AD: Techincal Analysis

Peder - "Ghost of a Smile" (2013)

Director: Simon Bonde and Peder Baden (the artist)
Peder Baden as the Father/Fighter

Time Code	Shot number	Camera  (movement, angle, position)	Mise-en-scene
0.00 - 0.04	1	Long Shot, normal angle. Car turns into the alley on the left rule of third. Static camera. Acts as establishing shot.	Low key lighting Dark alleyway   Dimly coloured car Link between visuals and the music is made through the dark lighting, befitting the mood.
0.04 - 0.06	2	Medium shot Low-ish angle - we see the bonnet of the car from the grill and up. Tilt up.	Low key lighting Continuation of dark alleyway set/location
0.06 - 0.07	3	Medium close up Handheld, most likely a fig-rig type of equipment. Shots 1 to 3 help induce the feeling of something sinister going on, which is also emphasised through the music.	Dark interior of car Peder turns on the light, but low key lighting is continued.
0.07 - 0.08	4	Medium Close Up (MCU) shot. Angle is the same as before, but the camera is in front of the two actors. The camera also follows the rule of thirds to some extent, as the son is placed to the left column of the shot. However, this is not emphasised, as the father is the one in the light, which puts focus upon him instead. This is also supported by soft focus on him.	The lighting reveals that the two people sitting in the car are civilians, which is connoted through their costume. As mentioned in camera, the light being switched on puts the audience's focus upon the father. The father's non-verbal language seen on his face could suggest that he is frightened or concerned - thus also emphasising his role as a father.
0.08 - 0.11	5	Soft focus. Brings up the importance of the son. Enhanced by the white space around the son. MCU. Camera follows the rule of thirds once more, as the father's action is what needs to be seen.	The prop of the colouring book - a distraction for the son. The low key lighting is continued.
0.11 - 0.14	6	MCU shot. Either steady-cam or handy-cam, though most likely the latter.	The non-verbal language again suggests the role of the father as a caring person, but linked with the low key lighting and the camera movement, the audience gets the notion of something entirely different going on.
0.14 - 0.15	7	Same as shot 5	Non-verbal language of the boy seemingly connotes innocence - his smile and non-threatening demeanour enforcing this. This creates a juxtaposition between the two characters. This also acts to enforce the stereotypical representation of children.
0.16 - 0.18	8	Same as shot 5, although with slightly more handy-cam movement - which could connote something chaotic or dramatic is about to take place.	The lighting adds a shadow onto the father's face, which could connote a dark or perhaps troubled side of him.
0.18 - 0.20	9	Long Shot. Handy-cam is continued. Crab to the left	Lighting acts as a way to draw the audience's eye towards the action taking place in the shot.
0.20 - 0.23	10	CU Crab to the left. Son is framed to the right, his face hitting the rule of thirds
0.23 - 0.28	11	MCU The son's actions are centered on the left rule of thirds.	Lighting puts focus on the boy and his action
0.28 - 0.31	12	MCU Similar to shot 5
0.31 - 0.34	13	CU Steadicam is continued	The son's non-verbal language denotes both confusion and possibly fright. This is enhanced by the lighting, which connotes the sensation of being afraid of the dark.
0.34 - 0.39	14	LS Car is set to the right of the shot, while the staircase is towards the left. This means that the rule of thirds allows for the audience to see where the son has gone from and is walking towards.	Set-design becomes relevant in this shot, as it directly shows the setting of the music video.
0.39 - 0.42	15	Medium LS The angle is canted, which could connote confusion. This is further emphasised through the location.	Location is directly linked to the angle of the camera, connoting confusion or a downwards spiral - asking the audience what it is the music video is spiralling down towards.
0.42 - 0.45	16	CU of son's feet. Tracking shot	Costume comes into play again, as the son's shoes are somewhat ambiguous and to some extent make it possible for the audience to feel sympathetic for him.
0.45 - 0.48	17	The son's head is on the right side of the frame, following the rule of thirds.	The son's character blocking puts the rule of thirds into play, thus supporting the camera framing.
0.48 - 0.51	18	MS Tracking moves forwards, following the son's movements.	Low key lighting acts, again, as a way of enhancing the mood.
0.51 - 0.54	19	LS The diagonal lines guide the audience's eyes towards the boy.	The location enhances the mood and mystery of both the song and the video. This is enhanced by the lighting, which acts as a way of creating a vignette (although this could have been done through post-production), putting focus on the son. Character blocking of the son enforces his small figure and thus also positions the audience with him.
0.54 - 0.56	20	MCU Tracking shot Negative space around the son puts focus on him	Non-verbal language shows curiosity. Changes when the boy looks up.
0.56 - 0.59	21	CU Soft focus Track to the right.	The boy is either curious or bored - difficult to tell from his non-verbal language.
0.59 - 1.02	22	MCU Soft focus Tracking	Aspects of location is continued from shot 19.
1.02 - 1.06	23	MCU Steadicam continued Crab to the left.	Lighting puts the son into focus.
1.06 - 1.08	24	CU Tracking of movement to the right	Same as shot 16
1.08 - 1.10	25	CU Tracking backwards Son is on the left rule of third.	Lighting in this case acts as a way of pointing the son in the direction of the noise.
1.10 - 1.14	26	MS Steadicam Tracking combined with the crab follows the son.	The non-verbal language of the son reveals both fear and curiosity in his eyes.
1.14 - 1.17	27	LS Camera movement is minimal, but still steadicam. The soft focus on the men in the foreground puts focus on the son entering the scene in the background. This is further emphasised through the rule of thirds, as the two men on either side act as a way of narrowing down the shot to the son.	The non-verbal language of the man on the right shows aggression. This acts as a juxtaposition to the non-verbal language of the son.
1.17 - 1.21	28	MS Tracking shot	The lighting acts as a way of creating a stage of the background
1.21 - 1.23	29	MCU Slight pan to the right Son is positioned on the right rule of thirds.
1.23 - 1.26	30	CU Soft focus - the son's shadow is the focus point The son is positioned in the right rule of thirds	The lighting works in two ways in this particular shot: Firstly, the lack of light on the boy denotes that he is unseen and is observing what is going on in the background. Secondly, the lighting in the background highlights the non-verbal language of the characters in the background - in this case, it's aggressive.
1.26 - 1.28	31	MS Static steadicam The two columns on the left and right side of the frame - i.e. the rule of thirds - act as a way of narrowing down the shot, similar to shot 27.	The non-verbal language in this shot shows the son's expression as scared and shocked.
1.28 - 1.31	32	MS Steadicam continued The camera does a slight wobble, seeing as it is on steadicam, but is mostly static in terms of movement. The rule of thirds come into play once again, however this time the actors are slightly off the framing.	The lighting works as it does in shot 30. The aggressive non-verbal language of the other characters is continued from shot 27 and 30.

What have I learnt from this technically?

• Effective slow motion can add drama to a shot.
• It also gives time for the audience to see any non-verbal language of the included characters.
• The importance of rule of thirds: whenever an action takes place, it is important to have the rule of thirds in place - the action is more likely to be seen by the audience if the shot follows the rule of thirds.
• This is also enhanced by the white/negative space around the actors.
• Depth of field through soft focus can also enhance the way the audience may interpret and understand the character's motives. Furthermore, it acts as a way of putting the audience's focus on a specific object or person on screen.
• In a different sense, this also helps work upon the star image of the artist (provided that he/she is featured in it) - he may be in focus while others are not.
• To create a realistic narrative, and thus connect with the audience, costume is an important part of establishing verisimilitude.
• Lighting, especially in darker scenes, is a vital part of drawing the audience's attention to a certain object or actor.
• Location is equally an important part of any narrative music video, as it can help to establish the mood of the song.
• The non-verbal language is absolutely vital in showing emotion and makes it a necessary part of a narrative music video.

How many shots feature the singer?

• While the shots mentioned feature primarily the son, the singer is later seen topless. Arguably, this appeals to the notion of voyeurism.
• However, what is interesting is that the singer is a part of the narrative, but nowhere throughout the video does he sing or perform. 

How long are the shots? 

• The average time of each mentioned shot is about two to four seconds long before the next cut. This counters the slow pace of the song.

How is camera movement incorporated to create pace?

• The tracking shots of the young boy walking down the hall portrays his notion of curiosity, but also create pace through the cutting rate being relatively slow. This befits the mood and tempo of the song.
• The use of steadicam shots of the actors gives the sense of movement and disorder to the narrative.

What other framing is used?

• There is an fair amount of MCU's and CU's that act as meat shots of the father character, while simultaneously getting under the actors' "skin" - thus making it possible for the audience to connect with the actors.
• The inclusion of white space around the son puts the focus point on him, as seen in shot 5.

What about rule of Thirds?

• Rule of thirds is present throughout the video in the majority of the shots.

What Transitions are used?

• Zero transitions throughout. I feel this is a vital part of the music video, as the addition of transitions would have given the music video a much less realistic feel to it. It's essentially all continuity editing, which is enhanced by the framing of the shots.