UPDATED: Case Study: How are narrative techniques used in Cold Play's video for 'The Scientist'- BEN RODWELL

"Some videos give you thrills, some chills and some are just eye candy. Coldplay's clip for "The Scientist" is the kind that makes you wonder, "What the hell?"" -MTV. Coldplay are a British rock band led by vocalist and pianist Chris Martin. Forming in 1996 under the name Pectoralz, Coldplay have since gone on to have 7 number 1 albums, 2 number 1 singles, have world tours and sell out venues such as Wembley Stadium. 'The Scientist' is the second single from Coldplay's second album 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head". Released in 2002, the track reached number 10 in the UK singles charts and number 13 in the US single charts. Upon it's release the song received critical acclaim: "The fantastic piano ballad 'The Scientist' has a cataclysmic falsetto finale that could raise every hair on the back of your neck" -Rob Sheffiled, Rolling Stone. With a piano part that "chimes through [and captures] perfectly, the warm depression of each individual key" (Nick Southall of Stylus magazine) 'The Scientist' was placed by NME as number 37 on its list of the '150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years' in 2011. The music video for 'The Scientist' has received similar critical acclaim as a result of its innovative and well-constructed reversed narrative structure. In 2003 MTV awarded the video with the multiple awards including  Best Group Video, Best Direction, and Breakthrough Video. Additionally It was also nominated at the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Short Form Music Video. Directed by James Thraves, the video took inspiration from Spike Jonze's 1996 music video for The Pharcyde's "Drop" and Scottish band Danny Wilson's 1989 video for the song "The Second Summer of Love" both of which employed a reverse narrative.

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The key aspect of Coldplay's video for 'The Scientist' is the use of a reversed narrative structure: the video starts at the end and footage is played in reverse throughout. Immediately a link is created between the lyrics of the chorus and the narrative structure and visuals of the music video. The chorus of the song ends with the lyrics "take me back to the start". This links with the reversed visuals of the video. Andrew Goodwin states in his music video theories that "there is a succinct relationship between music and visuals be it illustrative, amplifying or contradictive". By using a reversed narrative this both illustrates and amplifies the lyrics of the chorus. Furthermore the video supports and enhances the impact of the music and lyrics to the audience. The video starts with a close up of the lead singer Chris Martin singing (figure 1). The shot slowly zooms out maintaining Martin's head in the dead centre of the shot furthermore maintaining the audiences focus on his singing and his lyrics. At this point the audience do not know that the narrative is in reverse. Martins final position in the opening shot (figure 2) initially creates a sense of questioning in the audience. This opening shot establishes

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an 'enigmatic or hermeneutic code' as described by Roland Barthes. Barthes stated that this code sets up questioning in the audience, for example "why is the singer lying on a dirty blue mattress in the street?". Barthes claimed that this code is essential as it gives audiences satisfaction through predicting or working out their answers or by having their assumptions disrupted by twists. This hermeneutic code is strengthened via the introduction of the reversed shots. In the following shot (figure 3) the audience see Martin raise from the mattress as a cyclist cycles backwards behind him via a slowly panning camera movement. This is where the overall reversed narrative structure of the song is introduced. As well as strengthening the enigmatic code, this shot establishes the theme of the music video and so imitates the connection between the music (the lyrics) and the visuals (the reversed

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shots). By using a reversed linear narrative elements of the story are revealed to the audience in a new an unorthodox way. For instance figure 4 shows when the audience are first introduced to the body of the protagonist's partner. The reversal of the narrative  means that this reveal happens closer to the climax of the song and so fits better with the songs construction. Additionally it is in contrast to the majority of music videos which would reveal key narrative aspects such as a dead body at the beginning. This is an effective way of making sure the audience remember the video and therefore the song. Andrew Goodwin stated that "the record label has certain demands" meaning that music videos are a way of ensuring the the artist and consequently the label they are signed to receive financial gain from music videos. By making the music video memorable and unorthodox audiences are more likely to remember the video and therefore the song increasing the likelihood of sales. Using a complete reversal of all shots and the narrative, audiences are more likely to remember Coldplay's single 'The Scientist'. This ensures commercial success for the band and their record label.

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The video for "The Scientist" both conforms to and challenges Tzvetan Todorov’s theory of narrative structure. Todorov suggested that there are three stages to how a narrative progresses and these stages are present in Coldplay's video however not in the ordinary order. The first stage is the equilibrium. This is a sense of normality that is carefully and clearly depicted to the audience. In the video for 'The Scientist', this is shown at the very end of the video where the protagonist and his partner are driving in their car. The composition of the shots shown at the end  suggests to the audience a balance and happiness that isnt present in the rest of the video. For instance quadrants are used in figure 4 to suggest  two characters lives that are balanced and related. By placing the two characters on either half of the shot it implies a stability which is not present when the protagnost is alone. The shot construction and emotions portrayed by the characters suggests that this is the equilibrium. The second stage suggested by Todorov is the disruption. This is something that disrupts and unbalances the equilibrium. In this video the disruption is the car crash. As fitting with the rest of the narrative, the car crash is portrayed to the audience in reverse. Filmed via a long shot (figure 5) that shows the full extent of the car rolling down the hill, emphasis is placed fully on

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the crash making certain the audience understand that any kind of equilibrium has been destroyed. The final stage as described by Todorov is the new equilibrium. This is how the characters in a text react to the disturbance and create a new equilibrium. The new equilibrium in this video is the rest of the begining of the video initiating with the opening shot. In contrast to the shots that portray the equilibrium, the opening shot that portrays the new equilibrium focuses entirely on the lonesome protagnist. Whereas the equilibrium is portrayed through composition such as quadrants suggesting a balance between two people, the new equilibrium shots focus entirely around the lone singer. The video for 'The Scientist' conforms to Todorov's theory of narrative structure; it has a clear equilibrium, disruption and new equilibrium. However it also challenges the theory as instead of using the stages in the conventional order the video starts the new equilibrium and then shows how the equilibrium was disrupted. By both using and challenging Todorov's theory the video achieves  a clear, classical  narrative with a twist that appeals to the audiences enigmatic code (as described by Barthes).

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Coldplay's video for 'The Scientist' uses a reversed narrative to create a build up and climax which both engages with the audience and caters for their enigmatic code. By matching the peak of the song with the most dramatic and action based section in the music video, the climax of the song is made more effective and so engages with the audience more effectively. Furthermore the reversed linear narrative of the video creates a buildup which further emphasises the climax. Throughout the video the audience are constantly striving to work out their hermeneutic code and their predictions about the enigmatic reversed narrative. By continuing the reversed narrative up to and through the car crash, audiences stay engaged. Climaxes are a conventional technique in Coldplay's videos. For example in their video for 'Paradise', a climax is used to create a powerful ending which engages with the audience and instils a 'feel good' emotion in them. As shown in figure 6, a saturated colour scheme is used in combination with an energetic performance, lens flares and playful mise en scene to create a climax which connotes happiness and freedom. Using a climax in this way, to create powerful emotions in the audience, is a conventional narrative technique. If the music video evokes strong feelings in the audience they are more likely to remember it and therefore provide the artist with better sales for the adjoining song. In addition to this, interesting narrative techniques and structures seem to be a motif of sorts for Coldplay. For instance Coldplay's video for their song "Yellow" features a single-cut, amplified, linear narrative. The video consists of one, 4 minute and 32 second long shot that follows lead singer Chris martin as walks along a beach at sunrise. The beginning of the video shows Martin in almost complete darkness however by the end of the song, it is entirely light. By using one continous shot, the liner nature of the music video is amplified to an incredible level; the audience can't help but focus on the real-time portrayal of time passing. 

Coldplay enjoy experimenting with narrative structures in their music videos, be it a reversed narrative structure such as in the video for 'The Scientist' or an intense, ultra-linear narrative such as in 'Yellow'. I feel that this, as well as giving Coldplay a motif in their music videos, ensures that their videos are interesting and engaging for their audience. The audience never know what they're going to get and as a result will always watch the new video to find out. This makes sure that the video fulfils its financial requirements of "selling the band" (Goodwin). I feel that I can take inspiration from this. Although difficult to achieve narrative structures as complex as those shown in the above mentioned videos, unusual narrative features such as flashbacks, cyclical structures or multi-linear narratives could be implemented in to my music video. Using interesting narrative structures is an effective way of ensuring your video is original and engaging for the audience as it maintains their attention through their need to figure out the story of your video.

In conclusion Coldplay use a range of narrative techniques in their video for 'The Scientist'. Instead of a conventional, chronologically-linear narrative, 'The Scientist' uses reversed linear narrative. This unorthodox narrative style creates an enigmatic tone to the video as the audience are constantly trying to work out their predictions. As well as this the reversed narrative means orthodox narrative stages as described by Todorov are made less normal as they are reversed. As is conventional with many of their videos, a climax is used to engage with the audience. By doing this the audience are more likely to remember the video and consequently the song. This fits with Goodwin's theory that music videos are bound by "requirements of the record label". The video uses unorthodox methods to create a memorable video which in turn means a commercially successful video.

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