Adele, HelloNarrative Decoded

Why does it start with the window shot, pull focus and view of the single car on a track?

• The video starts with a window shot and then pulls focus to the view of the single car on the track to give the viewer visual representation for how far away the characters are from their home and how isolated they’ve become.

What might the removal of the dust covers symbolise?

• The removal of dust covers symbolises the unearthing of old memories and the characters reconnecting with their past.

What connotations does the phrase “Hello from the other side bring”?

• The lyrics “Hello from the other side give connotations of death as well as relaying the idea to the viewer that the protagonist has moved through her breakup and therefore to the “other side”.

Why are the conversations on the phone significant to the narrative?

• The conversations on the phone show the characters trying and failing to reconnect with their past.

• The audience can see that they cannot reconnect through the fact that the phone in the telephone box is disconnected and the fact that no body answers the phone in the video.

Why was the footage portrayed in black and white?

• The footage was portrayed in black and white (or sepia tones) to demonstrate to the audience that the events featured happened in the past too help give the video a nostalgic quality as if someone was remembering the events.

What is the relationship of the main characters?

• The main characters were a couple who were no longer together the reason for the breakup is not given to the viewer throughout the video however they are told that it was something that the female protagonist did and that she had tried to apologise many times.

How might Todorov’s theory be used to explain the narrative…

• Equilibrium- The couple were together.

• Disequilibrium- The couple had a fight.

• Acknowledgement of disequilibrium- The couple broke up.

Todorov, continued• Resolution-Protagonist tried to

get him back.

• New equilibrium- Protagonist decided she was ok alone.

• Although the narrative follows Todorov’s cycle it jumps between present and past events meaning that the cycle does not happen in order in the video.

Use Barthes theory (Enigma code) to describe the narrative

• Barthes enigma code can be related to the narrative as the viewer is unaware of several things throughout the narrative of the piece such as why the couple broke up.

Use Barthes theory (Semantic code) to describe the narrative. What key visual and lyrical connotations in the video apply?

• Barthes semantic code can be applied to narrative of the Hello as the connotation of the phone calls would be that the protagonist is trying to get through to somebody from her past but they will not let her in which is different from the denotation that the person is simply not picking up their phone.

• A more simple connotation is that of the sense of homeliness derived from the tea making.

Use screen prints of the visual narrative and add annotations of the camera shot/angle/POV how does the camera shots & editing contribute to the narrative?

• The way that the camera angles are manipulated to allow the viewer to see from the protagonists point of view helps them to be sympathetic towards the protagonist. These shots are generally mid-shots.

• The long shot near the lake helps to add drama to the piece due to the way in which the viewer sees the pathetic fallacy of nature following the protagonists emotions.

Camera shots/editing, continued

• Closeup shots are used frequently in the present day shots to show the emotion of the protagonist.

• The way that the editing jumps between past and present helps to enhance Barthes enigma code in the video.

Identify the jump shots and the eye-line matches as part of the video?

• Jump shots and eye line matches are used frequently to allow for the narrative to jump from flashbacks to present day.

• The flashback shots are all shot from the protagonists point of view showing the viewer that these are her memories whilst the present day shots are all shots of the protagonist.