One Direction Video Deconstruction

One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful   Signed to SONY   Genre: Pop (Boy Band)

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Musical intro- leads into ‘You’re insecure, don’t know what for’

EDIT: Fades into next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot establishes the location. This video is set on a beach in what looks to be a hot country. We can see the whole band in this shot. The way they are walking together suggests friendship; they are being made to looks as though they are just a group of friends. The lighting is bright, reflecting the upbeat music. The whole band are dressed very fashionably, they have been styled to look good; they are using their image to appeal to an audience. They are also all in very similar outfits, linking them together to make them look like a band.

SHOT: Close Up

LYRICS: ‘Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you’

EDIT: Fades into next shot

ANALYSIS: This close up shows only one member of the band. He is shown to be good looking, appealing to a female audience through sex appeal. By using this close up of just the one member of the band it helps the audience to recognise who is singing what part of the song, for example in this shot the member of the band is singing a solo part. The band member is looking directly into the camera, making the video more personal to the audience; it is as if he is singing it to the viewer. This appeals to the fan as they will feel as though he is singing to them. Again the lighting is bright, reflecting the upbeat, happy song.

SHOT: Wide/Long Shot

LYRICS: ‘Baby you light up my world like nobody else’

EDIT: Cuts to the next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot is very typical of a boy band music video. The wide shot shows the whole band singing together, the fan will recognise each individual member. They are all dressed very fashionably, appealing to a female audience and creating an image for themselves. Again the lighting is very bright, reflecting the tempo of the music. The lyrics of this video appeal to a female audience, they want to feel as though the band is singing the lyrics to them personally.

SHOT: Medium Close Up

LYRICS: ‘Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell’

EDIT: Cuts to the next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot is teasing the female audience. They will see this and wish it was them that the band member is singing to. Their body language suggests the relationship between them. The white in the male’s shirt matches that of the female’s top, suggesting that they belong together. The girl here looks normal; she is not dressed in an overly fashionable way, she is not covered in make- up and most of all she is not a celebrity. This gives the fan hope that it could be them with him; they could have a chance. Again the lighting is bright reflecting the music.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘If only you saw what I can see, you’ll understand why I want you so desperately’

EDIT: Cuts to final shot of the video

ANALYSIS: This shot shows a fun side to the band. It shows they are not afraid to have fun. Also in the picture they are taking with the girls they are all either smiling or pulling funny faces. This could link to a meaning of the lyrics “if only you saw what I could see”. The two girls in the shot aren’t exactly making themselves look attractive, one is smiling enthusiastically and the other is in a weird position and pulling a funny face. This suggests the type of girl that the band likes; someone fun and not all about making themselves look good. This gives the fan hope that they have a chance with someone in the band. The lighting is darker than the rest of the video, suggesting night time and also suggesting that the song is coming to an end.