Lady Gaga’s song “Til’ it Happens to You” not only has powerful lyrics, but a powerful music video that accompanies the song, as well. The music video shows instances of four teenagers that go through sexual assault, and then the aftermath of how this situation plays a role on their emotions and mental health. Though the video as a whole does a great job at portraying the message that Lady Gaga is trying to get across, the still shot at 4:28 really evokes emotions in viewer and shows the detrimental effect that sexual assault has on one. 

In this still shot at 4:28, a figure of a young woman is shown standing at the end of a dark, desolate hallway. The focus on the figure is blurry, causing it impossible for the viewers to see her face. The shot is in black and white just like the rest of the video and there is a bright light coming through the window behind the figure. This bright light behind her attracts the viewer’s attention to the figure which shows the importance of this figure.  All of these aspects of this still shot help make the meaning of the shot a lot more powerful. Without these aspects, the shot would not be as meaningful or emotion evoking. For instance, if this shot was in color, it would not seem as gloomy, which is important in this case. 

The setting of this shot is the same setting as the beginning of the video, as well as the same figure. However, in this shot like I said before, the young woman is just standing at the end of the hall in contrast to the beginning when she was walking down the hallway looking into the rooms of the ones that had been sexually assaulted. At the start of the video she symbolized as loneliness and despair. In this still shot, the figure symbolizes the same feelings which really supports the whole message that Gaga was trying to get across. Right before this still shot, all of the teenagers are shown walking out of their rooms into this hallway with their loved ones who have picked them back up on their feet. After they all walk out of the hallway, the figure is shown standing behind them. This goes to show that even though they have received support from their family and friends, they will always still feel that same sense of despair that they did previously. 

The colors and the previous knowledge that the viewers have on this figure – that she symbolizes loneliness and despair – really evoke strong emotions when she appears again in this shot. This shot gives one a gloomy, uneasy feeling. This feeling is one that Gaga intentionally provoked so that the viewers could connect with the teenager’s feelings and emotions. If this young woman had not been shown at the beginning of the video, this shot would not have been as powerful because the viewers would be less knowledge about this young woman.

The still shot at 4:28 is the most powerful still shot of the whole video and really helped tie the whole video together. The setting, the colors, and the repetition of the young woman really was a strong supporter for the important message that Gaga was trying to portray to the viewers. Also, if the shot before this would not have been the teenagers courageously walking out into the hallway with their family and friends, this still shot at 4:28 would not have been as effective. This still shot sparked strong emotions in the viewers and this was due to the previous knowledge we already had on the young woman. All in all, the music video was very powerful but this specific still shot went above and beyond the rest of video when it comes to the emotions it provoked and the meaning of the shot. 
