Music Video Analysis: Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up

Initial thoughts:

I chose to analyse this video because it is essentially quite similar to the one I would like to produce myself. Firstly, it is a very down to earth video. The main focus is ordinary people and their struggles, just like what I would like to portray in my own. The director Elliot Sellers has created a very effective emotionally feeling in his very simple video and I hope to be able to do the same. 

Conventions

Props

One prominent prop used in this music video is the grandfather clock. This is used to show the effects of time on the human race and how it has affected all the characters in the video, specifically the older man who looks unhappy and lonely in his old age. For the two men who have been hurt in a fire or in a war it represents how through time they have come to terms with their disability and accept it rather than resenting it.


Another prop used is Jason Mraz's guitar. Throughout the whole video we regulary come back to Jason singing and playing his guitar. This is essential as it creates a split narrative and I feel that the physical use of the guitar helps to keep the video more realistic and also helps to show the emotion in the way that Jason plays it as the song builds up.



The use of the punch bag shows how all of the characters in the video are fighting their problems and supports the title of the song in that they 'won't give up'.
The swimming pool is a specific trouble for the young boy to overcome.

 At the beginning we see a POV shot of him looking into the pool. Towards the end of the video we see him overcome his fear and jump into the pool. This depicts how he overcame the barriers and didn't give up in trying to persuade himself to jump in.

Finally, another prop used by the young boy is a ladder. This is used to signify him climbing towards his goal of overcoming his fear of water.






Costume
Many of the characters are wearing slightly dirty and bedraggled clothes. This helps to portray the idea of the presence of struggles and hardships within life and how it affects everyone. As Jason Mraz is the storyteller,
in effect, he is wearing clean clothes to show is separation from the story.



Setting
The settings in the video are mostly made up of secluded places, including a forest and a desert. The fact
that the director has chosen these settings is significant as it portrays the loneliness felt by all the characters when they face their problems.



Stock Characters
There are many different characters in this music video, and a noticeable diversity in the people. This could have been done to show how hurt and happiness is widespread and how anyone can be affected - young or old, black or white. Not one of these characters seems to show an ability that puts them above the other,
they all appear equal and importantly like normal everyday people - it is not obvious that they are actors and this is something I want to replicate in my own music video.

Stock Events
There are no real evident stock events in this video. The only thing would be the inclusion of happiness and sadness, along with the presentation of family and love. All of which are elements I would expect to see in a music video of this genre and type.


Theory
To a certain extent extent there is an element of the Constructionist Theory within 'I Won't Give Up'. This is because in general the audience must make up their own mind as to what the video means to them, and what everyone's problems are that they must overcome. In addition, I believe the Reflective Theory of Representation is present within this music video as it is evident that the director wants to show his views on giving up on your problems and wants to portray the ideology of no-one should ever give up.

Codes

Camera Angle
Many of the shots used in this video are canted due to the use of a hand held camera. This is not necessarily to depict the characters as untrustworthy at all but to show the unrest in their lives and the instability. In addition to this there is the inclusion of many head on shots, neither looking up or looking down, this helps to show the equality amongst all the characters and once again how a struggle can affect anyone.

Camera Range
The majority of the shots used in the video are close up shots. This shows very clearly the emotion on the characters faces be it happy or sad. This is a very effective technique as it lays at the story plainly for the audience. Many close up shots are used to show one part of a body before moving back to reveal the whole person.

Composition
The composition of many of the shots here are in line with the rule of thirds, suggesting that the audience prefer to look at something that is not in the dead centre of the shot. We see this used effectively many times through the four and a half minute video.




Editing
Throughout the song there is a mixture of jump cuts and fades between each shot. The fading helps to link all the characters together through their problems and helps to keep the tone solemn. Also, at many points in the song the shots go in and out of focus, this is also very effective as it conveys the idea of not being able to see the end of your troubles. It also adds to the flow of the video nicely.




POV
It is difficult to tell whether many shots are POV or not. But perhaps the most obvious one is the POV used to show the little boy's fear of the swimming pool. This technique is very effective in showing the problems that someone in facing.




Lighting
Like many of the other codes and conventions the lighting is very important. A lot of low lighting is used which helps to create the solemn tone, specifically the use of twilight for certain parts including Jason Mraz.
But as the video progresses the lighting becomes brighter as we see the happiness spread across all the actors as they discover their reason to be happy. One very significant point in the video is the transition from dark to light on the man who has been burnt. This very poignantly shows the turn around in the mental state of the character and how he isn't giving up.

Mis-en-scene
Due to the settings being very secluded there is little in the way of mis-en-scene. One element I find is very important is the use of smoke. The same as using out of focus shots, the fog helps to portray the uncertainty in the characters lives and the difficulty in seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.



Ideology
As one can guess from the title of the song, the ideology is to never give up no matter what you have to overcome. This video is great for motivating people to carry on specifically because most people's problems will not be as life changing as some of the characters in the video. That being said it shows how no problem is petty in anyway, which is shown through the young boy's fear of water being shown on the same level as the man who has lost his leg.