Paul Van Dyk – For An Angel
“For An Angel” is a trance track originally produced in 1998 by trance genius Paul Van Dyk. Trance music, especially at it’s peak in the mid 90’s, was produced proudly by its artists as a means of escapism for its listeners. The videos reflect the purpose of the music also. They often bare no relation to the meaning of the song but instead attempt to accentuate the ‘trance’ experience by being abstract, graceful and smooth flowing.
“For An Angel” uses an effect that makes the video seem as if it has been filmed on a personal camcorder and sped up. Although the video is sped up, the shots features scenes in which a few minutes of footage may have passed in real time but hardly anything has changed. This helps to induce the trance feel to the song as it conveys to the reader that relaxation is key and time is not of the essence. It presents the idea that life does not have to be fast paced and this allows the viewer to sense the trance aura. The quick passing of times allows a graceful motion to be viewed like the moving of the clouds or travelling across the sea. This is also soothing to the viewer.
There is however a few key aspects that are typical of a trance music video. The location is important because it is set and filmed on a passionate Riviera in Mexico. The relaxed lifestyle of remote locations on earth is what trance music advocates and these type of locations are regularly seen in trance music videos, most notably Chicane’s “Offshore” (1997) and Push’s “The Legacy” (2000). Although there is not a definite narrative, the video does follow a male character as he is seen in various locations simply relaxing. The majority of the video however focuses on the nature, animals, wildlife and culture of the location. There are a lot of establishing shots that help emphasise the importance the location has to the music and the videos zeitgeist.
The editing is very significant to the video as well. There are a large range of shots but mainly long and establishing shots which allow the audience to view the vast landscape and beauty of the areas shown and does not attempt to focus the narrative on any particular person or event, the video is very open. The camera is used to great effect in how it is constantly zooming and panning in and out and in various directions. This allows the viewer to feel as if they are being taken on a journey by the camera and is another way the video accentuates the trance notion. It is also purposefully shaky which portrays the idea that the video is being shot with a standard camcorder. This makes the video personal to the viewer as it conveys the feeling that we are being shown a video that was created on a personal level by an individual. The audience can relate more easily to this, especially if they are watching the video alone, and the connection created is another catalyst in conceiving the trance experience.
In terms of audience reception, I think this video is a negotiated reading (Stuart Hall) because when I watched this video I accepted the portrayal of a character escaping the business of urban life to relax in a foreign land but I also made my own interpretation as to why he was relaxing and I empthasise with the character and the video because I often dream of being in a warm far away place. The imagery the landscape connotes to me inspires my personal identity with the video.
“For An Angel” uses an effect that makes the video seem as if it has been filmed on a personal camcorder and sped up. Although the video is sped up, the shots features scenes in which a few minutes of footage may have passed in real time but hardly anything has changed. This helps to induce the trance feel to the song as it conveys to the reader that relaxation is key and time is not of the essence. It presents the idea that life does not have to be fast paced and this allows the viewer to sense the trance aura. The quick passing of times allows a graceful motion to be viewed like the moving of the clouds or travelling across the sea. This is also soothing to the viewer.
There is however a few key aspects that are typical of a trance music video. The location is important because it is set and filmed on a passionate Riviera in Mexico. The relaxed lifestyle of remote locations on earth is what trance music advocates and these type of locations are regularly seen in trance music videos, most notably Chicane’s “Offshore” (1997) and Push’s “The Legacy” (2000). Although there is not a definite narrative, the video does follow a male character as he is seen in various locations simply relaxing. The majority of the video however focuses on the nature, animals, wildlife and culture of the location. There are a lot of establishing shots that help emphasise the importance the location has to the music and the videos zeitgeist.
The editing is very significant to the video as well. There are a large range of shots but mainly long and establishing shots which allow the audience to view the vast landscape and beauty of the areas shown and does not attempt to focus the narrative on any particular person or event, the video is very open. The camera is used to great effect in how it is constantly zooming and panning in and out and in various directions. This allows the viewer to feel as if they are being taken on a journey by the camera and is another way the video accentuates the trance notion. It is also purposefully shaky which portrays the idea that the video is being shot with a standard camcorder. This makes the video personal to the viewer as it conveys the feeling that we are being shown a video that was created on a personal level by an individual. The audience can relate more easily to this, especially if they are watching the video alone, and the connection created is another catalyst in conceiving the trance experience.
In terms of audience reception, I think this video is a negotiated reading (Stuart Hall) because when I watched this video I accepted the portrayal of a character escaping the business of urban life to relax in a foreign land but I also made my own interpretation as to why he was relaxing and I empthasise with the character and the video because I often dream of being in a warm far away place. The imagery the landscape connotes to me inspires my personal identity with the video.
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