Lil Uzi Vert – XO Tour Llif3 (Official Music Video)

This music video has provided me inspiration for my own in the form of visual effects. For many of the shots, there are effects that while ultimately decreasing the quality of the image, provide a much more original aesthetic to the music video. The two most noticeable of these effects are the increase in film grain and the implementation of VHS effects. The film grain slightly blurs the footage, occasionally making it more difficult for the viewer to clearly see everything that is happening. This does however make the footage seem rawer while also managing to maintain a professional edge due to the rather noticeable contrast between the shots that lack substantial film grain. The VHS effects, while also deteriorating the overall visibility of the video, provide a rather unique aesthetic almost like that of a found-footage movie. This effect also gives off quite a nostalgic feeling of back when movies were lacking high production values.

I feel as though these effects are quite influential for me as while I of course also do not have an exceptionally high production value, I am more intrigued by the more unique method of making my own movie more visually appealing, and I feel as though the use of film grain and VHS effects are simple yet effective methods of doing so. Furthermore, the music video also occasionally features the use of visual effects in the sky, modifying its colour and sometimes even utilising lightning effects that while clearly not real, still look passable, especially when used sparingly. I feel as though I may also be able to utilise similar effects within certain shots of my own music video.

The music video was directed by Virgil Abloh, and is the only music video that he has directed. Abloh is an American fashion designer, DJ, and music producer. He founded the brand Off-White and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018 by Time magazine. Clearly Abloh has utilised his experience in other forms of media to direct this video, and has done well, with the video having over 250 million views on YouTube.

Clapping for the Wrong Reasons [director’s cut]

This short film contains an array of rather original shots that are not often used within contemporary cinema. Often the camera angles themselves are quite simplistic, tending to linger on the subjects of its shot. However, the positioning of the objects within each shot is what makes them stand out. Some shots keep the main subject out of focus, instead directing the viewers attention to an object of less importance. However, this does not detract from the quality of the film, instead giving it a more raw and original feeling.

The director also clearly has knowledge of more contemporary filmmaking techniques and manages to use them to great effect as well. A prime example being his use of symmetry in certain shots that have every right to be bland, that end up still looking quite appealing to the viewer. One scene in particular features the protagonist making breakfast, and thus having to get resources from his fridge. While this would typically be nothing more than a menial task, the use of a singular, drawn-out shot with the protagonist placed in between the two doors, manages to make it stand out.

The short film was directed by Hiro Murai, a frequent collaborator with Donald Glover, who wrote the screenplay for the film. Murai had directed music videos for Donald, who goes by his stage name Childish Gambino, in the past, and went on to direct the Grammy nominated music video ‘This is America’. He has also worked on videos for other music artists, however none appear as raw as the ones that he has worked on with Glover.

With this film in mind, I believe that utilising creative yet simplistic shots as featured in Clapping for the Wrong Reasons will be beneficial to me, and help to maintain the attention of the viewers, even if the ongoing scene is not the most interesting. Furthermore, taking a more abstract approach to my shots would hopefully help to make my video stand out from the rest.

Death Grips – You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for…

My reasoning for finding inspiration in this seemingly meaningless and completely incoherent music video, is primarily the assault on the senses that it gives to the viewer. It begins with no music, merely a furnace being switched on, and as the flames begin to get higher over time the viewer is lead to believe that something is going to happen. Obviously, this is the build up to the start of the actual song playing, however it still manages to build up tension and make the viewer question exactly what is going to happen next.

When the music finally does start, the viewer is met with a rather shocking scene. The rest of the music video consists solely of the group’s vocalist MC Ride crying, smiling and laughing at the camera, maintaining eye contact for the majority of that time and with no cuts. This has clearly been done in order to intimidate the viewer and push them out of their comfort zone. It is arguable not supposed to be a very enjoyable experience. I aim to do a similar thing with my own music video, utilising lingering and uncomfortable shots to create a sense of unease for the viewer. Of course, I intend to have more than just two shots throughout the whole of my music video.

The music video was directed by the group themselves, with no singular person being labelled as a director. This means that it was likely the work of the group as a whole, as the majority of their other music videos credit the entire group as the director. The group consists of three people: MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin, each being the vocalist, drummer/producer, and recording engineer of the group respectively. All of their music videos are credited as being highly disorienting and intimidating, with one even requiring the viewer to have a pair of red and blue 3D glasses in order to see properly.