Music Video Analysis - "The Show", Lenka

“The show” written and performed by Australian singer/songwriter Lenka Kripac and released as her début single between December 2008 and June 2009.

In the opening 30 seconds of Lenka's début single “The Show” released between December 2008 and June 2009, the audience see Lenka herself is seen sitting alone on park bench on a calm summers day. As the video begins, the audience are greeted by a large red curtain similar to that off a staged “show” perhaps indicating how life is almost like a show for most people. The red curtain could also symbolise how we are also being watched and judged in life the way actors are on stage, as well as our desire to be noticed in life (this is shown via the red colouring of the curtain). The camera then gradually zooms towards Lenka who is sat at the park bench alone. The gradual zoom could be used to emphasise how it takes to time to understand what a person is really like and that as an audience we are going on a journey with the protagonist of the video.
As Lenka performs in the centre of the shot, people can be seen far off in the distance. The framing here could be used to emphasise how she feels detached from others and has failed to find where she belongs in society and that as the song connotes, she is still searching for where she belongs. The fact that the opening of the video is set in a park environment could symbolise the calm nature of the video, but the green colours could contrast this and symbolise how Lenka feels envious of those around as they have found their place in society unlike herself. As Lenka is placed in the centre of the shot, the majority of light is placed on her perhaps connoting how she is innocent as well as the central figure of the video.

As the camera zooms in on Lenka as she sings the opening lines to the song, a number of people pass by her, but refuse to pay her any attention. The fact that Lenka is ignored by the passing strangers could be to emphasise how she is isolated from the rest of society and as the song suggests, has not found her place in society. It could also suggest that Lenka's struggle is induced by others in society who fail to notice her, and that she is ignored by those who could help her.
The video then moves to a close up shot of a flower, that Lenka has been holding throughout the performance, and stop motion is used to show the wilting of the flowers vibrantly coloured petals.
The gradual destruction of this flower could symbolise how Lenka has lost all sources of protection in her life, as the flower was placed solidly in front of her like it where her protection. The flower connotes almost childish qualities and could symbolise how Lenka is being forced to make decisions in life and to grow up and join everyday society, who are taking the protection childhood provides her. The flower could also represent purity and innocence both linked to childhood.

Lenka then begins moving in a puppet like motion, as though she is being controlled by some invisible being. This movement could emphasise how Lenka is being controlled by others in society and she is being forced “to be something [she's] not”. Soon after this a close up shot is shown of two birds in a tree, both of which appear to be puppets. The use of these fake birds give the shot a childlike quality and emphasise the meaning behind the lyrics of the song. When the shot returns back to Lenka, a child's play park can be seen in the distance. This frame could emphasise how Lenka wants to remain close to her childhood but she has gone too far from it to ever return and that she needs to integrate herself into everyday society.

It is fair to say that Lenka's video for “the show” is a mainly performance based video but also one where there is almost a concept behind it, that being that everyone needs to grow up and find where they belong in society and that life is like a show, and you have to “enjoy” it to live it to the full.