"Don't Go There" - Textual Analysis

Life - Giggs (Music Video)

The video starts with a black and white close up shot of Giggs, with his head looking down. There are then a series of cuts, all in black and white of London, and Atlanta, and of Giggs and B.o.B. There is then a focus/OTS shot concentrating on B.o.B’s face. There is then another cut to B.o.B. moving around, however he looks directly at the camera, before another cut to a razor and a close up of it getting sprayed before being used. Before another shot from the car looking at B.o.B, before a mid-shot of graffitied wall, and then a handheld shot of Giggs walking in the street, and other youths. There is then a mid-shot of “Peckham Carwash”, and again the sequence of the razor and the car wash is repeated. There is then a cut, to a close up shot of someone getting a haircut. There is then close-ups of B.o.B, and Giggs looking towards the camera; before a midshort of a signboard which says ‘Dead End’. There is then a cut, to a tracking shot which follows B.o.B, walking up the street, and again another series of cuts follows this. Before a close up of a butchers signboard, the director is trying to make the clear distinction other than the artists, by using signboards between Peckham and Atlanta. Again there are a sequence of close-up shots between Giggs, and B.o.B, which cut between the two locations. From there the camera, cuts to in the car with B.o,B, before concentrating on Giggs, and havin a close up, of his clothes, before an extreme closeup of his “SN1” chain. There is then another cut, to in the car and then back out on the streets and tracking B.o.B. From there, we see a sequence of shots in Giggs in the studio, recording the sun the camera angles used here are mid/closeup shots. Before a shot of Giggs walking in the streets, and a close-up of shot of his face before a cut to a midshot of a gang of youths staring towards the camera. The sequence of shots, then show an a discussion with the police, and again a series of close-up/midshots. Before following Giggs, up the stairs, using a tracking shot, and then into a record shop, inbetween this there is a cut to Atlanta, which shows B.o.B. rapping. There is also lip-synching used when Giggs is rapping a verse from the song, and again the close-up camera angle is used. The misc-en-scene is then changed to Giggs sitting in a chair, with low lit lighting, and then a cut to an extreme close up of a Ralph Lauren shoe.

There is then a pan up, from the shoe to Giggs sitting on a bench to people behind him. A Further cut appears on Giggs, who is an alleyway and lip-synchs to the camera, there is then a rapid cut to Atlanta, and a change in lighting to B.o.B. The series of shots between B.o.B and Giggs are then repeated, before a mid-shot of Westminster Guild hall. There is then a birds-eye view of pedestrians crossing the road, before the re-occurring similar shots of B.o.B, and Giggs appear again, The black and white style the video, is presented in fit’s the serious feel of the song. There is then a midshot, of a high school American bus, which is then contrasted by a council estate in London, and filming the flats of the council estate. There is then a closeup, and a shot of a Brit, and an American standing next to each other. The video closes off, with several P.O.V. shots from both B.o.B, and Giggs, aswell as similar events happening for both of the artists, and some montage editing at the tail end of the video.