Editing Error

My group faced a dilemma as whilst editing our footage Final Cut Pro stopped working. We encountered the “General Error” and the software kept stating it was “Out of memory”. The timeline also disappeared which meant we were unable to continue with the editing. We requested support from Vanessa and the technician however neither were able to fix the problem. As a result, we had to start the editing again from scratch as we created a new document. This was frustrating as we did not only organise each clip but we had conducted quite a bit of editing.

This is what we were shown:

This is the advice we received from a support website however the information provided wasn’t able to fix our problem:  

Finished Filming

My group finished our filming completely as we done some filming in our spare time to finish off some bits we had left. We had a few shots of Drake’s ex left to film in which we needed her to do various poses such as reading a book/newspaper or walk whilst wearing smart clothes to connote her successful lifestyle. We used Ismael’s camera to conduct the filming. As the camera has high quality resolution, the quality of the filming was as good as the rest of our filming. We now are focusing on putting the video together as we do not have too long until the deadline for editing. We worked as a team as during the filming me and Ismael discussed what shots to conduct and whether it will work with the lighting. We tried to perfect every shot possible however this proved to be difficult as we aren’t professionals. The feedback we received after half term was that we need to decrease the amount of procrastination and increase the speed of our work which meant that we decided to try and speed up the filming process as we were already behind schedule. The editing conducted in the studio was enjoyable as after we got use to setting the lights we started using the equipment more wisely as we bounced the light off so Ismael receives a glowing effect on his face. I did some of the choreography and the rest was Ismael improvising on the spot. We didn’t decide to film in chronological order as we just filmed random shots which we thought we could add into the music video at some later point. 

Started Editing

As we are planning on finishing off the rest of the filming by tomorrow, we used today’s class time to start editing the footage we already have. We numbered the footage in chronological order so it is easier for us to find each clip. We also tried to use the footage with the green screen however it wasn’t working.

Here is my updated production schedule:

Nearly done

As we didn’t film our video in a chronological order, we have bits of filming from different parts of the song left to do. We have had a team meeting and have decided to do some filming on Wednesday after college and finish off the song.  We are going to use a friend to be Drake’s ex and as we can’t book a camcorder we are going to use Ismael’s camera instead. We may need to do some more filming in the studio hence we will have to book it out again.

No Camera

We faced a problem as all the cameras were booked out and we still have some of the filming left to do. To overcome this, we decided to use a DSLR camcorder that we own. It is vital for us to complete our filming before the deadline and we still have some filming left to be conducted outside the college premises. 

Filming

We conducted the majority, about 70%, of the filming in the college studio as we used Tiana as Nicki and Ismael as Drake. Hats off to Tiana, she was fantastic. She understood the role of Nicki well and as she is a Performing Arts student she did not find it difficult to dance and lip-sync. As Tiana was already familiar with the song and its lyrics, lip-syncing was not a problem for her. We found it difficult at the start as we were not entirely familiar with the equipment that we were using however we did receive a lot of help from the technicians. We also faced difficulties when attempting to use the green screen as there were a lot of shadows forming. The green screen itself had many creases on it which would result in the video’s background being fuzzy. As the green screen was causing a problem we decided not to try and use the portable green screen either. In the end, we decided to not use the green screen and stick to using a white and black backdrop. We were pleased with the overall footage and filmed a lot more than what was needed as we do not have another chance to conduct the filming with Tiana. We then filmed a few shots with Ismael during our lunch break as we had the studio booked and the equipment was set up. Overall, it was a productive day.

This image below shows one of the jackets worn by Ismael during the filming, the attire chosen was crucial as Ismael was representing Drake. A similar red baseball jacket is worn by Drake in his music videos hence this was ideal for Ismael to wear as it represents a street image. 

This image below shows Tiana's outfit which she wore during the filming, the attire chosen was crucial as Tiana was representing Nicki Minaj. A low cut top and skirt is worn by Nicki in many occasions hence this was an ideal attire for Tiana.

Treatment Updated

We didn’t go with our initial treatment and storyboard due to unforeseen changes such as having no actors. This created a dilemma and although we received a performing arts student, Teeyana, to pursue the role of Nicki, we didn’t have an actor to play Drake. As time was running out, Ismael decided to take on the role of Drake and we decided to conduct a performance based music video which will be conducted in the studio as we will be able to take various shots in a minimal amount of time and may even possibly be able to use the green screen. The green screen will allow us to replicate different sceneries without having to travel there however we will not have much space for the actors to move around.

Nicki's Talent release form update

This is the talent release form for our new actress, Teeyana, who will be playing the role of Nicki Minaj in our music video.

Recce

There are very few locations that we are using for our music video. The reason being is because these artists who created the song are known for using a studio to create many of their shots. Only some outdoor shots are used in very quick shots lasting for no more than 1 second. The first location we have chosen is in a TV studio. This location is perfect as it provides a white background which can be used to reflect upon the artist’s thoughts and re-emphasise on the artist as being the main focus of the shot. The green screen can be used to place the artist on a location reflecting his thoughts. It will probably be in a dark scene considering the song has a low tone with it and is quite depressing. An idea that popped into my mind was to have the studio pitch black and have a projector projecting images of the girl in the background, much alike the one’s seen in the video for Drake’s song over.

Going to our chosen location Oxford Street, shown on the image on the left, made it’s easier for us to understand where the actress would be walking whilst we film her. When looking at the location, we looked at the spectrum of light which would be shining in certain parts of the video. For example, we could have light shining from the reflection of buses. We liked this effect which we have seen in parts in actual music videos. We got our model to stand in the location to see whether the shot would look good however our model wouldn’t be standing in the sun light for too long due to health and safety reasons. The camera would be on-going moving when shooting this part of the music video. This location is ideal to portray the successful lifestyle of our actress as she will be representing a successful business woman.

Another location we have chosen is Trafalgar Square, shown in the image on the left. The square will show the busy and hectic lifestyle of our actress as she walks past the square on her way to work. The shots we would possibly use are a mid-close up, a view point and a close up of the actress. We will have to rely on natural light as we will not be able to set up lighting at the square.

Advantages of using a studio

·         Quick, easily accessible

·         Able to conduct various shots in a short time span

·         Easy for actors to meet up

·         Ability to use green screen

Disadvantages of using a studio

·         Not able to get various backgrounds

·         Lighting may not be great

·         Minimum levels of props

Advantages of Trafalgar Square

·         People in the background, authentic

·         Nice scenery

·         Ability to use props

·         A lot of space to conduct various shots

Disadvantages of Trafalgar Square  

·         People may get in the way

·         Lighting may not be effective

·         Actors may not be able to make it 

Storyboard - Nicki Minaj's part

 

As Hannah left the group, she also had Nicki’s part of the storyboard hence we were unable to retrace this. I created a new storyboard for Nicki’s part.

Here is Nicki Minaj's part of the storyboard:

 

Team Meeting

Today we had an urgent team meeting as we needed to get our act together as we are running out of time. We discussed as a group on what tasks we have left to complete and how we are going to organise ourselves in order to finish by the deadline. We came to a conclusion myself and Ismael will conduct the filming separately, outside lesson hours in order to save time and we have also halved the other tasks which still remain incomplete. 

Updated talent release form

As we changed actors and Ismael stepped in to play the role of Drake, this is the updated talent release form:

Equipment Booking

As we had to book the camcorder we had to fill in a form which allowed us to do so. This is the completed form we filled in:

Uh oh

We faced a dilemma as our actor who was going to be playing Nicki became ill therefore she wasn’t able to shoot. To overcome this we got a Performing Arts student to take the role of Nicki and as we still hadn’t had an actor for Drake, Ismael stepped up to take this role. This was the request letter we wrote to Teeyana, our new actor to be Nicki Minaj:

Hey, my name is Ismael Salajee and I’m part of a group conducting a music video.

The role of the character we need to play is Nicki Minaj for a music video which won’t last for more than a minute. It is a solo performance based music video for the song Make Me Proud by the artist Drake. We will need the filming to be conducted both in the studio and outside of the college premises. The scene will be mainly studio based so there will be no travelling. It really shouldn’t take that long to film the scene. If you know the lyrics to the song that would be great but it will be also played in the background for you.

You will be able to have a say in what shots are used. If at any time you do not feel comfortable let us know and we can change the shots. The shot will be filmed on both a white and black background so we can get a variation and we will also use the green screen at some point.

As for the dress code you can dress however you feel. You can dress like Nicki Minaj or the complete opposite. We probably won’t film you from your knees down or if you want us to that’s fine. I’ll be in lessons until 1PM so my group member will be filming with you.

You can contact me directly by phone: 07769226158 or email me at isalajee@hotmail.co.uk

Either way is fine by me. You can always text or email me if you need anything. Vanessa told us that you did media last year and even we thought we could use your media skills in this video as well. I have included a Talent Release Form (Below) which looks really confusing but it’s really not.

It would be greatly appreciated if you would be part of our Music Video and free to email or text me if you need anything.

 

Storyboard - Drake's part

Here is the story board we created as a group:

Prezi

Make Me Proud - Drake Ft Nicki Minaj on Prezi

This is the Prezi which I have created to show some of the tasks I have completed for my music video. I found using Prezi fairly straight forward as the website had guidelines on how to use it therefore it wasn’t difficult in creating a Prezi.

Talent Release Form

As Hannah has left the group myself and Ismael have taken responsibility in ensuring we complete all the tasks. We took the liberty of designing a new release form for the actors. The one provided for us was difficult to understand. Our actors found it very complex so we have created a new one from scratch. To make things easier and simple, we have even included Ismael’s personal telephone number to make it easier for the actors contact the group. The template is as follows:

Production Title: Make Me Proud Music Video

Producer(s): Ismael Salajee

Contact Number: 07769226158

I the undersigned ____________________________________ agree to the use of film/video/sound recording of myself being carried out as part of a music video production by a media team within Leyton Sixth Form College.

The production itself will be published on an online social networking site. The video will require at least three days of filming but it should all be completed within 48 hours. The video will be mainly studio based with a bit of green screen for effects so not much travelling will be needed however travel costs will be paid if the actor is unable to make it.

The video may require filming to be done during the half terms so dates will need to be confirmed for availability and timing. Some scenes may require dressing up smart and others in the complete opposite. Some shots may even be filmed outside, maybe in central London or even around East London depending on the shot but most likely we will not need to film in the City.

If you are under 16, we require a parent or guardian to sign this form to acknowledge your involvement in a production involving film.

I agree to be part of the music video production and will be available on request for filming for the video.

Full Name________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email__________________________________________

Phone Number________________________________

Date_________________

Signed _______________ (by parent or guardian if under 16)

 

Location Release Form

As with the Talent Release Form, we have also created my own Location Release Form using our own house style and ethos. The new design is much easier to understand and what we need/require and what they require of us is easily understood and recognised. The template is as follows:

Production Title: Make Me Proud Music Video

Producer(s): Ismael Salajee

Contact Number: 07769226158

I have received details from Ismael Salajee concerning the location on which the music video will be filmed. I can confirm that the location may be used on the time and date that has been allocated. The location and those involved in agreeing to let us use the location for our production will be acknowledged and recognised within the video.

The production team understand and realise the need to keep the location looking exactly how it was when it was given to us and we will ensure it will be returned to the state it was in previously. We will be held responsible for any theft and damage and will be responsible for cleaning up any mess afterwards.

Permission will always be taken before using the studio for the location manager/supervisor to acknowledge our presence on site. It would be greatly appreciated if the form can be filled in completely.

Name of Location ___________________________________________

Address of Location __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Position/role___________________________________________

Company (if applicable) _____________________________________________________________

Date________________________

Signed_________________________

 

Camera Focus Task

Today I learnt how to use some functions on a Panasonic LECIA HDC-HS900 camcorder. I learnt how to use functions such as autofocus, manual focus and IRIS. We carried out a task as a group in which we practiced focusing the camera onto an object/person and making the background blurry. This will help us when filming and will help to save us time when editing as we will not have to add in effects to improve the focus.

Here is an image of the camcorder I used: 

Group Meeting

Today we conducted a group meeting and then printed most of the work which we have completed as a group. We discussed which tasks we still have left to complete and created a plan to have all the tasks completed as soon as possible. We completed the risk assessment, treatment, actor's brief and most of the story board. We still are awaiting for the release forms to be given back to us from actors.


The turnout again was terrible as no one turned up for the auditions therefore we are still missing someone to play the role of Drake and time is running out.

Editing Practice

Today my group learnt how to use a Mac computer to edit a short video clip using Final Cut Pro. We were taught by a professional technician who gave us a task in which we had to work as a team in order to put together short clips of video and audio to create a full length movie. We learnt how to add in transitions and special effects such as a motion blur and captions. We found this task extremely useful as we feel more confident in using the software to edit our music video.

We also spent some time outside lesson to set up another audition as our current one didn't go according to plan. We went into some Performing Art’s classrooms and pitched our music video idea and decided to hold auditions again for tomorrow.

Auditions didn't work out

As we put up the audition posters around the college on a short notice we didn't have anyone come in to audition. This was a downfall however we have chosen a female, a friend of Hannah to play the role of Drake's ex in our music video. I have allocated my friend from outside college to play the role of Nicki Minaj. She was willing to help out as she is a huge fan of Nicki Minaj and knows her songs by heart hence lip-synching will not be an issue. On the other hand, we still have one actor missing, someone to play the role of Drake.

Allocating Roles

We have allocated various roles within our group to ensure that everyone is working efficiently. We have divided the story board into two parts in which myself and Hannah will be working on Nicki Minaj’s part of the song whereas Ismael will be working on Drake’s part. After creating the poster myself and Hannah are in charge of holding the auditions as Ismael is unable to attend. I have completed the risk assessment form in thorough detail. In our spare time, we have started to decide on different locations which we will use for filming. This is critical as we all we need to be able to travel to the various locations easily when filming and we also have to take into consideration that our actors are able to travel.

Audition Poster

Today we created a poster as we need people to audition to act as our characters. As we already have one actress to play the role of Drake’s ex, we will still need two more to play the role of Drake and Nicki.

 

Here is the poster that we created:

Actor's Brief

Today we held auditions for people to play the role of the actors which will be included in our music video. The following is the requirements which we have decided our characters will need:

Drake

Needs to know the lyrics in detail as lip-syncing will be used. Needs to know Drake’s characteristics as this will be reflected in the video. This person may need stubble and short hair. To be honest, it can be anyone who can lip-sync in time with the song, is confident that they can act like Drake and how he acts in his videos. The actor will also need to have a lot of free time in which they will be able to attend the shooting. Sunglasses can be worn throughout the video if needed. As for the dress code, it will be casual clothing; no branded items, preferably plain and these clothes can be provided if necessary. No jewellery will be needed; maybe a baseball cap and it would be great if the person isn’t too chubby or too skinny. Height isn’t really an issue however over 5”6 would be ideal. We won’t show you much from the knees down. Throughout the song clothing such as tracksuits, sports trainers, jogging bottoms may be worn by Drake who will be giving off a ‘ghetto’ and poor image.

Drake’s girlfriend

This will be a playing role alongside Drake. She will be dressed up smart throughout. The outfits will vary between a school uniform and a work suit. This girl can be anything between 5”3 to 5”7. She can be anyone. She will not need to lip-sync any parts of the song. She will just be alongside Drake as he sings. She will need to be able to hold facial expressions for a few seconds.

Nicki Minaj

This performer will need to know the lyrics in detail as lip-syncing will be used. She will also need to know Nicki’s characteristics as this will be reflected in the video. They need to be confident that they can act like Nicki Minaj how she does in previous videos. The dress code needs to be bold, bright but not branded, e.g. furry coats and anything with bright colours. No jewellery will be needed as we will supply you with it. Height can be anything between 5”3 and 5”7.

Treatment Feedback

After pitching our idea to the class received mixed reviews. Overall, the class were pleased with our concept of telling a story throughout the music video whilst including lip-synching however we were given helpful criticisms. We were asked whether a lot of lip-synching will be used as we are telling a story throughout the song. We decided as a group to include lip-synching whilst telling the story as our video will be performance based. We were also informed that it will be difficult for our actors to look young and old. This is because our characters Drake and Nicki will be shown as teenagers (in the flashbacks) and when they are adults. We haven’t decided how we will overcome this however for now we have decided that we will have to use props and costumes which will indicate their age e.g. school uniform and work uniform. As we are planning to film many shots within a small time frame we will have to get a lot of filming done hence we will have to hire out the camera and use it on the weekend therefore we will have a lot of time for filming.

Treatment

The treatment is for the song “Make Me Proud" is a song by artist Drake, releasd as the second single from his second studio album, Take Care. The song features rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released as a digital download on October 16, 2011 and impacted rhythmic radio on October 25, 2011 in the U.S. The song genre is hip hop and it has a medium steady beat, one that can be used to show a variation in shots all within a small time frame. The length of the song is 3:40 (Digital album version). We will try to create an atmosphere within the video which is similar to that seen in other music videos by Drake and by his record label. We are planning to take various shots around London; the location of the shots will be determined by the lyrics. A studio may be used for when the female is singing as her videos are frequently shot in studios rather than at actual locations. The video will be performance based throughout and will tell a story.

The story is that our character; Drake and another female were in a relationship. He was the classic "gangster" whilst she was the ideal docile girl. She was focusing on her studies whereas he was addicted to the life of crime and drugs. The song sees the two being separated at a later stage and him becoming regretful. They meet around seven years later, he is still the same person as he was and she has grown into a successful business woman who has an ambition of success. The beginning will show flashbacks of the relationship and various shots will be in place throughout. The video will also include shots of the two in the present day and there will be lip-synching from time to time. The studio may be used to take shots in which Drake is shown to be depressed now that he is not with his ex anymore. The video will focus on him being more regretful of the person he has become and regretful of his current girlfriend as she is not the same as his ex. The ex will be Nicki Minaj and she will portrayed doing a handful of bodily gestures. She will be rapping her way through the video with her face normally facing the camera directly as if she is talking straight to the audience. Various shots of the ex will be shown as she is walking in Oxford Street going for work dressed smartly and looking healthy and successful. On the other hand, shots of Drake drinking and being down will be shown. 

Here's the link to the pitch which was conducted by myself and Ismael of our treatment and the feeback we received:

Case Studies

The three songs I have chosen as my case studies are: “Drake - Take Care (Explicit) ft. Rihanna”, “Lil Wayne -6 Foot 7 Foot ft. Cory Gunz” and “Lil Wayne - How to Love”.

The first song I chose is “Take Care" which is the second studio album by Canadian recording artist Drake, released November 15, 2011, on Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records. The music video was published on Youtube on April 23rd 2012 by DrakeVEVO. This song is from a hip-hop genre and it has a relaxed production that incorporates R&B.

The music video includes simplistic art with Drake and Rihanna's characters in an intimate relationship, with other scenes featuring animals such as a bull, blue jay and tropical fish and various outdoor landscapes portraying the ups and downs of a relationship. The song expands on the low-tempo, rich and darl sonic aesthetic. Drake is portrayed as being mellow whereas Rihanna is shown to be passive and docile. The theme of the song is conflicted feelings towards fame. Drake's lyrics on Take Care address failed romances, missed connections, relationship with friends and family.

"Take Care" is about two people, one of them has been hurt in the past, and the other is helping them to love again. Rihanna says, "If you let me, here's what I'll do, I'll take care of you." The song is about building trust again, and being brave enough to put your heart out on the line again after you've been hurt. Drake plays the role of the one helping the girl in the song. I think the first verse is quite straightforward. He accepts her past and that she is very guarded. He also acknowledges that his past isn't very bright either and hopes that she'll let him in. He sees in her that she is very caught up in the past and that she "can't sleep thinking that he lies still" in other words, she knows that whatever this person has done to hurt her he is doing again to another person. I like the last part of the second verse, I think it's going back to her previous relationship and talking about how her friends all encouraged her believing she was "following [her] heart" but they were looking at the relationship the wrong way and should have been honest and told her "something to save [her]".

There are various camera angles used in the music video. Many close-ups have been used to show the facial expressions of Drake, Rihanna and animals to show a focus of attention on the character's feelings. Some long shots of sceneries of mountains have also been included which connote peace. A lot of tracking in has been used to draw the viewer into a closer; more intense relationship with the subject also moving away tends to create emotional distance.

There has been both high and low key lighting used in contrast to the mood which is being represented in the video. Backlighting has been used tocreate a halo effect on Rihanna’s hair connoting that she is innocent and pure. There are various cuts used in the video with a fast cutting rate which builds momentum. Cutaway has been used to show the animals and then Drake and Rihanna, this has been done to show the relationship between both. Slow motion has been used to emphasize dramatic moments in the song.

The target audience is teenagers as the song is new and current and is popular among teenagers hence they are encouraged to purchase the album. Drake's attire matches what a teenager would wear, this would be helpful to attract teenagers to watch the music video. Teenagers would be able to relate to the lyrics as Drake raps about failed romances, relationships with friends and family with a fast beat. From the music video I like the concept of using metaphors such as animals to represent emotions and ups and downs of a relationship. I would like to use metaphors when shooting my music video as I believe it gives the song more meaning. As many of Rihanna's shots are taken in the studio I would like to cop this in my music video, having most of Nicki Minaj's shots in the studio. Using the studio would enable me to create the focus on Nicki's facial expressions and will also allow me to adjust the lighting where needed. Filming in a studio would not be difficult for me as the college has a studio which I would be able to book and use during college hours or outside college hours. With the use of studio I will be able to use a green screen and add in various background shots into the music video therefore showing different locations when in fact they are all taken in the studio. This would save me time as I will not be having to travel to different locations for filming, this would be both beneficial for me and the actors.

Here is a link to the music video below: 

Lil Wayne - 6 Foot 7 Foot ft. Cory Gunz

The second song I have chosen is "6 Foot 7 Foot" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne featuring label mate, Cory Gunz. It was offically released on iTunes on December 16, 2010. The song genre is both Rap and Southern Hip-hop. The music video was published on Youtube by LilWayneVEVO on March 10th 2011. The video (directed by Hype Williams) was inspired by the film Inception, with Lil Wayne and the Young Money Crew portraying several scenarios from the film and creating numerous scenes which show many of the metaphors and similies Wayne says in the song. The song finds Wayne spitting about his charisma, his Young Money cohorts, and his sexual conquests.


Based on the contents of the lyrics and the general expressive theme where the author is supposed to be running "the game", an opinion cited and support by the author himself, the Inception tribute seems wildly out of place but persists throughout the artistic piece. “So misunderstood, but what's a World without enigma?”By this, Lil Wayne is asking the audience what is life in this world without a challenge. As enigma is a puzzle and his music is the enigma because most people have to think and put his pieces together to know what the bigger picture is.

Wayne goes on to say “two bitches at the same time, synchronized swimmers” “bitches” is US rap for women. By this sentence Wayne is boasting that he has two girlfriends. He goes on to say “got the girl twisted ‘cause she open when you twist her”. There is a pun of twisted meaning 1) To pull, break, or snap by turning and 2) To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of. By this sentence he means that he is able to chat-up women by being immoral. By “never met the bitch, but I f-ck her like I missed her” Wayne is being derogatory about himself by explaining how shallow he is. He feigned love to get his way with women.

“Life is the bitch, and death is her sister” creates the juxtaposition by contrasting men to be shallow and boastful but women are the universe. I paraphrase:
Women are life.
Death is her sister.
Sleep is her cousin


The camera angles are crucial and many have been used in this music video. The establishing shot is a POV in which Wayne is being slapped; this is an interesting shot as the music video starts off in an unusual way. Low angle shots of Wayne show that he is superior and exaggerating his importance. Various close-up shots have been included to show facial expressions of the people included in the video. Following pan has been used to show Wayne and other members of his group. Lil Wayne attempts to make his view unique as he wears different costumes and also includes some animation. Overall the music video has a lot of high key lighting which puts emphasize on what is being shown on the screen. As the song is of the Rap genre it has a fast cutting rate and many jump cuts have been used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Reaction shots have been used to increase the humor in the song video. Slow motion has been used to emphasize a dramatic point.


The target audience is fans of the music genre Rap and hip hop and also fans of the film inception as the music video is based on it. From the music video I like the fact that the actions carried out by Wayne are related to what the lyrics are saying, this gives the song more depth. I like the use of metaphors as this gives the song more meaning. I like the notion of the video including elements of humour as it makes the video more entertaining to watch. I would like to add animation as there is some animation in the music video and it worked well. There are various shots used in a matter of seconds, I like how the video uses editing techniques such as fade to keep the flow of the video going. I will also use various editing techniques where applicable to keep the video consistent whilst having multiple shots in a matter of few seconds.

Here is a link to the music video:

Lil Wayne - How to Love

The third song I have chosen is "How to Love" is a song by American rapper Lil Wayne, released as the third single from his ninth studio album, Tha Carter IV. The music video waspublished on 24 Aug 2011 on Youtubeby LilWayneVEVO. The song was released on May 31, 2011 and the genre is R&B.

The video portrays the struggles of a single mother who becomes a stripper then she is diagnosed with HIV. The video then rewinds and shows a different life that the girl could have lived in which she is happy and when she becomes an adult, she is in the same hospital again awaiting a test result and the doctor tells her she is pregnant, she is happy and hugs her mother, thanking her for teaching her "how to love." The song received generally positive reviews from critics, complimenting the low tone and mellow meaning in the lyrics.

Wayne’s performance shots are almost an afterthought. His performance, actually seeing him was secondary to him. He really wanted to communicate what his thought was, what he really felt when he wrote these lyrics, and that was the priority. The concept is more a narrative. It's a story about two paths in someone's life and how one small choice that you make can affect your whole life.

The main target audience for this music video is young girls. Wayne is talking to young girls that have ever let one too many men into her heart that just tear a chunk out and leave. This is because the video is about a young girl who has always questioned her self-worth; she had always been valued based on her outer beauty and her body. She has learned to measure her worth with her body and never experienced a man loving her for her inner beauty and who she is on the inside. Her whole outlook on life had been marred by this so she never trusted anyone and found herself accustomed to using her sex appeal to get the things she wanted out of life. She often feels insecure if men looked at her because how they viewed her appearance determined whether or not they would deal with her. She both loathed and capitalised on her looks.

To me, this song speaks for a girl who was born into a broken family. With no father present, she developed insecurities because of the emptiness she felt was never filled due to the lack of a father, thus searching for love and acceptance in the wrong places. When he says "Now you're in this corner, trying to put it together - how to love." It's basically the dark story of a stripper who took the wrong route, due to the lack of love and guidance as a child. Therefore, not loving herself or having respect for herself. In the video it's little different, but in general explains the same basic story. At the end it shows her mother falling in love and marrying again, as the little girl watches them kiss. The little girl grows up with a stable home, witnessing the proper way to love from her mother and new found husband, therefore loving herself. It then shows the confidence manifest in her school work, and her falling in love with a good boy. She goes through life much differently rather than being raised in an unstable environment.

Various camera techniques have been used in this video. Many CU and BCU have been used to put attention on the character’s grief and pain that she goes through. Selective focus has been used to divert attention from each character whilst not creating confusion within the story. Costume and make-up is vital as the main character is portrayed in two forms, one of which where she is a stripper and one of which where she is a graduate from University. The costumes given to her are crucial as this is most easily noticeable aspect of mise-en-scene. Editing is also important, motivated cuts have been used when the doctor tells the news to the main character. This has been done to show her facial expressions and feelings towards to the news. The cutting rate also increases when the news has been given to create more emphasis. Low key lighting has been used to create a dark atmosphere as the song has a lot of meaning and is a slow-paced sad song.

From the music video I like how it tells a story throughout the song whilst including lip-syncing. This is what I want to include when creating my music video. The scenes used are natural settings which inspired me to choose rudimentary locations when shooting my music video. This will be ideal as I am on a low budget. Editing plays a huge role in this video as there are a lot of shots filmed in a matter of seconds. I will also have to do this in my video as I want to go back and forth from the characters whilst telling a story. The use of slow motion is effective as it creates more tension and puts more emphasis on the character. I will be using some slow motion when shooting my video as the effect looks good and is not hard to do.

Here is a link to the music video: