Ed Sheeran - You Need Me I Don't Need You

Ed Sheeran is a relatively new artist, who became a hit with his July sensation, The A Team. This follow up song is widely regarded as his second high profile hit, with the benchmark set at an incredibly high level after The A Team became platinum in the UK, and double platinum in Ireland.

Using sign language as a new form of mode of address

You Need Me I Don't Need You is a fairly simple video, with similar style shots to Pass Out, however this is filmed in black and white. Another incredibly interesting point about this video, is that the mode of address is portrayed in a completely new way in my eyes, as this is the first music video I have seen to be acted out through sign language. The rest of the music video has quick cuts ranging from close ups of the hand actions and Ed Sheeran's signature guitar (he is known for his acoustic skills) or a long shot (see picture) of the character using sign language in full shot.

The good thing is about this new mode of address is that it takes away all need for a narrative, as it is so creative that for me I forgot all about the the plot of the video, or what shots were being used, I just focused on the sign language in a sense becoming it's own narrative. Some props are used such as a Buddhist statue and an old camera, all to fit the song lyrics, as they are still being sang but are clearly being played over a silent video merged. The fact that this song is a rap makes it all the more interesting to see the sign language maintain the pace, with images (as previously stated) of mise en scene or shots of sequences to fit the lyrics, so as to add to the fast pace by generating more quick cuts and fast paced editing. The lighting also varies from a dark backdrop, to a clear white background so to keep the audience intrigued and so it's not all one continuous sequence from different angles and distance variants.