Primary Research - Analysis of Music Video- Ed Sheeran- A Team

Ed Sheeran’s video for his song called ‘The A Team’ has a storyline about a girl who lives on the streets in London and has got into prostitution to pay for her drug addiction. This is a very emotive song about a tragedy written by the singer and songwriter Ed Sherran.

The whole video is in a monochrome colour effect giving the video an artistic and dramatic effect.  There is no music within the introduction of the song (twenty seconds), instead there is the non-diegetic sound of tweeting birds. This over-shadows the whole video, showing the audience what happens at the end of the story (death is the result of her drug taking and life-style) at the start of the storyboard.  The performance of the whole video has quite a documentary style to it, as it focuses on subject and tells a story about her and her life.

This is the first shot of the video; this close up shot with looking space reveals the distressed body language and expressions of the character.  The shot shows her fidgeting and being uncomfortable; looking around as if she doesn’t want to know. She is also holding her hand to her mouth in shock and despair.  This as an introduction to the video entices the audience and is there for shock-value. The low key lighting portrays the dark and negative atmosphere.

For about nine seconds of the introduction the extreme close up of the dead girls face appears.  The use of eye contact with the lens is hard hitting and sets a quite ominous feeling.

The technique of the camera movement slowly zooming out and gradually using a soft focus until her face is completely unfocused is used.

At the end of the first 20 seconds the music to the video starts, and a jump cut of the girl sleeping on a bench in a park is revealed.

 This contrasts with the previous shot of the girl due to the difference in shot type, lighting and composition.  The long shot reveals the setting and the high key lighting suggests it is day time.  The props used, for example the bench and the blanket suggests the character lives on the streets.  The character is very much in the centre of the shot showing her importance within the shot.

This point of view shot and slight low angle shows us the subject’s perspective and also makes us relate and empathise with her as she looks quite child-like and innocent.

This screen-grab of the subject suggests certain things about her as a character due to her body language and the fact she is taking up most of the frame.  She is facing the sky with her arms outstretched like she is flying, almost echoing the lyrics “It’s too cold outside for angels to fly”. This frame could also be seen as a metaphor for her being against the world. This jump cut sees the subject in a positive light, as she takes up the most of the frame it suggests power and importance.

The rhythm of the shots within the video all go with the rhythmic timing of the music.



The shot of the subject with the prop of ‘The Big Issue’ provides background information for the audience and provides evidence for their suspicions of her being homeless. The Big Issue is a magazine is which the homeless can buy for a pound and sell for two pound. It is a weekly magazine in which offers entertainment and current affairs.  The organization has both a limited company that distributes and produces the magazine and then a registered charity in which gives aid to the people to help them face and resolve the issues that made them homeless in the first place.

A star image is shown within the video. Ed Sheeran only makes a cameo appearance for ten seconds within the whole video. He is the only one who is seen buying the ‘The Big Issue’ magazine from the girl whist other people on the street are shown just walking past and ignoring her existence. This makes Ed Sheeran himself seen in a good light to the audience and makes him seen as friendly and giving.  The proxemics within this shot show that the female character is not as important as Ed Sheeran as she is lower than him in the frame. However a few seconds later in the video Ed Sheeran comes down to her level. This portrays how actually she is just the same as he is and that power and status are un-important.

 The word “Angel” is shown in a couple of the shots within the video and also within the lyric of the music at the same time. This repetition of angel around the character suggests that apart from the obvious, this character could or is a metaphorical angel.

Definition of angel:  A spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe

§  - God sent an angel to talk to Gideon

§  - the Angel of Death

A person of exemplary conduct or virtue

Used in similes or comparisons to refer to a person's outstanding beauty, qualities, or abilities

(Taken from - http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define+angel&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&safe=active&redir_esc=&ei=7O15TvXcNai-0QXNsemxAQ#hl=en&safe=active&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&q=angel&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=7O15To3_OenK0QWor_jBAQ&ved=0CB0QkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=915f94398d240d77&biw=1366&bih=572)

Both shots use the technique of time lapsing. This creates the feeling that the world is going on around the character and that she is stuck in one place almost like limbo. This makes the audience empathise with the subject and see how she as a character is feeling

The costume use shows how the character has to try keeping herself warm, due to many layers and the blanket. The fact she also has her hood up implies she is trying to hid her identity or is ashamed of it.

Again you sympathise with the character, as the close up shot reveals her emotions of sadness and anxiety.

This point of view shot is of the girl analysing herself in the mirror. In her face she reveals anger and hatred towards herself. Her messy make up show how she has been crying and also reflects her life as a whole, she is generally in a big mess. 

The soft focus use in this close up portray how she is not really thinking straight as she gets ready to go out and earn money (prostitution).  The loss of focus could convey her loss of hope. 

The fixed camera movement in this shot reveals the action taking place. The character takes of her coat to reveal herself to the person within the car; portrays how she has to convince her ‘costumers’ that they want to hire her. The dark ominous lighting also suggests this is a negative situation taking place.

At the end of the video the main character falls onto her bed backwards after hitting a glass pipe of drugs. The falling shows her ecstasy and relief she feels when she finally cures her craving, the low key lighting and darkness of the shot also suggests how the drugs take her away from her life/reality and even finally kill her.  “For angels to die”

The video as a whole challenges certain ideologies within society and the views and expectations of homeless people.