Analysing a music video 15th June

Readers,

The music video I've decided to analyse is 'The A Team' by Ed Sheeran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ
The video is shot in monochrome which reflects the dark subject it is addressing; addiction, prostitution and the endless loop the girl is stuck in.

The video begins with a girl looking over the body of another girl, who is dead. This is a shaky mid- shot to show the conscious girl's emotions through the camera work. The camera focuses on the dead girl's face, then zooms out whilst losing focus. This then cuts to black and flashes back to the previous to show how the girl died. It starts off with the girl waking up on a bench using an establishing shot. The next shot shows her walking up a hill with a quilt, the shaking camera represents her withdrawal from drugs as she gets to the top she spreads her arms wide. This is shown by a low angle mid-shot to show her longing for freedom.

The shot changes again to her walking through a street, it shows her feet and shoes, also her tights which are ripped. It changes to a worm's eyes shot of her looking up into the sky which represents her hatred for her life and how she wishes to be someone else. She begins to sell magazines on the streets with many ignoring her, except for the artist, Ed Sheeran who buys a magazine and sits and talks to her. This makes her her happier because she finds a friend in him, this is shown by a long shot of them sitting together.

The video is then sped up and the shot is of the girl sitting on the streets with people walking past and ignoring her. This long shot reflects how ignorant people are of the homeless or less fortunate. The girl begins to cry and the camera shows an eye level close up shot of her face which focuses the audience's attention on her tears. They represent how miserable she is in her current situation.

The video progresses to a close up shot of her applying makeup in a dirty mirror and tying her hair up, like she is getting ready for something. A car then pulls up outside in a deserted dark car park, beside her and she climbs in. It is now made clear to the audience and viewers that she is a prostitute. There's an eye line mid shot of her leaning in the car window, offering the driver her services. An extreme long shot from a long angle which is behind shows her and a male figure walking down a long hallway and entering a hotel room where she proceeds to seduce the man who picked her up. A close up shot shows the girl putting her hand in his pocket and taking money. This shows her desperation for the money as she can't wait until after they have slept together to be paid.

The shaky close up next shot shows her lying in bed awake, her makeup is smudged down her face and the scene changes to another close up shot of her hands offering a £20 note in exchange for white powder in a clear bag. This shows the violent loop this girl is stuck in, as soon as she earns money she spends it on drugs. The video conveys the message of addiction. It ends with a close up, bird's eye shot the girl smoking her drugs and falling asleep. The audience presumes that her death is due to a drug overdose.

Beth