Music Video Analysis: Ed Sheeran Photograph

Music Video Analysis: Ed Sheeran, Photograph



Q: Who is the artist and producer?

A: - This song is written by Ed Sheeran, produced by, Jeff Bhasker and Emilie Haynie.



Q: What is the record label?

A: - Asylum, Atlantic.



Q: Who is the target audience?

A: - Anyone who is interested in Ed Sheeran or anyone who enjoys listening to meaningful songs.



Q: Is there a story behind the song?

A: - The song is just about his life, from him being a toddler to adolescent to now, it also includes his love for lego. The video is a montage of his life. It is explaining about him growing up and how he didn't have an amazing life, the lyrics also explain how life can get hard but it will get easier, but there's memories in the photographs. It is about creating memories with loved ones so family, and partners, hence the line 'wait for me to come', this also related to when Ed left home to pursue his music career and then the photographs are for memories so that his family are always in his heart, its a way to not forget about his family.

This song isn't just about mending a relationship with your partner, it's more about restoring the relationship with your family, more specifically Ed and his mother. Now looking at it, "Loving can hurt" seems to come from the Mother's or caretaker's point of view, because taking responsibility for a child can be frustrating and difficult, but also rewarding and Ed is spot on when he says, "you know it can get hard sometime." The the Pre-Chorus, "we keep this love in a photograph..." describes all the memories they've made, then the Chorus comes in. In the Chorus, "So you can keep me..." relates to when Ed decided to leave home and pursue music full time, and (now I'm assuming), his mother must have given him a photograph of the family to always have before he left, hoping that one day their "eyes" will "meet" again. Until then, Ed just thinks "wait for me to come home."

Now, the next verse jumps into Ed and his mother's minds: "loving can heal" refers to how they use the memories to mend or counter the separation/ the distance, or it's like insight from his mother's point of view where even though raising a child can be difficult, it's rewarding because "loving can heal." "And it's the only thing we take with us when we die" refers to the memories they've made and kept.

Then, the Pre-chorus and Chorus comes back, making the message stronger, but music is now building and intensifying the emotion, thus strengthening the message. "And I won't ever let you go..." refers to that unconditional love parents have for their children: it's a love that is true and ever persistent through any kind of pain.

That bridge or tag part, "wait for me to come home" reinforces that desire of being reunited. Then, in the final chorus, the lyric, "next to your heartbeat where I should be" relates to keeping those you love close to your heart always, while those who have impacted you life the most stay within your soul. The last section of that chorus, is a reflection of maybe the last time Ed was with his mother and family before leaving when he was younger and the lyrics are last conversation with his mum.



Q: Describing the cinematography?

A: - The video only really uses long shots and full body shots, this is because its videos of him growing up.



Q: Describe the mise-en-scene?

A: - They lighting isn't anything special it is just normal lighting in a house, there are no added costumes, make up etc, its just videos from his childhood made in to a montage.



Q: What makes it successful?

A: - The thing that makes this video successful is that is adorable. The video also gives you an insight of what his life was like before he became so big and well known, the video suggests that you don't need to have had the best of childhoods to become successful. People can relate to it because he had an ordinary childhood.

CD cover: Crazy Voodoo

This is a CD cover of a song called 'Crazy Voodoo'; written and sung by Kingsley Beat, I did this in black and white because I think it adds to the effect of what it is, I think if it was in colour then it wouldn't fit with the name of the song.