Bernal/Montano/Pinto/Shoukry1

Jeanette Shoukry, Kevin Pinto

Mauro Montano, Stephany Bernal
John Kubler
English 114B
April 30, 2014
Thats the Way Video Essay
This video will feature the song Thats The Way by Led Zeppelin. The song is about the
struggles that young boy has to face in his daily life when confronted with discrimination, and a
lack of acceptance.
The video starts out with a twelve-year-old boy looking out of his bedroom window and
seeing his friend walking. The camera will be on the outside looking at the boy staring out the
window. Then the camera shot will change to behind the boy looking down on the street and
youll see hes friend the boy next door- walking down the side walk and in the background
there will be a group of men staring at the boy whispering unheard words to one another. The
young boy sees the look on his friends face and notices how sad he is, but he is told to stop
seeing his friend at his mothers request. That scene ends and goes into a flash back of the mom
telling her son not to see the boy because that boy doesnt fit societies image. The boy next
door is secretly homosexual and the mother can tell something is not right about him. That is the
first topic we implemented media impact on society/ behaviors. Well show the mother
watching the news and on the screen there will say something about homosexuals. The scene
where the mother is yelling at her son to not see his friend will show exactly how the media can
mold peoples ideas of what is social acceptable. During the mother son argument the camera
will be focusing on both of them as they yell at each other back and forth. But at one point the
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mother will have enough and the camera will focus on her face to show her frustration. Then she
will end the argument by pointing to the sons room
Then the camera will be on the boy next door as he is walking down the street. The
camera will focus mostly on his face to get a close up look on the emotions on his face. Then the
camera will turn to a house and reveal he was walking to his friends house the same boy who
previously was arguing with his mom. The camera will show the boy walking up the steps, but
not show him ring the doorbell. Instead the camera will change to when the door is being opened
only to show the mother opening the door. The shot will last a couple of seconds with them
talking and the boy turning away and the mother shuting the door. Again this scene shows media
impact on society by showing a mother shutting the door on a young boys face because the
presence of that boy causes a feeling of discomfort.
The camera will move up to the window in the boys room to reveal he isnt in his room.
Then the camera will change to the boy running after his friend to talk to him. Once he reaches
his friend the camera takes turns focusing on their faces. First the 12 year old boy and his
expression is one of joy because he is excited to talk to his friend. But when the camera turns to
the boy next door it shows water eyes with what appears to be tears about to run down his face.
Then the camera pans back to show both of them and show the boy next door shrugging off his
friend and starting to run away. The camera will be in front of him as he is running away and
will show the tears running down his face and in the background you will see a blurred torso of
his friend watching him as he runs. This scene shows the topic of male gender identity issues;
since in most societies a man crying is not seen as masculine at all. You would expect a man to
be tough at all times so when the townsfolk see him crying it raises further question about him.
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Same scene but later in the day you see the boy walking down the road. The camera will
be following him along the side as he is walking and the B.N.D (boy next door) will be wiping
his face to remove any signs that he was crying. The B.N.D is now walking in a town square and
the streets are filled with the people. The camera moves from face to face of different people all
showing the same expression of disgust. And all their glares are aimed at the B.N.D, the camera
then moves back on him and you can see through his body language that his is scared and
worried for his safety. But he keeps walking through the town arms crossed hoping not to run
into any confrontation. This part of the video expresses the theme of obscenity issues. It
expresses this topic because it shows that a feminine male that just finished crying is not
acceptable behavior in this society. Shown by all the glares and looks he was receiving when in
reality all he was doing was walking. It also shows that harassing people who are different than
you is socially acceptable behavior since the majority of the townsfolk were participating in
staring down the boy.
After a hazardous walk through town the B.N.D finally arrives at his destination. The
camera will be on a lake in the middle of a forest. The lake will be glimmering and the trees will
be shining the whole aura of the forest will be one of peace and comfort. Then the B.N.D will
walk into the shot and the camera will immediately zoom in on him. He will be walking towards
the river picking flowers as he walks the camera will be right over his shoulder but his face will
not show. Then the camera will circle the boy and reveal an expression of bliss and alleviation.
Then the boy will remove his hat to exposure his long flowing hair. Then the camera pans up
into the sky away from the boy as he is enjoying his moment of peace. The topic of this scene is
cross dressing identity challenges. Even though the boy isnt in womens clothing the boy has
long women like hair; something that if he displayed out in public will surely attract even more
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unwanted attention especially in the town he lives in. And instead of cutting his hair which will
surely damage him even more on the inside he chooses to hide it from the rest of the world, but
at least it is still apart of him. It may even serve as a reminder during times of doubt of who
he really is.
As the camera is rising away from the B.N.D it slowing goes black, then it clears to
reveal his friend the 12 year old waiting at the school. The camera wouldnt be too close to
him far enough to show his whole body sitting on a low wall but close enough to see his face.
The direction he is facing is the same way the B.N.D took off running early in the day. The sun
is setting and the whole town has a dark orange glow because of it; then the camera cuts to the
B.N.D walking through town going back home with his hat back on and a sad look once again
taking over his face. Again the camera his following him along the side but its hard to see the
B.N.D since he is walking in the shadows.
The next scene begins with a new day and the twelve-year-old boy is at a parade with his
mom. The camera is on the boy but people walk in front of the shot; everyone seems to be
having a great time at the parade but the boys mind seems to be somewhere else. In the same
shot you see him turning his head looking at all different direction. He then notices his friend
standing in the background, trying to avoid the people in town because he knows once they see
him he will be harassed. The camera will turn to him but he is so far away that he almost looks
unrecognizable the only way you could tell it is him is because of the hat his is wearing. Unable
to cope with what he is feeling he leaves the parade. The camera shot is still continuous facing
the boy at such a far distance; but now the boy turns around and starts walking away from the
parade.
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Then the camera changes to the B.N.D entering his home the camera will be facing the
door from inside his house as he walks in. The shot changes to the boy sitting on a chair logging
onto his computer into a chat room. The camera will be over the shoulder so you can see the
computer screen and the side of the B.N.Ds face. In the screen you can see him log into a chat
room and start to engage in a conversation with some other guy. The exchange flirting words
with one another and its clear this isnt the first time they have messaged each other. When the
camera turns to the B.N.D he is smiling and laughing. This scene contains more than just one
topic; first it has themes of internets impact on romantic interactions. Since the B.N.D feels all
alone he uses the internet to find someone he can relate to and be himself around. Even if there is
no face to face interaction that idea of just talking or typing with someone who is like him
brings him great comfort. Another topic this scene covers is virtual realitys impact on personal
expression or in other words a second life. No one else knows that the B.N.D is flirting with
some guy online and if he has it his way no one will ever find out. This is just another secret in
his collection that he wants no one to find out about. And that secrecy is taking over his life
because now almost everything about him must be kept a secret.
Back at the parade, his friend wonders how everyone can be so happy when they have
been so cruel to the boy next door. The camera first is on the friend and he is giving everyone a
look of disgust; but as the camera goes to person to person not one has an expression of sadness.
All of them are having the time of their lives laughing and talking with one another. In their
world they dont even know or think they have done anything wrong.
Then the camera goes back one more time to the B.N.D at his computer still talking with
the online guy. In the shot you see the online guy type in the words we should hangout of
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tomorrow and the B.N.D instantly replies yes!; so the shot ends with the B.N.D happy as can
be and the camera slowly zooms into the words See you tomorrow! on the computer screen.
A new day has arrived, and the boy next door is in a good mood all because the guy he
met online wants to meet him. The scene starts with the B.N.D in a mirror trying on different
clothes trying to look his best. Then the scene changes to the B.N.D waiting in front of a fair for
the online guy. The camera gets a full shot of him standing at the entrance then pans closer when
he checks his watch for the time. Then the camera pulls up to see multiple hazy figures in the
distance. Once they got close enough to the B.N.D they clear up to reveal not the online guy but
a group of boys from his school. The camera is still on the group as they flip off the boy and
proceed to call him fag and laugh at him. The camera then goes to a wide shot of all the boys
standing around the B.N.D; he his scared for his life and is clenching his whole body. In the
same shot the group of boys pushes him back and forth while they are still calling him names.
Then one push knocks the B.N.D to the group on the boy begin to stomp and punch him. The
camera is still on the side and the beating continues until the next scene. This scene also has
many topics one of them was language usage issues. The group of boys were yelling offensive
words to the boy and there was no sign of any punishment that the boys would receive. In most
societies yelling such obscenities to a person wouldnt be tolerated; but here the only person that
was going to get punished was the B.N.D. Another topic was internets impact on personal
privacy; since the B.N.D though he was talking to someone like him online he was willing to
open up and talk about his personal life. But since the internet can act as a mask there was no
telling who he was really talking to. And because of that he ended up opening up to people who
only wanted to laugh and hurt him. Last was the theme of cyber bullying; though the group of
boys didnt verbally assault him on the internet they used it for their own personal gain. They
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used it to set up a date in which they were going to physically assault him which is much worse
than cyber bullying.
The next scene opens with in the forest the B.N.D is so fond off. The camera is on a bush
and someone is walking through it; the person who emerges from the bush is the 12 year old boy
the B.N.Ds friend. He is walking around not knowing where he is going but sees someone
sitting in the distance next to the lake. The camera follows him as he walks toward the figure and
as he gets a little closer he notices the bruises on the persons face then it becomes clear that the
person sitting there is his friend the B.N.D. But the camera cuts to a different scene as he is
making is way towards him.
It cuts to a different day but the B.N.D is still sitting by the lake. The camera is looking
through the point of view of the B.N.D as he stares into the lake and in the lake you see a dozen
or so dead fish. And because of the reflection of the water it looks as if the B.N.D is in there with
the dead fish. Still looking at the reflection of the water a look comes over the B.N.Ds face
knowing exactly what he must do to end his suffering.
Then it cuts to a quick flashback of the B.N.D going into a drawer in his house and
picking up a gun. The camera doesnt show much of the B.N.D; the camera is focused in the
drawer and then the B.N.Ds arm comes into the shot and picks up the gun. This scene shows the
topic of gun control by showing just how easy it was for this boy to acquire a gun.
The flashback ends and the scene cuts back to the B.N.D staring into the lake. He gets up
and picks up flowers and kisses them. Then he lays them down next to the river almost like if it
was his tombstone. The camera is on him the whole time as he is doing this, the expression on
his face is a blank one emotionless he is neither happy nor sad. Then the boy stands next to
the river starring deep into its murky waters the camera takes on last look at his reflection in the
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water cap removed hair blowing then it moves to his left hand gripping the gun. The camera
shot changes to an overhead shot of the forest the second the trigger is pulled. The sound of the
bullet sends all the birds flying away and the camera doesnt change you cant see the ground of
the forest because of all the trees. Then the shot snaps back to the lake and you see the B.N.D
face in the water for one last time. This scene also expresses the theme of gun control; because
the B.N.D ended his life with a gun. It was so easy for him to acquire a gun and because of that it
was so easy for him to end his life.
As the B.N.D sinks deeper into the lake the minute he is no longer visible the camera cuts
back to the moment the 12 year old friend was making his way towards his bruised up friend.
Once he approaches his friend he tries to comfort him he doesnt know the reason for his
sadness but the B.N.D tells him he doesnt know what he is going through and tells him to
leave while he is crying hysterically. The camera has a full body shot of both of them as they are
talking both equal in the shot. The friend sees there is no getting through to his so he proceeds to
follow his friends instructions to leave him alone. The camera gets a shot of both their faces
while the friend is sad that he cant help his friend and the B.N.D has his hands covering his face
while he continues to weep. The camera is on the B.N.D face but in the background you see he
friend with his head down walking away.
We start the next scene, with the boy next doors funeral, and his friend crying alone
without his mother and noticing that not many people are there. The camera starts close to the
casket but slowly pans back; the camera goes from face to face to the view people that came to
the funeral. Everyone that did attend is crying especially the mother of the B.N.D. As her sons
casket is lowered the mother is unable to watch and turns away grasping at her two other
children. The camera sees the casket lower only from the side but doesnt see it hit the bottom.
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The minute the casket is no longer visible it cuts to the mother crying holding her to other
children. Then the camera cuts to the friend and now everyone is leaving since the funeral has
ended. As he is walking away he turn back to see the tombstone one last time then he turns his
attention to the town and sees the townsfolk going on with their daily lives with a care in the
world. Then the camera cuts to a close up of the B.N.Ds grave; the flowers on his grave appear
to be the same kind he placed down by the river. The camera stays on the grave for a while and
in the distance of the shot you can see the B.N.Ds family getting into the car and driving off.
Now the funeral is completely empty.
As the friend is walking home, he looks at certain places in town and remembers his
friend. He sees the school where they first met and a flashback occurs of him first meeting the
B.N.D at a young age. When the flash back occurs the whole picture has an golden/yellow tint to
it to indicate its a flashback. In the scene where they first meet you see both of them at around
6 years old and the camera is focusing on the friend. Then the B.N.D comes into the shot and
offers him one of his gram crackers. Then the flash back ends and the camera is back to
following the friend as he walks home. Then when he looks to hes house as flash back occurs of
them playing in the front yard of his house. Again the picture is a golden/yellow tint and the
camera is a wide shot so you could see both of them playing. They are running around chasing
each other with toy swords. Then the front door opens and the mom walks out bringing both of
them snacks. You see just how nice his mom used to be to the B.N.D before she found out the
truth about him. Then the flash back ends and the friend is now walking up the steps of his
house. The camera follows him from the side until he reaches the top. Then it switches to his feet
as he enters his room. You see the tie off his suit hit the ground first then the rest follow. Then
the camera is on the outside looking in through the window just like how the video opened. The
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friend is in a white shirt is looking at the same spot he was looking at when the video started.
Then the camera cuts to the inside of the room looking out the window at the spot the B.N.D was
walking by at the very beginning. But this time that spot is empty and all you see is a group of
people laughing in the distance. What theyre saying is unknown. The video fades to black and
ends.
We wanted this video to be shot in a small town because of the meaning of the song. The
point was to have the viewers feel like they were going through what the boy next door was
experiencing. We wanted every location to match the feelings that the boy had at that specific
moment. When he is at peace in the forest, it is shown with bright lights and the hope that
everything will be okay. Yet, when he decides to end his life so that he can end his suffering, the
forest is shown as gloomy and sad with no hope for tomorrow. Each location was chosen so that
you could see that it was a small town, where everyone knew each other and were stuck in the
old ways, unable to move forward. Throughout the video, you see the boy struggling with who
he is and the only time he is at peace is when he is alone in the forest. The forest is his sanctuary,
the one place he can go in town where he knows no one can hurt him. He felt like the only way
to end his suffering was to end his life sadly that is true for many people today. We need to
accept people for who they are, rather than try to tear them down for being different.
As the costume designer for the song Thats The Way by Led Zeppelin, I decided it
was best if I used clothes, hairstyles, and makeup from the early 70s. I choose this period in time
because that was the time when many homosexuals were starting to embrace their gender
identity and come out of the closet as they say and there was more male with male couples
to be seen throughout society. However, with this drastic change in society came many struggles
for the homosexual community. Homosexuals were shunned, ignored, and oppressed by society
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for being abnormal and troublesome. From my point of view I believe that homosexuality is
the main topic for this song because of the lyrics meaning I dont know how Im going to tell
you/ I cant play with you no more/ I dont know how Im going to do what mama told me/ My
friend the boy next door/ I cant believe what people are saying. In my mind, I interpreted these
lyrics of a young boy, around the age of 12, who has homosexual friend. The young boy cant
play around with the homosexual boy just because the rumors of him being gay are true and
everybody, including the 12 year olds mother, are ignoring him and saying hurtful things to the
homosexual boy and are not allowing him to play with the neighboring kids fearing that the
infection will spread. The 12 year old boy can wear a normal shirt and jeans, seeing that those
were the most common back in the 70s. The homosexual boy can wear a long sleeve shirt rather
than a regular shirt because he inflicts pain upon himself because he cant be accepted by society
and by his fellow peers, who bully him whenever they see him he also is wearing a hat at all
times. The young boys mother can wear a red and white summer dress. Her makeup usage will
consist of just eyeliner, lipstick, and mascara because, after all, she is just a housewife who
doesnt need a lot of makeup but just enough to beautify herself. Her hair, which will be
smoothly combed, will be short to give her a more motherly feature and because for the same
reason that long hair will be in the way of her cooking and cleaning. The towns people can
wear clothes that look more conservative, like dress pants and shirts for the men and the ladies
can wear dresses that do not show much skin. The men will not wear makeup but instead have
nicely cut hair and no facial hair. The women will have lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, and blush
and their hair styles will vary from short to long. The people will have nicely pressed clothes
and hairstyles where not a strand of hair is out of place to show that they are in control. The way
they dress will show that their attitudes to the homosexual community is not open minded but
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narrow and I feel that they are conformists because they shun things and people that seem
abnormal to their norms and customs. There is going to be a scene where the homosexual kid
will be bullied by classmates, who are a popular and all dress alike. The lyrics, Thats the way it
outta stay will further insure the listener that the homosexual boy is being bullied by his peers
and is suffering enormous amounts of depression and abuse. There is also going to be a funeral
scene in which everybody will be wearing black mourner clothes. The men can have their black
tuxedos on while the women can wear their dresses and wear veils that cover their faces. There
could have been several different ways to choose what clothes, makeup, and hairstyles the people
can use but I interpreted this song as it was in the old days in which homosexuality was a thing
that was shunned and oppressed by many conservative people who didnt want anything to
change. This song incorporates many themes which means many more clothes can be used for
the music video but the lyrics manifested the hard times that the homosexual community faced
then which is why I choose early 70s clothes for this song.