Cinnamon Chasers - Luv Deluxe

This music video was directed by Saman Keshavarz and released in 2010 and is in a first person’s point of view, which provides a rather different approach to a music video that is not often exploited through music videos. The video is critically praised and won the SXSW ‘Best Music Video’ award of the year.


There is a cyclical structure present in the video. We are first introduced to the ending of the story and when the actual music video ends, the cyclical cycle is exposed as we view the beginning of it again, however inverted. The main character is opening his eyes in the beginning, which also represents the start of the video, and then looks at his loss companion. The director’s intention is to have the audience guessing as to what has happened, whether she is dead or alive and how exactly they ended up in the situation they are in. However when we see the end of the video we discover what really happened and see the true version of it, as the main character shifts his eyesight from his dead companion and closes his eyes when we learned he has died due to the gunshot wound. It successfully leaves the audience in awe as we now have insight onto the relationship they had and the journey they endured together which is successfully incorporated through the ‘road movie genre’. Though we also now have knowledge on how things turned out the way it did and to why exactly these characters suffered the tragic ending that was fated upon them.



The two main characters in this video bring great interest and fascination to the viewers because of the mystery that lies between the two of them; and the sudden, destined connection they share due to how they met and the clash and similarities between their characteristics. They happen to share similar personalities due to their rebellious qualities, as we straight away see the male main character write a note to his parents saying that he is leaving for good, and there is arguably little affection shown on this letter due to how straight-forward and brief it is.

The main female character is just the more rebellious as we often see her instigate thoughts and actions of stealing from people that she comes across. Although no matter of how distasteful their behaviour makes their characters seem, the audience still sub-consciously build a connection to the two due to the intimacy the perspective of the camera provokes, and also due to the fact that they have no one in their lives now but each other. A story and theme infamously explored through the also very tragic, catastrophic and legendary tale of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.


There is diegetic sound of the door-open caution alarm however this gets drowned out and faded by the low non-diegetic sound of the alarm clock, which slowly increases in volume and turns into diegetic sound. This is used to slightly disorientate the viewer from the scene at hand and to smoothly transit their attention to another scene. The alarm clock also acts as a signal of the actual beginning of the story and how events unfolded.


The first person perspective to the video creates an immensely strong and vivid immersion, which captivates and engages us into their world. We see the story unfold directly through the eyes of the male main character and therefore we can already feel much more connected and attached to the characters as we feel we are them, since we are placed in his shoes.


Due to this perspective we also see the other main character, which is the woman, in second-person perspective and not only does this allow us to feel closer to this character, we also gain a far more in-depth sense to the companionship that the couple share as we feel we are always with her, and feel that we are residing within him.


The narrative of the story is of a film noir, and therefore we experience the cynical theme as both main characters suffer dramatic and tragic endings. Because the narrative actually has three stories to it as well, the tragedy eventually becomes inevitable and foreseeable


Continuity editing is a technique often explored throughout the music video and it provides an easy, smooth flow, which allows scenes to render effortlessly together after another. The transition of these scenes are often brought together through heavy and intense movements of the main character, such as him lifting his head up and diverting his sight from one direction and area to another, Or even can come from him getting slapped across the face to him spinning in circles whilst drinking alcohol etc.

This technique allows the viewer to always feel interacted with the video and never thrown off, as the events changeover flawlessly and allows the viewer to feel even more immersed and never astray.


The music video takes us through a journey from the eyes of the main character and there are three stories that reside inside the video. They all begin at a defining moment where the woman rips apart the bill from a diner restaurant. It happens slightly but surely in slow motion and that is to suggest the importance of this event as the director wants us to take in this moment, and it foretells how the story will play out.



The first story sees her indeed rip apart the bill although we can see the main character was initially contemplating the thought of whether they should pay for it or not. We can tell this because he reaches his hand out and slowly pulls the bill towards himself, however the woman grabs it from his hand and tears it up. This already forebodes the future events as we then see the same pattern continue and we witness the destructive and tainted force she brings with herself, however the main character is too passive to go against her will and instead acts accordingly to what she does, and her contaminated temptations end up getting the better of him. A key moment of this would also be when she encourages him to steal a wallet from a man (1:30 into the video). The story doesn’t end well for them however and we suspect that they consequently get arrested due to their actions because of the implications of siren lights reflecting in the car and the expression of anguish and terror on the woman’s face.



We then experience the main character rewinding and turning back time in order to attempt to change this outcome and it takes us back to the very scene where the bill arrives at the character’s table in the diner. This time however the main character rips it up himself, and thus we already have insight as to how the story will go.

We see the main character try a new approach in his behaviour however it is for the worst as he basically tries to imitate the woman’s behaviour yet exceed her terrorising persona. This is signified through the contrast of the camera as it suddenly becomes duller and darker in comparison to the first story, and this represents the sinister character he has turned into and to show us how he sees the world in a darker light and his actions portray this. There are various clips showing us how aggressive and vile he has now become as we see him replace his previous actions with ones such urinating on the road, groping and fumbling about with the woman repeatedly and treating her along with her possessions disrespectfully,




and he also suddenly acts much more rash and harsh by being the main instigator in plots of theft and violence; this among many other things.






He eventually becomes so dreadful that we even see his partner slap him and leave him alone as she cant stand being around him for much longer, and she pushes him away in more ways than one.


We see his greedy, sinful ways get the better of him and inevitably lead to his doom as his very own companion attempts to stab him with the knife that he purchased (signifying how it was his own actions that destined his downfall).



The story then rewinds again and we see the main character now finally doing the right thing and paying for the bill with his credit card, and the video gains back its contrast.

We as the audience can establish that the main character is now willing to change his ways and do things for the better due to the outcome of what happened from doing things for the worst. He becomes much more respectful towards people whether it is his partner or people in genial. This is represented through scenes such as him covering his eyes when the woman is dressing, he acts more affectionate and kinder to her and to others,



and for any wrongs the woman does he acts much more assertive and either tries to teach her right from wrong or attempts to make it right again by reversing her actions, (she steals wallet, he returns it back).



However his companion and the only person there for him ironically becomes his downfall. A scene of him holding the woman’s hand foretells this as she decides to let go and run up ahead (perhaps portraying as to how she will always run into danger and he is not prepared to do so anymore).


This is then made apparent as her encounter with a presumably wealthy man, (mise-en-scene factors such as the man’s sophisticated outfit allow the audience to conclude to such a thought) ,
who she overdoses with pills bring the main character of making the decision of finally turning his back on her (figuratively and literally) and either calling for the authorities or for medical help for the man. While the main character is dialling a number on his phone his vision gets stunned and begins to blur suddenly and intensely furthermore a jump cut with continuity editing techniques take place, showing the woman with an arcade gun pointing towards the main character is more than enough to suggest what has just happened.
As we see the main character hold blood in his hand from his stomach our ideas are made clear and the woman has indeed shot him. As she throws the gun to the floor and turns her back on him, another jump cut is provided but this time of the main character pointing the arcade gun at the woman, and again we have intense insight to what has happened, and our concluded with our thoughts when we see the woman drop to the floor and the gun in the main character’s hand.



Throughout the video the stories that unfolded became worse and worse as fist they get apprehended by the police, then the main character dies and then they both die. And although the main character became a better person in the last story it still didn’t change their fated future together and in the end their story is one that vainly ended in calamity and disaster.

I really enjoyed this music video because of the subtle yet smartly designed story they implemented into the video. There are no words said throughout the video and not even any lyrics in the song that could suggest what is happening, however the visuals are more than enough for explanation. The concept and incorporation of the first person perspective to the video is another factor to admire as it is ever so rarely seen in music videos and therefore brings something unique and fresh to the table. It can also be proven to provide an incredibly immerse and realistic video, which can emphasise the dramatic scenes very vividly. I believe it was a cleverly produced and directed video as all the shots provided did their part in unwrapping the story and no shots seemed wasted, unnecessary or tacked on.

Perspective and Point Of View

Some music videos decide to explore the possibilities of perspectives and point of views in order to captivate the audience and leave them fascinated and enticed by the video due to not only how unique the music video is, as it is a niche technique seen in the industry, but also because of how immersed attached the audience felt with the video, regardless of if they are engrossed by the characters in the video, the scenery or even the events etc.

Music videos such as Kanye West’s ‘All Falls Down’ were produced in the first person angle and therefore this allows the viewers to feel much more attached to his character as we see everything through his eyes and only his eyes. By using this point of view we are almost forced to sympathise and feel involved with the character(s) due to how close we seem to them and so we are bound to feel even more upset for and connected to Kanye West when he has to depart from his spouse in the video because we are thrown right into the scene and are experiencing it just how he is.




This isn't the only feeling that a first person video can endorse, as The Prodigy's - 'Smack My Bitch Up' doesnt allow the audience to really sympathise with the main character, since they are more so an antagonist than protagonist. The video creates great immersion as we feel we are directly following this character through their journey and we see to a very insightful extent the amount of chaos and carnage they cause through their path.



The first person perspective isn’t the only point of view used however. In this video, ‘A Long Walk’ by the Soul artist Jill Scott, we are introduced to a second person’s perspective as we are not experiencing any events through the eyes of the main character; instead we are viewing it through the eyes of her lover. This technique is also used effectively as we get to live through the bond that her and her partner share for each other therefore we feel emotionally closer to them.



Some videos do not possess the strongest concepts of different perspectives and point of views, however many still incorporate it vaguely into their music videos in order to attain certain desired effects. (In John Legend’s ‘Ordinary People’ music video, we are thrown into a third person perspective of a fly which I believe symbolises just how significant everything is in life and therefore not to take the little things for granted. To “take it slow” and truly appreciate all of these things for what they are.)

John Legend - P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)

John Legend - P.D.A (We Just Don't Care)

The music video of John Legend’s ‘P.D.A’ is mainly a concept but also slightly narrative one and is about two couples of both younger and older generations who may seem very different but happen to be ultimately alike as they are both madly in love with their partner.


The music video starts off with a montage of establishing shots through scenery of Brazil, however it does not completely show all the beautiful resorts that the country has to offer. Instead it shows a compilation of both the gorgeous settings that the country provides and the more realistic settings of Brazil that residents may normally come across, such as old, torn down wall posters to great landscapes, to kids playing on the streets.






It is not just implying that Brazil has grim sides to it as well as its exquisiteness; it is also perhaps conveying the different customs and sides to Brazil there are and that is being represented by the two different couples. The collage of scenery illustrates the journeys the couples undertake. They go everywhere through the city of Brazil yet never really take their eyes off each other regardless of being in richer or poorer areas of the city. It shows the magnificence of the country is behind them, and not visa-versa. The splendours of the country furthermore exemplify upon the joys of each couple’s journey, as they are accompanied by one another with great devotion. The opening shots are in black and white, symbolising a classic Brazil and therefore the true light of it. Points out both the beauties and realities of the nation. The fact that these opening shots are taken through a camcorder also is effective because it immerses you into the city, and also into the lives of John Legend and his partner since they take the camcorder everywhere they go.


The video has a slight theme of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ present through it, as we see the couples (particularly the younger couple) are isolated from the world around them and they seem to be unfazed by everything apart from each other. It shows the romanticism of the duo as although they are mischievous and alone, they still have each other and that’s all that really matters to keep their smiles always on their faces. The title of the song, ‘P.D.A’ meaning Public Displays of Affection and the sub-title ‘We just don’t care’ are also strongly connoted by this and we can observe that their attitudes and mind-sets show a direct link to P.D.A and ‘not caring’, due to the amore and attachment they have to each other, and also their negligence and disregard they have for what’s around them. The age difference between the couples shows the great difference between the generations as we can see the older couple being far more mature and sophisticated. The mise-en-scene in the video such as attire portray them as dressing smart and elegantly and their characteristics seem joyful but also much more hushed and quiet, whereas on the other hand with the younger couple they seem to run amok wherever they go and have a much noisier presence, plus are also suited up more casually and pale in comparison to the older couple’s classiness. This video proves however that no matter the age and no matter the persona of people, there is no difference in the behaviour of love as at the end of it all, both couples are only genially dedicated to each other and only care to show each other affection.






Whereas on the other hand with the younger couple they seem to run amok wherever they go and have a much noisier presence, plus are also suited up more casually and pale in comparison to the older couple’s classiness.






The older couple happen to carry the prop, a video camera, with them at all times and this could express the sense of personal connection they have to one another, as the couple will keep the footage for sentimental value. It can also suggest that although their love is wild for each other, they themselves are not as such and therefore the camera brings an intangible curtain over their romantic life and leaves things personal as it is only for them to see and only they have access to seeing it.








However the younger couple don’t need a camera and are happy living up to the name of the title and expressing their romance despite of whatever audience may be around. This does not go to mean that the older couple are lacking cheekiness and excitement though, as in a short scene we see John Legend whisper into the ear of his spouse accordingly to the music saying “lets sneak and do it when your boss is gone”. This suggests that although the older couple do indeed have their maturity and mellowness to them, they do still possess a rebellious, impulsive side to them leaving their romance to be far from lacklustre. It proposes for thought that no matter what the age, the romance is made the way the couple makes it to be and so doesn’t ever have to ‘lose its fire’ or ‘spark’.





There are also some forms of continuity editing at hand within the video. Many eye-line match shots are used in order to see the different perspectives from the characters and what they are looking at. We see this often through John Legend and his spouse as she is looking at him through the camera lenses in many shots, which supposedly can represent the intimacy between the couple as how they both glare at each other continuously and putting the audience’s eyes through the lens also immerses us into their companionship.




This technique also occurs with the younger couple as well however with the lack of a camera, perhaps suggesting the romanticism of younger people to be more straightforward and less confusing or clouded by unnecessary problems, symbolising their typically audacious, spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment lifestyle.






Other editing techniques are also existent such as parallel editing as we see the journey of two couples both unfolding at the same time. And events such as when a child takes a photograph of the younger couple and a jump shot to John Legend happens at the very moment where he focuses the camcorder on his own lover; make this more apparent.






Also as the older woman grabs John Legend into a more secluded place, so does the young girl to the young boy.







Moments like these happen through different scenes with crosscutting, and eventually at the end of the video the parallelism has both couples coincidentally meet; where they are both engaging in kissing their partner. (A pull-in focus shot is used here to suggest how both couples are just as equally important as each other).





This also illustrating at how though the couples may be of different ages and even cultures perhaps, they are still more similar and related than they may seem. This also provides for a cyclical structure due to a short clip by the beginning of the video where John Legend’s camera captures the younger couple riding together in a bike, while they were in their cab and then it is evident that they happen to cross roads again.




Again, right by the very end of the video the camera is brought into more significance as John Legend asks the young boy take a photo of him and his spouse. Perhaps this signifying how important it is to capture the precious moments you get with your loved one, both figuratively or literally.




In conclusion I thought this was a great video that had a strong meaning and connotations to it. The contrast between the different age cultures is clear, however the similarities and affinities the couples share between each other are just as clear, perhaps even more vivid. The video subtly uses various of devices and techniques to great degree; and although lacking much of a story the journey that the couples undertake together is more than enough to express the personalities and relationships between the characters, along with whats happening.