Music video Analysis: Ben Howard's 'Old Pine'

Music Video Analysis:

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This music video has an Indie/Acoustic genre aimed at both male and females in their teens to early twenties. I chose to analyse this video as I would like to emulate the natural, outdoor location and the rustic, authentic atmosphere which gives the video a rawness that attracts the target audience. The Indie/Acoustic genre characteristics are successfully portrayed through the casual, scruffy, costume, the rural and seaside locations, the use of wide panning shots, and the melodic sound with the soft vocals. There is a strong relationship between the music and visuals, as the slow paced editing and long shots reflect the tranquil and gentle music. The adventure style of the shots (running through fields and sitting on cliff edges) reflects the rustic music style. There is also a distinct relationship between the lyrics and visuals, the song is entitled ‘Old Pine’ and there are frequent close ups and long shots of trees and wooded areas; thus reinforcing the lyrics. During the song there are also references to the “ocean” and to “fire” in the lyrics, which are then supported by various shots of the sea and a close up of a fire crackling.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

The establishing close up shot of corn blowing in the breeze sets the scene of the music video immediately, conveying a natural, peaceful, optimistic atmosphere. It also establishes the location of the music video and introduces a key characteristic of the indie/acoustic genre; a rural setting. The light brown/beige sepia tones featured in the shot reinforce the rural, countryside location and the authentic, rustic vibe. The bright sunlight creates a happy, cheerful atmosphere, but the opacity of the shot may have been edited during post production to enhance the feeling of the sunlight shining through the corn.

The symbolism of a sun set represents the end of a day, but it can also be used to represent the ending of life, this is quite a sinister interpretation which contrasts with the cheerful, optimistic atmosphere of the shot. If it was a sun rise it would be completely the opposite; representing positivity, and excitement at the start of a brand new day.

This shot uses a shallow depth of field, as the corn is in clear focus, whereas the background is blurred. I would like to experiment with the depth of field and manipulating the colour of shots within my music video to emulate the authentic, rustic vibe within this music video.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This close up shot of flowers at dusk has dark lighting which evokes quite a creepy feel, however I like the way the flowers part as the artist walks through them which conveys a sense of exploration and adventure. Although the night time setting is quite menacing, its nice as it displays the rural setting as a place of beauty during the day but also a place of excitement during the night. The sunset on the horizon is a hazy red colour which symbolises danger (thus reinforcing the creepy feel) but also symbolises romance and love, which adds a different angle to the video. As there is no love interest in the music video, the colour red may represent the artist’s love for nature, which amplifies the artist’s lyrics about the natural world.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

The next few shots are a montage of close ups focused on the artist, Ben Howard, walking through a field, which evoke a sense of adventure and exploration. This close up shot also reinforces the rural theme of the music video which links into the lyrics ‘Old Pine’ as he’s singing about trees and the natural world. His costume of jeans, jumper, and trainers is casual and practical, the dark colours are quite masculine which appeals to the target audience of teenagers and young adults. The editing between these close up shots of the artist’s feet is quite fast paced, which builds a sense of expectation and mystery within the viewer as they wait for the character to be revealed to them.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This wide shot displays the artist walking through a woodland area, this acts as an establishing shot as it’s the first wide shot in the video, so it presents the setting to the audience. There is a shallow depth of field used so the artist is out of focus which creates a mysterious element to the shot. The rusty fence and barbed wire in the foreground of the shot adds a sinister, threatening edge to the music video, however it does enhance the rustic, wild and adventurous style of this video. The composition of this shot is important as the trees on either side of the shot frames the artist, so that he is the focal point, this emphasises his star status and ensures the audience knows he is the main character of the narrative. The camera is at a low angle so it appears as if it is amongst the grass looking up at the artist; thus making him appear dominant and in control, which reinforces his position as the ‘star’ in this music video.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This wide shot of the sea cements the music videos theme of displaying multiple rural locations. The sunlight reflecting on the water evokes a serene, almost heavenly atmosphere, however the symbolism of a sunset is quite sad as another day draws to a close. But it could also represent the excitement at the start of a new day. I like the way the sea moves in a slow, rhythmic movement which echoes the melodic tune of the music and conveys a peaceful, relaxing vibe, which adds a carefree, happy feel to the music video. I think the shots in this music video display nature at it’s best; full of beauty and enjoyed by mankind. The artist seems to appreciate the wildness of the natural world and he seems to enjoy spending time in the countryside.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This is another wide shot depicting a winding country road with the artist walking down it. The long road evokes the artist’s never-ending journey which he began at the start of his song; the majority of the music video is spent following the artist on his adventure through the wilderness. The artist, Ben Howard is represented as a stereotypical young man; constantly on the move, exploring, and looking for adventure, which is essentially the theme of this music video. He is also portrayed as quite a dominant character through the low angle shots of him which make him appear in control. This shot also conveys quite a sad vibe as the artist appears alone and isolated; maybe on a search for company, or he could be enjoying the solitude of nature. Throughout the music video, the artist is alone for most of it, however there are a few shots with two people in; this enables the audience to focus on the artist without being distracted by any other characters. I would like the artist to be the focal point of my music video, so the audience can concentrate on the narrative and lyrics of the song.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This wide shot of a man in the sea emphasises his absolute isolation. He is completely immersed in nature, this is portrayed through the composition as the sea takes up the majority of the shot. I think this shot sums up the whole concept of this music video, as it depicts someone enjoying the thrill of nature and seeking adventure. I really like the lighting of this shot as the bright sunlight evokes a late summer evening, which reinforces the cheerful, tranquil atmosphere of the video.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This low angle wide shot is from a worm’s eye view, which makes the artist appear dominant and in control. The character is also silhouetted by the setting sun which makes him appear intimidating and threatening; he is the focal point of the shot. This follows the typical conventions of a music video as the artist is always represented as the main character with a ‘star presence’ so they stand out and grab the attention of the viewer. However this music video doesn’t follow some of the other typical conventions of a music video because it doesn’t feature many close ups of the artist. Instead there are lots of long shots and wide shots as the setting is a significant part of the music video.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

These shots represent the artist as a stereotypical teenage boy; the wide shot shows him sat on a cliff edge (portraying him as thrill-seeking, adventurous and dangerous) and the mid long shot displays him running and jumping (portrays him as an active boy messing about). The wide shot is very dramatic with the sea and the cliffs in the background which depicts nature as spectacular but treacherous. I like the way the light in the mid long shot of the artist has been enhanced, so it looks like a bright sunny day. During the video there are moments when the light flashes different colours to give the impression of fading light, which gives the video a quirky feel, the colours also add interest to the plain colours (mostly green) of the countryside.

Ben Howard ‘Old Pine’

This wide shot is my favourite shot from the music video, as it encapsulates the beauty, thrill, and magnificence of Mother Nature, which the video’s concept is all about. The camera tracks the surfer as the wave breaks which looks spectacular; it perfectly conveys the free spirit of Indie music.

Overall I think Ben Howard’s ‘Old Pine’ music video is a good source of inspiration for my own music video not only in terms of style, but also technically and in terms of shot content. It captures the Indie/Acoustic genre with it’s emphasis on rural and seaside locations, interesting compositions and wide shots, which I would like to emulate. I would like to include similar shots in my own music video, such as the surfer (above), as well as experiment with manipulating the lighting and colour of shots during the editing process.