Cutting to the beat - Coldplay Paradise

Coldplay- Paradise

|/|\|/|/|\||/|\|/|\||/|\/|\ oo-oo-\oo /oo\-oo-oo
/When she was just a girl
\She expected the wo/rld
\But it flew away from her rea/ch
So she \ran away in her /sleep
\Dreamed of para- /para- \paradise
/Para- \para- paradise

KEY:

E – Elephant

C - Cage

P – Paradise

L-London

T – Tube

Es – Escalator

(Mid shot of E) When she was just a girl
(Long shot of E down escalator) She expected the wor(Mid shot of E on escalator)
ld (Mid shot of E on T station)
But it flew away from her re(Mid shot of E on T)ach (Mid shot of E sitting down) so
She ran away in her sle(Close up of E on T standing)ep
And dreamed of (close up of E holding up lyrics)
Para-(close up of E holding lyrics right of screen) para-(Close up of E holding lyrics centre of screen)paradise,

 

0-15 seconds-Analysis of Shots

 

 

This shot is a long shot of what looks to be the African plains. It helps introduce who created the video as well which is useful for the audience to know. This helps relate back to the narrative as in two scenes time we see the E locked up and we realise that he wants to escape to the plains again. This is amplification as it fits the theme of the elephant wanting to return to P.  Furthermore it has quite a slow tempo which reflects the mood at the start of the song which is portrayed in the visuals.

 

Similar shot to the first one in the fact of a longshot which reinforces the audiences opinion/ view that it is the African plains, this helps to tie in the narrative later on in the song although it doesn't make sense now.

 

This shot is a medium-long shot, and again shows the setting which will help to relate to the narrative later in the song. The typography is black/bold and dark which reflects the lack of happiness on the African plains without the E. The first 0-12 seconds don't make a lot of sense until the later shots are brought in.

 

This shot is a medium-close up, it helps us to pull the narrative together as we see the E and that helps us as the audience realise that his paradise is on the plains not in a C. The mise-en-scene helps to reinforce this as we see him trying to open the gate which shows the frustration of his situation. Furthermore he doesn't look happy and this helps tie with the previous shots and therefore we see his P as the plains.

15-30 seconds analysis

 

The shot that can be seen above is an extreme close up and they are usually used to portray emotion although emotion cannot be seen as the character is wearing a costume. The shot could be seen as a point of view shot as we are looking at the E and we can see which way his eyes are looking. The camera then cuts to where the E is looking. This is effective because it gives us as the audience an idea of what the E was thinking about in the previous shot.

 

This extreme close up shot is a very important shot because it helps link it all the other shots from the previous 15 seconds. This is because the depressive colours of the typography and the low-key lighting at the beginning suggested this and now this shot portrays the E being locked away and not with his family in the wild which is his ‘P’. This shot also helps with the narrative and give the narrative a strong start and gives the audience and idea of what to expect from the rest of the music promo.

 

The shot that can be seen above is a mid-shot and is an effective shot because it portrays the truth about reality with animals around the world. The use of the mid-shot is effective because we get to see the environment around the elephant and shows his imprisonment. We also get a link through the images to the E’s paradise with the pictures draw on the wall and also the tally recording the days he has been without his family. Although that shot gives the audience to create their own messages about the visuals that are seen.

The next shot is a close up and it is of the E locked away in his C and the editing that has been used is shallow focus, the E isn’t in too much focus where-as the C is and this is important because it is stressing the importance of the cage and wanting us as the audience to notice that the E is behind the C. This is effective because it may be quite funny watching the E costume acting it still stresses the sadness and also portrays the bands views of animals being locked away in zoos/C.

 

The next shot that can be seen is a close up and it is of E and the foreground is in shallow focus which tells the audience the focus in on what actually is in focus on the screen. In this case the lock that the E is playing with is in focus. This indicates to use that the E is going to break out of its C and get to its P.

 

The next shot that can be seen above is seen straight after the shot that was spoken about last but the shot doesn’t cut the camera movement pans down from the lock on the C to a large stone on the floor which can be seen in the picture above. This creates the message that the E is going to escape and go to his P.

 

The next shot shows E on the run for his P and the low-key lighting has now gone from when we saw it earlier in the promo and now the natural light from the windows lightens up the screen and also the mood as E is finally getting a chance to find his P. This is effective because it proves the difference in mood of animals out in the wild and animals locked away.

30-45 seconds

 

A long shot was used in the viewing of the E running away from the police. This long shot establishes that the E is not allowed outside the compound as the police are chasing him. This may relate to the lyrics of him being trapped and running free to their own perception of ‘P’. 

 

The next shot is an extreme long shot, this type of shot was used to get a view of the whole complex compared to the E, symbolising E’s lack of power and he is seen as small in comparison.  Also the extreme long shot may also portray freedom, showing a wide area in which he can escape.

The close up of the bike emphasises the near escape, it almost hints that E has already escaped due to an advantage with the bike. The close up provides extra focus towards the bike, while right after he grabs the bike; the police become blurred connoting that the chase is over.

 

 

Another extreme long shot is used, again to reinforce that he is getting away and establishing hope. The bike is providing his getaway and shows no sign of the police near him. It portrays the image of happiness with E finally free and portrays his natural habitat with all space around him, the image creates a sense of P.

 

This long shot includes an element of iconography within it, the well-known red telephone box, associated with England. This provides the information that the E as gone to London, a place of business and opportunities, closely relating to the song of being in P.

 

This is a medium long shot, again presenting another element well known around the world, the L Underground. In association with the L underground, people may have ‘oyster’ cards to get around, there is also the saying of ‘the worlds your oyster’, so linking these together could relate to the song of travelling and doing what you want and living in your own perception of ‘P’.

 

This medium long shot is used when the lyrics begin, showing clearly the cardboard flashcards with the written lyrics on it. The composition of the shot places the elephant in the middle, providing all the attention to him despite people casually walking by.

45 – 60 seconds

Long shot of E coming down Es, this shot helps to enhance the narrative of the E escaping from the zoo.

Mid-shot of the E going down the Es shows the direction the character this helps to improve the narrative as it gives the audience an idea on where the E is heading.

A medium shot of the E in the Tstation it shows the E and the T, which hints to the audience that the E is off somewhere.

 

Medium shot through the window of theT, the E is the only one stood up this shows it’s different. 

Medium shot of the E on theT shows that the E doesn’t fit in and is probably on its way to somewhere where it fits in. 

Close up looking up at the E trying to fit in.

Close up of the E holding lyrics to the song to cut to the beat to make the narrative make more sense.

Extreme close up of the E the looking at the side of the T which makes the audience wonder what it’s looking at.

Extreme close up of the destination of the T this helps to enhance the narrative as we know where he is heading.