Lily Allen - Smile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WxDrVUrSvI

Aspects of performance/mode of address
Direct mode of address has been used in this music video as Lily is talking about her relationship but also indirect mode of address has been used too as it is narrative led. There are no dance routines in this video and the element of performance is through Lily Allen.

Narrative
There is a flashback used at the beginning which makes it non-linear however the narrative appears to be linear. There is a clear beginning, middle and end. At the start she talks about how her boyfriend leaves her and sleeps with another girl. In the middle she gets her own back on him without him knowing and at the end he comes back to her.

How does the video create an image for the star artist/band?
From this video the image that is created for Lily Allen is that she is an independent woman getting her own back on her boyfriend. She is a normal girl, who is not superficial but is also strong and powerful.

How do the visual elements relate to the song illustration/amplification/disjuncture?
The music video amplifies the song because she took action against her boyfriend but the video is also about her being wrong.

Mise En Scene
Lily Allen is wearing colourful, bright clothes with big gold earrings and white trainers. This is her trademark look which is seen throughout the video frequently. Her style is realistic to the audience and believable. Her boyfriend is also wearing normal clothes which are also relatable for the audience. The video is set in normal places for example a cafe and a club and an alleyway, urban surroundings.

Use of Camera
There is a zoom on Lily’s face to show that she is sad. There is a tracking shot of her walking down the street. Over the shoulders shots have been used to get the character’s point of view and perspective. Various close-ups have been used to magnify certain people and things. A high angle shot has been used of the men trashing Lily’s boyfriends place. Mid shots have been used in the music video. A montage of close-ups has been used to give a variety. The use of a hand held camera has been used for the scene where Lily’s boyfriend gets in a fight this is effective for this part of the video.

Editing
The editing matches the beat/pace of the song. Eye-line matches have been used to see what Lily sees. Shot reverse shots have been used to show one character to another. The editing is quite fast paced at the beginning of the music video.

Representation
Lily Allen is represented as a normal yet strong woman who people shouldn’t mess with. The room that she is in at the beginning symbolises her and how she feels. The youths within this are represented negatively and are shown to be stereotypical. It is set in a working class area, where everything appears to be negative such as cafes.

Special Effects
The last shot could possibly have been used on a blue screen.

Genre
The genre for this video/song is pop, it is easy listening and the lyrics are catchy. The lyrics in this song also rhyme.

Audience
The target audience for this particular music video is for a female audience aged from 13-19 year olds.