Director Case Study

DRE FILMS 

Dre films is the main director for the Hip-Hop music group MMG (Maybach Music Group). In All of MMG's music videos there are luxurious and lavish items, for example, they may have foreign cars, fur coats, gold and diamond jewellery. Dre films will also use close ups and unorthodox camera angles to put the items in good display for the viewer to see. The main thing that stands out in Dre Films music videos is the editing. Most of the frames will be moving on time with the beat of the music; this makes a big difference on the music videos as Hip-Hop music tends to have fast and heavy beats, which makes the beat memorable. In most of Dre Films music videos for MMG, he would incorporate models (which could be referring back to  'the male gaze' theory) who are dressed in revealing clothing and also dancing in the background. Here are some example of the music videos that Dre Films has done.

Editing: The editing is extremely fast paced, each shot lasts around 3 - 5 seconds and most of the shots are synchronised on beat with the beat of the music. A lot of lens flares have been added after filming; this is because lens flares make things appear more glamourous.

Camera Angles: The camera angles used are mainly wide angle shots and some close up shots. The close up shots may be used to show specific items which may be expensive clothing, luxury jewellery, things of that nature. The wide angles shots are used in order to show the viewer the type of scenery; in this music video it looks like its filmed in a desolate building, which can suggest a ominous presence which links back to the title of the song 'Black Magic'. The wide angles shots are also used for the purpose of the male gaze; in a lot of the shots there are models who are dancing which very little clothing, which is a common stereotype in hip-hop music. A lot of pan shots are used as well as the artist performing tends to move around a lot as the song is very fast paced.

Mise-en-scene: As said before the mise-en-scene is a desolate building which would look as if it has an ominous presence which links back to the title of the song 'Black Magic'.

In Dre Films music videos, there are repetitive effects and editing he uses, which is possibly why MMG chose to stick with him as a director due to style of music videos he creates. Here are a couple of other music videos which have been done by Dre Films for Maybach Music.

A$AP Rocky

Unlike most directors, Asap Rocky is not only a director but also an artist himself, and directs all of his music videos. In most of Asap Rocky's music videos he adds the sense of 'hood' or 'street credibility'. This is usually due to the references he makes about his home city of Harlem; for example, in the song 'Peso' he shows in the music video a corner shop where him and his friends would hang outside of, he also showed the painting on the wall of a famous rapper (also from the same area) named Big L. Asap Rocky will also incorporate slow motion shots of him doing certain activities or slow motion shots of his jewellery, however unlike Dre Films, Asap Rocky shows his jewellery more implicitly.  In some of Asap Rocky's Music video, instead of doing a performing based music video he may do an abstract music video, for example a music video was done for a song called 'Long Live A$ap'. Here are some examples of Asap Rocky's music videos.

Editing: The editing used in this music video is fast paced similar to Dre films however it is a little bit slowed down, maybe this is due to the music video being a abstract/performance video. Also the music video is set in black and white; the fact that it is black and white adds to a significant part of the music video where there are two models, one black and one white, and they mirror each others movements. Although there skin colours differ, they are wearing similar clothing; I believe that this part links to the lyrics 'Who said you cant live forever' as it is denoting how no matter what changes are made to your life you will live forever. There are also other things added on after filming on software, for example, the use of the shadow of a grim reaper, also links back to the lyrics 'Who said you cant live forever'

Camera Angle: A range of different camera angles are used in the music video, for example, in the shots where the two models are mirroring each others movements wide angles are shown to the viewer to give a clear view of the mirroring actions; other shots like low angle shots from behind one of the models shows the other models perspective of things which suggests that no matter what 'universe you are living in' you will always be the same person and you cant change that, I think that is what the use of the black and white model is for, to suggest two people from alternate universes.

In order to make my music video look as proffesional as the examples I have given I will need to similar traits from them, for example, I will need to make each shot 3-5 seconds long, I will need to synchronise some of the shots with the beat of the music, this will make the song more memorable, If i choose to create an abstract music video I will need to decided on what sort of editing after filiming I would like to use.