Relationship between visuals and lyrics
The relationship between visuals and lyrics in 'I'm yours' are direct. The singer (Jason Mraz) also stars in the video. We can hear the lyrics implying that if you let go of your life a little to you will live a fuller and happier life; enabling you to see things which you wouldn't see if you don't free your mind. The song is about not questioning things and living life being spontaneous. For example a quote is 'I won't hesitate no more' and we can see within the first 40 seconds that Jason has left his house got on a plane and is now hitch hiking around a foreign country. We can denote that he is living his life differently now. We can then connote from putting the lyrics and video together that Jason in the video is living a new life and seeing the world. Jason is singing about how he has spent too much time trying to be perfect for other people and he wasn't truly happy. The lyrics at the end go 'open up your mind and you'll be free'. Jason is letting go and having fun in this video. No one is perfect.
Genre characteristics
The genre of 'I'm yours' is pop. Generally pop songs are about love and or heartbreak and they can be rather sad, however Jason has written a song about initially being in love and then moving into what he loves to do. It is a song about love; however it is a happy upbeat song. The camera shots are mainly wide shots of Jason’s surroundings and locations showing how his locations are changing and the people he is with are changing. The shots are mainly slow panning shots to give the audience a sense of where Jason is. We see Jason in the back of a pickup truck with the sunset in the background and it implies to the audience the feeling of a happy ever after. He is on his way to happiness. In the rest of the video he is experiencing happiness wherever he goes.
Narrative
There is a linear narrative in 'I'm yours'. We first see Jason in his house packing to go somewhere and in the first verse there is the line; 'I tried to be chill but you're so hot that i melted' implying that he is in love with someone and then the song progresses to lines that involve his love for the world. We see in the music his love for the world by him travelling around on his own and having a good time. He then comes back to the personal love in the first verse later on the song by quoting 'it's our god-forsaken right to be loved'. Bringing the personal love back to light; whilst the music video still progresses in the love for the world. Overall allowing the audience to connote that the song is a happy, upbeat song about love. The linear narrative is strong. The audience is able to see a clear connection between the beginning and the end of the music video. With the beginning being Jason leaving his home with a large bag; letting the audience connote he is going travelling. We then see Jason on a plane on his own (this is before the lyrics have begun). The lyrics begin and we see Jason standing at the side of the road hitch hiking and he gets a ride from two men. His journey begins and we see him travel through the world and making friends wherever he goes. The song ends with a montage of clips from the earlier adventures we saw in the music video and Jason is singing 'I'm yours'. The final clip is Jason sitting on his own on a small wooden boat and the sky is dark. The ending is implying a sense of serenity for Jason.
Performance style
There is lip syncing and a performance from Jason whilst he is on his journey. We see him lip syncing, then he begins to make friends with the locals and we denote Jason is having a discussion with them. There is quick shots in the beginning of the video showing Jason in is house and his fish tank. The fish tank implies that this has potentially been his inspiration for the rest of the video and it links to the rest of the video. The shots are quick and generally medium shots of his apartment and them him on the plane waiting to leave.
There is then a medium shot of Jason in the back of a pickup truck lip syncing the lyrics. There is no live performance in this music video due to it being pop; it isn't conventional for there to be a live performance.
Narrative
The narrative of 'I'm yours' is a linear open narrative. As the audience we can denote that we are following Jason on his journey around the world. However we cannot see an end to this journey. The last clip ends with him on a boat in a lake; therefore implying that he could stay there forever and never return home. Leaving the end to suggest that the world is offering never ending opportunities. I can apply the soviet montage theory to this video. There is metric montage in the beginning of the video. Where there are quick cutting shots which usually last from one second to three seconds; and it is irrelevant what is happening in the shots but they are being cut and put into a montage of events. This is letting the audience connote that nothing much is happening here at his apartment. Further on into the video i can also apply the soviet montage theory, (where editing is an important factor in the intended effect for the video). Later on the video there is tonal montage. This is when there is editing of the shots based on the emotional meaning in the shot. The lengths of the shots are varying. For example when we see Jason breaking the fourth wall and looking directly at the camera and singing these shots usually last three of more seconds, however when we are following him on his journey the shots can vary depending on whether it is a wide panning shot and then the audience can denote the location or if it is of him and his friends walking to the location. However either way the shots are short cut and fast pase. This helps with the upbeat theme of the lyrics and the beat. Overall there is a sense of over tonal montage in the video, combing the metric, tonal and rhythmic. Meaning that it is more complicated to watch. This applies to the video because the video is a fast paced linear montage of the events and his journey. The video 'I'm yours' is able to apply to the Todorov theory in which a video begins with a state of calm and equlibrium. Then as the video moves on we can denote and connote a sense of disequilibrium. Then followed by a renewed state of serenity. I'm yours follows this story line because we initially denote Jason in his apartment with nothing new happening. The audience can connote there is no sense of future there. We then denote a large change in Jason’s life; when he gets on a plane and begins his journey hitch hiking and making new friends. By the end of the video we can denote Jason on a boat in the evening time alone. This implies a sense of serenity and true happiness for Jason. He has found a new happiness after a big change in his life.
The entire video has a sense of enigma. As the audience we don't know why Jason has decided to leave his apartment and his belongings behind. He doesn't state why in the lyrics of why in the video. This applies to one of Barthes five codes. The Hermeneutic code (enigma code). This implies that at some point in the video something is not explained leaving the audience with a sense of mystery. We see this in the initial 20 seconds of the video; with Jason packing his bags and leaving. He is also singing about love at this point in time. Therefore providing the audience with even more enigma. He then (in the second verse) sings about his love for the world, showing a direct connection between the lyrics and the video. This helps the audience clear up the sense on enigma slightly. Because he is singing about his love for the world, letting the audience connote that is why he left.
Mode of address
The singer doesn't look directly at the camera until one of the final shots in which he looks then looks past the lenses, implying that the singer is aware of the camera being there. There are many direct close shots of Jason however he is swinging his head to the beat and purposefully not looking at the camera. We are building a personal relationship with the singer in the video because we are following his journey around the world however we do not have a direct connection because we can connote that the singer isn't paying attention to the camera therefore we are just following him.
Star treatment
There is star treatment in the video of the singer (Jason). Most of the shots include him and the camera giving us tracking shots of his journey. There are also a few panning shots of the location. We can infer that there is star treatment of the singer because most of the shots are on him and following him. When the shots do include the people he is surrounding himself with the shots generally are showing them in a good light; for example in the first shot of the man who Jason gets a lift with. The man is smiling and going Jason a lift to wherever. The man then appears later on in the music video. This has a direct connection with the lyrics of the song. About how he has a love for the world. Jason has left his apartment and he is meeting nice friendly people wherever he goes. Initially it was a personal love. But now he has decided to leave he has found that there are nice people everywhere. Even though there is slight star treatment in the matter that this is the singer’s journey and we see him and his journey. We also see other characters and they are all on the same level of happiness. The audience can denote that Jason isn't implying that he is above them in any way. Everyone is equal in the video.
Representations
The representations in the music video 'I'm yours' are that there are nice people wherever you go. The audience can denote that the singer and the other characters are all the same on some level. He is making friends wherever he goes suggesting that you can make friends wherever you go. The rest of the characters in the music video are being represented as being kind and nice. The singer is joining in with activities that he never would've done if he hadn't gone on this adventure.
Pace
The music video has a fast pace and is an upbeat pop song. We can denote the fast cutaway montage of Jason on his adventure. The montage of shots generally are a mixture of panning, tracking, close and medium close shots of Jason and the location he is in. Each clip lasts around 2-4 seconds. Apart from the very last shot of Jason sitting on the boat and this shot lasts around 6 seconds, slowing down the pace. Throughout the video there are short takes of the location and of Jason. There are minimal long take. The only long take is at the end. This lets the audience see the whole of Jason’s adventure in the time frame of a music video. The short takes and fast paced montage of clips lets the audience connote that his adventure was fast paced and there was never a dull moment. Because it is an upbeat song and fast paced. Some of the shots are also in slow motion or get faded into being blurred by the end. This gives the effect that what was happening in the shot was relaxing and gives a sense of serenity. Allowing the audience to be inspired and make them want to go travelling and let go. The editing of the video is quite harsh. Between the clips there aren’t any transition shots but because it is fast pace, it works well and you want to keep watching to see where Jason goes next. The pace doesn't change throughout the music video. There is a constant pace that is fast.
Shot variety
There is a lot of shot variety in 'I’m yours'. The first shot we see is an establishing shot of an aeroplane which allows the audience to connote that the song is about traveling and a journey is going to take place. This shot took place in an airport; which is location one in the music video. We then see Jason on the aeroplane and then an establishing shot of the ground below from the perspective of the aeroplane. The second location was in Jason's apartment. The colours are white and bland. Implying that his life at home is bland and boring and he has taken inspiration from his fish tank to travel. The fish tank is the only bright colourful thing in his room. We then see a sign saying 33 MPH. There are several locations in the music video. I would say that there were about 11 different locations in which filming took place; involving a plane, two cars, skate park, his apartment, waterfall, forest and a lake. The shots are fast paced and flick through these shots in a non-linear narrative however overall the video has a linear narrative due to the fact that we see the beginning of his journey and then we see him arrive at his destination whilst seeing his journey to get to his destination.
Effects
The visible effects are mainly the colouring and filters on the images being shot. In the second shot of Jason riding in the back of the pic-up truck the audience can see the corners of the screen are faded. This gives the effect of a dream and a warm atmosphere.
Mis-en-scene
The location of the video is important in 'I'm yours'. The song is about finding you and living life and learning to let go. The location is showing how he is travelling around the world and meeting new people. We can denote mountains in the background and we can denote a waterfall in which they are jumping into and walking around in forests. These locations all are what the audience can understand as being the typical dream holiday. Most members of Jason's audience are early to late teens who dream about going on adventures and he is showing these locations in a positive light. The location clears up the enigma that is; Jason is singing about letting go, however the audience may think how you let go. Therefore the visuals show that he is travelling from location to location.
There aren't many props suggesting that Jason is travelling with little and still having a good time. The audience can infer that you don't need much to be happy. Jason left his home with one bag.
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