STAR IMAGE TASK SHAWN MENDES: TREAT YOU BETTER (MUSIC VIDEO)

- BY MARAKESH JARVIS

(This presentation includes more than 8 ‘star images’, because I decided to track the music artist’s each individual position as the video commenced.)

This is the first screenshot from the music video I have chosen. The lead singer (in this case main/ only singer) is being focused on, with a shallow focus of the background/ scene. The singer, in this case Shawn Mendes, is edged further towards the right hand side of the camera and is positioned facing slightly on the side. He begins lip syncing to the vocals of the song as soon as the camera focuses on him. With the low lights and the dark colours surrounding the singer, including the clothes he himself is wearing – it creates a mysterious setting. The fact he isn’t looking directly at the lens of the camera and the fact everything has a blurry effect in the shadows could say something about the song, or the message wanting to come across from the actual meaning of the song. From the singer’s POV – the fact he isn’t shown as clearly as some other singers are shown in their music videos, it could reflect the actual singers’ personality, his role in the music video narrative, or just establish his own thoughts on the song. Meaning he cares more about the vocals and the meaning, rather than his persona and his spotlight. As this is the first image we see of him, all of this is unknown. As the music video progresses, something could change within the 4 minutes and 16 seconds (the length of the video). This all happens at 0.35 seconds (before hand in the music video, a small narrative took place, in the setting of night time (dark colours also were apparent) and this was the first image of the singer the music video displayed.

STAR IMAGE #1Marakesh Jarvis

STAR IMAGE #2Marakesh Jarvis

This was the second position and setting we got Shawn in. In between these takes of the main singer, a narrative piece in going ahead. The narrative seems to coincide with the lyrics of ‘Treat You Better’. At this point – Shawn is displaying the right facial expressions to be reacting to the narrative going on. It is also proven he feels emotional as the colours again, are very dark and mysterious. This time, his face is even harder to see despite the close up shot of his upper body. There is a dark shadow on one side of his face and because he is looking away from the camera and even facing to the side, it shows some detachment from the singer. The focus on the background is in better focus this time, but the shot is focused more on Shawn, so the setting maybe doesn’t matter at this point. What we know is he is still inside and still lip syncing to his vocals. He is just seen less than the narrative. What I can point out is the narrative happening in the other shots is taking place quickly. The actors in the narrative are moving, in action shots, fast. This is a huge contrast to Shawn – who is standing or sitting in certain positions and just singing – with the camera barely moving. This identifies him as the singer and the actors as the actors. Because he is on his own also, singles him out as the singer. You could argue this is bringing all the attention onto Shawn as the talent behind the music.

ACTION IN THE NARRATIVE GOING ON IN SEPERATE SCENES IN THE MUSIC VIDEO.

It isn’t until 0.59 seconds that Shawn is displayed in the centre of the camera lens at full focus, in a medium close up. There are some lighter colours in this scene, as the door is white – however the overall colour scheme, and therefore mood scheme is dark, mysterious and sad. This screenshot was taken as soon as the chorus began – so it makes sense that as the song speeds up, the viewers of the music video will be expecting some kind off exciting change. It is still hard to make the main singer out completely, but this time he is showing a neck vain and his facial features are closer to the camera and much more prominent. This could appeal to his fans and could make him seem attractive, as at the end of the day, the music video is made and put onto the site of YouTube to promote the song and grab attention. This shot shows Shawn as control of the song that is being played as his stance is strong and his face is fully shown. Rather than the narrative that is going on whilst he is ‘singing’ (lip syncing).

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The next screenshot we see of the main singer is around 4 seconds later, when Shawn is in a complete juxtaposed position. Shawn is positioning himself in a vulnerable state as he is leaning in against the wall of the same room he has been in throughout the video. He is also facing away from the camera again and the colours are still all very dark. This could be a sign of the narrative and Shawn’s position within the music video merging together. As the very scene before this, the narrative gets closer to him (the couple involved in the narrative are in the room now next to him). He is still lip syncing against the music, but his facial expressions and stance prove he is becoming more emotional as the song extends. This allows the viewers to feel tension and hopefully react to the song in a way the singer wants them to understand the lyrics.

A couple of seconds later, Shawn is seen again, but this time it is a close up of him leaning into the wall. It’s apparent that he is becoming more frustrated and this time his hands are really pressing in for something. This is a way for the star image singer to show emotion when singing. The fact his eyes are closed and his head is down, again causing a dark shadow to appear across his face, could mean he is connecting to the narration. At this point the viewers really feel tension as the close up of Shawn looking away, really indicates it is hard for him to look into the lens of the camera.

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In this next screenshot, Shawn seems to have gained control of the camera again. Although he isn’t in the full centre of the screen (he is positioned more to the right) – the focus is on him and the back scenery is in a shallow focus. We can make out that the room he is in is small and the camera seems to be switching around the room to allow Shawn to go into different positions – but stay inside the room. Viewers can use their imagination to think if involved with the narrative, if he is trapped in the room, or just inside to let out his feelings. In this shot, letting out his feelings is extremely apparent, because of the passion displayed on Shawn’s face when he is lip syncing. This again, builds up tension as the music behind the song becomes more powerful, in rhythm and volume.

To note: The camera moves up and across to position Shawn further down and he becomes some what smaller as the lens zooms out to focus more on the room. This makes Shawn vulnerable and also fits with the music as the camera moves always focusing on Shawn lip syncing.

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Again, in this screenshot of the video, Shawn is seen singing desperately into the wall that opposes the characters in the narration. In the narration, the viewers are made to believe that the couple are in the room next to Shawn. The couple are fighting and Shawn is vocally singing lyrics that explain how he could ‘treat’ somebody ‘better’. Shawn possesses certain facial expressions that explain he could be desperately trying to make someone understand he could treat them better. We as viewers assume that Shawn is caught up in the narration as they are all part of the same music video; makes sense. However, because Shawn himself as an artist is a singer/ songwriter, and these lyrics came personally from him, the emotions he is showing could be aimed towards the viewers are home; his fans. Shawn could be expressing his role as the main singer and trying to connect with people at home, either way it gains viewers as he comes across as a very passionate performer. It is important that the main singers in their music videos (if they appear in them) come across as inviting people as they want people to like them, but also want their passion in music to shine through the narration. This is evident here, in Shawn’s video.

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The next time we see the main singer, Shawn is at 1.28 minutes. Shawn is positioned sitting down and also to the left of the screen, which is different to all the other times as he usually swerved more to the right. This just keeps the attention on Shawn as at this point, the viewers are drawn in from all the tension of the narrative plot and are keen to view Shawn's movement within the story. This time, Shawn is in a medium close up and is still facing away from the camera, his body is low and he is singing towards the ground. His proxemics indicate he is still feeling low and helpless, which will allow the fans watching to feel sympathy for Shawn and get the emotion that the song is trying to give out. This could be Shawn’s way in giving the lyrics more of a meaning, by the passionate way he seems to be lip syncing them. This could allow Shawn to also come across as a deep artist who enjoys writing to benefit people’s feelings and emotions. If his follow up songs and music videos or songs before this are just as equally as emotional then Shawn could create, easily, a persona for his character as a music artist.

Note: A collection of things happen very quickly after the 8th time we see Shawn.

The girl involved in the narration (that is happening alongside Shawn singing) is seen from high view, with the camera tilted downwards. She is in the shower, that we as viewers assume is the bathroom of the room that is the room next to Shawn’s room.

Then the camera quickly pans down Shawn’s door and across to his feet (which is the first time we see anything but Shawn’s face in the video). The camera stays on Shawn’s feet for a couple of seconds, which allows the audience to focus on the water hitting them. This is an important part of the video, as the water seems to be coming from the room next door and this part of the video is the first time Shawn has connected or physically interacted with the narration going on around him to the lyrics of the song. The colours are still, all very dark or monochrome, which still indicates the actors and Shawn’s emotions are sad or weak.

We then get given the first image of Shawn, not singing along to the music. This could give away that he is interacting with the narration so much to the point he is becoming a part of the story now, rather than the person in control of the story, singing the lyrics, like the words to paint a picture. It is apparent he is feeling desperate and upset and he feels the need to get involved in the couple’s fight next door. The extreme close up of Shawn still proves however, that he is the star singer and the focus on the side of his face, even though he isn’t connecting with the camera and therefore audience, shows he is the face of the song. So he connects with the fact that this is a song by ‘Shawn Mendes’.

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