Research and Planning

After considering numerous options, we decided to do a Kanye West song. And in our video we will convey the dominant character which Kanye West is known to be. Kanye West is known as an alpha male who believes he is the best rapper in the world and a quite controversial figure. Which is why the song we chose was a clear favourite within our options. Not because of the controversy he has caused over the years but because in most of his videos, Kanye West never ceases to surprise the audience and has always got something flashy in his videos.


A perfect example of Kanye West's dominance is shown in the music video for the song 'Power' which he describes himself as a "moving painting". The video itself is very detailed and has a lot of imagery all mainly showing how Kanye being the protagonist has so much power and dominance and will simply break any rule and not be told what to do by anyone.There isn't much use of a variety of camera shots but the whole video is a single take which is zooming out to reveal more and uncover the rest of the contents on the screen. Because the whole video is one take, there is no cutting. But 38 seconds into the video a robe is dropped on the beat and another character is revealed and this shows that although the video is one take important bits of action are performed on the beat.

The mise en scene for this video represents the protagonist as a god of some kind which is shown by the way he is positioned right in the middle of the screen in a stationary stance. And we will do that in our video by letting the locations,camera and choice of costume have a visual impact and show the concept of the video to the audience without them having to be told the concept. A perfect example of the costume saying so much is in the 'Power' video. The protagonist is wearing a huge necklace which looks like an ancient pendant and this straight away illustrates royalty and he is the focal point in the video which shows how he is the one with authority in the video.

The narrative of the video involves amplification which basically means the idea of 'power' is taken from the lyrics but interpreted in a new way. This is because the video is in the style of a classical painting. There is no performance or lip syncing but the characters in the video are all significant in the production and the audience can realize that by just watching the video.

Although we have taken inspiration from this production, it is not really a traditional music video and in our production we will be producing a traditional music video.

Kanye West - POWER

Initial Planning Meeting

In our first planning meeting, My group (Michael, Malcolm & Derrick) decided to do a video to the song ''Can't tell me nothing'' by Kanye West. We have discussed a few concepts to which we can base the music video upon, however we are yet to decide which idea to use for the project. But we do have one clear favourite which will show the lyrics actually being portrayed.

We have considered certain locations and props that we can feature within the project i.e we have spoke about using the rooftops of certain buildings to capture the urban location of Manchester and use this as our establishing shot. The establishing shot will emphasize the concept that we are most likley to go along with because it gives a sense of domination and being on top of the world.

Roles In Production:

Derrick Afriye will play the main role of the rapper and therfore will be the central figure in the music video and will be supported by Michael Baluwa.

The camera work will be done by Malcolm Knight and Michael Baluwa.

Treatment Of Video: Diamonds from Sierra Leone

The Diamonds from Sierra Leone video begins with a series of cuts and subtitles which give brief insight into the conncept. The opening scene shows a point of view shot with the camera zooming in to the cave and this involves the audience as they are about to take part in the story being told which gives a sense that the audience is being made to step in the shoes of the artist. The first time we see the protagonist a low angle point of view shot is used with a shallow depth of field which shows two things, firstly how the protagonist is the emphasis of the video and secondly the low angle shot indicates a sense of him being superior. Unlike most hip hop music videos, not only does this song have a different muscic video, but the sound itself is not like ordinary hip hop tracks. This track does not have as much synthesis but it does have a heavy base. The video itself is unique in terms of props, most hip hop videos are usually colourful to attract and relate with the target audience whereas this video in contrast does not give a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment.


The video is highly symbolic and has religious elements mainly the location. When we see the crucifix at one point a low angle shot is used once again shows superiority and gives a sense of divinity. In our video we will also be filming in a church to also show conversation between man and God.

The video is black and white and this is to show that there is a story being told and this shows a strong concept to be understood. The protagonist is dressed in a long black coat and this gives all the attention because not only do the camera shots show him as the focal point but also the costume shows him as a man who has mystery and has a big part in the concept.In terms of perfomance, there is a lot of body language used to illustrate how much emphasis the artist is putting in his performance to tell the story and really make sure that the target audience can relate well with the concept whilst observing the protagonist's abilty to not only rap but also act out and use his body to emphasize the lyrics.
This video is effective and has inspired our project because it has a unique location and frequently shows a story being told to the audience.



Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone

Music Video Treatment

The Music Video

The Title of the song is Can't tell Me Nothing by Kanye West

Duration

The length of will be 3 minutes 18 seconds long.

Audience

The target audience for our video is males aged between 14 and above. This is because the song does have some explicit lyrics which we will mute and the message being portrayed in the song isn't really something that young people should look to emulate. Kanye West's fan base is mainly males who are in their teenage years and this is shown by his controversial choice of album art and iconography in his music videos as well as his behaviour and attitude with the latest being at the MTV VMA awards in 2009 when he interrputed Taylor Swift's celebration speech. The hip hop genre is also one where sensetive topics are usually publicly stated.

Resume

The brief outline of the song is basically the performer will be telling a story of certain events that have occured in his life and how he is defies the odds. For example the opening lyrics "I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven..." will be interpretated in a church and we will have the performer performing in a church to relate well with the lyrics being sang. The song is also about showing one's superiority and an example of this is the lyrics, "Class started two hours ago...oh am I late?!" and this will be performed in a sarcastic manner which will show no remorse on the performer's part. We will continue to show the hip hop conventions of dominance and shwoing off material wealth throughout the video. The audience can expect to see a well performed music video in a variety of locations with a natural flow throughout.


Suggested Elements

Performance: We will have the performer not just miming the lyrics but actually rapping when filming. This will avoid any off-beat lip syncing and will also add to the professionalism. The professionalism will also be enhanced by the way we will have the lyrics relate well with the on screen action. The performer will also have to add some attitide to the peformance to make it look natural.

Costumes: Our choice of costume will be influenced by Kanye West himself and hip hop as a genre itself. One of the lyrics mentions super brand Louis Vitton and we will have a Louis Vitton scarf when that part of the song is being performed to once again make the video look more professional instead of a parody. The main dress code throughout the performance will be casual and what would be expected in any hip hop music video.

SFX: We will not really have any sound effects in the video but we will have some video transitions whe editing the vided to give it an alternative hip hop music video.

Locations: We will choose our locations parallel to the song lyrics. For example some of the lyrics that have religious reference will be performed in the chapel. We will also be using a wall with graffiti and this will relate well with our genre and give an urban look.

Recording Days: We will not take a long time to film the video because we are going to have one take in all locations and then see what needs re-doing. By doing one take we are aware that the perfomance will need to be on point and this will also allow us to capture footage quicly and start editing. The print based items will be done outside lesson time because to produce effective print based items alot of time will need to be put in. We will also need time to have a photo shoot so we have enough images to use for the print based items.

Song Lyrics

Kanye West Cant Tell Me Nothing

La la la la

Wait 'til I get my money right

I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven

When I awoke I spent that on a necklace

I told God I'd be back in a second

Man, it's so hard not to act reckless

To whom much is given much is tested

Get arrested guess until he get the message

I feel the pressure, under more scrutiny

And what I do? Act more stupidly

Bought more jewelry, more Louis V

My momma couldn't get through to me

The drama, people suing me

I'm on TV talkin' like it's just you and me

I'm just saying how I feel, man

I ain't one of the Cosby's, I ain't go to Hill, man

I guess the money should have changed him

I guess I should have forgot where I came from

La la la la

Wait 'til I get my money right

La la la la

Then you can't tell me nothing, right?

Excuse me? Was you saying something?

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

You can't tell me nothing

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

Let up the suicide doors

This is my life homey, you decide yours

I know that Jesus died for us

But I couldn't tell you who the side was

So I parallel double park that mother*** sideways

Old folks talking 'bout back in my day

But homey this is my day, class started two hours ago

Oh, am I late?

No, I already graduated

And you can live through anything if Magic made it

They say I talk with so much emphasis

Ooh, they so sensitive

Don't ever fix your lips like collagen

And then say something where you gonna end up apologin'

Let me know if it's a problem man

Aight man, holla then

La la la la

Wait 'til I get my money right

La la la la

Then you can't tell me nothing, right?

Excuse me? Was you saying something?

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

You can't tell me nothing

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

Let the champagne splash

Let that man get cash

Let that man get passed

He don't even stop to get gas

If he can move through the rumors

He can drive off of fumes 'cause

How he move in a room full of no's?

How he stay faithful in a room full of ***?

Must be the Pharaohs, he in tune with his soul

So when he buried in a tomb full of gold

Treasure, what's your pleasure?

Life is a, uh, dependin' how you dress her

So if the Devil wear Prada, Adam, Eve wear Nada

I'm in between but way more fresher

With way less effort

'Cause when you try hard is when you die hard

Y'all homies lookin' like, why God?

When they reminisce over you, my God

La la la la

Wait 'til I get my money right

La la la la

Then you can't tell me nothing, right?

Excuse me? Was you saying something?

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

You can't tell me nothing

Uh uh, you can't tell me nothing

La la la la

Wait 'til I get my money right

La la la la

Then you can't tell me nothing, right?

Here are the lyrics of the track we will be making the video to. Obviously as some of the lyrics are explicit we will take that into consideration and omit the lyrics which have any foul language. The performer will be performing the lyrics and we will shoot the concept. For example when the performer is talking about his dream involving God we will film in a church.

Magazine Outlet

For our magazine outlet we decided to look at similar magazines that promote hip hop music. One particular magazine is called RWD. It is a free magazine that is usually distributed in retail shops. The target audience for the magazine is hip hop, RnB and Grime fans from all ages. The magazie also advertises the latest clothes and shoes in fashion for their target audience, interview the biggest artists in the world for the genres and also covers sport.

To attract the audience, the magazine covers usually have bright colours with large images of the artists which are easily recognisable.

Above are some pages from the RWD magazine which show the latest clothing ranges and an interview with an uprising group.

Here is a page from the magazine promoting the new album by the artist called Giggs. The album has been published as a whole page on its own and the bright colours attract the target audience. Here the protagonist is portrayed as a super hero whcih once again links to our story telling theme of power and domincance. This also is quite animatic which is a way of relating well with the target audience to give them something entertaining and eye catching.

Album Art

For our album cover we looked at various covers that suit well with our genre of hip-hop. For exmaple the Jay-Z album named 'American Gangster' makes a huge statement with the dressing quite similar to the costume that Kanye West has in the Diamonds from Sierra Leone video. Once again the protagonist is the central figure and here the dressing makes him look like a boss and the lighting is not so bright which once again adds to the statement being made.






Another album cover that does show the attention that the protagonist has is the album called 'The Massacre' by Kanye West's rival 50 Cent. This cover does represent the typical hip-hop album. Once again the sense of superiority is given by the athletic figure that the rapper has. The choice of font also relates well with the genre because it shows how urban the album is.

Shot List

This was the first draft of our potential shot lists. We then had another meeting in which we decided to make alterations. For example in the finished video we decided not to use a police station.

4 Seconds Establishing Shot of a rooftop and buildings.

3 Seconds of a Close Up of the performer on the rooftop.

4 Seconds Long Shot of the police station as the star of the video is performing.

2 Seconds Extreme Close Up of the performer's face in the church.

3 Seconds Over the shoulder Shot as the performer is engaging in a conversation.

5 Seconds Medium Shot of the star performing in the graveyard.

3 seconds Extreme Long Shot of the star in a graveyard.

3 seconds High Angle Shot of the star performing.

3 Low Angle Shot of the star outside the police station.

3 seconds Long Shot on the rooftop.

3 seconds Point of View shot of performer having a conversation.

Kanye West Biography

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synth-pop, and classical music.
West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His four albums have received numerous awards, including a cumulative twelve Grammys,and critical acclaim. All have been very commercially successful, with 808s & Heartbreak becoming his third consecutive #1 album in the U.S. upon release. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music, home to artists such John Legend, Common and Kid Cudi.West's mascot and trademark is "Dropout Bear," a teddy bear which has appeared on the covers of four of his five albums as well as various single covers and music videos. About.com ranked Kanye West #8 on their "Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers" list. On May 16, 2008, Kanye West was crowned by MTV as the year's #1 "Hottest MC in the Game."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West

Location

Here are some images of some of the locations were the production will take place. We thought about the concept of our video and decided to use locations that will have huge visual impact and will relate well with the video.

We will be filming on a rooftop in town. This will give the production an urban look and adds a unique look to the production.

The car park roof which we will be filming at.

We will also be filming in Hulme, Old Birley Street on the graffiti area and this relates well with our chosen genre of hip hop. This also makes the production look edgy.

We will also be filming in Loreto College for our classroom scene so that we have an actual classroom which adds realism and professionalism.

Costume

Within the hip-hop genre one thing that is always talke about is the musician's choice of outfit. We looked at some artists especially Kanye West to get a sense of his dress code.Here we see a quite colourful and simple dress code from the rapper whilst performign and we decided to do the same thing by having our performer dressed simple to suit the hip-hop genre. This shows the urban edge and stood out with our choice of song because the beat was quite strong so we had to give the performer a quite intimidating look but also something that is recognizable within the hip-hop genre.

Once again we see another interesting choice of costume from Kanye West and this may look quite odd and this is what Kanye West does best, he breaks the conventions of hip-hop which state that the rapper has to have an urban look but he always wants to bring something new which is one of the things that people like about him because he can pull anything off at any given time. We took inspiration from Kanye West because he has so much to offer so we had a lot to choose from in terms of dress code because no one can determine what he will wear at times.