Swimming Pools - Music Video Analysis

Swimming Pools - Music Video Analysis

In order to gain an understanding of the song and to gain some inspiration for our product, I am going to analyse the official video for Swimming Pools. 

This is a screenshot from the start of the video. This shot shows a bottle falling and smashing, however the shot is flipped. This gives a distorted effect to the shot, reflecting upon drinking and how this distorts your view of reality. This bottle is also the only thing in the shot, perhaps reflecting upon how important some people find drinking and the value they place in it. 

This is a screenshot of the artist Kendrick Lamar sat in a room with a bottle of alcohol. The shot is through the door, almost suggesting that Kendrick is ashamed of his habit and that he wouldn't want people to know. This could be due to drinking costuming his life. His performance, looking down to the floor with his body closed up suggests vulnerability. Furthermore, the shot has low saturation. This could be to reflect upon how drinking can take excitement out of life when it becomes a consuming habit. 

This shot shows Kendrick falling in a black space. this could be representative of how he has fallen to drinking, and the darkness reflects upon the negative influence this has had on his life. The costume that Kendrick is wearing is also noteworthy; the red colour of his jacket and trousers could be representative of his conflicted relationship with alcohol; the colour red can represent both love and anger and this could be similar to how he feels about drinking. 

The camerawork in this shot is particularly interesting, as it is a handheld shot with a lot of swing. This represents the disorientation that drinking provides, and this is reinforced with the fact that the shot is of a bottle of alcohol. 

The colour in this shot is particularly relevant, as the overwhelming visual aspect is the colour red. This is in the context of a party, however it is ambiguous as to whether this is lighting at the party or whether it is a symbol for how you 'see red' when you drink. This could be to show how drinking has resulted in Kendrick not having the same view on his life as before. Furthermore, the people in the shot are drowned out by the powerful red. This could represent the disregard that drinking can give you for other people. 

This flashback shot is in black and white, perhaps suggesting that it is a negative memory. The performance of Kendrick Lamar in this shot shows him stumbling along the street, perhaps showing how he is drunk in this memory. Therefore, the combination of the black and white as well as the performance of the rapper paints a picture of a negative memory instigated by alcohol consumption.

In conclusion, the tone of this video has a negative view upon drinking, however one thing I haven't analysed is the shots of women dancing that I feel dilutes this image. However, one thing I can take inspiration from in this video is the use of handheld camera shots that show the impact of alcohol in a very visceral way.