30 Second Breakdown

JoJo- Save My Soul




0-4 seconds: The opening shot of this music video sees the artist, JoJo, facing away from the camera in a wide angle shot. The setting is visually stunning, depicting a desert-like surrounding as the sun begins to set.
As the shot develops JoJo is seen walking slowly away whilst the camera moves with her. The music starts as JoJo takes her first step and continues throughout.

5-10 seconds: For 5 seconds the camera focuses on a single, vintage yellow couch surrounded by sand/dust. This is such a simple shot that feels out of place in the beginning but after watching the entire music video, it helps to set the location and the scene for half of the shots we see.

11-15 seconds: This is the first time we see the artist, JoJo, facing the camera. This medium shot comes as the the lyrics begin and JoJo can be seen singing to the camera. The camera shot is stationary and focuses on the artist singing in this reoccurring location.

16-18 seconds: The artist starts facing side on to the camera before turning and singing the line "Don't know where your heart is" towards the camera. This shot only lasts the length of this one line before changing to a wide shot of the yellow couch.
Unlike the previous shot, the camera moves with JoJo, tracking her before she slows to sing the line directly to the camera.

19-22 seconds: At this point in the music video we see another person begin to feature. This wide angle shot of a man sitting on the yellow couch is the first instance we get that this music video could be more than just performance and could possibly be a combination of performance and narrative.
The man we see looks conflicted and upset which perfectly matches the lyric it is the visual of, "but mine's bruised."

23-24 seconds: This close up shot of the man we had seen previously sets the tone for the music video as being an insightful look into the emotions and lives of couples and single people. The camera pans down without breaking the audience's eye contact with the man as the song plays in the background.



25-26 seconds: Similar to the opening shot, we see JoJo facing away from the camera as the camera pans down to the floor. The shot only lasts one second and at the end of the shot, we see JoJo briefly turn her head towards the camera.




27-29 seconds: For two seconds we see a medium close up shot of JoJo singing to the camera. The camera can be seen slowly circling JoJo, focusing on her heartbroken expression as she sings the line "blood on the carpet". Throughout this shot JoJo never looks directly at the camera and keeps her hand placed on her chest.



30-31 seconds: The second person that features in the music video so far, is seen again in this close up shot on the yellow couch. We begin to see what the music video is really about within this shot as tears can be seen streaming down the man's heartbroken face. This image, plus the other insightful shots of JoJo facing away from the camera and looking down, suggest that this music video is going to feature parallel visuals to the lyrics of the song "Save my Soul".