Non Genre Specific Analysis: Sia

The Greatest 

At the very beginning of this shot, we have a gong playing in the background which gives a very atmosphere that's serious and sincere, it makes it feel like time has stopped and it gives a resonating presence of death occurring both at the beginning and end of the video. The phrase ' we are your children' is extremely powerful as it shows how we need to look after each other and themes of children and death are particularly striking. this music video was based on the shootings in America in a gay bar in Orlando which makes this video hit hard on people emotions.

Considering this video is about the shootings, the cage represents how people of the gay community feel trapped by societies standards and how they can't be themselves otherwise society pulls them down. Them feeling trapped and lifeless in relation to the people in who were trapped and killed, makes the video dark, just like the incident.

The colours on her cheek in the first close up shot of an individual person relates to the gay community as the rainbow face paint on her check relates to the colours of gay pride. The white paint behind her reminds be of blood splatters and considering they have shot its another dramatic shot. In addition, the white pint connoting innocents and the child makes it more intense and link it to the beginning statement of we are your children.


In this shot, the main girl represents the good side of society and the hope in this world with the white behind her connotes hope and freedom as the window shows a way they can escape. She is society trying to get them off their feet and tell them that they shouldn't get knocked down as after all it's a happy motivational song and that's the message Sia wants to get out.


Their painted faces look like they are wearing a mask and having to hide who they truly are which is a feeling that homosexual people feel a lot as they are still repeatedly oppressed and some find they have to hide them selves. this in contrast to the uplifting song shows that they don't need to hide as they are great just the way they are and that people should have pride in themselves.


The song paired with the video is basically a message saying that people will beat you down but you need to get back up and be yourself and that you should stand up to these things. Sia is trying to lead the way with this idea as her iconic hair cut is shown on the 14-year-old trying to help the people get to their feet. In this long mid shot, the girl is literally leading the way linking to the point I'm making.



This close-up shot yet again links to the idea of these people having to hide their faces in order to fit in and that they are all doing it. However this time they remove their hands from the face representing that they chose to hide but they are choosing to reveal themselves and who they are now and that have control over themselves and how they feel and won't let people make them scared.

The light in the background of the shot resonates with the uplifting song and yet again gives a feeling of hope to the video. At this point in the video, Sia is connoting life and what freedom you feel from it. this is shown by the expressive dancing of the girl in the sun. This shot is particularly interesting as the camera tracks and spins with the girl showing all the people around her. this particularly effective when it turns to the sunlight. The video makes you feel like the girl is taking you for a journey and that you are following her as she is the leader. 

As you can see that they all wear dark clothing which I think is to make you focus on the dancing and action as that's what makes a person, what people wear doesn't always reflect their personality. I think it's also to get to the idea of not judging a book by its cover. Also, I feel like them dancing in this house like building shows how they are all family and how they are treated and their actions are exactly the same showing that no matter what gender or colour you are in this house your the same. 

After they dance they then drop down once the camera has pulled out into a long shot. These people now represent the people in Orlando who were killed and shot down, this illustrated by the holes in the wall that look like bullet holes and the disco theme to the room represent the club they were in. The use of cold blue represents how cold hearted and brutal the event was and also give an atmosphere of death in the room. this then paired with the red which connotes danger and blood makes it a thrillingly dark image as the silence from the beginning of the video comes back again to connote the silence of death.

In this final shot the video is brought back into circular shaping as we see the same close up of the girl but instead, the background is red. What is yet again striking about this is in this shot the girl's hair has been messed up as if she's been in a fight, the background is a dark red connoting danger, blood and death. She is also crying, this makes the viewer think about the message at the beginning saying 'we are your children' as this is a child that is crying and looks like she's been through a nasty fight. This video is such an influential one as it says that we shouldnt let bad people or life bring us down but also that we should think about how our children are looking onto this world of hate and violence against people who are just being expressive. This is not only shown through the high use of mis en scene but witht the use of camra techniques like tracking and fast editing that went in time with the music to link the two together.