Format Research - Music Video Two

Only Love - Ben Howard

Written By: Ben Howard

Produced By: Chris Bond and Darren Lawson

Genre: Acoustic
Structure: Abstract

Story/Theme

Most of this music video starts with abstract filming which did not fit in to a chronological story. This made me originally believe there is no narrative however when thinking further in depth and looking more at the music video, I thought the bike used in the video could reflect the idea of Ben Howard being on the ‘journey’ of love. This idea creates a strong link to the lyrics and atmosphere which I believe is rather relaxing and happy due to the other micro elements such as lighting and colour. At the start of the video, “Only love” is faded in to show a below shot of Ben Howard on bicycle. This is a really unusual shot to start with which created a slightly surreal atmosphere – as if he was in a fantasy of his own. This narrative is then continued during the video whilst he is looking around in a way that he is in a dream. Although this song has a happy theme to it, there are also contrasts of sadness within it. This is expressed through part of the lyrics – “watch me fall apart”. It is also demonstrated when there are contrasts of colour as well as the fact Ben Howard is alone for most of the video which then switches to clips of people all together in a community such as the audience during the concert and when people are hugging backstage.

Mise en scene

Setting

The main setting shown throughout this video is New York which is evidently where the music video was filmed – I found this out from the information on Ben Howard’s website. Through the duration of this, he is riding around on a bike and on the train as if he is sight seeing. This is an interesting effect for the viewer due to it being as if we are looking from his point of view which has a personal feel to it – as if we are looking through the singers eyes. It also means we can see a lot of the setting and this becomes a main feature. Another setting which is important is the ‘concert’ – this is because the mixture of abstract filming and live music is a nice contrast and keeps the audience interested in what they are watching in stead of it just being the same setting throughout. It also shows to the audience that the actor in the video is the singer. It could also be considered as a promoting technique, as it is demonstrates a nice atmosphere for a concert. Finally, the last setting I believe is most significant is the one of Ben Howard jumping in to the lake/river and the shot of his underwater. Although this setting is only shown for 10 seconds maximum, it relates to the album cover and website homepage which is a picture of him underwater. Although these are the three settings that stood out most for me, the other aspects such as the park, train stations and broken piers also showed a contrast of rural and urban settings which created mixed emotions for the viewer.

Costume

When considering costume there is not much to mention due to there being only 3 changes which are all very similar looks. Ben Howard is shown to be wearing a t-shirt and jeans for the majority of the music video however there are also shots of him in a hoody and hat. All of these clothes are comfortable clothes you’d wear in everyday life. Although this doesn’t relate to the narrative much, I believe it compliments the fact it is a very relaxing song and video which then contributes to the overall theme of tranquillity.

Lighting

Lighting plays a bit part in this music video due to it completely controlling the atmosphere. The video was evidently made in the sunlight which is brightly shown through the sun beams across the camera, silhouettes, shadows and lens flares. This again portrays a calming mood and happy narrative which compliments the costume and theme. The only other light then shown is the artificial stage lights during the concerts – this creates a sense of realism and being at the concert, again a personal effect for the viewer.

Props

There is not much to mention with props however when regarding realism – props need to be considered due to the band instruments used when shooting the concert clips. Also most of the video is shot using an old bike – this reminds me of a rural place which contrasts with the urban setting of New York City.

Editing

Editing is also not a big deal in this music video, each shot jumps from one to another except the starting and ending one which both fade in and out. Some clips are also in slow motion which again contributes to the relaxing narrative this music video holds. Finally – some of the clips have been edited into a different colour, for example, some aren’t as saturated as well as the concert clips having tones of sepia within them.

Camera

As mentioned before, the first shot the audience is shown is a below shot of the singer, this slow fading in transition then is completely contrast with the multiple quick jump shots the audience are shown of the different angles and settings in NYC and of the bike and singer. When counting, there are roughly 8 shots within the first 15 seconds and 43 shots in the first minute, calculating to the shots only having about 1.2 seconds each; this is why I believe the narratives were rather blurred due to there being so much shown within the first minute of filming and why I believe it is an abstract music video. There are also some shots that look slightly hand held – again creating a sense of realism contrasting with the surreal beginning. Other shots that interested me were the tracking shots, which were shown after Ben Howards head was resting on what looked like a train window. The tracking shots then seemed to be from his point of view which was a really successful effect.

Ending

The video ends by the camera transitions slowing down which prepares the audience for the end of the song. The clip of Ben Howard cycling away in slow motion which fades out finally ends the video in the same surreal way. Overall this music video is very simplistic with the minimal editing and simple settings as well as the non diegetic sound which is carried out through the video. I believe some aspects such as the sun light and the slowing down/faded out ending will inspire me when shooting my music video.