Feature Guide by Sarah Kosel Translators/Performers: Juliann Bermudez Natalie Jenkins Sarah Kosel Director/Editor: Benjamin Berg Special Thanks: Madonna University Dan McDougall Sue and Dan Boyd Jon Gray Jennifer Boruch The Matthaei Botanical Gardens Completed for SLS 4250: Contrastive Text Analysis “Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine The Concept The story we created through our interpretation of Florence + the Machine’s song “Shake it Out” is set somewhere between reality and a fantastical Victorian/Steampunk world. At the beginning of the song the viewer sees three friends preparing to go somewhere: they are in a modern dressing room, yet wearing Victorian costumes. It is hard to tell, as they leave the dressing room and walk down a hallway to an empty party, whether they have gone to a soiree or if they are on a theater set. As the story develops, their world seems increasingly real, yet always with shadows of theater and fantasy. Each young woman is struggling against what she perceives as an outer demon - strict societal pressures that are confining her to a colorless and melancholy life. The friends are unaware that they are all going through the same struggles and only gradually do they realize their shared experience as the song progresses. At the same time, they are individually becoming aware that the devils they have been fighting against are actually inside them. They are their own worst enemies. With this epiphany the friends are able to support each other and rebel against their inner demons, taking control of their lives and destroying the devils in the
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“Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine€¦ · “Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine The story we created through our interpretation of Florence + the and a fantastical
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Feature Guide by Sarah Kosel
Translators/Performers: Juliann Bermudez
Natalie Jenkins Sarah Kosel
Director/Editor:
Benjamin Berg
Special Thanks: Madonna University
Dan McDougall Sue and Dan Boyd
Jon Gray Jennifer Boruch
The Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Completed for SLS 4250: Contrastive Text Analysis
Sign Language Studies Madonna University
*2013*
“Shake It Out” by Florence + the Machine
The Concept The story we created through our interpretation of Florence + the Machine’s song “Shake it Out” is set somewhere between reality and a fantastical Victorian/Steampunk world. At the beginning of the song the viewer sees three friends preparing to go somewhere: they are in a modern dressing room, yet wearing Victorian costumes. It is hard to tell, as they leave the dressing room and walk down a hallway to an empty party, whether they have gone to a soiree or if they are on a theater set. As the story develops, their world seems increasingly real, yet always with shadows of theater and fantasy. Each young woman is struggling against what she perceives as an outer demon - strict societal pressures that are confining her to a colorless and melancholy life. The friends are unaware that they are all going through the same struggles and only gradually do they realize their shared experience as the song progresses. At the same time, they are individually becoming aware that the devils they have been fighting against are actually inside them. They are their own worst enemies. With this epiphany the friends are able to support each other and rebel against their inner demons, taking control of their lives and destroying the devils in the process. The song ends with the friends walking through a doorway into a bright garden, leaving the viewer to wonder if they have left a theater and gone back to real life after a performance or if they
Time Code
English Lyrics
ASL Gloss
Linguistic Features Explanation of Translation
Behind the Scenes
0:00- 0:03
Instrumental
music
Lights flicker on as the
music begins to play, a still image of the
three characters appears
reflected in the mirror
0:04- 0:11
Regrets collect like old friends,
Here to relive your darkest moments
SCAR (at head & heart), FRIEND (X:HS), 1:CL, 1:CL (people coming towards you), DEPRESSION, DWELL
Metaphor
Handshape constraint
Assimilation: SCAR, FRIENDS, and
1:CL flow together as one, starting with
X:HS and turning into the 1:CL. This appears again with the 25:HS from DEPRESSION to
DWELL.
Regrets likened to friends who surround the
young woman but only bring sadness and
reminders of her regrets and frustrations.
Black and white
represents the melancholy atmosphere
that is stifling the characters.
0:11-
I can see no way, I can see no way
I-GIVE-UP, I-DON’T-KNOW, I-DON’T-KNOW
Movement Duration
She feels lost and does not
The girls in the background
0:16 Hold Emphasis/ Pausing
Handshape constraint
The signs are
repeated to show the beat of the music,
while NMS show the emotion
know how to change her
circumstances.
are making sure she looks
her best, unaware of her inner
turmoil as they ensure she appears the way society expects her
to. 0:17- 0:20
And all of the ghouls come out to play
GHOST, SOCIALIZING (becomes) STARING
Handshape constraint
Assimilation: Evolving handshapes from 8:HS to a 5:HS.
The character feels the pull of the ghost/spirit
of societal expectations,
making her feel surrounded by
others that judge her and stare at her.
The camera focuses on
SOCIALIZING to emphasize it.
To show that
all of the women feel
the same way even though they do not know this,
Natalie holds the last sign
and the camera then
cuts to Juliann
with the same sign and
expression.
0:21- 0:24
And every Demon wants his pound of
flesh
DEVIL, DEVIL (becomes 3:CL and moves to front slowly)
TAKE OVER MIND, HEART,
Classifiers & Sign altering
Handshape rhyme
Use of sign space
(Taking DEVIL from the heart and mind,
bringing it forward shows that the
character thinks the devil is an outside
force.
Movement Duration
Hold Emphasis/ pausing
The character feels confronted by the devil and
its desire to control her
thoughts and actions, shown by producing the sign at the
head and on the shoulders.
The signs are produced so as to represent the beat and tempo
of the music
0:25- 0:30
But I like to keep some things to myself
MYSELF, MYSELF, PRIVATE, PRIVATE,
PROTECT (left), PROTECT (right)
Handshape constraint
Movement duration
Hold Emphasis/
Afraid that if she shows her true thoughts and
feelings she will be forced to
Mirror trick: Juliann
continues to sign while her
reflection
Pausing
conform, she hides and
protects her true self.
watches. This foreshadows the idea that the devil is really inside and not an
outside force.
0:30- 0:34
I like to keep my issues strong
TROUBLE, TROUBLE I-DON'T-WANT
Handshape constraint
Movement duration
Hold Emphasis/ Pausing
Avoiding trouble is seen as the only way to
avoid attracting the negative attention of society/the
devil, therefore “keeping her issues strong”
The movement of the camera is indicative of
the push-and-pull fight with
the devil
0:34- 0:38
It's always darkest before the Dawn
DREAM (compresses into a) NARROW FOCUS (before
expanding back into) DREAM
Movement duration
Hold Emphasis/ Pausing
This sign was chosen to show that sometimes big dreams can feel forced into
tiny dreams before one has the ability to make them come true.
Red highlights against the black and
white show the upswing in mood, while
foreshadowing the presence of the devil within the
characters
0:38- 0:43
And I've been a fool and I've been blind
FOOL, LOONEY, UP-UNTIL-NOW, GIVE-INTO
Movement rhyme: *FOOL and LOONEY are
fast double beats *UP-TILL-NOW and GIVE-
INTO are slow single beats.
The character has been
unaware of how much she has
become accustomed to the controlling
force of her devil, and now she sees that
she has always given into it and
never fought against it.
The characters are walking
down a hallway from the dressing
room to a social event
Little hints of
color represent the
characters’ true selves
trying to come out.
0:44- 0:47
I can never leave the past behind
NEVER FORGET PAST, RELATIONSHIP (pull PAST/
PRESENT)
Handshape rhyme: NEVER FORGET PAST
Use of sign space:
Setting up an image/theme of being torn between the past
and present which continues throughout
the song.
The devils whom the characters
struggle against and their
attempts to be true to
themselves are shown by their
difficulty escaping the
The camera zooms in to
emphasize the emotion on Sarah’s face.
NMS
past, as something
always pulls them back from
embracing change (shown
physically by the signs). The
original feeling of melancholy is
prevailing.
0:47- 0:50
I can see no way, I can see no way
I-DON’T-KNOW, I-DON’T-KNOW, DEVIL, DEVIL CONFRONT
Movement Duration
Sign altering: DEVIL & handshape rhyme
Hold Emphasis/
Pausing
She does not know how to escape this
feeling since the devil is always
watching.
Red light represents the
presence of the devil.
0:50- 0:51
Everyone sits down The camera scans the room; the characters have now
reached an empty party.
0:52- 0:55
I'm always dragging that horse around
SCAR (head and heart), look-at-flat- hands-out, drag-into-
shoulder
Metaphor/Theme: Referencing the scars
that represented regrets previously
Assimilation/
Handshape rhyme: The signs all blend
into each other
The recurring theme of being
scarred by regrets shows how the past can become a burden that inhibits the
ability to move forward.
The women are sitting at
the party surrounded by
symbols of their devils: a
veil, mask, and hat.
0:56- 1:00
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
CONTEMPLATE, LIFE NOW, DRAINING/ DEPRESSED (down)
Space level rhyme Contemplating her life (love),
the character is confronted by
how unhappy it is, which is
shown by the downward
movement of her signing
Natalie looks over at Sarah
as if in conversation while Sarah is signing. They
are all still unaware of each other’s
thoughts.
1:01- 1:04
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the
ground
TONIGHT, SCAR (head and heart) (push head SCAR away)
Metaphor
Handshape constraint
Making a conscience decision to remove the
scars/burdens of the past and
Camera zooms into Juliann’s
hand to emphasize the hand flick as she pushes
move on. the “scar/regret”
over. 1:05- 1:09
So I like to keep my issues strong
DREAM CHERISH STRONG
Assimilation
Handshape rhyme
NMS
The characters’ concept of
“keeping issues strong” has
changed – now it is a belief in their dreams
instead of trying to avoid trouble, which is shown
both in the signs and Juliann’s expression.
The camera focuses on
Juliann’s look of
determination as she finishes
the sign.
1:09- 1:13
But it's always darkest before the Dawn
DARK, LIGHT (in front of face)
Eye gaze rhyme: The idea of looking downward during
difficult movements and upward for
happier moments is repeated throughout
the song.
Handshape rhyme
The signs are different from the first time
this line is sung because we wanted to
emphasize the symbolism of
dark and light in connection to
dreams.
The movement of the camera helps show the beat of the music.
1:13- 1:17
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake
it out, ooh woaaah
UN-MESH/DISCONNECT-FROM-PAST,
ANALYZE-SELF, ANALYZE-SELF, (honorific) ME
The devil is part of the past, which is
represented by it forming the second half of the UN-MESH
sign
Use of sign space: continued theme of illustrating past vs.
future
Movement duration & Space level rhyme
(up and down): Indicates the beat of the music and adds
rhythm
Because the repetition of
“shake it out” has a strong
beat, we wanted to pick signs for the chorus that
could be produced
emphatically and
rhythmically, while also
showing the character’s progression
towards confidence in themselves.
Throughout the chorus,
the devil dances behind
Natalie, feeling very
confident that she will never escape from
it.
1:18- 1:22
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake
it out, ooh woaaah
THINK-FOR-MYSELF DO-AS-I-PLEASE, DO-AS-I-
PLEASE FUTURE
Sign variation: We added a second
movement to the end of THINK-FOR-MYSELF,
Natalie has reflected upon
her life and come to the
The red lighting
represents the devil’s
signing MYSELF twice to match the beat of the song and movement
of the other signs
Movement Duration
Hold emphasis/ Pausing
conclusion that she does not
need to change because of
outside pressures: she can be happy just as she is.
presence, along with the
shadowy hands that can be seen in the background
1:22- 1:26
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your
back
LOOK-AT-SELF, LOOK BACK (see devil lurking)
Assimilation: FUTURE becomes LOOK
Hold
emphasis/pausing to indicate the pulse of
the music
Natalie is determined to move forward into the future
by escaping her devil, but its
presence is still strongly felt.
The devil moves closer
1:26- 1:29
So shake him off, oh woah
(devil grabs wrist)SHAKE OFF DEVIL,
CONNECT-TO-GOAL
Assimilation: looking at ourselves flows into connecting with our
goals
As Natalie tries to reach her
goals, the devil stops her.
Although she
The devil is shaken away
and backwards, out of the
Hold emphasis/pausing: the
devil grabbing our wrists matches the singer’s cadence
Metaphor
shakes it off, she still feels
somewhat defeated and
overshadowed by the devil. By trying to stop the sign, the
devil is metaphorically trying to stop
her from reaching her
goals.
shot.
1:29- 1:31
Instrumental music
The silhouette of a devil is
shown in red light, along
with a glimpse of Natalie with her hands over
her eyes.
1:32- 1:36
I am done with my graceless heart
UP-UNTIL-NOW, DEVIL, DEVIL-IN- HEART (DEVIL HS
Assimilation: DEVIL becomes the classifier
It is becoming clear that the
Some color is added to the
becomes HEART CL)
representing Sarah’s heart
Sign altering: DEVIL
devil is an inner enemy
black and white as the characters
begin to take a stand
against the devils,
reducing the melancholy
atmosphere. 1:36- 1:40
So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then
restart
TONIGHT, CUT-AT-HEART, TAKE-OUT
Hold emphasis: Tonight is signed
emphatically on the beat to show the
tempo of the song
In order to “restart” Sarah is cutting the
devil out of her heart and
throwing it to the ground
The camera zooms in for
emphasis and to show the
movement of the music
1:41- 1:45
Cause I like to keep my issues strong
DREAMS CHERISH STRONG
Assimilation
Repetition of a theme
All of the characters value their “issues” or dreams, which
helps them battle their
devils
The camera angle briefly adds to the sense of the
dreams being high up,
maximizing on the
representation of signing
space
1:46- 1:49
It's always darkest before the dawn
DARK, LIGHT (in front of face)
Repetition of a theme
Space level rhyme
Handshape rhyme
Looking down emphasizes the weight of the pressures that
build up before having the
confidence to take a risk for
change (looking up)
1:49- 1:53
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake
it out, ooh woaaah
UN-MESH/DISCONNECT-FROM-PAST,
ANALYZE-SELF, ANALYZE-SELF, (honorific) ME
The devil is part of the past, which is
represented by it forming the second half of the UN-MESH
sign
Use of sign space: continued theme of
Since the verses and storyline of the song are so
complex, we decided to sign the chorus the
same way throughout the song to give a
Once again, red lighting
and shadows represent the presence of
the devil. This time, however,
there are no shadow hands
illustrating past vs. future
Movement duration &
Space level rhyme (up and down):
Indicates the beat of the music and adds
rhythm
sense of continuity.
as the devil is beginning to
lose its power.
1:54- 1:57
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake
it out, ooh woaaah
THINK-FOR-MYSELF DO-AS-I-PLEASE, DO-AS-I-
PLEASE FUTURE
Sign variation: We added a second
movement to the end of THINK-FOR-MYSELF, signing MYSELF twice to match the beat of
the song and movement of the
other signs
By having repetition of the chorus, we could
show that throughout their journey of self-discovery, the
characters keep returning to fact that they have a
(see above)
Movement Duration
Hold emphasis/ pausing
devil always in the shadows.
1:58- 2:01
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your
back
LOOK-AT-SELF, LOOK BACK (see devil lurking)
Assimilation: FUTURE becomes LOOK
Hold
emphasis/pausing to indicate the pulse of
the music
However, by this chorus, the
characters are feeling more confident and
the devil is getting more nervous, as
shown by the change in the way the devil creeps behind
Sarah instead of dancing cheekily.
Sarah is surprised to discover the devil behind her because she thought
she had gotten away
from it.
2:01- 2:06
So shake him off, oh woah
SHAKE OFF DEVIL, CONNECT GOAL/FUTURE
Assimilation: looking at ourselves flows into connecting with our
goals
Hold emphasis/pausing: the
devil grabbing our wrists matches the singer’s cadence
Metaphor
Sarah is more confident and is
able to shake the devil away
with much more force in this
chorus, feeling assured that she
will reach her goals and
completing the sign with ease.
This time the devil is pushed
back with much more
force.
The last sign is held to
emphasis continuity when the
camera moves to Natalie. Blurriness helps the transition.
2:07- 2:09
And it's hard to dance with a devil on your
back
PAST-COMPARE-PRESENT Repetition of a theme
Use of sign space: allows the past
(behind the body) and present (in front of the
body) to be compared.
Alternating sign
space.
The past is being compared to the present.
The past is blurry.
2:10 shake him off PAST-FINISH Use of sign space After comparing, the