The Arts continue to thrive!
Since deciding to make this newsletter very Arts focussed we put out a call across the entire school for Art work pupils have been involved with this academic year or written work they had produced.
By Freddie Griffin
We have to say “Wow” what a tremendous amount of high-quality, creative beautiful work we received.
We would love to show each and every piece of work sent but really cannot manage to do that, however, we are going to show a lot here as we feel it is not only the pupils who need recognition for their dedication and positivity through this time but also their teachers, we have a very strong and creative Literacy, Language and communications Faculty including new teacher Chris Davies working tremendously hard alongside Alun Brown, Rachel Jones and Fiona Earle and then Suzy Morris and Mark Sherrington working in art, textiles and photography across the entire school … not forgetting all the Prep form teachers who each work with the children on their early reading and writing skills.
We are so proud of the pupils and the teachers and the parents who have had to support the work during the lockdowns.
We hope you can take the time to sit and read the work and browse at the art and really “enjoy them, escape day to day life and be nourished by their creativity”.
Year 1 and 4 face and flowers projects
Creative Writing Snippets by Perry Williams
1. Room with a view.
He walked over to the window, and threw open the curtains, ready to embrace the sunshine. Feel the warmth curling into the room, the rays spreading into the cold darkness. But instead, he was greeted by more coldness. The world outside was cold, dismal, and grey. The clouds, suffocating the sun, rolling across the sky in giant waves, pouring out the god’s wrath, the noise deafening. The water was falling off the roof, in tiny droplets, trying to find their way to the ground, and hitting the windowsill. The sky was grey. The water was grey. The few other houses were grey. Even the dog hurrying home in the downpour was grey. Droplets ran down the pane, trickling into the gutter, falling down, down, sprinting into the cobbled streets that were meant to be covered in tarmac last year. They raced between the cracks, finding their way into the drain, cold and beckoning. Mrs Battersby was no longer working on her roof, half of the slates still not done, and thusly the water soaking into the flimsy wood of the roof. It must be hard for the Battersbys. Well, it’s not like they didn’t deserve it. Silly old prunes.
2. Using senses
Cold. That is all I know, my senses tingling with “cold, cold, cold”. I gasp as my head dips under the water, the freeze seeping into my bones. I splash and struggle, and kick my legs, but it is feeble.
A small voice in the back of my head tells me: “Don’t waste your energy trying to escape the riptide!” Mr Frigid and Mrs Freezing talk over him, however, and tell me my panic is overwhelming. Bad. Bad voices.
The salty smell of the ocean drifting across the water, the endless plain of water stretching expansively to the horizon, everything I can see, feel, smell; it all sets me off. The water feels like a vast, blue grave.
I try to escape, but that’s impossible when you don’t know what you’re trapped in.
Black spots bloom at the edge of my vision, and my body starts going numb.
And the last thing I think just as I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness is…
3. Autobiography
Introduction - Stop reading this. And look out the window. Go outside, play in the sunshine. If there is no sunshine, imagine there is. Or, better yet, take this book outside and read it there. Unless it’s raining. You can’t imagine the dampness of this book doesn’t exist. I feel like I’m not getting enough time outside, now that I have the chance. What is this chance, I hear you ask? Well, you’re going to have to buy the book to find out, because I’m not telling you yet. Don’t look at me like that, I’m trying to make a living here!
Chapter 1 - I have a great ambition to be an author, and all the time I get ideas of books I could write. The problem is, I always get these ideas, and I think, ‘Wow! This could finally be the idea that could really turn into a great story! And then I make a skeleton plan, and write a first chapter, and then sort of forget about it. And then in hindsight, I think, ‘Oh, that idea was pretty bland.’ There is this subscription called Masterclass, which has a bunch of lessons and guides on different skills from masters in their areas. And I quite like a class by Margaret Atwood, a very successful writer who has published at least 18 very popular books. In her Masterclass, every so often she will drop a helpful quote. One of my favourites is, “Do it, do it more, do it better, fail, fail more, fail better.” Others include things like “Stories are patterns interrupted”, and “The waste paper basket is your friend, it was invented for you by god.” She has a unique approach to writing compared to what I am taught at school. She says she was taught that ideas are a bit like there is a little box, and when you figure out how to open the box, there are lots of tiny, brilliant ideas hidden inside. She also says this is nothing like how she writes. When Margaret goes into a story, she usually has a vague semblance of how it will play out, but mostly that writing is a bit like walking through a fog, and the further you go, the more it clears in front of you. I like this approach to creative writing, mainly because I’m bad at planning exactly where I want a story to go, and that I won’t like it, but since I’ve planned it all, I am condemned to write the rest of a story I hate. And that is where one of her most important philosophies comes into play. It is OK to change things. If you hate how your story is going, then change it. You don’t need to keep rigidly to what you originally had set out in your head. Stories change, stories evolve. Margaret tends to write a lot about women, and some critics got annoyed at this. So, when she discovered this, she rewrote the entire story she was working on, to change the main protagonist from a woman to a man. And then, when it was published, everyone asked her why she had written about a man instead of the usual. I have one problem with this mindset; and it is that when I write an opening line, or even a whole opening chapter, I have no idea where the story is going. This means I never become invested in the story, and so I quickly lose interest in it. I have been trying to make my writing more planned recently, but it is quite difficult to change. Old habits die hard, I guess.
Poetry Analysis by Ethan Akroyd
A Brief Exploration of ‘A Soldier’s Winter’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’.
Both poems portray powerful yet disturbing images of conflict based on the setting and experiences of the First World War. This exploration will show how the poems present ideas of suffering, loneliness, and helplessness to highlight the characteristics of conflict in the war.
Both poems portray the idea of suffering. In ‘A Soldier’s Winter’, a quotation to support this is “ With a tear I draw my parting breath.” This choice of language supports the concept of suffering because the soldier doesn’t know whether he is going to live or not which gives a level of uncertainty that the reader will share. In ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, Owen shows his interpretation of suffering through a image of “parting breath” which could suggest that he is in great danger and about to die, suggesting that the soldier has been greatly wounded and may be in pain. Although interestingly the process of dying seems to be quite peaceful. Another quotation to support this semantic field would be “coughing like hags” where the soldiers are coughing from gas and it is hurting them. Specifically, the simile “like hags” effectively portrays how much the soldiers are suffering because “hags” refer to older people and how they sometimes suffer with coughing painfully. Overall this would make the reader feel uncomfortable and sympathetic to those soldiers who are forced to take part in this conflict.
Both poems portray the idea of loneliness. In ‘A Soldier’s Winter’ a quotation to support this idea is. “is this really happening to me?” The use of this question supports this semantic field because the soldier is by himself and he knows that he is probably going to die. Specifically, the rhetorical technique of the question shows that the writer is trying to give a level of uncertainty to the reader because of the fact that it’s a question and not a statement. In ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, a quotation to support this idea of suffering is “drunk with fatigue”. This is very powerful because the metaphor of being “drunk” suggests the soldiers are intoxicated by the conflict, almost out of control. Specifically, the adjective “fatigue” shows that the soldiers are exhausted and tired which could mean that they are more prone to being careless when they are fighting. Overall this would make the reader feel sorry for the appalling situation that the soldiers find themselves in.
Both poems portray the idea of helplessness. In ‘A Soldier’s Winter’, language to support this semantic field is “I see trees, I see sky, I see clouds.” This quotation is powerful in many ways. The writer is trying to let the reader know that the soldier who is just lying there is not only injured but also helpless. The image of someone who can’t do anything because they are too injured in harrowing and really underlines the horrible effect of conflict on this poor soldier. Specifically, the use of repetition helps to reinforce this sense of helplessness to the reader. In “Dulce et Decorum Est’, a quotation to support this idea of helplessness is “ his hanging face” which underlines the idea because the soldier in focus is doomed to an inevitably fate. Specifically the verb “hanging” shows that what has happened to this soldier is grim and unpleasant. Overall this would make a reader feel uncomfortable about the experiences that are affecting the men who were sent away to fight in the War.
Poetry Analysis by Philo Rozek
How do the poems “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” and “Spring and Fall” present the idea of death?
I will be exploring how the poems “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” and “Spring and Fall” present the idea of death. I will be looking at how both poems show the loss of aspirations, I will also be looking at how both poems show the inevitability of death. Finally, I will be exploring how both poems show how death is a frequent occurrence. The death of the ball turret gunner was written by Randall Jarrell, who was a flight instructor in the army but hasn’t been deployed into war. Spring and fall was written by Gerard Manley Hopkins who was a priest.
Both poems show the loss of aspirations. In the poem “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner” the voice in the poem is “loosed from its dream of life”. The use of the verb “loosed” shows that dreams in life are being lost. The voice’s dreams and aspirations have been let go once they are at war, showing that they are so scared so that they lost focus on their aspirations. This is also shown in the poem “Spring and fall”; the person in the poem who is talking to the character Margaret tells her that “as the heart grows older it will come to such sights colder”. Margaret is weeping about leaves dying in autumn, the voice said this to her in response. The use of the adjective “colder” shows loss of passion. Passion is usually seen as fiery and warm, so if the heart gets “colder” passion is dying, this dying of aspiration happens because of getting older. As people grow they have more issues to deal with, eventually, the small issues people could have had as children, such as leaves dying, become normalised, therefore losing their importance. The reader could notice the importance of having aspirations and taking in the little things from these two poems.
Both poems also present the idea of death being inevitable. The death of the ball turret gunner starts with the voice in their “mother’s sleep” and ends in the voice watching over himself after he “died”. The use of the verb “sleep” can be used to describe an unborn baby, as they are sleeping in their Mother’s womb, it can also be used to describe a dead person, because they are “sleeping” forever. This shows that there is a cycle of life and death where both are connected and can’t be separated. Meaning that with life comes death; death cannot be stopped. This is also shown in Spring and fall when the voice talking to Margaret talks to her about “the blight man was born for”. The use of the noun “blight” can mean two things. It can either be a synonym for curse or it can be referring to a type of disease pants can get which kills them. The voice is talking to Margaret about death, so either interpretations reach the same place, death. This can show man was born to die, or man was born to suffer.
Finally, both poems present the idea being a frequent occurrence. In The death of the ball turret gunner the voice has “died” and says that “they washed me out” of the ball turret. The use of the verb “washed” can take away the humanity from the voice, as his body is being treated as something filthy that must be “washed” away, not as a unique person. This shows that death is so frequent the dead aren’t treated like people and are treated like filth that should be washed away. This idea is also shown
in Spring and fall when The voice mentions that there are “worlds of wan wood”. The use of the adverb “worlds” shows that there is so much wan wood (which means dead leaves and plants) it could be described as there being worlds of it. Worlds of something is a huge amount, too much to be counted, and so if there are worlds of death, it must be a frequent occurrence.
In conclusion, both poems present the idea of death in similar ways. Both poems have shown the death of aspirations, both have shown the idea of death’s inevitability and both poems have shown how frequent death is. Both poems present these ideas in slightly different ways while keeping the same theme.
The Nawab of Bengal by Corso Cramerotti
Unheard Conflict by Jacob Finn
Year 5 creative writing based on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
Long long ago in the amazon rainforest, there was a mysterious river. It appeared in the late 16th century. There was a prince who appeared in the jungle when he was just 12 years old. His companions decided to build a raft and sail away to the kingdom and leave the boy on the island. They knew that he was special and could survive on his own. When he finally woke, he saw the raft sail away and his companions waving goodbye.
Two years later and the boy was still on that island, confused, worried and alone. His little shack had a roof over his head, a door, windows and walls luckily. Looks like his companions were right, he could survive on his own. He had a gallon of water, two apples, 8 grapes, one pineapple and a Melon. Inside he had a bed, a drawer and a cabinet. He was building his own little bungalow.
One day he found a magical river, that sparkled in the sunlight.
The little boy touched it and it shook his hand.
“Wow! It just shook my hand. Incredible movement!” said the boy. He was mesmerised by how this water can move.
“Thank you,” said the river. The boy jumped and fell into the water. In 1 second the river hauled him out of the water. “Thank you,” said the boy surprised by the fact that it could move. “ You're welcome,” said the river. “Now let me tell you my life story…”
“That’s right I’m a human Girl.” The boy ran away, to his little shack screaming. “Wait!” said the girl and she went into her human form, a human girl. A few minutes later, the prince woke up and said, “what happened?” The girl was sitting next to him and said, “everything’s fine now.” As she reassured him, a puff of smoke came out of her fingers. She closed her eyes, and an ice pack came out the puff of smoke.
“What is that?” Said the boy, confused.
“It’s the future, take a look,” and she passed the ice pack to the boy.
“Oh, I haven't properly introduced myself, I’m Elsie,” said Elsie.
“Jack, well more precisely, I’m prince Jack.” Elsie was not surprised because she had saved princes before. But not like this. “I don’t want to live on this island any longer,” said Jack.
“What do you mean?” said Elsie, looking a bit confused. “I wanna go places with you.” Elsie grinned and they got to work. They made a raft and put jacks shack on the top including all his food and water and sailed away…
By Ella
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in the Amazon rainforest called Maya. She was living with her distant relatives. Her foster mother hated animals, but Maya loved animals. Her second cousins called Gwen and Beatrice were horrible to her.
They bullied her, stole her money, and even hit her right across the face. One day she ran away and found a hut she decided to camp out there but then she heard something. She went behind the hut; there was a wall of long swaying vines, she pushed her way through it then there was an amazing river with tree arch.
There were also a few sticks of bamboo with which she decided to make a raft. She saw a huge panda and monkeys and gibbons but the one Maya most loved were the hummingbirds. She stopped and looked at all the amazing creatures then a cheeky monkey threw an orange on her face.
She said, “Hi little guy, you shouldn’t do that, but you gave me an idea. I will make marmalade. Yes, okay you need a name. How about snickers?"
The monkey then replied, “Ohh ohh ahh ah.” The monkey started passing oranges down then they something with two ears appeared; it was a huge hippo. Maya ran off the raft then used it as a float. She pushed on to the side where there were thorns everywhere, she had now shoes on so she quickly climbed the orange tree.
She couldn’t see the hippo, so she went down with the monkey on her shoulder. then found the raft then carried on going along the calm river. She decided she didn’t really want to make the marmalade so she wanted to carry on going along the river.
Under the magnificent tree arch she went, late into the night, along the river top then she saw a nice sand patch. She made a shelter and Evan a little bed for Snickers.
Eventually, Maya woke up, she was falling down a water fall. She screamed in horror as she thought she was on the sandbank. Snickers was on her shoulder then Maya saw a rock which led to a rocket path. On the cliff she decided to jump towards it. When she got closer, she was picking up speed then she leapt out of the raft and landed on the narrow path. She got closer to seeing water then she walked faster and faster.
She eventually arrived on a big path and dashed to a hut. She saw a boy called Liam and they made pretty good friends. They lived together, played together and they went on more adventures. Liam got a pet monkey and called him Coco.
They lived happily ever after.
By Ava
Senior School Art
Head of Art Mr Sherrington has given us a glimpse here into the current pupils GCSE sketch books… they have been working tirelessly on them, trying to improve their submission ready for a final assessment at the end of the year. How that assessment will be done is something that is not set in stone yet.... but we know it will value quality work. As a result, the pupils have produced some outstanding pages, in fact some of the pages look like exemplar pages we get sent by the exam board!
Mr Sherrington says “I have the deepest respect and admiration for the pupils who are showing real maturity and independence at an age and time when normally they would have far more face to face support and practical help in the studio. Their resilience is only matched perhaps by their creativity and work ethic. In GCSE Art 75 per cent of the marks come from the work in the sketchbook rather than the work on the wall at the final exhibition.
What makes this work particularly impressive is the intensity and focus that the pupils are showing to create such powerful and varied work. This is great because even though we are not in the studio and able to spread out and be creative we are ensuring the pupils are accumulating marks quickly putting them in a very strong position.”
Mr Mark Sherrington - Head of Art
A Level Textiles Work
Mrs Suzy Morris who teaches A Level textiles says: "Here is a tiny sample or some pieces we have created using burning, wax, hand and stitch embroidery. Lara and Pippa have been exploring two different themes of vintage fabrics and Mexican inspirations."
Year 8 and 9 English Work – Analysing Media Texts
This term students in Year 8 and 9 have been learning about Media texts, with a particular focus on music videos and print advertising. After finding out about some of the key media language and methodology used in the industry the students then set about deconstructing some of their favourite music videos and print adverts before then designing their own. Below are some of the analytical pieces of writing from the students where the focus was to deconstruct a segment of one of their favourite music videos.
They were asked to write about how the director had used different camera angles / shots and mise en scene to reinforce the meaning of the song lyrics. In the next edition we will share some of the students’ music video design ideas for the song Don’t Stop Believing.
Mr C Davies
Keira Luke, Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘The Scientist’ by Coldplay
In this piece of writing, I am to explain why the team that made the music video for ‘The Scientist’ chose the camera angles and Mise-en-scene that they did. I will also try to recount the message behind the music video by Coldplay that is often described as using brand-new techniques and being especially riveting. It was released in 2002 and is still seen as memorable up until today, but how did they evoke so much emotion into a four-minute video? Let us find out!
Throughout the duration of ‘The Scientist’ I have the opinion the both Coldplay and the producers of the video have a clear message that they wanted to convey. The camera use combined with the abundance of Mise-en- scene aids the idea that they were trying to represent functioning people with mental health problems such as PTSD.
The first basis on which I believe this to be true are the camera usage and shots. All through the video we see the camera track his movements and facial expressions, whilst employing many alternative shots and angles. The most significant of these is the very first camera shot of the whole music video. This is where the audience initially sees the character and decides on whether they will watch through to the end of the video, therefore it is pivotal that this shot is memorable. In my opinion a close up before zooming out to a long shot is the perfect choice for what was needed. I believe this as it slowly reveals the strange and somewhat worrying setting in which the main character resides.
Additionally, the producers chose this due to the fact it creates a smooth transition from his static starting position, to each new action that takes place. Thirdly, this is a wonderful choice of camera angles as it makes an extraordinarily little difference that the whole clip is in reverse. Alongside this, the use of an extreme long shot is evident when portraying the man’s actions.
This gives a clear image showing him doing all the insane and strange things which are further amplified as it is all in slow motion. Projecting every facial expression in action is extremely important when trying to embed a message and all of the camera angles used are the best choice for this.
The final shot of the whole music video is perhaps the most powerful of all. We see him and his significant other just moments before the accident and possibly just moments before his life fell apart, and finally the viewer understands the sombre the message behind the video.
The mise-en-scene in this video plays a huge part in this idea as it is what makes the music video so interesting. In terms of setting and props, my opinion is that they were chosen as it automatically puts negative ideas into the viewers heads, whilst also keeping them watching to find out exactly how he came to lie on a dirty mattress in the street. Another reason is that in this fairly normal setting, the main character is doing some pretty strange yet is still not noticed.
For costumes, the man is wearing normal, however minimal clothing which may suggest him having to have taken off his jacket after an incident. I believe that that they chose normal clothing to once again signify that unless someone is wearing strange clothes, they are ignored by the people around them. Even from the start of the video, you can tell that something is wrong, due to the man’s facial expressions and body language. This is evident when looking at his body language in particular at the very start of the video. He is seen falling and flailing on the mattress and even before that in an awkward pose which may suggest a panic attack of some kind. Once again, I think that this was chosen to start the video of on a very negative note. This is further supported by the fact that it is clear he blacked out before waking up at the start of the music video, suggesting to the audience that it could not be a light-hearted clip.
In my opinion, it is both the lighting and colours that tie this music video together. For the most part, the colours are normal however, there is a slight washed out tint, making the video seem like a distant memory. This also could be why the producers of the video chose to put the whole video in slow motion, making it appear as If he was casting his mind back to the day his life changed. Another reason that the producers may have chosen the lighting is that it is quite depressing and would fit the overall mood of the video.
Finally, the camera does an amazing job of making the accident seem real. We have the ability to see all his movements whilst keeping him fairly central in the shot. He only ever leaves the frame when it is essential to plot, such as when his wife is shown on the floor.
In conclusion, I believe that the underlying message of the whole music video is that our society is terrible at realising when people have mental health problems. All throughout the video, a man, who we have seen do some pretty concerning things, is ignored by his peers due to wearing normal attire and not being physically abnormal. Because of us seeing the whole picture, and not just a snapshot like many of the people in said clip, we can tell that something is not quite right, however without asking for or seeing the whole story, how are we to judge his position? This is even more obvious when looking at the concept of the video, and I believe this is why the whole video is reversed. We learn more and more about the character and the incident as the video goes on, so to start off with someone couldn’t be blamed for thinking that the man was just plain weird. Because the truth is, people with past, or present trauma are often labelled as strange by society and cannot properly express their feelings and problems.
Fflur Pierce, Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘Sail’ by AWOLNATION I have selected the song “Sail” by the American rock band Awolnation to analyse as it is the band’s most commercially successful song to date. The song is immensely compelling as Awolnation has never spoken directly concerning what “Sail” is about. Specifically, the official music video is captivating as the mysterious force outside the house is never revealed. With regard to the camera angles utilised during the 30 second clip which begins the music video, there is a vast array. Firstly, to introduce the setting the band opt for a long shot as it accommodates for the opportunity the lead singer, Aaron Bruno, capitalises by fleeing fearfully from an external threat. Following this, the band implement a close up shot, which acts as a temporary relief from the threat outside as the singer gratefully reclines against an interior wall.
Additionally, it is an opportunity to convey the characters emotions through his facial expression. An extreme close up is deployed to emphasise the characters emotions. Equally, it intensifies the characters situation as it is a drastic change which occurs very conclusively. Next, a medium close up shot allows for development in the plot however, it conveys the characters alarm simultaneously. Finally, a medium shot portrays the character as vulnerable. Several elements of mise-en-scene are employed in the music video, “Sail”. The setting stands as a standard, urban, neighbourhood house. This results in a prejudice assumption that he is a normal human being. Additionally, the wooden blinds may represent a solid barrier to whatever is lurking outside. Coincidentally, it allows those watching it to feel a sense of unease as this format makes it more palpable. The characters costume, hair and make-up supports these arguments as he is wearing casual clothing and is very standard in his appearance. This corresponds to his customary being which portrays no significance. Furthermore, his body language illustrates I’m as a cowering lung man who is stricken with fear which is conveys through his facial expression. For the majority of the clip, low key lighting avails which escalates the trepidation the viewer may experience. However, during some distinctive sequences there is an intense high key and back light shots which startle the listener and relinquished their poise. During the clip the character is often central and in the foreground. This conveys the characters importance. Conversely, this doesn’t accommodate for the illusion creature to be discovered. This solidifies the viewers sense of bewilderment.
To conclude, there are several aspects of mise-on-scene and significant camera angles which support the success of this highly credited pad song, however, when thoroughly observed, there are a few distinguished elements which may be referred to as the crux. Firstly, the extreme close up shot which is deployed during the clip is so conspicuous it largely impacts the flow of the video as it is a drastic contrast from the foundations of the video. Likewise, the low key lighting corresponds to the trepidation felt by the viewer, however, in contrast, the intense high key lighting relinquishes the viewer’s poise.
Ceylin Buckley, Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘It’s time’ by Imagine Dragons and ‘Victorious’ by Panic at the Disco
Imagine Dragons have created such a powerful song focused on a journey through a country/ town and the obstacles that may come in their way with regards to their mental health. The focus of this song consists of self-doubt. The words “I don’t wanna let you down” suggests this and the person has been given false hopes. Contrastingly, in the song Victorious by panic at the disco; the plot is very upbeat and happy because the main character has won a fight. This is one of the many reasons that antagonistically differentiates these songs. Let’s have a look at some more!
The quotation “shooting fireworks like it’s the fourth of July” claims that the main character is over the moon and is celebrating his victory. In this specific scene, it’s dark outside but the bright lights fulfil the room. These lights are vibrant and in your face- a reference to how people may act when they are indeed “victorious”. The use of the medium close up is evident that the main character (Brendon Urie) , is the main focus. Furthermore, the girls around him are facing inward towards him, creating the same effect. The use of colourful confetti and the champagne being popped accentuates the ceremony and the Vibrant vibe. Conversely to this, in “This Time” the background is a murky mist and is surrounded by sharp objects to create a dreary scene. This camera angle is an extreme wide shot and may have been used to spotlight the feelings of the characters and to match their emotion to this scene. Nevertheless , it could also mean that there is still a possibility that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. These shots differentiate from each other because they are completely opposite shots and expose different body language and emotion. During this specific scene in victorious, Brendon Urie is surrounded by skimpy models with natural hair and makeup. Both girls are overwhelmed whilst popping champagne bottles and celebrating the victory. Continuing on from this, Brendon is wearing a simplistic white shirt and has melodramatically shocked face. Despite this, the costume and hair during ‘its time’ was designed to be easy to move around in and is very light wear. Hair is tied up and most characters are wearing back packs and contraptions to carry their belongings in. This scene is generally neutral and laid back compared to victorious which is spirited and upbeat. However, all outfits worn in both music videos are similarly simple.
These are some of the many differences that these songs withhold. Nonetheless, both main characters portrayed in these songs are subsequently going through some kind of sadness or trauma. Brendon Urie from Panic at the disco is moreover going through a breakup after his big debut during his fight. This leading him to miss his significant other and bring down his over the top emotions and actions. The stanza “my touch is black and poisonous, and nothing like my punch drunk, kiss I know you need it , drink of water, drink of wine” is highly repeated throughout this song. This recommending that he may be referencing the significant other. Specifically, the words “drink of water, drink of wine” suggest that the depression from his breakup is causing him to go out to pubs and get drunk to make him feel better. The song is repeatedly using these words, over and over again. The word “drink” is mentioned twice in the stanza at once. This word repeated manufactures the sound of him drinking a lot and going out all the time! Similarly, in course of ‘it’s time’ the stanza “it’s time to begin/ isn’t it? / I get a little bit bigger, but then I’ll admit/ but I’m just the same as I was/ now don’t you understand/ I’m never changing who I am” like ‘victorious’ is also repeated throughout the song. Distinctively, the words “I’m never changing who I am” recommends that the characters in this song, doesn’t want to feel brave and act as a hero, they just want to be themselves.
In comparison, both songs are mostly different. They are based on completely different moments in life. The viewers listening to ‘Its time’ may think about the times that they wanted to have a mental health break. Or when they were struggling to be themselves and act more confident than they actually were. Furthermore, the viewers listening to ‘Victorious’ may be thinking of their ex and relate to missing them. Or the time they won something big like the lottery. The biggest contrast between both songs is the speed and pitch of both songs. One is over the top and in your face when the other is more emotional and intense. Even the angle shots are the complete divergence of each other. Even though the amount of differences overthrow the similarities, there are still comparability between them. All characters wear simple and light clothing that’s easy to move around in with natural hair and makeup. These are used between both music videos and are very relatable things to wear and remind you of an everyday person. They are also both going through some kind of depression and trauma. These are also topics that people don’t tend to talk about. As a result, both songs are highly relatable and portray feelings and movements that are done in everyday life.
Finlay Perry, Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus Welcome to my essay, in which I will be deconstructing the music video of ‘Old Town Road’, a pop song which is surprisingly good. The song itself started out as a tiny passion project by Lil Nas X (for convenience, he will be referred to as X), and it was not even 2 minutes long. However, Billy Ray Cyrus (B) came along and agreed to work with him to reproduce into a full-fledged song, with an A and B section. While the song is good, the experience is not complete without the music video that was released alongside it.
A good song needs a good music video, and this one has just that. The video has the whole song but is presented in the style of an old western movie, with the characters introduced by text on the screen. There is a definite plotline, which I will leave you to discover yourself, and which permeates the video by interrupting the song at moments to bring quiet. This happens at the beginning, as the song doesn’t actually begin until the end of the first minute and a half. This happens again after X wins a race, and again as he and B walk into a bingo club. The plotline is kept concise and straightforward, which adds to its believability.
I will be examining the part of the video from 2:01 to 2:15. The camera shots in this section are distinct, beginning with a wide shot of X riding his horse as the beat drops. This is done to emphasise X’s importance as a character, because he is the main focus as the song reaches is crucial stage. However, this could also be playing on the mix of diegetic (happens in the film, such as the car’s wheels scraping) and non-diegetic (doesn’t happen in the film, such as the song itself) audio that is a theme throughout the song, as X is seen singing the lyrics to the song, which would be diegetic, while the song he is singing is clearly non-diegetic. There then follows a two shot of a mother looking very confused as her excited daughter tugs at her shirt. The camera is moving to the right, so the two slowly slide off-screen. This reveals yet another running theme, as all the adults in the video seem confused and befuddled, while the children are just excited. The next (and final) notable shot of this section is of X swinging himself off his horse. This shows that he is about to head in to town, to socialise with the residents. He’s just arrived in a strange new place, and his first reaction is to get to know the culture. Furthermore, this shot goes to demonstrate that living in the wild west has toughened him. Nothing surprises him, not even falling into a futuristic town he’s never seen before. However, all the residents seem shocked or confused, which speaks to how different our modern culture is compared to the one X is used to.
The characters throughout this movie are well represented. Every one of the villagers (bar B for obvious reasons and one exception that I will get to) is black, as would be expected from the general location this video takes place in. However, there is that one exception I talked about. I don’t think this holds any importance, but I did notice that all the elderly people in the bingo club are white, which is odd. The organiser of the club is black, and there is a white man on the stage who is not elderly. All that aside, I think it’s really great to see such a fair representation of colour in modern media.
The art seen in the video is an integral part of identifying the Old Town Road, in its colourful, beautiful, and expressive form. It conveys how the memory of what this town used to be now lives on in modern art forms, as we see lots of things such as cowboy hats, horse shoes and beaded clothes, which speak to the Mexican type of culture of this area. This could also be to show how quickly places can change, as it was only 130 years between the two time periods of the video, which, in the long run, isn’t that long.
Overall, I believe this video is a brilliant piece of art, which expresses feelings of change and describes how much our culture is different from that of 130 years ago. It is interspersed with break ups that keep the story going, and emphasise the feelings and opinions presented. This has been Finlay Perry. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Chloe Tillman-Lennon - Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra The song I am analysing is ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra. It was released on the 18th May 2018 and is a song in the album ‘Staying at Tamara’s’. They used the lyrics to create different settings, for example: for ‘sailing along’ they had a rowing boat in the ocean but it could also be based on the lyrics ‘time flies by’ as it could be different parts of the day. It was nominated for Brit Award song of the year. It is 3 minutes and 26 seconds long and is in the pop rock genre. The music video was directed by Nelson De Castro and has reached 62,945,946 views. They used Long point of view to create a more realistic affect and so you can see the background. At the start they used a medium close-up (MCU) so that you can see George Ezra’s facial expression and a bit of the background. They utilised long birds eye view, long point of view, long tilted frame, long high angle shot and long low angle shot to create a spinning affect and make it seem as though the board is magic and every time it spins it introduces a new setting. To make the spinning affect they used a camera on a pole and spun it around the board and then changed the setting and did it again. After some editing to make it look smoother the finished product was a music video with an impressive spinning affect making I look like a magic board in the sky that changes its setting. I think they decided on the spinning affect because it is interesting, unique and memorable. They chose to use multiple settings so that it looks like when the board spins it changes to a different location and they chose to use the props to make sure you know what the location is like in the scene, for example: for the ocean scene they have George Ezra sat in a rowing boat and in the city street scene they have a bench and a person on a bike to make it look more realistic and less like it has been acted out. George Ezra is wearing a red T-shirt and green trousers to make it look more casual. He has natural makeup and hair brushed and gelled to the right side. They probably did this to make it seem more like a normal day and like it is what George Ezra would wear in a day-to-day basis. George Ezra is singing in the music video and he is smiling. He is playing the guitar on the beach scene, the city scene and one of the garden scenes. He is digging on an x marks the spot in the garden scene and is sitting down in the living room scene. In the equator scene he is half way through the floor and in the beach scene after that his legs are sticking out to make it seem like he has gone through the floor. In the other garden scene he is shining a torch into the hole he dug. In the scene where he is in the ocean he is in a rowing boat but towards the end the boat has capsized so he is sitting on top of it. In the scene where it looks like there is two of him, he is sat down on the floor and is singing. Towards the end all of these scenes are shown quickly to make it seem like the board is spinning really fast. All of these scenes have been put together and are meant to be an optical illusion. For the majority of the scenes the main light is put at the top to make it seem like sunlight, they also put some small lights on the sides so that the sun is shining at most places but there are some shadows like in reality. The light has a slight yellow tinge to make it seem more realistic. George Ezra is always positioned so that you can see his background, his facial expressions and his body position because the watcher needs to be able to see what he’s doing to create the illusion. The music video for ‘Shotgun’ is very successful and has been very well created and edited and I think they have managed to achieve the affect they wanted. The most important aspect of mise-en-scene in my opinion is the settings and the props because the video is very memorable because it is very different and has lots of different times of the day and places.
Violet Roberts, Year 8
Analysis of the Music Video ‘Lala’ by Rosie McClelland
The 1st song I chose was by Rosie McClelland and is called ‘Lala’. ‘Lala’ is a song about people who have set goals for themselves. At the beginning they can’t achieve their own goals but then a ‘voice inside of them’ tells them to keep trying; then they do it. I chose this song as it involves lots of different camera angles. One of the most used camera shot in the first thirty seconds of the video, is a medium close-up. By using the medium close-up shot we are able to clearly see what the person is feeling, this understanding of what the person is feeling at the start, really helps us to understand what is happening as the song progresses. Furthermore, this shot makes it much easier to read what she is singing.
Another key camera shot that is used in the first thirty seconds of the clip is a mid-shot, the use of the mid-shot is so we can see her dancing and also see the positioning of the shot, but I think the film crew also arranged the shot to be like this so they could easily zoom in and out of the shot without doing separate takes.
In addition to the previous camera angles mentioned, this camera shot is not used as frequently but I think it is a very important shot and it is an over the shoulder shot. An over the shoulder shot is normally used when having a conversation but in this particular scene the character is on her own scoring a goal in basketball. I think the director used this shot so we, the audience, could see the post/goal and we could also see the player.
All of the characters in the scene are wearing different outfits depending on where they are in the school, this makes it easier to distinguish each character’s role, for example, one of the characters is wearing a ballet tutu so we can clearly tell that she is an aspiring dancer; another reason is so we can tell they are at a school.
I think ‘Lala’ contains lots of amazing camera angles, I think the most used camera angle is the medium close-up as it helps us clearly see what she is saying, I also think that the mis-en-scene/scenery used was very accurate as they set out to build a school and it looks very realistic.
I am now going to be comparing ‘Lala’ with Rosie McClelland’s most recent music video ‘Girls’. Unlike ‘Lala’, ‘Girls’ was actually filmed by Rosie McClelland’s mum as they decided to film it by themselves during lockdown. Similar to ‘Lala’, ‘Girls’ starts with a medium close-up, which helps us see that she has just walked out of ‘school’ ‘chasing after her friends’ (as this was filmed during lockdown, she obviously wasn’t actually filmed at a school and she wasn’t actually chasing her friends but it was very clever the way that they did it). The scene then completely changes but the camera is pretty much at the same angle the entire time as they can’t zoom too much as they would then see that she’s on her own, which unlike ‘Lala’ is not what the song is about.
In ‘Lala’ I mentioned that the mis-en-scene is different for each character: well in ‘Girls’ Rosie is the only person in the shot so she has a set costume for each scene she is in, for example, when she is in front of the pink background, she is wearing her white P.E. kit. Whereas when she’s dancing on her bed, she’s wearing her tie-dye outfit as it would be very boring if she was wearing the same outfit the whole time!
All in all, I think comparing ‘Lala’ and ‘Girls’ was a difficult comparison to make as they were both filmed under completely different circumstances. I think ‘Lala’ had more variation in shots, but ‘Girls’ was cleverly filmed nonetheless.
David Tate, Year 8
Analysis the Music Video ‘Much Against Everyone’s Advice’ by Soulwax In this essay I will be analysing the music video for Much Against Everyone’s Advice by Soulwax. Soulwax is a Belgian band that originated at Ghent in 1993, centred around brothers David and Stephen Dewaele. They used to be a rock band, but gradually converted into Deejays, making electronic dance music. Soulwax has released 16 albums, and has made record deals with labels such as PIAS Recordings and Parlophone. The time period from Much Against Everyone’s Advice’s music video that I will be analysing is 30 seconds to 1:20 minutes. One of the camera shots used in the music video is a Medium Close-Up. The director chose this shot to see the band member’s emotions (confusion) without getting too close to them. Another reason that they have chosen this shot is to display parts of the band member’s instruments. A second camera shot used in the music video is an Over-The-Shoulder. The reason why they chose to use this shot is to make the audience feel as though they are with the band, and are witnessing the same thing they are. An alternative reason is to see the people who are chasing the band (dressed up as letters), an how many there are compared to the band members of Soulwax. And the third main camera shot used in Much Against Everyone’s Advice’s music video is a Medium Long-Shot that zooms out into a group shot very quickly. The purpose of choosing this shot is to signify the random appearance of the costumed people, as they show up extremely suddenly. The lighting in the music video is fairly natural, with little to no lights. The point that the director chose to use natural lighting is to make their setting when they are running away from the people in the costumes more realistic, as the settings are streets, alleys and parks. The costumes for the band members are very smart, colourful suits, and the pursuer’s costumes are very... unusual. The reason that the band members of Soulwax were wearing suits is because when Soulwax performed live, they dressed very smartly, often in bright, colourful suits, and the reason that the people chasing Soulwax are dressed up as letters is to make them stand out. The facial expressions and body language shared between the band members is confusion. The cause that they were confused is because people dressed up as letters broke into their studio while they were recording their song. And who wouldn’t be, if you were in that situation? In conclusion, the music video for Much Against Everyone’s Advice’s by Soulwax is full of important and effective camera angles and mise-en-scene, to make an extremely captivating and unusual music video.
