· Mise en Scene
~wearing all black (leather jacket, knee-length skirt, boots): intentions not meant to be sexual; focus on the lyrics and her voice
~the stairway she steps down: symbolises her returning from the peak of her career back to where it all started as a child (hence the flashbacks)
~crew (and cast?) rushing about her to set up stage for her performance: perhaps portrays what the lyrics can do visually (she followed the song’s beliefs and it led her there) and also creates a scene where the singer is almost in her own world
~set on a broadway stage: suggests a more mellow, down-to-earth tone that match well with the song’s melody
~the light bulbs surrounding the artist illuminate her and create the strong sense of presence she has in the scene
~wearing all white (silk-like dress, thigh split, jewellery): appears elegant and beautiful; focus on her present (the person she has become and the career she has built up for herself) and also the flashback to her childhood portrays the positive attitude the theatre has had on her and the lyrics effectively link in with this – “sense of pride” and “the beauty they possess inside”
· Editing
~showing the past and present side-by-side as a narrative to the song: links in with lyrics as she sings about learning to have pride and depend on herself as a young child which follows what she learnt herself
~when the artist goes to perform, the “ghost” of her past walks on with her and they meet in the middle as they merge together: suggests the link between the narratives and provides the overall visual reflection of the song’s lyrics
· Camera Shots
~close ups of her face: to portray her emotions as she sings the lyrics and to show off the singer’s beautiful features
~establishing shot: to ascertain the location to the audience and its significance to the singer
~low angles of the singer: puts her as a dominating character and symbolises the power she owns within the scene – “I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow”
~medium close up: portrays both her facial expressions and her clothing/body lang which suggests the focus on the passion she is giving into the song (lyrics) and still shows what she is wearing to an extent (reminds audience of her elegance especially when she arrives on stage and begins to glow/sparkle)
· Sound
~song is played over the narrative: keeps the song heard loud and clear whilst allowing the director to play more with visuals and narrative for the video: however, not too many visuals used within the video (keeping singer and song in spotlight) so that the video truly portrays the significance the song has for her and her passion for it
· Goodwin’s theory
~compliments link between visuals and lyrics: Houston presents herself in the past and present and how the way she was raised as a child moulded her into the strong woman she has become: "if I fail, if I succeed, at least I keep my dignity."
~certain genre characteristics: music with a personality (can vary in sound), strong emotions that leads to strong vocals full of passion, typically sung by singers with magnificent vocals
~notions of looking: Houston looks in a mirror at herself and smiles often before her performance - consistent portrayal of her self-confidence
~demands of the record label: a lot of close ups of her face and top-half of her body when wearing dress (not completely sexually as dress is elegant and white rather than red and sexy)
~narrative/performance based: follows two intertwining narratives as she sings the lyrics before leading up to an overall performance to finish the song - follows the storyline of how she grew from then to now since last being on the same stage
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