set and to be concentrating more on the sounds of the vocalist rather than the video itself. The shots tend to run smoothly in and out of each other. I think that the sounds (acoustics, guitar, voice) are all used very well and match what typical conventions would be used in these genres, although everything else has been gone against. There is quite a big set used (office, roads, kitchen) and the music video needs to be watched to clearly understand the voice, rather than listening solely to the voice to get a real feel of the artist.

Camera Technique A range of camera techniques are used in this video by Kodaline. I think this is because it is a story being told and so it would get

Music Video Analysis Zara Yaffe

boring if we saw it all on one angle with no movement. The first shot I will talk about is a mid-shot. This is used to show the posture and stance of those in the narrative music video. It shows how they’re feeling as it will come across in how they’re stood. Another shot used is a two-shot. This is used frequently at different points throughout the music video and shows the relationship between the two people in each two shot. At the beginning, the two shots with the blonde female actress and the main male actor are very awkward but as time goes by they become closer and less awkward with each other, all the way to the end to where they kiss. A close up of the male protagonist’s face is used frequently too in this video, which could also be called a reaction shot. These close ups show the emotions and facial expressions clearly of this actor in order for us to understand how he is feeling and give us, as the audience, an insight into the emotions the actor feels in response to how the other actors are treating him, purely due to his appearance which differs to those around him. Long shots are used throughout the music video in order to give the viewer an insight into what else is happening other than the emotions of the male protagonist. This includes the reactions to this male in the office in which he works. This shows how everybody acts around him purely due to his appearance. Everybody else in his work office seem to get on very well and have good relationships with each other except from this male protagonist who can’t seem to make or keep any friendships because of his appearance. This makes him feel excluded which will therefore make him exclude himself rather than try to include himself and show he is different from what he looks like. It shows that society judge people on their looks before getting to know their personality. Another shot used is a tracking shot. This is used to follow what is happening. It’s almost like the viewer is actually involved in this music video and is watching it happen themselves. This would therefore evoke sympathy from the viewer as we feel sorry for the male protagonist who is not getting what he wants. We then have a change in emotions when he does get what he wants. This tracking shot helps us follow what is happening like we’re there. We can have a deeper understanding of what is going on in the music video due to this. This, too, explains a panning shot. Low angle shots are used in this music video. It’s like the audience can see what is happening but we cannot change it. This evokes sympathy from the viewer as everyone around this unlucky man can see what is happening but decide not to get involved, which is like what we are doing from a low angle. An over-the-shoulder shot is used too. This helps the viewer get involved in the music video and feel a part of it. It gives the viewer a sense of being in that situation with the actors which engages them and keeps their attention.

Music Video Analysis Zara Yaffe

Editing Cutting and jump cuts are used in the music video by Kodaline. This is to show that it is a continuous story in this narrative music video. It cuts to different parts of his day to convey the idea that the things he is feeling are never ending and everybody in his place of work is making fun and a joke of him. It enhances the idea that nobody he is surrounded by likes him and he is constantly alone. This editing technique is used throughout this video by Kodaline. Slow motion is another editing technique used in this narrative music video. It is used when the protagonist of this video has finally found a companion, his dog. Him and his dog run across a field together which is edited into slow motion which shows that this an important moment for the protagonist as it’s as though he has finally found someone that will spend their time with him. I think it is also put into slow motion at this part as it is emphasising the idea and sadness that the only other being that will spend time with him is a dog. Another editing technique used in Kodaline’s ‘All I Want’ video is having voice over music. This happens at the beginning of the music video where the antagonist

Music Video Analysis Zara Yaffe

of this music video is scared of him and also at the end where they find love together. This introduces the story of the narrative video to its audience and also concludes the music video too. It gives a clear story line for the beginning for the music video to follow and then gives a conclusion at the end of the story, which ends up as a happy love story. It shows the importance and change within the relationship of these two people from beginning to end.

Use of Digital Effects Not many digital effects are used in this music video. There is a still image used in this video, but only once. It is used at the end where the protagonist is very pleased for himself and it’s almost as if the still imagine is capturing his long over-due happiness. Colour correction is also used throughout this video, sometimes to make the work environment a brighter place, almost conveying the idea that is a happy, safe place to be which contrasts to the protagonist’s point of view and feelings towards it. Colour correction is also used at the end of the music video where it’s night time and dark. This would usually portray the idea of negative things but this is contrasted by the happiness brought by the two main actors in this video and the positivity they feel towards the end. This contrasts and so questions to audience’s natural responses to the colours seen.