Analysing An Iconic Music Video

Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero 
Released in April, 1984

In the music video, a small story is told alongside the song through visuals: It begins with the woman’s home set alight, soon followed by her being surrounded by three cowboys dressed in black, it then leads on to her thinking back (photo frame), and then ends with a cowboy dressed in white rushing over to save her. This could link to Goodwin’s theory of the lyrics having a link with the visuals.

Camera

In the video, high angles are used looking down at the singer. It is used when the bad cowboys surrounded her, to show her vulnerability to the situation linking to how she is calling for a hero. However, a high angle is used at the end of the video when she meets the cowboy in white, which suggests how stereotypically men are more dominant and that women depend on help.

A camera on a helicopter was used when Tyler was on the cliffs. Linking to the costume, the white dress she was wearing gave a sense of flying or falling which was supported by the helicopter going further away from her.

The camera shots used also suggested a religious meaning to the song; a long shot of Tyler on the cliffs making a crucifix shape, symbolising death. 

There is a close up on a backing singer’s hand showing that she either needs help or she will help. This links to the meaning of the lyrics of how a hero is needed.

A tracking shot is used in the video of a man on horse. This shows a relation between lyrics and visuals as she says her hero “has got to be fast”. The fastness and rush of the tracking shot supports the horse’s speed, increasing the pace of the visuals to fit with the sound.

Sound

In the video, the backing singers are harmonising together with “ooo ooo ooo ooooo” then going “ahhhh ahhhh”. I think that the “ahhhh ahhhh” part sounds similar to some sort of scream which helps suit with the story of the music video: A woman being surrounded by bad guys, and crying for a hero.

In the song, Tyler mentions that she wants  a “White Knight”, and by the end of the video we see a man fully dressed in white. This adds effect as the audience would have in their heads that the hero would be all in white and would be brave and strong.

The backing singers in white dance to the drum beats in a certain part, enhancing the adrenaline and rush of what is happening in the story and song.

Editing

Dissolve is once used when we view the women singers in white, illustrating the gentleness of women and how they can be vulnerable in the situation Tyler is in - which seems to be more distressing. This also shows the contrast of how Tyler is alone and in need of a hero, whereas the the women singers are all surrounded by each other, filling up the screen.

There is prevalence on Bonnie Tyler which supports Goodwin's theory of how the record label requests a lot of screen time on the artist. This is quite typical for a music video, as it is a way of getting the artist recognized and promoted to the public.

There is fast cutting used during the "ooo"'s and "ahhh"'s just before "somewhere after midnight", to help create tension of the song, making it more dramatic and panicky (fitting Tyler's character's feelings).

Mise en Scene

An explosion is used at the beginning of the video to set the mood of how the music video is going to be: dramatic and chaotic, with bad guys and damsels in distress. It's a good way of starting the story as Tyler needs a reason to want a hero, so it fits well with the lyrics showing relation.

On the scene of Tyler in the bedroom, she picks up her photo frame and lays on the bed and starts singing about her dreams. Beds are linked to dreams relating to the lyrics, and the photo frame is a visual image of her hero of who she dreams about. However we don't see the person clearly, which could either suggest how things can be blurry in dreams, or how Tyler (and the audience) doesn't know who her hero is as she just hasn't meet him yet.

For location, Tyler is situated on the cliffs and (shown by the camera angles) is alone. It suggests that she will welcome any hero to help her. However in contrast, it seems as though she doesn't need a hero as she is more free and not hassled by the bad guys.

Overall, the music video is rather symbolic in meaning, however most of the song is illustrated through the visuals quite clearly.