Video Analysis of Florence and the Machine

The artist is wearing black clothing and has dyed her hair black, this connotes mystery, fear and the unknown. The camera is shooting from behind a window looking in on the artist and she uses indirect address. This tells us the artist is acting as if the camera isn't there by not acknowledging it. There is condensation on the window which disrupts our viewpoint but adds to the feel that we are an audience watching her. The lighting isn't very strong, but there’s enough to reveal the artist. The scene is set in the night time as the background is very dark and we can see blurred and distorted street lights in the background. 

There is a clear light being shone in the direction of the camera but slightly above the lens. This creates the shadows from the model’s legs. The socks are white which signifies purity and innocence but this is covered up because they are dirty and dripping with water which creates a strong mise-en-scene. The camera is positioned  at the same level as the feet, like we are following them as she is walking away from the camera and into the light.

This frame is very strong in terms of the composition. A narrow depth of field is used ensuring that the hand in the foreground has a sharp focus. This emphasises the focus the director wants us to have on the significance of the black paint dripping from the artists hand. The paint is black and is slowly dripping off of the artist; this connotes a dying romance and the pain dripping from her body. There is strong lighting in the background which is giving a strobe effect, and there is little light on the hand which clearly shows us the outline.  This frame is taken from quite early on in the video, the idea of dripping paint continues all the way through, shown from cuts.

Again a strong light is used from behind the subject which creates a few light glares on the lens, and this is the only light used in this frame. The compact corridor gives us a sense of being swallowed up, especially as a vanishing point is created and the artist is walking towards it. Because there is no light on the artist, a silhouette figure is created. The clothing worn is torn and appears very old – al of these points combined create a very strong and dull mise-en-scene. We also notice that there is water on the floor which we see from earlier in the video is dripping off of her.

A wind machine is used here to distort the shape of the artists hair. This could connote the fact that she is removing all the pain to become a purer person. The dark colours connote sadness and depression and this is reflected in the lyrics. Dim lighting is also used to reflect this. Indirect address is used which suggests she is in thought and singing with lots of emotion. The lights in the background keep moving around, lighting the hall she is standing in. There is a lot of empty space in the hall which she is placed in which emphasises her being lonely and makes her seem like a very small person in a very big place.

The light is caught shining right into the cameras creating a light glare in the frame. This is often seen as a mistake and is edited out of music videos, but it has been left in this frame to add to the dark effect and using every part of the light possible. The light shining from behind the artist creates an almost silhouette effect and shows a clear outline of her face. A narrow depth of field is used to ensure the artist in the foreground has a sharp focus, with the background having a very soft focus for more emphasis on her.