HOW ARE NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

EMPLOYED IN ED SHEERANS CASTLE ON

THE HILL MUSIC VIDEO?
CASTLE ON THE HILL BY ED SHEERAN
After a two year hiatus since the release of Ed Sheerans multimillion album X, he came back in January of this year with two
hit singles, Shape of You and Castle On A Hill, the latter of which had 207,000 views on YouTube twenty minutes after the
music video was released, a figure that now stands at over 200 million. Both singles achieved the NO.1 and NO.2 positions on
the UK singles chart, making Sheeran the first artist to debut in the top two positions in the same week in UK chart history. For
the first time in his career, Sheeran also made NO.6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. His fans across the globe rejoiced at the
release of new content from the singer which he believes to be some of his best work yet. New York Times critic, Jon
Caramanica stated that the song "has U2 influenced nervous guitar builds and wistful, largely generic lyrics about the people
who shaped him. while Taylor Weatherby commended Sheeran for coming back in a compelling fashion.
The music video for Castle On The Hill was filmed and set in Sheerans hometown of Framingham, with the community helping
to film the video by lending the crew their cars and pointing them in the direction of suitable actors from Sheerans former high
school. The castle that features in the title of the song and was the inspiration for it also makes an appearance in the video. The
video evokes feelings of nostalgia as the audience watches the teenagers portraying Sheeran and his friends spend their time
having awkward first kisses and going to parties. Director, George Belfield stated that [he] wanted to make a video about
young people that wasnt urban and hard-edged. It's about friendship and boredom in small-town England. The video also
features Sheeran himself as he drives back towards his hometown, emphasising themes of having to grow up that everyone can
relate to.
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
The music video is divided between flashbacks of Ed Sheerans youth and shots of Sheeran travelling home, creating the
appearance that he is reliving the scenes the audience is witnessing as he makes his way back to his hometown. The
use of flashbacks could suggest that Sheeran has fond memories of his past and remembering them brings him a sense
of nostalgia, reflecting the lyrics of the song and thus following Goodwins theory that the visuals of a music video
should amplify, reflect or contradict the lyrics. The majority of the video is dominated by these flashbacks which could
imply that Sheeran would rather live in the past and relive his youth than face the harsh realities of fame, an issue he
references in several of his other songs such as Eraser and You Need Me, I Dont Need You. Furthermore, he could be
looking back on these memories as a form of guidance, hoping that the past can aid him in understanding the present
and perhaps guide him in the future. This non-linear narrative structure gives the audience insight into Sheerans past,
allowing them to connect to him more as a person instead of just as an artist, this connection is further established
through the use of close ups of Sheeran as he performs the song. This also fulfils another aspect of Goodwins theory
which suggests that the record company requires a certain number of close ups of the artist to make them recognisable
and to make it easier for the audience to associate their music with them.
This shot takes place in a flashback to Sheerans youth. The fact that its at a
party could imply that his life used to be more fun and far simpler than it
currently is. The use of a two shot could suggest that Sheeran was always
surrounded by friends in the past, whereas now, he is isolated by his fame.

Both Sheeran and his friend are cast into silhouette, which could
suggest that he can no longer remember who he was because hes
changed so much. Alternatively, it could imply that hes not
focusing on himself or his friend, but simply the fact that he was
able to relax and have companionship in the past.
 The scenery surrounding Sheeran reinforces his focus on his hometown and the fact that its what hes currently
thinking about. This subverts Indie-Pop genre conventions as typically, the performance aspect of a music video
would be set in an industrial location with the artist performing to an audience. This could reinforce how much
Sheeran has missed his hometown, because instead of performing, all he wants to do is go home and reconnect
with his past.

Sheerans costume is simplistic and casual, reinforcing the theme that hes
a normal man who had the same kind of upbringing as everyone else.
This works to make him more relatable. His costume is of a similar style
to that of his younger self, suggesting that while his circumstances have
changed, he hasnt and hes still the same person he used to be.
The close up works to fulfil the record companies
requirements, and in turn Goodwins theory, but it also
allows the audience to experience Sheerans emotional
connection to the song as they witness his expression
change with the lyrics.
LIFE IS A JOURNEY
Throughout the video, there are several wide shots of the road Ed Sheeran is travelling down, both as his younger
self and in the present. This road could represent life and the journey Sheeran is taking. The fact that he switches
from driving to walking during shots of the present could suggest that he wants to slow things down and focus on
living in the moment rather than worrying about the future, with fast forwarded shots at the end of the video
emphasising just how quickly time passes. The focus on his past could also imply that he wants to take the time to
relive his favourite memories. This could be a result of the fact that things have changed significantly since he
became famous, leading him to go down a different path to his friends, perhaps signified by the shots of Sheeran
and his friend swinging in different directions on a swing set at 4:15. The use of a road to represent a journey is a
technique that has been used in the past in videos such as Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, suggesting that
the passage of time is a common theme, particularly in the Indie genre. The road stretches out beyond the edges
of the shot, suggesting that Sheeran still has so much in front of him, which at times can be overwhelming and
may be the reason why he wants to reflect on his past as he makes plans for the future.
The fog in the background of the shot could imply that the future is uncertain and that Sheeran didnt
know that he would become a world renowned artist when he was younger. It could also connote how
isolated the present feels at times, as at this point in his life, all he had to focus on was school and his
friends, with little to no concern about what the future held.

Sheeran and his friend are facing opposite directions, perhaps suggesting that they are
going to different places in life and that their situations are no longer the same. This
division between them could fuel Sheerans desire to reconnect with his friends in the
present as he could regret the distance he allowed to grow between them.
These wide shots follow the road Sheeran is travelling down, both in the past and the present. The end of the
road is concealed in the shots, reinforcing the idea that the future is unknown and Sheeran never knew how
much his life would change. The indefinite nature of the future and the fear this causes is common among many
people, making the song more relatable to the audience.
RETURN TO AN EQUILIBRIUM
During the music video, shots of the past are reflected in shots of the present, implying that
Sheeran is returning to the person he used to be, and is therefore restoring the equilibrium. This
is an essential part of any narrative, as suggested by the theorist Todorov, who argues that
while the equilibrium at the end is not identical to the initial equilibrium, a new balance is
always reached by the end of the narrative. Sheeran is assisted in this return to balance by his
friends, who he reunites with at the end of the video, suggesting that they fulfilled the role of
his helpers in this narrative, which amplifies the lyrics which state that these people raised me;
implying that without them, Sheeran wouldnt be the same person.
These close ups are very similar but the differences that they do have are significant. For example, in the present day, Sheeran is driving
alone whereas previously he was a passenger in the car as his friend drove. This reinforces the idea that he is isolated and is now making
his journey through life alone with no one by his side to guide him. This independence is a common, and somewhat disconcerting aspect of
growing up that many people experience, making the video, and Sheerans sentiment, relatable to the audience. The changes in Sheerans
costume are also significant. In the past, hes wearing a range of bright colours, implying that hes carefree and content, whereas in the
present his costume consists of a black coat that is buttoned to the base of his neck. The dark colour of his clothes connotes formality and a
sense of grief, perhaps for his past self. The fact that his jacket is tightly fastened around his neck in contrast to the open nature of his
clothes in the past could imply that he distances himself from people in the present because he doesnt want to become too attached to
people just to lose them again.
The similarity between these two close ups could suggest that deep down, Sheeran still believes that hes the same person and despite growing
older, who he is, or who he wants to be, hasnt changed. The fact that he goes back to drinking with his friends could reinforce the idea that hes
not interested in the glamour of fame and instead wants to relax with people he knows actually care about him, thus avoiding the superficial
nature of celebrity friendships.
Despite wanting to return to how things used to be, the background of the shot in the present suggests that change is inevitable as the woman
who sat next to Sheeran in the past fails to appear in the shot of the present. This could imply that in spite of wanting to hold onto the past,
sometimes that proves to be impossible because people move on and situations change. This reinforces the fact that the original balance can
never be restored as Sheeran has lost touch with a friend despite trying to reunite with them to relive their past.
BINARY OPPOSITION YOUTH VS MATURITY
The narrative of the music video is centred around the divide between the memories of youth and the hindsight of maturity.
One of the ways that youth and maturity are separated is through the camerawork. For example, during several of the shots
of the past, the camera is handheld, giving the shots a lively energy as they shake slightly. This could imply that when you are
younger, everything seems to be far most exciting than it does when you grow older. Alternatively, the shaking of the camera
could connote a nervousness, perhaps suggesting that Sheeran and his friends were still finding their footing while discovering
who they are. Furthermore, it could reinforce the fact that their future is unknown, leaving them anxious to find out where they
are going in life and whats waiting for them. In contrast to this, the shots that take place in the present are steady as they
track Sheeran. This could suggest that hes grow out of his teenage awkwardness and now has the confidence to accept himself
and to be who he is.
The themes of youth and maturity are also separated by the differing colour palettes. For the most part, the shots of the past
include vivid colours that add energy and excitement to the shots whereas the shots of the present have a more muted colour
palette. This could imply that adult life is mundane and lacks the exhilaration of youth as new experience are rare and what
used to be exciting has instead become a regular aspect of life.
While the mid shot of the past encompasses red and green, the close up shot in the present is very cold, mainly comprising of the grey sky in the
background. This absence of colour suggests a lack of energy and joy, perhaps reinforcing the isolation Sheeran feels and his desire to reconnect
with the happiness he used to experience with his friends.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the Castle On A Hill music video contains a variety of narrative techniques, including flashbacks and
binary opposition. The requirements of the record label are fulfilled through a variety of close ups that also work
to emphasis aspects of the narrative, such as how much Sheeran has changed as he has grown up. These
techniques all work to construct a close narrative that amplifies the message behind the song and further connects
the audience to both the lyrics and Ed Sheeran himself.
In our own music video, we could incorporate flashbacks to emphasise how drastically our protagonists lives have
changed since the end of their relationship. Furthermore, much like in this video, we could recreate shots from the
past in the present to emphasise the change the break up has led to. Additionally, we could reinforce the divide
between her and her ex-boyfriend by using different colour palettes when focusing on each character.