My Final Production + Analysis

Here is my final piece:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/3a936c_9fbd8347c6774dbaa4bf923a18c060f0/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

As mentioned in the post where I talk about my editing, I used the warp stabilzer effect to imitate the feeling of being intoxicated. Close-ups of the table, showing the alcohol bottles, immediately gives the viewer an idea of what the video is going to be about. This matches the sounds of the video, saying "What is it about them", showing that the performer, doesn't understand the excitement surrounding substance and why people need it to have fun. The camera then pans up to show the performer's face, showing her expressionless face, which indicates how she is not enjoying herself. This also matches the lyrics that say, "I must be missing something", showing that the singer fails to understand why nobody can have fun without the help of substances.

Then there is a cut to people outside, drinking and smoking. There is a medium shot showing how cigarettes and cups of alcohol are getting passed between the people in the group. The fact that the performer isn't at the party, or in this shot, is to emphasise the idea said in the lyrics, "better off without them", which also links to the overall idea of the song that smoking and drinking slowly kills you.

The glitch effect is used as a transition to the singer already having left the party, showing how alone she felt at the party, causing her to leave. The effect is matched with the bass drop at the beginning of the chorus. I felt the chorus was an important section for the performer to lip sync since, the lyrics state, "I don't need a xanny, to feel better". By having the main character lip sync this part, it emphasises how she feels she doesn't need any drugs to make her have fun at a party or in general.

The cut to a close-up of somoene smoking, is used to emphasise how smoking is the central focus of the song. (Billie stated this herself during an interview).

A cross dissolve is used to transition between the end of the chorus to the start of the second verse. A medium shot of someone going to the shower, fully clothed, and turning on the water is meant to add a slight bit of comedy to the video, and show the extent of ridiculously strange things people do while under the influence. From this, I cut to a close up of a tobacco packet, focusing on it saying "Smoking Kills" (in Spanish), to once again link back to the song's focus on smoking and how it kills people.

From this, we get a cut to some people dancing, matching with the part of the song saying, "too inebriated now to dance". This scene is a close up, showing the people's expressions, and we also see the red cups, showing that they were also drunk. This helps me to set up the party sequence, since dancing while drunk is very common in parties.

After this, we get a medium shot of someone passed out on the sofa, as he wakes up feeling like he is about to throw up. Then we get a cut to him running from the sofa towards the bathroom, followed by a close up of him, throwing up. This matches the lyrics, "they're awfully bad at learning", showing that despite knowing that if you drink too much alcohol/use too much drugs, it will cause you to throw up, you still do it anyway, as the lyrics suggest, "make the same mistakes, blame circumstance". Along with those lyrics, we get a medium shot of the guy who threw up, come out of the bathroom, where he is greeted by a cup and bottle of alcohol, and drinks it. Suggesting that even though he just threw up, he thinks that it's fine to continue drinking since he is at a party, and he uses that as an excuse to continue abusing substance.

We then get another cut to the singer singing the lyrics of the chorus, showing that she has managed to stay away from the party, and that nobody needs all those things in their lives.

In the bridge, I was going to use someone, to attempt to kiss the main character, however, that didn't turn out well so, I included a cut to a couple making out and taking some items of clothing off. During the time where the songs says, "On your cigarette break", the singer extends the note on "break" which I use as a transition back to the performer, lip syncing the part stating, "I can't afford to love somene, who isn't dying by mistake, in silver lake". I felt it would be important to see the singer lip sync those lyrics as, in the same interview mentioned before, Eilish stated how she is tired of losing people she cares about to drugs, smoking and alcohol, and that she wouldn't want to have a partner who does these things, as she would fear losing them sooner than she has to.

The instrumental break of the song, between the bridge and the outro, is used to show flashbacks of the party, with quick cuts to match the piano notes. This is used to create a gateway for me to reiterate the performer's isolation as after the quick cuts, we get a fade to the singer, saying "what is it about them", showing that the singer still does not understand the events that went on at the party, and why people feel the need to do the things shown in the quick cuts.

From here on, there is just a continuous shot of the singer lip syncing, and walking past the camera. The camera then pans 180 degrees to find the singer again, who turns around to look at the camera, then at the house in which the party took place. This shows how she feels bad for the people at the party, who she feels are slowly killing themselves by using substances to have fun. The performer then turns around and starts walking away from the camera. The slowness of the ending is meant to show her isolation with more emphasis and to match the slow pace of the ending of the song.

(The transitions, such as "cross dissolve" and "fade to black" are used to make the cuts between some scenes not seem too abrupt. If so, they wouldn't match the pace of the song. Furthermore, it is used to create a dreamlike feeling, with the slowness of the cuts, showing how slow everything feels when you are drunk or high.)