Oopsy Daisy Analysis

The video for Chipmunk’s Oopsy Daisy tells the tale of a man who has been dumped by letter when he returns home, the emotions that he feels following the break-up are the main focus of the video. Throughout the video he sees ‘visions’ of his past-self with the girl, but they set on fire and burn away, signifying the death of their relationship.

Although she broke up with him, when the girl sings the chorus close-ups are always used and this is the only way we see her, we are shown the pain she has suffered in dumping him as a result of this method. The audience feels sympathy for her because she is only ever shown to be sad and emotional. In contrast, a variety of shots are used to portray Chipmunk in the video. The beginning of the video (before he is dumped) uses mostly low angles when showing him because he feels confident and powerful, he believes to himself to be in control as he returns to his lovely home in his nice car, he thinks he is on top of the world. However, when he discovers her letter a mixture of high and low angled shots are used, perhaps to show his confusion at the situation he now finds himself in and the mixed emotions that he feels. This idea is reinforced by the jump cuts that are used, these represent the unsettledness his life is now experiencing. The last shot of the entire video is a very high angle looking right down on him, this signifies that he really is vulnerable and weak after all.

The lighting in the video also represents his decline into sadness, it opens on a nice sunny day and continues that way, even after he was dumped. But the video ends at night, a much darker and solemn time and also a time when people are more vulnerable, again implying his current state of weakness. There is also a segment where he is in a dark room lit only by a ring of fire around him, this signifies his trapped state of mind.

In conclusion, the vulnerability of the male character in Oopsy Daisy is signified through high angles, dark lighting and jump cuts, these make you sympathise with him because he goes from happy and successful at the beginning to sad and beaten by the end.