The video I’m looking at is Safe From Harm by Massive Attack, a narrative and performance based video, following Shara Nelson the featured singer getting up to her flat - a simple storyline, something that I feel naturally reflects the Trip-hop genre to which Massive Attack belong, with many of their videos following a simple idea but not without twists and turns which capture the audience’s attention.
Safe from harm
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Lighting: Like Invaders Must Die, this video is set in black and white, but this time its use does not give an artistic feel, but reflects the grimy location of the block of flats and provides the sense unease that the song’s lyrics calls for. ‘Midnight ronkers, city slickers, gunmen and maniacs.’
The low lighting in all the scenes provides the expense and builds the enigma code of the song, for example the shots in the lift, a flashing light is used to create shadows which are later used to conceal a person outside her door again with the feeling of unease at the forefront of this choice of lighting, whilst reinstating the run down location with a broken light.
Camerawork: At the beginning, the introduction to the main character is provided in a shot which switches from a point of view shot to a mid shot when a man is intimidating her, with the point of view shot instantly making the audience sympathise with her then developing into a scene showing what she puts up with where she lives.
The camerawork is smooth yet is in the style of handheld, with the shot occasionally tilting and changing height.
We get close ups of all the characters, something Goodwin said was a part of the 6 key elements to a music video as it completes the demands of the record label getting the band’s image into the public eye.
There is a shot of a dead bird on the ground at the very beginning, instantly creating a negative image, something the audience is likely to be thinking about whilst watching the rest of the video.
A fish eye lens is used to show the man in the lift, accentuating his odd behaviour, possibly suggesting a link to drugs or madness in this instance due to its claustrophobic location of the lift.
Randomly, a person is shown standing behind a door, this disturbing imagine is meant to give the idea of our character isn’t safe there and that all is not as it should be.
Mise-en-Scene: A close up of a cigarette end is shown along with graffiti and broken glass to enhance the run down nature of the block.
Shara Nelson is dressed in a coat and bag, typical of her character, with others (of which some band members) are wearing glasses, carrying bags and smoking all items of an everyday nature.
Whilst these elements are all interesting we wouldn’t just be able to copy this original video therefore below I am putting the lyrics along with a few ideas of how we would make the video our own.
“Safe From Harm"
[Shara Nelson]
Midnight ronkers
City slickers
Gunmen and maniacs
All will feature on the freakshow (something we found very effective in our thriller was using a TV, using a jumping image, here we could recreate this to enhance this idea of a 'freakshow')
And I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
[3d]
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you (Arguably the best line in the song, it's one of those you have to think about for a second, therefore I think should be highlighted in some way, we could put up the lyrics on the screen, or maybe have an extreme close up of the words being sung)
[Shara Nelson]
Lucky dippers
Crazy chancers
Seems to be moving fast (the classic fastened up shot, perhaps filmed in town)
What happened to the nicities
Of my childhood days (childhood pictures)
Well I can't do nothing 'bout that, no
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
[3d]
I was lookin' back to see if you were
I was lookin I was
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin' back at me
To see me lookin' back at you
[Shara Nelson]
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight (something that isn't made clear or even highlighted in MA's original video is whether the baby is literal, but I’m pretty sure it is and she is protecting her baby as they're naturally venerable, therefore we could include a child or baby in the video.. even though they do say never work with children or animals!)
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight
[3d]
Tell us what it is dangerous
Friends and enemies I find it's contagious
And they're spreading through your system like a virus (could get some great imagery, water going down a drain, get some fake blood, or simply recreate a cough medicine advert!)
Yes the trouble in the end it makes you anxious
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
I was lookin' back to see if you were lookin back at me
To see me lookin back at you
[Shara Nelson]
But if you hurt what's mine
I'll sure as hell retaliate
You can free the world you can free my mind
Just as long as my baby's safe from harm tonight [x2]
Websites used:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/massiveattack/safefromharm.html
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9wp0z_massive-attack-safe-from-harm_music
Ali
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