Amy Winehouse documentary: 5 shot analysis

This is a medium close up shot and a wide angle view capturing her substantial fan base on a worldwide level. The narrator is talking about how she tries to disappear from her life which could imply through her substance addiction and abuse which correlates with the shot as it shows her drinking. Amy looks slightly disoriented/dazed which matches the narration perfectly mediating her in a very negative light. In this shot, the lighting is very dark and dull which is unusual because when she is performing the lighting should be bright and vibrant. The mise en scene is the crowds of people in the background which highlights Amy's pure popularity through her talent. I feel as though Amy is the focus in this shot as the dark lighting makes her boldly stand out against the crowd. The shot slowly fades out as the background soundtrack of Amy quietens and fades which is very effective as it increases the intensity of audiences sympathy and sadness for her.

This is a extreme close up shot; during this shot is being presented the narrator talks about her drug and alcohol abuse which correlates with the shot. I think the narration matches the shot by the dark lighting and colours. The lighting is chiaroscuro as it boldly highlights high key lighting on one side of her shocked stricken face and shades over the other half of her face closer to the camera. This effect gives the impression of danger and mystery as it is really harsh and cold lighting framing the shot sharply. This lighting mediates her as a negative role model as it could convey her as irrational and encourage dangerous and life threatening life choices. The non-diegetic sound is of her talking about how love is a drug and that she would die for her current boyfriend, which foreshadows what inevitably happen through her shared drug addiction with her boyfriend. In the background there is diegetic sound of her music which makes the audience feel heartbroken and sympathy for Amy. The transition of this shot is really short and sharp mirroring the harsh reality of how short her life was.

This is a medium shot which presents Amy as the focus point in the shot as everything around her blurred and she is in a bold spotlight. There is a clear contrast in the colours shown; the vibrant red is introduced warming the colour tones and shot creating ambient lighting. There is a sharp contrast between the cold and warm tones in the shot. As there is blues and blacks from shadows and small areas of red producing soft lighting. The mise en scene shows a crowd of people closely surrounding her cheering as she has won the Grammy award. This is mediated to convey her in a positive light as loads of people support her, representing her a good role model for new uprising artists trying to reach the ladder of fame. The camera tilts down presents a high angle capturing Amy's shocked and surprised expression. The non- diegetic sound is of the Grammy presenter announcing that Amy Winehouse has won, following crowds screaming and cheering which expresses her sheer success. The editing of this shot has quick cuts and snappy transitions showing her hugging her friends. I think this use of transitions represent the pure excitement and adrenaline as she was completely shocked at her achievement.

This is a medium close up shot; in this shot they use quotes from popular publications, people and businesses expressing their opinions about her and the documentary. This mediates her in a positive light representing her as a very influential and inspiring role model to her audience. The lighting is darkly lit making the "BRILLIANT" stand out against the dark red curtain. Amy is lit by soft lighting and a spotlight presenting her as the focus point. The camera slightly tilts up presenting a low angle shot which paints and characterises Amy as a high status famous singer. This contrasts from the voice over narration of Amy saying "I don't think I'm going to be... at all famous" mediating her as humble and insecure and as someone who doesn't realize the quality of her talent.

This is a medium shot; it shows Amy sitting at the end of a performance on the stage. The quote "DEEPLY MOVING" matches the shot well as she is in a perhaps sentimental and emotional mood exaggerated by the ambient lighting. This mediates Amy that she was had maybe a sad and unfortunate life due to her poor life choices. It sparks a heartwarming and depressing mood and atmosphere. The deep red and orange lighting correlates with this atmosphere. On the other hand, it could convey a dangerous connotation through her lustful and selfish choices. The shot is a wide angle view and is a eye level angle. The diegetic music is very slow with a regular rhythm and beat, there is low pitch piano and violin and Amy's singing of one of her classic songs quietly playing in the background expressing the saddening reality.