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Bella Hurley

Professor Cassel

English Composition 2

October 1st, 2021

Analyzing Visual Texts Essay

What makes two music videos so different that after you watch you walk away with two

completely different impressions? In the two music videos of “Let it Go” best known from the

Disney movie Frozen, you see two completely different stories. The first video is from the movie

itself and has such a light to it, enchanting children everywhere. The second video is much less

heard of but is by Demi Lovato is a much more dramatic and emotional production.

The real Frozen video of the song tells a story of a girl who has just left everything

behind in order to start a new life in hopes of it being better. The setting for this video is on a

snowy mountain where the main character, Elsa, uses her magical ice powers to create a palace.

The main claim of this video is Elsa is finally feeling free from her past and that she can be

herself because she escaped everything holding her back. Throughout the video the audience sees

Elsa take off her gloves and throw them into the wind. She throws her tiara, undoes her hair, and

magically creates herself a new dress. You see her transform into a completely different person

and she opens up her personality as you watch the change. This video starts off with the emotion

of fear but builds up to be such a happy and lighthearted scene that children love. This use of her

transformation is the idea of using pathos appeals to touch the audience's hearts. Especially

because the audience is mostly children. They get very upset when she is alone but see a change
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and the main character's attitude change which makes them happy. Using pathos in this way

leads to the claim that sometimes getting away from your past can be the best thing for you even

if it may be frightening in the beginning.

The second video performed by Demi Lovato has a completely different idea to it. This

video starts in a dark rustic home with furniture covered and all the curtains closed over the

windows. The emotion given off while she sings by herself is almost a cold, darkness. As the

video progresses she begins to move around and bring more light into the room. She removes the

covers and opens the curtains and her wardrobe changes from a dark dress to a pretty white

gown. The whole setting leads us to the claim of this video. The claim of this video is much

more emotional and shows that when you let go of things or keep moving forward, even if it's

hard, there is always a light in the end. Because this video is using setting and emotion through a

video I believe it uses a pathos appeal. Throughout the entire video it is using the contrast in

lighting to create a sadness that the audience is supposed to feel. When the light is brought

through in the end it resembles a breakthrough in the character's development. I think the use of

the pathos appeal has a big effect on the video because it moves the audience throughout the

video and gives you the idea of the claim.

The two videos can be compared in numerous ways, both in similarities and differences.

Similarly, I think they both start off very dark and dreary but end with a light and the main

characters have almost found a new awakening. The use of pathos in both videos also creates the

emotions felt by the audience when witnessing these transitions. Another similarity is both of the

main characters are practically the only characters seen in the entire video and it revolves around

them. One big difference to me though is the audiences reached by the two videos. The animated
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version would appeal much more to younger children, while the version by Lovato I believe

would be directed toward older teens and young adults. The claims both have similarities when

relating to change, but I view them very differently because of the video. The first character is

running away from her past in order to start anew. The second is all about leaving your past

behind you and going through the tough things to find the light in the end.

Each video is done in such different ways it's almost hard to believe it can be the same

song. The emotions, claims, and even setting are so different and leave the audience with

separate emotions. One creates a light in children who love it so much, while the other reaches

young adults and pushes them through dark times. Yet somehow the lyrics remain the same and

it is just two versions of the exact same song.

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“Demi Lovato - Let It Go (from ‘Frozen’) (Official Video).” YouTube, uploaded by None,

1 Nov. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHue-HaXXzg

“FROZEN | Let It Go Sing-along | Official Disney UK.” YouTube, uploaded by None, 30

Jan. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MK7qz13bU.