Friday, 30 September 2016
20 Questions Development Project
This was a task that made us experiment with our use of close-up and extreme close-up shots. It helped us learn more about the technical aspects of the camera for example digital zoom and how to turn this on in the camera's settings. It was a very interesting task and it helped to teach us about the camera's focus and how to effectively use the tripod to get steady shots. We also had to try and find somewhere with good enough lighting for the camera to reach its potential.
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Music Video Analysis - ScHoolboy Q - Groovy Tony
The video starts with the artist's name and the song title, this is extremely common in rap music videos and also helps people to remember the artist and the song. The video starts with very blurred and disorientating movements, we can make out that the video is set in a scrap yard. A scrap yard itself is not stereotypical for a rap video but it does fit into the common iconography of worn down environments and urban environments.
We see a man crushed under a digger (0:08) this is very strange and intriguing.
We hear the lyric "Blank face" and see a man with no face (0:12), this is showing a very clear relationship between the lyrics and the music video. This fits into Andrew Goodwin's list of codes and conventions of a music video.
We then see an extremely interesting 1st person shot of ScHoolboy Q (Groovy Tony) looking down at his body, I think this is very unique.
We see ScHoolboy Q's reflection in a car window(0:19), this is very voyeuristic (one of Goodwin's conventions), he then kicks the car which shows that he has superhuman strength, this seems very strange and makes the viewer intrigued to find out what happens.
We then hear "Blank face" and see a blank face like we do earlier in the video, this is a recurring thing in the video and links to the title of the album, 'Blank Face LP'.
We cut to a long shot of Q from the side(0:32), the video then zooms out even more and we see Q looking at a giant pile of bodies, this shows that the bodies we see before this (The one under the digger (0:08), the one he drags along the floor and if you look closely there are a few more around) aren't one off bodies and that this is a recurring thing. This pile of bodies would also be very intriguing to the viewer and is very shocking.
The video cuts in time to the music(0:35), this is quite common in this video and fits into Goodwin's conventions because it shows a relationship between the music and the video as well as being common in music videos of the genre.
The video up to this point seems like it is referencing the film Chronicle because in this film we see somebody in a scrap yard experimenting with their powers, just like Q does when he kicks the car(0:20) and when he pulls debris off of the magnetic crane(0:28).
We then cut to a slow-motion mid-shot of Q's waist as he fires an automatic assault rifle(0:35). The camera then moves up and we see that he has a 'blank face'.
At 1:10 we cut to Q walking through a room holding a bag, this is the first time the video looks like a stereotypical rap video, he seems to be 'chilling' with his 'homies'. But Q continues walking and we see that they were in a shipping container, this seems odd for a rap video but the way it was shot is very stereotypical for the genre. This is the most performance heavy portion of the video so far, the performance aspect is extremely common in hip-hop videos and fits into Joan Lynch's video structure theory.
At 1:17 ScHoolboy Q says "The devil in all blue", at this point he is surrounded by blue containers which shows a connection between the lyrics and the visuals, the colour blue fits into the iconography of rap music videos because it is the colour worn by the Crips (A gang) and many rappers are in this gang and represent them in their music videos and lyrics.
Q then raps "I got that white girl for ya" (a reference to cocaine) and then "She's swimming in fire water" (Fire water is slang for high proof alcohol) as he says water we see a puddle, linking the lyrics to the video.
We cut to ScHoolboy Q driving a car (1:29), the shot is in 1st person but we can see Q in the rear-view mirror, this seems voyeuristic even though we are,in a way, looking at our self. While we are in this shot Q says "Civic" (a model of car) which links to the video as he is driving. He also links the visuals to the lyrics as he raps "Hit the curb with shattered mirrors" as he crashes and then "Look around now you're hell-bound" as he sits in the wreckage surrounded by fire. The "Look around now you're hell-bound" (1:38) as he is surrounded by fire, which is commonly associated with hell and he almost died and hell is supposed to be part of the afterlife.
We see that the bag Q was carrying in the scene with the shipping containers was full of money(1:41), large amounts of money is very stereotypical iconography for a rap music video so fits in very well with Goodwin's theories. It is very subtle but if you look closely you can see that there are no faces on the notes which fits well with the recurring 'blank face' theme.
ScHoolboy Q then looks at his arm which is on fire (1:45) but doesn't seem to care and lights his 'blunt' (marijuana) with it. 'Blunts' are very strong iconography when it comes to hip-hop videos, they are in a lot of rap videos and lyrics often refer to them as well.
We then cut to a close-up of Q rapping at the camera(1:54), close up shots of the artist performing directly to the camera are very common in rap videos and fit with the style of the genre. This is shot with a hand-held camera and is very shaky, this is also stereotypical of the genre.
We then see a short clip (1:56-1:59) of Q walking away from us which is very intriguing as the majority of the video is shot from his point of view or with him looking,or walking, toward us.
This then cuts to another P.O.V shot of Q rapping into a reflection (this time a puddle) (1:59) which is a recurring theme of the video and seems very voyeuristic.
We then see another (very) short clip of Q walking towards the building (2:00) before we cut back to Q rapping at the camera (2:01) which is shot in the same way as the scene at 1:54.
We then get a series of shots that cut quickly between Q walking towards the building and rapping in the puddle which builds a lot of tension to find out what is in the building. This also increases the amount of performance in the song (fitting into Joan Lynch's structure) and gives us a lot of close-ups of Q which fits into Goodwin saying that video's have to have a lot of shots of the star.
We then see Q walking casually out of the building (2:11) which makes us wonder what he did in there and if we'll find out what's in there. We then get some fast editing cutting between Q walking out of the building, rapping in the puddle and rapping at the camera, which is shot in a much more stereotypical way for a rap video than the rest of the video is but this is also when the music and ScHoolboy Q's rapping are most intense so it fits well and does not seem out of place.
Then at 2:21 the camera starts moving in one long steady shot towards the open doors of the building, this is made very intense as the musics bass becomes heavier and it starts to become distorted.
There is a bright flashing light coming from within the building, it seems to almost beckon the viewer to come in. The camera slows down just before we reach the door which increases the tension even more. We slowly start to enter the building and we see safes and and ATM which shows Tony is a theif. We then slowly move in towards a pair of legs swinging in mid-air. At this point the lyrics make some references to money which is very fitting as the safes are all around.
Q also says "Groovy Tony no face killah" which fits in with the "Blank face" that we hear throughout the song and links to all the dead bodies at the start.
We then hear "blank face" and cut to a low angle shot of a man who is hung by his neck and has a 'blank face'(2:55). The hanging man is wearing Balmain jeans which are extremely popular in rap and are quite iconic within the genre, for example Kanye West's recent video 'Wolves' doubled as a fashion campaign for Balmain.
The screen then cuts to black which gives a strong effect to what we just saw.
The 'Blank face' line that is repeated throughout the song and is shown visually can also reference the feeling of having no face that some people describe after consuming heavy amounts of drugs.
The video fits into many of Goodwin's conventions, one of the strongest is his voyeurism convention. Voyeurism is extremely predominant in this video, we see ScHoolboy Q in many different reflections, we see him in the car window, the puddle and the car's rear-view mirror.
The title 'Groovy Tony' is a reference to the 1983 Brian De Palma film Scarface, the main character of the film is Tony Montana, this is where the Tony in Groovy Tony comes from. There are inter-textual references to the film in the music video, for example the man hanging in the building (2:56) is a reference to the fact that the character Omar in 'Scarface'.
The film 'Scarface' has a plot centred around cocaine, there are references to cocaine in 'Groovy Tony' for example, "got that white girl for ya" which means he has cocaine, he also says "Sell narcotics and stack my dollars up to Bill Gates" which means that he sells drugs and wants to get rich (he says Bill Gates as his extreme wealth is well known), 'Scarface' is about Tony Montana selling Cocaine and getting rich.
The song is all about the fact that when ScHoolboy Q sold drugs he felt like Tony Montana and the video shows how this made him feel powerful, invincible and like he had super powers, which are also how people describe the effects of these drugs which fits in well because in 'Scarface' Tony starts taking his drugs and feeling their effects, and at one point Q himself was addicted to drugs.
The video also shows that drugs can lead to more severe crime, like murder, and like Groovy Tony does in the music video, Tony Montana is led to other crimes in 'Scarface'.
The video fits into the performance and narrative sections of Joan Lynch's 3 basic video structures as it has a clear narrative and also has elements of performance. The video could also, arguably, fit into the concept category as it's story could be interpreted in different ways because you would not necessarily make the connection to drugs unless you knew that that is what the music video is about and it is shot in a very unique way.
The video fits into Jon Gow's 'enhanced performance' theory as it contains performance elements but also includes heavy elements of narrative. It could also possibly fit into 'the special effects extravaganza' as it relies a lot on stunning visuals and the performance aspect is secondary to that for the majority of the music video.
Music Video Analysis - Flatbush ZOMBiES - MRAZ
Meechy Darko (Meech) - Zombie Juice (Juice/Jewice) - Erick The Architect (Erick)
MRAZ opens with Juice in a supermarket, he is walking directly toward the camera and the camera is tracking away from him.
The song playing in the background is 'More Than A Woman' by The Bee Gees, The Bee Gees smoked c*annabis and The Flatbush ZOMBiES are well known for this also, the song was in the film 'Saturday Night Fever', the inclusion of this song is intertextuality which was one of Goodwin's theories.
We cut to a shot of Juice (0:05) this zooms into an over the shoulder shot of Juice picking up a carton of 'Tropicana' Orange Juice (0:06). We see a shot of Juice walking and then a shot of him at the counter, this then cuts to a mid-shot of Juice turning and starting to walk out of the building (0:11).
Then quickly too a similar shot of him just outside walking and putting his hood up.
We then track Juice in a series of different close-ups and mid-shots as he walks, focusing on different parts of him and shooting from different angles each time it cuts (0:13-0:15).
This whole first portion of the video is edited quite quickly and throughout this scene Juice is wearing a coat by the brand 'Coogi', this is likely an intertextual reference to The Notorious B.I.G who was a famous rapper that the Flatbush ZOMBiES look up to and frequently reference, this fits into Goodwin's theories about music videos as he said that many contain intertextuality.
At 0:15 we see a very quickly edited series of extreme close-up shots of parts of the door moving as Juice unlocks it and then opens it, this is very unique and interesting and is also a recurring part of the music video. This is followed by a mid-shot of Juice walking through the kitchen and then a close up of him getting three glasses out of the cupboard, the sound of the glasses seems to be overdubbed to make them louder and more prominent. We then see Juice put the 'Tropicana' in the glasses, but all three glasses get filled at the same time, this fits in well with the 'trippy' iconography of the band and their sub-genre of rap (Acid Rap/Drug Rap). (0:19) We then see a close-up shot of Juice dropping a liquid (liquid L.S.D) into the drinks (Again with overly-prominent sound effects). In the background we see a box of 'Frooty Loops', which is a popular brand of cereal in America and is popular among 'stoners' and other drug users.
We then see Meech and Juice drink theirs, these are mid-shots. This is followed by Erick saying "Don't f**k with this s**t" (0:22) and putting his glass down. We then see more shots of Juice and Meech drinking. The series of shots of them drinking have very fast editing.
At 0:24 Meech then comes up from the bottom of the screen saying "ooooooohhhh", we see a close-up of his face and then he puts his thumbs up and goes to where Erick's drink was and drinks his.
The editing in the first section of the video is very interesting, there are cuts that only take a very short moment out of the video (for example someone moving) which many people would not bother cutting out but I think this is very interesting and I also think it fits well with the bands 'trippy'/'druggy' star image.
At 0:27 we see the camera track away from Erick, this has been heavily sped up. We then cut to an extreme close-up of Meech's eyes and hear a large bang (0:28), this is supposed to represent the substance 'hitting' him. We then see a series of shots of the camera moving rapidly around the three members of the group which is supposed to represent them becoming high, we also see a close-up shot of a 'joint' being lit in somebody's mouth. These shots are accompanied by music that sounds very heavenly and seems to suggest that getting high is like a religious experience for them.
We then cut to an extreme close-up of a clock on an oven (0:31). The clock reads '6:66', which is, of course, not a real time but fits in with the 'satanic' star image that the Flatbush ZOMBiES (especially Meech) have acquired. This then cuts to 3 close-up shots of the hob being lit, each moving slightly closer which is accompanied by loud clicking and helps draw people in and suggest that the music is about to start(0:31). This is followed by a quickly edited close-up of the flame lighting and then a shot where the camera pulls up from the flame and starts to track Meech as the music starts.
We cut to a close-up shot of Meech standing behind a microphone (0:35) which is followed by a blur and then the same shot but this time overlayed with effects to represent the effects of the drugs he has taken. We then see another short clip of the camera tracking him before cutting to a mid-shot of him rapping into a microphone, this shot also contains similar effects which occur very often throughout the rest of the music video.
We then cut to a tracking shot (0:40) in which the producers credits appear and the shot flickers between an unedited shot and the same shot but inverted and then at 0:42 we see an inverted and mirrored shot of Meech rapping into the microphone. This is followed by a series of shots cutting between Meech performing into the microphone and the tracking shot (the editing here is very fast) but then at 0:55 the songs titled gets overlayed which looks very interesting and helps to make people remember the song as well as giving it the feel of a 1970's cult film (many of which were about illegal substances).
We then see a series of performance shots and close-up shots of Meech being high and doing things like rolling 'joints'(0;57-1:10). When the song changes to a part using a sample of the song 'Mass Appeal' by Gangstarr (1994) the music video turns to black & white (1:10-1:12) which clearly fits into Goodwin saying that the music video relates to the content of the music video as black & white effects have connotations of the past and 'Mass Appeal' is much older than 'MRAZ'.
We then quickly cut between close-up shots of someone (presumably Meech) rolling and then lighting a 'joint', the shot of it being lit is the same one used earlier in the video which could link to the memory loss people experience when under the influence of 'weed'. at 1:17 we see an extreme close-up of Meech's mouth which shows that he is wearing a gold 'grill', this links to the lyric "teeth made of gold" and therefore links to Goodwin who said that Music Videos often have links with the lyrics.
We see a series of interesting close-ups of Meech performing and smoking which are edited very quickly and contain interesting effects as well as an extreme close-up of his face in which an extra eye appears (1:26). Lots of the shots are of Meech smoking which fits in with Goodwin saying that artist develop their own star iconography as the Flatbush ZOMBiES are very often associated with smoking 'weed'.
At 1:46 we see a close-up of Meech's feet as he walks down the stairs, this is then followed by an interesting collection of extreme close-up shots of the components of the door moving as Meech opens it to go outside. These shots of the door are very similar to the ones shown when Juice enters the building earlier in the music video and are also shown multiple times in the rest of the video. One of the most interesting shots of the door is one where the camera is fixed on the door and is pointing at the handle, this causes it to move with the door which is very interesting.
When Meech is outside at 1:48 we see an interesting effect that looks like a glitch on an old TV, this also links to the title card shown at 0:55. We then see some close-up shots of Meech which get inverted and mirrored,he gets Erick from his house and brings him back to the building Meech was rapping in, at 1:53 we see the door effects again and then we see a shot of their feet going up the stairs which is very similar to the shot of Meech walking down the stairs.
We then see a tracking shot of Erick walking through the house, this is very reminiscent of the one of Meech that we see earlier in the video and even contains similar effects.
We see lots of close-up shots and mid-shots of Erick performing which are accompanied by the recurring effects and then at 2:20 we see a high angle shot of Erick sitting by some keyboards which is very fitting as he produced the beat to the song so could therefore fit into what Goodwin said that the music video often relates to the music.
When Erick says "I'm trippy as f**k" (2:50) there is a 'trippy' effect where he seems to leave shadows of himself as he moves, this also fits into Goodwin's theory as it shows a connection between the music video and the lyrics.
At 2:58 Erick and Meech start to leave the house but I think it is very interesting that when they go down the stairs it just plays the clip of them walking up but in reverse, this fits into their 'trippy' star iconography but is also good because small details like this also keep the video fresh and entertaining for longer as most people wouldn't notice this straight away.
We then see the shots of the door again and see them walk outside, this is accompanied by interesting effects again, including an inverted close-up shot of their shoes (3:02) which i think is very interesting.
At 3:04 there is an intertextual reference to the Spike Lee film 'Do the Right Thing' (1989) (this is very postmodern) as it shows the members of Flatbush ZOMBiES sitting outside which looks very similar to a shot from the film.
This links to Goodwin's theory that music videos often contain intertextual references.
At 3:09 we then cut to an inverted mid-shot of the three rappers walking, this is followed by the door shots and another shot of their shoes as they walk up the stairs.
We then see another tracking shot, this time of Juice, 3:23-3:35 Juice raps over the beat from 'Boyz 'N' the Hood' by Eazy-E (1987), this is in black & white just like when Meech raps over the beat from Gangstarr's 'Mass Appeal' (1994) and is an intertextual reference.
When Juice says the line "catch me smoking potent (slang for 'weed'), cuz" we see a close-up of him smoking which shows a connection between the lyrics and the video which links to Goodwin. At 3:53 there is a shot of Juice smoking , this is in slow motion which links to the fact that marijuana is a depressant drug and slows your reactions.
At 4:05 we see a very quick shot of a table, the table contains lots of money which is strong genre iconography as well as lots of 'weed' which is very strongly linked to the Flatbush ZOMBiES' star iconography. There is also a pack of Raw branded rolling papers on the table, Raw is Wiz Khalifa's company and this is therefore an intertextual reference and links to Goodwin's theory.
Throughout Juice's verse there are lots of shots of him smoking, this is part of the whole group's star image but he is the most heavily associated with marijuana out of the three.
At 4:36 we cut to a close-up shot of Erick playing the keyboard for the outro which links to the fact that he is a producer and to the fact that Goodwin says the music links to the music video.
At 4:41 there is an overlay which has a logo similar to the FBI logo and says that the music video was an experiment with L.S.D (L.S.D was the drug they put in the 'Tropicana' at the start), this is interesting and is a fun little 'Easter egg'/joke to put in the video. At 4:47 we see some reversed footage which also has the sound reversed and is a small 'nod' to their 'trippy' aesthetic.
Finally at the end of the video the screen turns black (4:52) and we hear Meech say "What the hell? Ghetto black kids doing psychedelics?" which is a reference to the fact that nobody else was like them at the time and that they were unique, it also references the fact that L.S.D (a psychedelic) is a heavy part of their star iconography.
The use of heavy effects helps make the music video very interesting as well as fitting into the narrative of the use of illegal substances and the Flatbush ZOMBiES' 'trippy' star image. The video contains lots of very fast editing which helps keep it interesting and also works well because the lyrics are delivered in a fast way.
The video fits well into Goodwin's theory because their are lots of times where there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, for example the shot of Juice smoking when he says "catch me smoking potent, cuz". There is also a relationship between the music and the visuals for example the use of black & white when old samples are used. There are also lots of moments when genre iconography are present for example the shots of money and of 'weed'. There are many shots of the members of the group, including a lot of close up shots. The group's star iconography is also present, for example through the L.S.D and the 'weed'. The use of the effects at 1:48 which look like an old TV could suggest voyeurism and there are many intertextual references for example Juice's Coogi sweater (a reference to The Notorious B.I.G.) and the shot of the group sitting outside (3:04) which references Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing' from 1989.
The music video fits into two of Joan Lynch's video structures, performance and narrative. There is a lot of performance throughout the music video and there is a narrative throughout the video of Juice going to buy 'Tropicana' to mix their L.S.D with, the members of the group becoming high and then keep going to get each other from their houses. Some people could argue that the heavy use of effects fit slightly into the concept category but the music video is predominantly performance and narrative.
The music video fits into Jon Gow's 'Pseudo-reflexive performance' category as it shows them recording and producing the actual music as well as going out and buying the items that are seen in the music video (the 'Tropicana'). It could also fit into the 'Special effects extravaganza' group as there is heavy use of effects throughout the video and a lot of the time it does overshadow the performance even though this is a key element as well. It could also be classed as 'enhanced performance' due to its use of narrative and effects.
(I could not include the official names for the substances in the video as they were flagged by the college's computer system)
The song playing in the background is 'More Than A Woman' by The Bee Gees, The Bee Gees smoked c*annabis and The Flatbush ZOMBiES are well known for this also, the song was in the film 'Saturday Night Fever', the inclusion of this song is intertextuality which was one of Goodwin's theories.
We cut to a shot of Juice (0:05) this zooms into an over the shoulder shot of Juice picking up a carton of 'Tropicana' Orange Juice (0:06). We see a shot of Juice walking and then a shot of him at the counter, this then cuts to a mid-shot of Juice turning and starting to walk out of the building (0:11).
Then quickly too a similar shot of him just outside walking and putting his hood up.
We then track Juice in a series of different close-ups and mid-shots as he walks, focusing on different parts of him and shooting from different angles each time it cuts (0:13-0:15).
This whole first portion of the video is edited quite quickly and throughout this scene Juice is wearing a coat by the brand 'Coogi', this is likely an intertextual reference to The Notorious B.I.G who was a famous rapper that the Flatbush ZOMBiES look up to and frequently reference, this fits into Goodwin's theories about music videos as he said that many contain intertextuality.
At 0:15 we see a very quickly edited series of extreme close-up shots of parts of the door moving as Juice unlocks it and then opens it, this is very unique and interesting and is also a recurring part of the music video. This is followed by a mid-shot of Juice walking through the kitchen and then a close up of him getting three glasses out of the cupboard, the sound of the glasses seems to be overdubbed to make them louder and more prominent. We then see Juice put the 'Tropicana' in the glasses, but all three glasses get filled at the same time, this fits in well with the 'trippy' iconography of the band and their sub-genre of rap (Acid Rap/Drug Rap). (0:19) We then see a close-up shot of Juice dropping a liquid (liquid L.S.D) into the drinks (Again with overly-prominent sound effects). In the background we see a box of 'Frooty Loops', which is a popular brand of cereal in America and is popular among 'stoners' and other drug users.
We then see Meech and Juice drink theirs, these are mid-shots. This is followed by Erick saying "Don't f**k with this s**t" (0:22) and putting his glass down. We then see more shots of Juice and Meech drinking. The series of shots of them drinking have very fast editing.
At 0:24 Meech then comes up from the bottom of the screen saying "ooooooohhhh", we see a close-up of his face and then he puts his thumbs up and goes to where Erick's drink was and drinks his.
The editing in the first section of the video is very interesting, there are cuts that only take a very short moment out of the video (for example someone moving) which many people would not bother cutting out but I think this is very interesting and I also think it fits well with the bands 'trippy'/'druggy' star image.
At 0:27 we see the camera track away from Erick, this has been heavily sped up. We then cut to an extreme close-up of Meech's eyes and hear a large bang (0:28), this is supposed to represent the substance 'hitting' him. We then see a series of shots of the camera moving rapidly around the three members of the group which is supposed to represent them becoming high, we also see a close-up shot of a 'joint' being lit in somebody's mouth. These shots are accompanied by music that sounds very heavenly and seems to suggest that getting high is like a religious experience for them.
We then cut to an extreme close-up of a clock on an oven (0:31). The clock reads '6:66', which is, of course, not a real time but fits in with the 'satanic' star image that the Flatbush ZOMBiES (especially Meech) have acquired. This then cuts to 3 close-up shots of the hob being lit, each moving slightly closer which is accompanied by loud clicking and helps draw people in and suggest that the music is about to start(0:31). This is followed by a quickly edited close-up of the flame lighting and then a shot where the camera pulls up from the flame and starts to track Meech as the music starts.
We cut to a close-up shot of Meech standing behind a microphone (0:35) which is followed by a blur and then the same shot but this time overlayed with effects to represent the effects of the drugs he has taken. We then see another short clip of the camera tracking him before cutting to a mid-shot of him rapping into a microphone, this shot also contains similar effects which occur very often throughout the rest of the music video.
We then cut to a tracking shot (0:40) in which the producers credits appear and the shot flickers between an unedited shot and the same shot but inverted and then at 0:42 we see an inverted and mirrored shot of Meech rapping into the microphone. This is followed by a series of shots cutting between Meech performing into the microphone and the tracking shot (the editing here is very fast) but then at 0:55 the songs titled gets overlayed which looks very interesting and helps to make people remember the song as well as giving it the feel of a 1970's cult film (many of which were about illegal substances).
We then see a series of performance shots and close-up shots of Meech being high and doing things like rolling 'joints'(0;57-1:10). When the song changes to a part using a sample of the song 'Mass Appeal' by Gangstarr (1994) the music video turns to black & white (1:10-1:12) which clearly fits into Goodwin saying that the music video relates to the content of the music video as black & white effects have connotations of the past and 'Mass Appeal' is much older than 'MRAZ'.
We then quickly cut between close-up shots of someone (presumably Meech) rolling and then lighting a 'joint', the shot of it being lit is the same one used earlier in the video which could link to the memory loss people experience when under the influence of 'weed'. at 1:17 we see an extreme close-up of Meech's mouth which shows that he is wearing a gold 'grill', this links to the lyric "teeth made of gold" and therefore links to Goodwin who said that Music Videos often have links with the lyrics.
We see a series of interesting close-ups of Meech performing and smoking which are edited very quickly and contain interesting effects as well as an extreme close-up of his face in which an extra eye appears (1:26). Lots of the shots are of Meech smoking which fits in with Goodwin saying that artist develop their own star iconography as the Flatbush ZOMBiES are very often associated with smoking 'weed'.
At 1:46 we see a close-up of Meech's feet as he walks down the stairs, this is then followed by an interesting collection of extreme close-up shots of the components of the door moving as Meech opens it to go outside. These shots of the door are very similar to the ones shown when Juice enters the building earlier in the music video and are also shown multiple times in the rest of the video. One of the most interesting shots of the door is one where the camera is fixed on the door and is pointing at the handle, this causes it to move with the door which is very interesting.
When Meech is outside at 1:48 we see an interesting effect that looks like a glitch on an old TV, this also links to the title card shown at 0:55. We then see some close-up shots of Meech which get inverted and mirrored,he gets Erick from his house and brings him back to the building Meech was rapping in, at 1:53 we see the door effects again and then we see a shot of their feet going up the stairs which is very similar to the shot of Meech walking down the stairs.
We then see a tracking shot of Erick walking through the house, this is very reminiscent of the one of Meech that we see earlier in the video and even contains similar effects.
We see lots of close-up shots and mid-shots of Erick performing which are accompanied by the recurring effects and then at 2:20 we see a high angle shot of Erick sitting by some keyboards which is very fitting as he produced the beat to the song so could therefore fit into what Goodwin said that the music video often relates to the music.
When Erick says "I'm trippy as f**k" (2:50) there is a 'trippy' effect where he seems to leave shadows of himself as he moves, this also fits into Goodwin's theory as it shows a connection between the music video and the lyrics.
At 2:58 Erick and Meech start to leave the house but I think it is very interesting that when they go down the stairs it just plays the clip of them walking up but in reverse, this fits into their 'trippy' star iconography but is also good because small details like this also keep the video fresh and entertaining for longer as most people wouldn't notice this straight away.
We then see the shots of the door again and see them walk outside, this is accompanied by interesting effects again, including an inverted close-up shot of their shoes (3:02) which i think is very interesting.
At 3:04 there is an intertextual reference to the Spike Lee film 'Do the Right Thing' (1989) (this is very postmodern) as it shows the members of Flatbush ZOMBiES sitting outside which looks very similar to a shot from the film.
At 3:09 we then cut to an inverted mid-shot of the three rappers walking, this is followed by the door shots and another shot of their shoes as they walk up the stairs.
We then see another tracking shot, this time of Juice, 3:23-3:35 Juice raps over the beat from 'Boyz 'N' the Hood' by Eazy-E (1987), this is in black & white just like when Meech raps over the beat from Gangstarr's 'Mass Appeal' (1994) and is an intertextual reference.
When Juice says the line "catch me smoking potent (slang for 'weed'), cuz" we see a close-up of him smoking which shows a connection between the lyrics and the video which links to Goodwin. At 3:53 there is a shot of Juice smoking , this is in slow motion which links to the fact that marijuana is a depressant drug and slows your reactions.
At 4:05 we see a very quick shot of a table, the table contains lots of money which is strong genre iconography as well as lots of 'weed' which is very strongly linked to the Flatbush ZOMBiES' star iconography. There is also a pack of Raw branded rolling papers on the table, Raw is Wiz Khalifa's company and this is therefore an intertextual reference and links to Goodwin's theory.
Throughout Juice's verse there are lots of shots of him smoking, this is part of the whole group's star image but he is the most heavily associated with marijuana out of the three.
At 4:36 we cut to a close-up shot of Erick playing the keyboard for the outro which links to the fact that he is a producer and to the fact that Goodwin says the music links to the music video.
At 4:41 there is an overlay which has a logo similar to the FBI logo and says that the music video was an experiment with L.S.D (L.S.D was the drug they put in the 'Tropicana' at the start), this is interesting and is a fun little 'Easter egg'/joke to put in the video. At 4:47 we see some reversed footage which also has the sound reversed and is a small 'nod' to their 'trippy' aesthetic.
Finally at the end of the video the screen turns black (4:52) and we hear Meech say "What the hell? Ghetto black kids doing psychedelics?" which is a reference to the fact that nobody else was like them at the time and that they were unique, it also references the fact that L.S.D (a psychedelic) is a heavy part of their star iconography.
The use of heavy effects helps make the music video very interesting as well as fitting into the narrative of the use of illegal substances and the Flatbush ZOMBiES' 'trippy' star image. The video contains lots of very fast editing which helps keep it interesting and also works well because the lyrics are delivered in a fast way.
The video fits well into Goodwin's theory because their are lots of times where there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, for example the shot of Juice smoking when he says "catch me smoking potent, cuz". There is also a relationship between the music and the visuals for example the use of black & white when old samples are used. There are also lots of moments when genre iconography are present for example the shots of money and of 'weed'. There are many shots of the members of the group, including a lot of close up shots. The group's star iconography is also present, for example through the L.S.D and the 'weed'. The use of the effects at 1:48 which look like an old TV could suggest voyeurism and there are many intertextual references for example Juice's Coogi sweater (a reference to The Notorious B.I.G.) and the shot of the group sitting outside (3:04) which references Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing' from 1989.
The music video fits into two of Joan Lynch's video structures, performance and narrative. There is a lot of performance throughout the music video and there is a narrative throughout the video of Juice going to buy 'Tropicana' to mix their L.S.D with, the members of the group becoming high and then keep going to get each other from their houses. Some people could argue that the heavy use of effects fit slightly into the concept category but the music video is predominantly performance and narrative.
The music video fits into Jon Gow's 'Pseudo-reflexive performance' category as it shows them recording and producing the actual music as well as going out and buying the items that are seen in the music video (the 'Tropicana'). It could also fit into the 'Special effects extravaganza' group as there is heavy use of effects throughout the video and a lot of the time it does overshadow the performance even though this is a key element as well. It could also be classed as 'enhanced performance' due to its use of narrative and effects.
(I could not include the official names for the substances in the video as they were flagged by the college's computer system)
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin [Overview]
Nabil predominantly directs Hip-Hop and R&B music videos, he also dabbles in other genres and is also a professional photographer. He was born in Chicago which is interesting as he has worked with Kanye West a lot and Kanye is from Chicago. His big break came when he befriended Kanye who was relatively unknown at the time.
Nabil had tried to contact Kanye by looking up 'www.kanyewest.com'. The website came up as unregistered but available for registration, so he bought the domain name. Three weeks later an executive from Roc-A-Fella Records contacted Nabil to say they had just signed Kanye and wanted to know how much he was asking for the domain name. Nabil agreed to transfer the domain name for free provided he could meet the Kanye and do a photo shoot with him, these images were Kanye's first publicity photos.
His clients list includes, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Frank Ocean, Nas, Bon Iver, The Black Eyed Peas, K'naan, Seal & John Legend. This shows that he can work in multiple genres but mainly sticks to Hip-Hop & R&B. The artists he has done the most work for are Kanye West (and his label, G.O.O.D. Music) and Frank Ocean.
Nabil creates very interesting videos, they usually have a lot of effects and are very appealing visually. He usually references the lyrics in the videos and often edits in time to the beat.
Nabil creates very interesting videos, they usually have a lot of effects and are very appealing visually. He usually references the lyrics in the videos and often edits in time to the beat.
I think Nabil is a very interesting music video director, he is very talented and his videos are very diverse. Nabil's use of effects is very good as he uses them in a way that they seem interesting and they never seem to be there for no reason. His music videos often have a narrative and performance is usually included.
Nabil doesn't rely too heavily on stereotypes which is good as it helps to make his music videos more interesting and help make him stand out. He of course uses some genre stereotypes but only when it is needed, they are never used for no reason.
Nabil's music videos are very diverse so it is unlikely that you would instantly recognise a video as his but they all have very high production values. The clothing choices in Nabil's music videos are often very stylish, especially on videos starring people like Kanye West, this is very appealing visually and works especially well for Kanye as he is a fashion designer.
Monday, 19 September 2016
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Frank Ocean - Swim Good
I really like how the visuals of the waves correspond to the lyrics. I like that the waves are overlayed onto a clip of Frank running. The mixing of cultures is very interesting, Frank is wearing Japanese clothing and is holding a katana (earlier in the video there are even some overlays of Japanese writing) but he is wearing Jordan shoes and his car is a Lincoln Town Car (both of these are iconic pieces of US culture). I like that the car explodes when the bass 'drops'. I like the static visual effects throughout the clip that make the music video look like an old worn out VHS tape, Frank is a massive fan of films so this and the japan/samurai theme of the video could be in reference to old samurai films. These film-style glitches could also suggest voyeurism as it is like we are watching an old recording of Frank.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Damian Marley & Nas - Patience
I really like how smoothly this video is edited and how the audience seem to just glide through the scenes of the video. I also like how interesting the video is and how the music video's content relates to the music.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Kid Cudi - Welcome To Heartbreak (1/5)
I love that the video starts with 'Play' at the top which makes it look like somebody's old home-video. I also love how we then see Kanye from through a dark door (the door frame creates internal framing), this seems extremely voyeuristic and i think it is very interesting. We then slowly zoom towards Kanye (We go from an extreme long shot to a regular long shot), the room he is in is very dull, dark and industrial but it then explodes (literally) with colour due to the datamoshing process used during the editing of this music video. I also love that when Kanye is standing in the dark room the lighting flickers in time with the music.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Kid Cudi - Welcome To Heartbreak (2/5)
I really like the way Kanye is in this dark and gloomy room with the camera moving round him. I really love the way it cuts in close on Kanye's face to emphasise what he is saying. Then the way that Kid Cudi walks along and consumes this image of Kanye with colour is very interesting and I absolutely love it and think it is inspirational.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Kid Cudi - Welcome To Heartbreak (3/5)
I like how this section of the video breaks the 4th wall by making it look like Kanye smashes the audience's screen. I also like how Kanye himself then removes this smashed image through the datamoshing effect used throughout this music video.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Kid Cudi - Welcome To Heartbreak (4/5)
In the first part of this clip I like how there are multiple of exactly the same close up of Kanye singing. In the second part of the clip I love how the frames of the video get frozen onto the background in various colours, I also like that the background looks like a broken TV or computer screen.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Kid Cudi - Welcome To Heartbreak (5/5)
I really love the way that the cuts happen in time to the beat and that Kid Cudi moves his hands in time to the beat as well.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Frank Ocean - Novacane
I like how the camera pans very slowly until it reaches Frank while he sits on the bed singing. I like the subtle effects in the background and the mirror (also us watching him in the mirror is very voyeuristic) but I love how dominant these effects become when he starts applying the Novocain to his face. I also like that the effects (or hallucinations?) sometimes relate to the lyrics, for example when he mentions sex ("F**k me good, F**k me long, F**k me numb") women appear in the background. I also like the style of this video, the way everything seems to have a green tint and looks quite retro.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Kanye West Feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - Mercy
I think that this music video is extremely interesting, I like how it is edited to look like there are more than one of the same person and I love how people seem to come out of each other or disappear into someone else. I also like the use of black and white as I think it makes the video seem crisper and more stylish. I also think that the choices in clothing are very good and I love the way that some of the items of clothing correspond with elements of the music. I also like that in various moments of the music video the artist will come unusually close to the camera and their body will fill a large portion of the screen, i think this is interesting as it is not stereotypical.
Friday, 16 September 2016
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Travis Scott & Kanye West - P**s On Your Grave (1/3)
http://nabil.com/film - The video is on this website
(0:00-0:50)
I like the way that the video opens with Travis just walking through the forest to the instrumental music, I like the way that it is shot from multiple angles (predominantly mid shots but with some close ups and long shots), I like the way that it then changes focus to Kanye who then starts walking with Travis. I like the costumes in this video as they are quite stylish but also unique. I like that the video is shot in the forest as this creates a good atmosphere. I also love the heavy fog and the fact that Travis seems to be disorientated as he stumbles through the forest. I also like the side on close up as he puts his hood up. I love that Travis glances directly at the camera as this is unusual for a section of a music video that isn't a performance.
(0:00-0:50)
I like the way that the video opens with Travis just walking through the forest to the instrumental music, I like the way that it is shot from multiple angles (predominantly mid shots but with some close ups and long shots), I like the way that it then changes focus to Kanye who then starts walking with Travis. I like the costumes in this video as they are quite stylish but also unique. I like that the video is shot in the forest as this creates a good atmosphere. I also love the heavy fog and the fact that Travis seems to be disorientated as he stumbles through the forest. I also like the side on close up as he puts his hood up. I love that Travis glances directly at the camera as this is unusual for a section of a music video that isn't a performance.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Travis Scott & Kanye West - P**s On Your Grave (2/3)
http://nabil.com/film - The video is on this website
(1:24-1:50)
I like the framings in this section as they change quite rapidly even when the camera doesn't cut. I love the way that Travis is shot sitting on the branch, I think this is very interesting. I like the way that the camera cuts to a shot from further back at one point and when it cuts to a long shot of Travis and Kanye. I also like the inclusion of the mysterious man in black and the continued use of effects.
(1:24-1:50)
I like the framings in this section as they change quite rapidly even when the camera doesn't cut. I love the way that Travis is shot sitting on the branch, I think this is very interesting. I like the way that the camera cuts to a shot from further back at one point and when it cuts to a long shot of Travis and Kanye. I also like the inclusion of the mysterious man in black and the continued use of effects.
Director Study - Nabil Elderkin - Travis Scott & Kanye West - P**s On Your Grave (3/3)
http://nabil.com/film
(1:58-1:35) - The video is on this website
I like the inclusion of liquid running down a hill with parts of human skeletons in it, I think this is interesting because it is clearly a reference to the title 'P**s On Your Grave'. I also like the fog in the video and the use of the effects which seem to represent the spirit leaving the body which is appropriate as it fits the songs subject matter of death. I also like the way the focus on the man in black increases.
(1:58-1:35) - The video is on this website
I like the inclusion of liquid running down a hill with parts of human skeletons in it, I think this is interesting because it is clearly a reference to the title 'P**s On Your Grave'. I also like the fog in the video and the use of the effects which seem to represent the spirit leaving the body which is appropriate as it fits the songs subject matter of death. I also like the way the focus on the man in black increases.
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