Modern Music Video Analysis

'Colours' by Halsey (2016)

1: Motif

In the music video there is a recurring motif of blue coloured objects and materials correlating with the lyric 'everything is blue'. The repetition of this visual throughout the video draws the audience's attention to the lyrics.

2: Multiple Perspectives

Throughout the video we see the perspectives of four characters who all have interrelated story lines. The heroin is Halsey, and we know this because she is featured in the most shots and is also seen to sing the song.

3: Lips moving with song

This shots shows a typical convention of music videos with the use of an extreme close up to show the singer's lips moving to the song. In this video, this technique is used to emphasise the bridge and make the audience focus on the song lyrics. It also represents an intimate moment for the subject. 

4: Beauty Shot

This shot is typically found in female artist's music videos. Here we see close-ups of Halsey wearing makeup and looking very attractive and cutesy. Here, this is emphasising how she wants to impress the guy she likes as dictated in the song.

5: Extreme Contrast in Shots

In this extract the audience sees an extreme change in shot type from a wide to a close up. This technique is often used in music videos to keep the audience engaged and entertained. It can also be used to show a deeper meaning of the song such as what the singer is really thinking about, as shown here.