Visual Analysis: Capturing the Issue of Gun Control

Since gun control is a heated topic in politics these days, let's discuss this PSA that was released in December of 2016. The PSA was initially published by the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation - a foundation that encourages students and faculty to be aware of students who show signs of gun violence. While the visual images, storyline, and overall pathos of the commercial is chilling and moving, it is the ending tagline that contradicts the message of the video. Let's dive deeper into six, significant moments from the video.

Figure 1

Here we see a conversation between Evan (the main character) and the girl who has been bantering with him on the desk in the library. This moment is important because it pulls the audience into Evan's and his mysterious girl's flirtatious conversation. 

Figure 2

In this image, we see Evan looking around for the mysterious girl from the library desk. His inability to find the girl, mixed with the look of disdain on his face, makes the viewer feel sorry for him. 

Figure 3

By the end of the school year, it is time for everyone to sign each other's year books. The mysterious girl notices Evan's handwriting on her friend's yearbook and they finally get to meet. This shot is important because it ties the story together by mimicking the angle of the first image shown of Evan's handwriting on the desk.  

Figure 4

This is the turning point of the story. This is probably the most significant still-shot of the PSA because of its inherently shocking nature. What the audience thought was a love story turned into a horror scene. 

Figure 5

After the initial gunshot scene, the PSA takes us back to the beginning of the story but zooms in on the shooter. We see the student doing things that should have raised red flags to others, like looking at guns on the computer and in books. 

Figure 6

The final scene of the PSA cuts to this dark screen with the words pictured above. While this statement carries truth, the way the creators chose to end this is a bit ludicrous.

The creators put the responsibility of the shooting on the students and failed to acknowledge other important issues, such as gun control and bullying. While I think the foundation's purpose is met here, I think the concluding statement could have been more ethically sound and addressed all factors involved in the story.