Inspiration: 'The A Team' Music Video

Despite the fact that Ed Sheeran's music video 'The A Team' is not a short film production, I have found some interesting ideas which were used within the film. Firstly, the use of colour is very effective, as it offers an immediate insight into the tone of the film. The black and white colouring is not a harsh contrast, either, it seems to be a gentle blur between the two, offering gentle greys and dark white colours which suggest a blur between two different lifestyles. However, having said this, there is no option of colour throughout the whole film, portraying the state of mind the young woman in question has. The music video itself begins with a medium close up of a young woman crying, suggesting that the narrative will focus on her and her struggles. I feel that this is effective as immediately gives an insight to the audience on whom to focus on. The first shot is quite a long cut, allowing the audience to see her emotions clearly. However, the clip does not last too long, to ensure that the audience's attention remains. It is necessary to ensure that the length of cuts are just right. The camera seems to be hand-held, as it occasionally wobbles or shakes when panning down to show a dead body of a woman. The use of camera-work is representative of the woman's emotions, as she appears to be currently traumatised over the death of who the audience presume is her friend of relative. There is then a rather sudden shot of a close up of the face of the dead woman with open eyes. The camera pans outwards gradually, signifying the distance of the dead woman from being alive. The camera blurs as it does so, which enhances this idea further. I feel that this is a very effective method of engaging the audience as it combines two different camera techniques to ensure that the audience's attention has been captured, and that they understand the tone of the film. I will consider using a similar technique of using slightly blurry images in my own production to portray meaning to the audience. The shot then cuts to black dramatically for a couple of seconds, before showing a woman lying on a bench. This use of black colour hints that the death of the woman is yet to come. The use of a non-linear narrative engages the viewers attention effectively as the audience want to know when and how the woman died. I like this idea of not having a linear narrative as I feel that it will gain attention to my own production, despite perhaps alienating some members of the audience. The shot of the woman laying on the bench is a long shot, within which no other people can be seen. This shows the idea of isolation and distance from dominant ideology. The clothing that she is wearing suggests that she is of a low class, and immediately gives information to the audience in regards to her character. The next shot the audience see is the young woman admiring nature, in particular a tree. This further shows the distance between herself and dominant ideology, as many people within society do not take time to stop and appreciate the natural beauty the world has to offer. The editing here consists of many short takes which have been added together to create a scene which effectively grabs the audience's attention. As the woman continues to appreciate nature, the camera continually has the hand-held effect, symbolising the state of the character's lifestyle. The next sequence of shots show the woman visiting the town. The shots here are also in quick succession, which makes the audience wonder where the woman is going. As the woman sells 'The Big Issue' magazine to potentially try to better her lifestyle, she then leaves the area. There is a blurred shot, consisting of an urban area shown through the use of blurred lights. The character then steps forwards, leaving the blurred lighting behind her, thus symbolising her wanting to shift her lifestyle choice. The use of shallow depth of field also shows how important she is as a character in regards to the narrative of the production. There is then a mid shot of the woman standing with her back to the viewer, observing the city before her. The editing used here is very effective as the world around her has been sped up significantly, whereas she remains at the same speed, further enhancing the idea of isolation. I really like this idea and will consider using it within my own short film production, as I feel that it is an effective way of showing isolation from society to the audience. This technique is repeated for a longer duration in the music video, which I feel deducts from it's initial effect as it has the potential to bore the audience. From noting this observation I will ensure that editing techniques within my own short film are used sparingly to ensure that I enhance their effects to their full potential. Following this is a very emotive shot of the woman in question crying. The fact that the shot is a close up allows the audience to clearly see her saddened emotions. This shot is synchronous to the lyrics which can be heard, which only make the shot more emotionally hitting. There is a pivotal shot of the woman trying to fix her appearance in a mirror. I feel that this is a very effective shot as it portrays the woman's possibility of having a dual lifestyle. I will consider capturing the use of mirrors in my own film to portray a deeper meaning. The shots are slowed down significantly, suggesting the anguish of her trying to break back into the accepted ideology which resides within society. The next scene is of a dimly lit area, which is only lit by car headlights. This shows the urbanised setting and the area in which the character resides. As the car drives off, with the girl in it, so does a nearby train. This signifies a shift in the character's lifestyle. I feel that this will be good to use in my own production if I need to symbolise a significant change. Another significant shot within the music video is the slowed down exchanging of money for drugs. I really like this shot as it symbolises the significance of drug culture, and how important of a decision it was for the woman to make, as drugs may be her last form of escape. The woman holds the drug up for the camera to clearly see. This shot appears to be slowed down. The following shots where the woman prepares to take the drug are speeded up. The binary opposites in speed here is effective as it shows the distorted feelings the woman currently has. The end of the film shows shots of nature (mainly the sky) with the character's face embedded onto the scene, suggesting that she has moved on.