Tom Odell - Hold Me

by Alex Cojocaru

Andrew Goodwins Theory

1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2) Thought beats. There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals.
3) Narrative and performance. There is a relationship between the music and visuals
4)The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the
artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. (Star Image)
5) Relation of visuals to song. There is frequently references to notion of looking
(screens within screens , mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly sexualised treatment of
females.
6) There are often intertextual references to things such as films, TV programmes and
other music videos.
7) Technical aspects hold the music video together, through the use of camera work,
movement angle, mise-en-scene, editing, sound and special effects.

Tom ODell - Hold Me

Aspects of Genre
Much like other indie pop videos, Hold Me is filmed in a low-budget
location - a hotel bar, which allows for the focus of the audience to be
on the singer rather than on their surroundings. This location makes the
video seem more personal and private, seemingly wanting to give the
audience a feel of what it would be like seeing Tom Odell live,
especially as he is performing throughout the video. Something that
further emphasises this is the crowd that Tom has around him at odd
parts of the video - they are dancing and having a good time,
foreshadowing what ones own experience might be if they decided to
attend one of his concerts.
The artists clothing is also linked to the codes and conventions of the
indie pop genre, as his costuming is very average, drawing the attention
away from materialistic things to make the performance seem more real.

Thought Beats
The song is, like the previous two, quite repetitive in its structure
when it comes to the chorus, as the artists repeats it four times
throughout the song: When you hold me, when you hold me in your arms;
Oh when you hold me, yeah I can feel your heart; When you hold me, when
you hold me in your arms; Oh when you hold me, yeah I can feel your
heart beating. It also has the same repetitive instrumental for the
verses and repetitive beats for the chorus. Tom also has a very
distinctive voice which one can identify easily.
The lyrics relate to the music video mostly when he is singing about
having a drink, and then in the video he is shown staggering as he is
drink, while also carrying a plastic cup filled with alcohol. Apart from
this the video is mostly concept.

Narrative and performance

The music video is not narrative - it is a concept video as it does not
follow a storyline. The video merely includes shots of Toms
performance, like him playing the piano, which allows the audience to
see the atmosphere that he creates. It also makes people more focused on
the talent that he has, making his career about his passion and not his
success. Additionally this also encourages the audience to see him live
as they have just gotten an insight as to what a gig of his would be
like. At odd times there are shots of his audience in the video all
around him, jumping around and dancing as they listen to the music, all
while Tom looks at the camera, creating almost like a personal bond with
each member of his audience that watches the video, perhaps suggesting
that his gigs are mostly intimate and this gives the audience an
opportunity to feel closer to the artist. Also, because Tom himself acts
in the video, that shows him as a more authentic, original artist.

Star Image
This is the most important aspect, and its what differs an artist from
the rest. Tom Odell has a very unique look, and he always dresses
exactly like he would in his music videos which shows that he doesnt
dress differently to give a fake impression of who he is to his
audience. He is also always shown in his videos, often playing an
instrument which establishes his look and makes him known to the
audience, as theyll immediately be able to put a face to a song.

Relations of visuals to a
song
Amplify is the type of visuals that Tom Odell uses in Hold Me.
Throughout the video, Tom is constantly being shown to play the piano in an
aggressive, drunken manner, which links to the lyrics of the song as he
constantly sings about being drunk and having those drunken feelings
towards his love interest in the song. There are also constant handheld
camera effects to look as if he is drunk and stumbling, which again links
with the lyrics as well as the shots where Tom is seen to be playing the
piano.

Technical Aspects of
Music Video
The setting of this video is a hotel bar, which is typical of the indie
pop genre, as it is a small and affordable location. Its very simple,
and not extravagant, and people wont be concentrated on the location as
theyll be too busy listening to the artist. The props, which is a piano
and a drink of alcohol, are also typical of the indie genre as most
indie artists are seen performing and playing instruments in their
videos, so this links to that. As for the drink, its relevant because
indie artists are generally linked to drugs and alcohol as they have
more freedom in their videos, and lives in general. As for the shots,
there is an establishing shot showing the sign showing that the location
is a hotel bar. There is also multiple medium close-ups of Tom playing
the piano and close-ups of him coming towards the camera in a drunken
state.