Nine Frame Analysis by Jo

Ladyhawke- My Delirium    

This shot shows the artist, Ladyhawke, sat in the corner of her bedroom. The messy bed, basic colours and simplicity of the room itself, emphasises the indie genre. Similar to many indie videos, the artist is the main focus and in this case, she is the only character.

In this close up shot, Ladyhawke is seen lying on a bed. This dim lighting adds to the sultry effect created by the music itself. Chequered shirts are commonly worn by both men and women and are considered highly fashionable. Along with her costume, the simple make up on her face contrasts well with her dark eye make up and adds an edgy side to the video.

Extreme close ups, in most music videos, are used to highlight the importance of a certain object. In this case, this shot shows an old vintage alarm clock. Vintage objects and clothing are associated with the indie genre. The meaning of delirium is when someone has sudden severe confusion or rapid changes in the brain. This idea of the clock ticking could emphasise counting down to her next change.

The use of this watercolour cartoon effect evokes the idea of the change in her brain, highlighting the name of the song. Although special effects are not too common in indie music videos as most are purely performance based, the varying effects appeal more to the audience and introduce the narrative and spectacle aspect of this video.

The colours used in these shots are again simple, there are no flashing bright colours and there is no dull feel to the video itself. The use of blues greens and reds create a more relaxed tone to the video, again emphasising the song. Driving through the dessert also expresses the idea of being free from her delirium.

                                      

The special effects sequence then cuts off and it goes back to the singer looking at herself in the mirror. Going back and fourth from special effects to the normal shot also emphasises the idea of her delirium, so the special effects may reflect her sudden confusion. The scenes in which the special effects sequence is set are the scenes from the pictures on the wall of her bedroom, the ones that you can see in this shot.

This aerial shot shows the car driving away into the distance. The use of the watercolour effect shows a rough image of what the scene would look like, almost as if the vision if blurry because of the effect of her confusion. 

This shot again shows the artist lip syncing as she is driving through the dessert. There is a slight colour change, potentially depicting how her moods suddenly change. However, similar to the other shot, there are no bright colours and although the effect itself is very complex, it gives of a very simple feel.

This final shot shows Ladyhawke playing the guitar while the image of her singing in the car is playing in the background. The calming purple colours may reflect how the music calms her down after her confusion. The close up of the instrument is another key factor linked to the genre of music. In many indie videos the band are seen playing their instruments, specifically during instrument solos. As she is playing a guitar solo, the main focus of this part of the video is on the instrument itself. 

Overall, this music video highlights many typical aspects of an indie music video. The simple colours, the costume, the shot types, the focus on instruments and the artist being the main focus of the video are all conventions of a typical indie video. The video is narrative and concept, however in order to make the audience keep watching the video, the narrative is not that obvious and you really have to search deep into the meaning of the song in order to understand it fully.