"Brainwashed" - Textual Analysis

Brainwashed - Devlin (Music Video)

The video begins with a long shot of a van, before cutting to a mid and then close up shot of the van. This is then followed by a sequence of four shots, (a side shot, a mid shot, a close up shot, and then back to a long shot). The camera then cuts back to the long shot of the van before an edit to inside an office. The office is low-lit, and Devlin is carrying a torch with him, which is being shone into the line of the camera, before a close-up of the object he is carrying in his hand, and then back again to him walking. The action then cuts to a close up of a camcorder being set up, and Devlin is on the other side of the camera waiting to be recorded. The next sequence of shots involves the camcorder and the view of the camcorder, and the way in which it films Devlin. This is shot inbetween two figures plotting on a big map. Where the points of ‘X’ are plotted on the map, the camera uses a close up shot, to express the detail. There are then mid/close up shots of Devlin, before these figures lay out tape, the camera tracks them, before it ends up on the roof. There are then cuts between the female vocalist, singing the hook yet we do not see her face. Then hand-held use of camera on the roof of the figures moving about, before a cut to a van driving through London, and closeups in the van. The video then follows the same pattern with Devlin in front of the camcorder, before cutting back to the white van again.

This is then closely followed by a series of P.O.V. shots, this shows the people getting out of the van, before a close up of Devlin’s lip synching. There is then some use of handheld camera work as some of the video is filmed at night, and it is showing people from the van setting up something in the street. There is then a series of fast paced edits, and close ups on Devlin as the tempo of the song increases. There is then some variation from Devlin, and then back on to the street. This is then cut, back to the white van that plays a pivotal part in the video, there is a close up of the van, before the door of the van opens, and a bright light shines straight into the camera, long shots, and then close up shots are used of the figures that have appeared in the video and in the close up shots we see they are wearing black marks. There is then a series of montage editing where the camera cuts to people in the street, mid/closeup shots are used. Long/Close up shots are used of Devlin lip-synching on a billboard, this then fades into Devlin lip synching in the original location in front of the camcorder. A Kebab shop is then showed, and mid/close up shots are used before its cuts to the black masked figures, and then the famous Piccadilly Circus, ‘Sanyo’ billboard setting. Extensive Editing is then used, as Devlin’s image is then streamed out on to the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. There is then a montage shot of a woman, before Devlin’s image is streamed out on the city of London skyline. There is then further use of the white van, before Devlin re-emerges as all three black masked figures in the back of the white van, close up camera is used in this. The video ends with the white van, in a long shot turning the street corner.