Music Video Research 9: James Blunt - Heart to Heart

Genre: Pop/Pop-Rock
Style: Performance and Concept Based

James Blunt is looking into camera in the video, this convention can be heavily linked to Goodwin, it is imperative that an artist makes and eye contact with the camera and interacts with the audience in a promotional music video in order for it to be successful, it is also a convention to look into camera when singing in a music video and due to pop being the mainstream genre it is not a surprise James Blunt has adhered to this convention. 

Product Placement also plays a large part in this video which has become more of a convention for pop videos in recent years due to contracts and sponsorship's however, James Blunt's older music videos do not contain product placement so it shows how he has moved along with the new and modern conventions of music videos as time has. The fact it is a new piece of technology could also be reaching out to a younger target audience as technology is a huge part of youth culture, therefore James Blunt is clearly aiming to satisfy a wider audience as he already has an older existing audience. 

He also uses an undercranked background throughout this whole video, this may be representing how quick time passes without realising or making reference to living in the moment. This once again is an advance in the technology by speeding up the background of his video whilst he is moving in real time and singing in real time. Although the video doesn't necessarily have a concept I think it is making a comment on how everyone is theirselves and the world just flies by with every individuals daily routines. 

The shot of these train tracks is very effective as I think it shows a sense of journey and it could be making references to escapism and post modernism in the way that people aren't hay with living in their era and they wish they lived in a different time. The fact that on the video it also is extremely sped up it may also be making reference to how life is a journey and how quickly the journey goes by. The lyrics when this shot appears includes the phrase "Guides me to wherever you fall", as train tracks are a method of transportation this makes reference to finding your destiny.

Pictured right is an interracial homosexual couple, it could be said that James Blunt is trying to appeal a wider audience by adding different ethnic groups and sexual groups to the video. Although the phone will be heavily linked to product placement, I also believe this couple taking a selfie could be seen as narcissists as they are almost admiring themselves by taking the photo that contrasts with James Blunt who faces the phone camera away from him when taking a video as if he is ashamed to look at himself due to his clear insecurities that are portrayed in the lyrics and by his facial expressions matching the lyrics. The emotion on James Blunt's face is also clearly intend to be noticed as there are repeated close up/extreme close up shots of his facial expressions to portray his emotion.

It could also be said that the narrative throughout this video could be linked to Cameron's theory of Forking Paths, for example James Blunt in this video is clearly insecure about losing his girlfriend as he pulls nervous faces whilst the lyrics sing "I lie awake at night and worry for a while" however on the other hand he is very demanding and passionate in singing "You and I won't part til we die" and "we see eye to eye, heart to heart" almost as if he is adamant that he is going to stay with this girl for the rest of his life when in real fact these two story lines contrast so much that the outcome to the narrative is not clear.

In the video when he sings the line including the word "Halo" the background is very shiny, almost as if an urban heaven is trying to be displayed, this could be stressing how he is in 'heaven' when he is with his girlfriend. Although it could be a bit too implicit, he may be trying to appeal to a religious audience also possibly making reference to his religious beliefs through his music.

In the video James Blunt isn't really dressed like a pop musician he is just dressed in casual clothing and this therefore breaks Richard Dyers theory of representation as he is breaking the conventions of dressing in modern/mainstream clothing e.g. Adidas.