Evaluation:

I created a rap/hip hop style music video for the song ‘Top Off’ by the US rapper ‘Gunna’. I
created the video for the Raindance Film festival music video competition. My role in
creating this video was director, camera man, and editor and I filmed with actors Angelo,
who played the rapper in the video, and Juras, who played a background character in the
video.
My brief asked me to create a production ‘fit for a public exhibition’ that will allow me to
demonstrate my skills. I could have chosen to create either a short film, music video, radio
drama or documentary. Out of these I chose to create a music video because I felt that I
would be able to show off lots of different skills in both editing and camera work as well as
develop these skills as music videos require lots of different aspects of media. I chose to do
a video for the Rap/Hip hop genre because it is a genre that I listen to a lot and know a lot
about, and because I think that rap videos are the most entertaining to watch.
I decided to enter the Raindance Film festival music video competition. This is a competition
which aims to show new and upcoming film directors from the UK and the rest of the world.
I decided to enter as I felt that it would be an opportunity for me to show lots of my
different skills. The submission will be judged on their 'quality of narrative' and 'production
values', as well as the 'Independent nature of the production’, so I managed to show these
things in my production. For example, I included an engaging separate narrative at the start
of the video which keeps the viewer engaged, I used lots of interesting camera angles and
settings, and I included lots unique editing effects that make my video different to everyone
else’s.
My video is about a young man who lived in poverty in the US, getting involved with gangs
and selling drugs as a way to make a living. During one deal a rival gang member pulls up
and shoots at him trying to kill him. After escaping with his life, he then returns home where
he watches a rap music video which inspires him to him to pursue his dreams of becoming a
rapper. He then phones a friend and asks to record a song in his studio. The video then cuts
to three years later when he is a rapper and has become rich and famous. This is when the
performance part of the video starts. During this part, he performs the song whilst showing
off his new manor house and designer clothes. This part of video includes brighter lighting,
more colours and lots of trippy effects showing how the rapper is now happy.

Genre:
For my music video I chose to do the rap/hip hop genre as I felt that they have the most
interesting and entertaining videos. To show that my video is within the rap genre, I used
many of the techniques and conventions of rap videos, including the lighting, settings,
props, clothes, themes, editing and camera angles.
I used lots of close ups and low angles in the video to create the idea that the artist in the
video is superior to the viewer, I used mid shots to show off the artists possessions and
clothes to show that he is rich and create the idea that he lives a better life than the viewer,
making them jealous. Wide angles allowed me to show off the artist’s surroundings, which
in this case was an expensive manor house, adding to the idea that he has an amazing life.
They also let me add lots of effects to the video.

I also decided to edit the video to match the rap genre. The editing is fast paced and synced
to the beat, making it entertaining to watch and helping it to flow quickly so that it doesn’t
get boring. I also added lots of trippy and psychedelic effects to my video which are fun to
watch, helping to keep the viewer engaged as they want to see more effects.
 As well as this, the settings of my video fits within the genre. The first setting I used was a
rundown car park covered in graffiti, litter and broken glass. This suggests to the audience
that to start with he lives in poverty and in a rough area, which implies that he is tough. This
location is contrasted with the second location – an expensive manor house. This suggests
that he is rich and wealthy and adds to the idea that he is living better than the viewer. The
contrast between the two settings also adds to the idea of ‘rags to riches’ which is also a
theme often explored in rap videos. The fact that he goes back to the first setting at the end
of the video creates the idea that he appreciates where he comes from, also suggesting that
he is loyal, another theme often shown in rap videos. This loyalty makes the viewer respect
the artist in the video more as well. Another setting I used was a dark room with a strobe
light, creating the idea that he is at a club. This adds to the idea that he lives an exciting life.

The lighting used throughout the majority of the video is bright. This is because it helps to
show off the rappers surroundings. However, I would’ve liked to have filmed the intro to the
video in the dark because it would’ve a darker atmosphere, but no one was available to film
at night. To overcome this I turned the saturation down and dulled the colours at the start
of the video to create a more depressing atmosphere, then turned the saturation and
brightness up for the performance part of the video to suggest that the character is now
happy and living a good life. For the club scenes I used dark lighting to suggest that the artist
likes to party, adding to the idea that he lives a fun and exciting life.
 To add to the idea that the character is rich, I made the actor wear expensive designer
clothes as well as a chain and a watch, further adding to the idea that he lives a better life
than the viewer.

When asked whether they felt that rap/hip hop was a suitable genre for my video, everyone
said that it does. Some other feedback included the fact that it ‘includes a lot of suitable
aspects of hip hop and rap’, showing that the video fits well within the rap genre, as well as
the fact that ‘the chilled it vibe matched the story, and also related to the struggles of the
character’. This shows that the struggle of the character is relatable to the audience, making
them feel attached to the character.
To improve the genre, I would have filmed the introduction during night time as to try and
convey the dark life that he is living. It would have fitted the narrative more as night time is
associated with gangs and crime more than day time, and it would have made the scenes
feel more intense. It would have also helped it to fit in the rap genre more as rap videos are
usually filmed in the dark when they are trying to convey the criminal lives they have.
Another thing I would’ve changed would be adding more background character’s to support
the main character during his performance part. Rap videos often include the artists friends
and gang members in the video to show that they are loyal to their friends as well as to
intimidate the viewer, so I feel that this would’ve made my video fit within the genre better.

Content/Narrative:
For my music video I decided to add a short film at the start to create a clear narrative that
will later be developed on in the actual performance part of the video, as well as to
introduce the character to the audience. This allowed for the character to have a clear ark in
the video and develop as a person as the video goes on. The short film at the start of the
video focuses on the character living in poverty and trying to make money by selling drugs.
In my research I looked at poverty in the US as well as gang life and why people get involved
with it. I tried reflecting this in the start of the video by showing the character’s struggle
with money, what he has to do to get money and the fact that he lives in a rough, run-down
area. This is successfully shown through the use of setting at the start of the video, as it is
set in a dodgy, graffiti-covered car park. His struggle with money is shown as in the video he
checks through his wallet and realises he has no money left, so decides to phone someone
to see if they have any ‘jobs’ for him, in this case selling drugs, one of the main ways gangs
make money. He then meets a client in a stair well for a drug deal, and during a deal a rival
gang member pulls up outside in his car. He then storms the building and begins to shoot at
the main character trying to kill him. The character manages to escape but is left shook
afterwards. This scene highlights the dangers of getting involved with gangs as well as what
they are willing to do to get by. The character then phones one of his friends and tells him to
book a studio session so that he can make a song and start his dream of becoming a rapper.
This shows the alternatives people in poverty can take in order to get over their struggle
with money. The video then cuts to three years later when the artist is now rich and famous.
This is shown through the expensive setting used, as well as the designer clothes he is
wearing. The rest of the video focuses on him performing and the amazing life he now lives.
At the end of the video he then returns to the graffiti covered wall he was leant against at
the beginning of the video, showing to the audience how far he has come and how happy he
is now with his life considering how bad it was at one point. This emphasises the theme of
‘rags to riches’ as the video directly compares the two different lifestyle he has lived.

When asked what was good about my music video's content and what could be improved,
people said that ‘the narrative was engaging’, ‘the jump from rags to riches was showcased
well’, ‘the editing was amazing there is only one thing I would say to improve on and that is
in some parts Angelo isn’t saying the words clearly’, ‘The effects were top notch, and the lip-
syncing and pace of the video is really good’, ‘the editing was great but maybe if Angelo
opens his mouth’, ‘The narrative was engaging’, ‘The content was very creative and different
to what I usually watch’, ‘Lots of effects which really transformed scenes, and maybe more
of a variety of locations to improve’, ‘I think the way you have thought and then produced
your video especially putting the edits in really made it creative, the beginning I as confused
about’. From this feedback I learnt that people enjoyed the rags to riches story as it was
engaging. This meant that they wanted to keep on watching as they wanted to see what will
happen to the character.

What asked what was good about my music video's narrative and what could be improved,
people said that ‘the character had a clear development because he went from broke to
rich’, ‘I was a bit confused about what happened, the beginning was really strong and clear
but then it gets sort of lost’, ‘Clear storyline at start to set scene’, ‘I was confused during the
beginning of your narrative however I think the rest worked well’, ‘I like how you went a bit
in depth with the narrative and not just a few seconds, it made the narrative take more of
impact’, ‘The narrative was strong, having realised that he is broke and needs a job, contacts
his friends, when a deal goes wrong, he looks for an actual job, which send him swimming in
money, what I would recommend is have a better connect with the story from the actual
music video’, ‘I like how the storyline and video were separate’, ‘he character had a clear
development because he went from broke to rich’. From this feedback I learnt that people
enjoyed the idea of the character going from being poor to rich as it was a relatable
struggle, making them more invested into what happens to him and the story. I also found
that they enjoyed the fact that I went in depth with the narrative as it made the video more
interesting to watch and had more of an impact.

To improve the narrative of my video, I would have extended the introduction slightly and
included a scene where the artist is actually recording his first song, then maybe followed up
by a montage of him making songs and getting richer and more famous. This would’ve made
it clearer to the viewer of how his life changed rather than just cutting to three years later. It
would’ve made the narrative less confusing. To improve my content, I would’ve made the
character’s involvement with gangs much clearer. I would’ve shown him actually meeting
some of his friends, showing the viewer the connection in his gang and therefore explaining
some incentives into why people end up choosing this lifestyle.

Style:
My music video uses both a narrative and performance style. The first half of the video, or
the introduction, is purely narrative and contains none of the song in it, almost like a short
film. I feel that this was effective because it helped to set up the narrative for the whole
video as well as introducing the character to the audience. It also let me include more
performance parts in the video later. Having a narrative at the start makes the viewer want
to keep watching the video as they want to know what happens next, especially considering
the introduction was left on a cliff hanger. The second half on the video was mainly
performance with the artist lip syncing and dancing to the song, as well as including some B-
Roll footage of the character walking around and showing off. This part of the video doesn’t
contain much narrative, but includes lots of fast paced editing as well as lots of trippy and
psychedelic effects that help to keep the viewer entertained. There is also a small amount of
narrative right at the end of the video, helping to wrap the story up.

When asked what was good about my music video's style and what could be improved,
people said that the ‘pictures were good’, it’s ‘quite fast and keeps a good pace going’, ‘the
style was very laid back, after the 3 years later, the chilled out music paired with the effects
made it very trance-like state of mind’, ‘it was fun to watch but could stick to one style
throughout the whole thing’, ‘The swift editing was good different outfits in scenes’, ‘think
the style of your music video matched the genre and song really well’. This feedback
emphasised the idea that the fast paced editing made the video fun to watch, as well as the
trippy editing adding to the overall chilled and psychedelic feel of the video.
To improve the style of my music video I would separate the section of narrative at the end
of the video from the performance part as to make it have more impact. It would also let me
end the performance part of the video on a more refined and finished note, helping to make
the ending smoother.

Character:
 The character in my music video is relatable as he is shown struggling with money which is a
subject that many people understand and relate to. He is also shown getting involved with
gangs and drugs, showing the audience what it can be like to live like this. As well as this he
is shown living in poverty which some people may also relate to. This helps to humanize him
as he is shown to start off from humble beginnings rather than just showing of his wealth
and success as if he’d always been that way. Later on in the video during the performance
part the character is shown to have become a famous rapper who is now extremely rich.
This rags to riches story may also be inspirational to some people as it shows other ways you
can make money, as well as the fact that anyone can become rich and famous. It also shows
that he doesn’t need to get involved with gangs in order to make money, teaching the
audience a lesson. He is shown to be rich by the expensive designer clothes he is wearing, as
well as the chain, shades and watch. During this part of the video, he is also much more
confident and less paranoid, showing to the audience that getting rid of gangs from his life
has made him a happier person, teaching them another lesson.

When asked what was good about my music video's characters and what could be
improved, people said ‘the characters seems realistic to what you are trying to represent
through your ideas’, ‘I would only say that the lip syncing would need to improve only a little
bit though’, ‘The characters were well chosen, and viewers could understand and personally
relate to their struggles of trying to get some money in their pocket’, ‘he looks like a rapper’,
‘The character was relatable’, ‘They were realistic’, ‘clearly represented’, ‘he was a cool
dude’. This feedback adds to the idea that the character and his struggles are relatable with
the viewer, making them feel more personally involved with the story. It also emphasises
the idea that the character is realistic, meaning that the viewer cares what happens to him
and wants to keep watching to find out what’s going to happen to him.
To improve my character I would give him more back story so to make it clearer as to why
he was in that situation selling drugs in the first place. This might give the audience a clearer
idea of how people end up getting into poverty as well as getting involved in gangs. I would
have also made sure that the actor knows exactly what he’s saying so that he can sync the
lyrics properly throughout the whole video. This would have made the video feel even more
realistic and therefor the viewer would feel even more attached to his story.

Techniques/technical qualities:

In my music video I used multiple camera and editing techniques to make it as unique and
as entertaining as possible. When filming, I used different camera angles to create different
ideas and moods. I used lots of close ups to create confrontational shots that make the
artist seem intimidating and tough, as well as low angles in which he raps down at the
camera, suggesting that he is superior to the viewer. I also used mid shots and wide angles
so that he can show off everything nice he has, such as his clothes and mansion, as well as
to add lots of effects afterwards during editing. I also used some creative shots, such as the
one during the drug deal scene where I filmed behind a set of bars going down the stairs.
This shot was good as it creates a suspicious and eerie atmosphere, as well as implying that
the character is trapped by the life he lives with gangs and selling drugs, showing that it’s
not glorious. Some other creative shots I filmed include from behind the manor house bars
and over the shoulders of statues, making it feel as if the viewer is actually there watching
the character live his life from a distance, making the piece feel more personal.

As well as lots of different camera techniques, I used lots of different editing techniques as
well. I created lots of fun transitions as well as psychedelic visuals that gave the video a
trippy feel. For example, I masked out a lot of the backgrounds and sections from some clips
and replaced them with a galaxy effect, making the shots more interesting. I also warped,
distorted and displaced certain parts of the video, creating trippy glitch effects that are fun
to watch and keep the viewer engaged. Using Adobe after effects, I added lots of animations
to clips by drawing on each individual frame with the pen tool, which created unique and
funny animations. One other effect I created was one where there is four of the same artist
sitting on the stair case and rapping to each other, which adds to the trippy tone of the
video. I also created one of the effects that I had previously made during my test shoots- I
made the character turn to a skeleton in time with the beat. These unusual effects also
match the chilled tone of the song. As well as effects, I also created and added lots of
transitions between shots to help make the video feel smoother and flow better. Some of
these included ‘dip to whites’ with film reel overlays, colourful glitch transitions, background
mask transitions where the character appears in the background of the previous shot,
simple mask transitions in which the character moves across the screen into place and then
the next shot, complex mask transitions in which each individual background segment of the
next shot move into place, and warp and displacement transitions in which the character
warps into the screen. All of these effects and transitions help to give the video a unique,
trippy feel, as well as making interesting to watch.

When I asked what was good about my music video's techniques and what could be
improved, 'The visual effects were very impressive and kept the video exciting to watch’,
‘the editing style’, ‘The techniques used were well thought out, from what your website
says, you have done these techniques to a professional standard’, ‘the colour’, ‘It had really
good editing and effects’, ‘I think the editing was really good, it was very creative and fun to
watch’, ‘effects were really effective’, ‘think this was all well done could be slightly more
steady in the beginning.’ From this feedback I learnt that people really enjoyed the editing
effects I used, adding to the idea that they are fun and entertaining to watch.

When asked what was good about my music video's technical qualities and what could be
improved, people said that ‘It had good effects’, ‘I think the camera work was really good’,
‘camera work was nice u used lots of angles’, ‘you have used these qualities to improve how
viewers are able to understand your video's ideas’, ‘Editing was pristine, some of the best
effects I have seen’. This feedback further emphasises the idea that the editing is
entertaining, as well as the fact that the camera work is good and helps to create ideas
throughout the video.
One technique I would improve would be my mask tracking. Although I had improved a lot
with my masking ability, some of my mask tracking was a bit rough around the edges as it
was difficult to change the mask frame by frame. If I made it again, I would make sure to
spend more time on this. Another thing that I would improve about my techniques would
bet to add more interesting shots, such as the one behind the bars. I think that not only
would it emphasise and create more ideas in my video, but also make the video more
unique and memorable. Another thing I would improve would be making sure that all my
effects are consistent, as some of the effects look less refined than others because I spent
less time creating them. For example the colour changing effects.

Aesthetic/creative qualities:

Overall my video is very visually appealing which helps to keep the viewer entertained and
therefore keeps them watching. This is because of the colourful and interesting settings I
have used as well as the creative effects that I have made and used which have created a
trippy and psychedelic feel to the whole video. For example, throughout the video I have
masked out certain parts, including the sky, water in a fountain and the character’s glasses,
and replaced them with a galaxy video, creating a visually appealing effect as well as a chill
atmosphere. I also I filled the video with trippy visuals and effects, such as warps, distortion
and displacements which creates a fun video for the viewer to watch. I also created other
visually appealing effects such as pen animations and VHS effects. All of these help to make
the video more entertaining and therefore keep the viewers’ attention. I also colour
corrected lots of the footage to create a certain atmosphere. For example, for the
introduction I turned down the brightness and lowered the saturation to make the video
really dull and boring to look at to reflect the bad life that the character is living. For the
performance of the video I turned the saturation up and boosted the bright colours up to
create a happier atmosphere to reflect the good life the character is now living.
When asked what was good about my music videos aesthetic qualities and what could be
improved, people said that ‘It had a trippy and psychedelic aesthetic’, ‘the videos visuals are
really fun and engaging,’ ‘everything about it was creative especially the edits, made to look
really good’, ‘The colours used in your effects were very unique and visually stimulating’,
‘the visuals from the effects are really wavy and feel like you’re are tripping out’, ‘nice
scenery’, ‘It had a trippy and psychedelic aesthetic’. This feedback emphasises the fact that
the video has a psychedelic feel throughout thanks to the editing, making it more
entertaining to watch.

When asked what was good about my music video's creativity and what could be improved,
people said that ‘The effects I felt were very creative’, ‘the creativity of your story could be a
bit more stretched out’, ‘I would like to see some more information on the characters, such
as how did they get to be so broke and things like that’, ‘the effects were very creative’,
‘there were lots of bright colours and cool effects used’. This feedback, once again, shows
that the colours and effects used were very entertaining.
To improve my creativity, I would film with more unique and fun camera angles to make the
video more different and interesting to watch.

Comparison:
Ski Mask The Slump God- Catch me Outside-

Both my music video and Ski Mask’s video use conventions of the rap genre to convey
certain messages. For example, both videos use close up camera angles to create
confrontational shots as well as low angles to give the artist power over the viewer, and
wide angles and mid shots to show off the artists surroundings as well as to add lots of
effects. My video also uses mid shots to allow the artist to show off his designer clothes and
expensive props (such as chains) to show that he lives a better life than the viewer, whereas
Ski Mask’s video doesn’t focus on this aspect as much. However, I feel that the Ski Mask’s
video uses camera angles more effectively as they are often used for comedic purposes
which subverts the viewers expectation, therefore making the video more unique. Ski
Mask’s video also uses dark lighting and is set in New York City at night, whereas mine is
mainly set at a manor house during the day and uses bright lighting. I feel that both videos
use setting and lighting well for different reasons- Ski Mask’s being set in a city at night
shows the viewer that he lives an exciting life as he likes to party, and my video being set at
an expensive house during the day shows that the artist in mine is now rich and happy. Both
of our music videos use lots of weird and psychedelic editing and effects to give the videos a
trippy feel throughout as well as to keep the viewer entertained. However, I feel that effects
used in Ski Mask’s video are better as they are more refined and look more polished. In
future, I will make sure to leave myself more time to edit in order to spend more time on
these effects.

Overall I feel that my video had a better narrative as well as character than Ski Mask’s video.
I think this because his video didn’t really include any narrative at all, it just focused on him
performing. This was effective as it allowed the viewer to focus on his lyrics, the message he
was trying put across and the visuals on screen. However, including some narrative
would’ve made it more engaging and interesting to watch, which is why I had it in my video.
I included an entire separate section at the start of my video dedicated to narrative to help
set the scene and build a background for the character, making the viewer more invested in
the video and therefore wanting to know what will happen next. In Ski Mask’s video, we get
to learn a bit about the character’s (in this case the actual artist of the song, Ski Mask)
personality- we can see that he is funny as he does stupid dances as well as messing around
in the mirror. However, because of the lack of narrative we don’t get to learn much more
than that about him. Whereas in my music video, the narrative helps to build a back story
for the character as well as show the viewer what he’s like. Because of this, and the context
of his background, he is more relatable and likable than the character in Ski Mask’s video,
therefore making the viewer care more about what happens next in my video.
In my opinion, both music videos share equally good creative qualities, as both have used
unique and fun effects as well as interesting camera angles to create quirky and enjoyable
experiences. However, overall I feel that Ski Mask’s video has a more consistent aesthetic to
it as it is set in two similar settings throughout with consistent lighting, effects and themes.
On the other hand, my music video uses multiple different locations with different lighting,
more random effects, and a different atmosphere throughout. Although this makes it less
predictable than Ski Mask’s video, I feel that his has a consistent atmosphere that helps
make the video flow better as well as feel more memorable. Both our videos use lots of
interesting and fun techniques that make it more enjoyable to watch, including editing
techniques as well as camera techniques. We have both used lots of strange trippy effects
that are entertaining to watch and give the video a psychedelic feel, although I do think that
the effects in Ski Mask’s video were better looking as they had more time spent on them.
However I do feel that I have used mire unique and interesting camera angles and shots
than Ski Mask’s video.

Blueface- Respect my Crippin’ –

Both my music video and Blueface’s music video include codes and conventions from the
rap genre to help create ideas within our videos as well as make them entertaining. For
example, both our videos use lots of unique editing effects that are fun and interesting to
watch. Personally I think that the effects I have used are better as they are bolder and
follow more of a theme throughout the video. In both videos, we use bright lighting. I feel
that bright lighting suits my video more as it is trying to portray the happy life that the
character is now living, whereas Blueface’s video focuses more on gangster life and crime,
which I think dark lighting would suit more. However, the bright lighting still works as it is
used to show off the artist’s surroundings as well as his expensive jewellery, which makes
the viewer jealous. The character in my video also uses expensive props, however I feel that
in Blueface’s video these are used more effectively as they shown off more regularly and in
a bolder way, helping to embed the idea that he lives a good life into the viewers head. In
Blueface’s video he uses a rundown urban area as the location to show off the fact that he is
tough, whereas in my video I mainly used an expensive manor house and it’s grounds to
show that the artist is living a great life. Both locations are effective as they convey these
messages well. Both of our music videos also use camera angles to convey messages as well.
For example, both videos use close ups to intimidate the viewer by suggesting that the
character is tough, and both videos use mid shots and wide angles to show off what the
artist is wearing, their surroundings and so that lots of effects could be added.

Both Blueface’s video and mine develop our characters at the start of the videos, however
mine is done through a narrative story and Blueface’s is done through the use of real life
footage. For example, there is footage of Blueface chilling with his friends and gang
members, as well as taking drugs and throwing up gang signs to the camera. This is effective
as it creates the idea that he is tough and not to be messed with. The narrative at the start
of my music is also effective as it builds a back story for the character- it shows him living in
a rough area and getting involved with gangs due to his lack of money, making his struggle
relatable to many of the viewers, and therefore making them feel more invested in what
happens to the character. Blueface’s video does not contain any narrative, however his
character is still effectively developed.

Overall, I think that my music video has a better aesthetic than Blueface’s video because of
the repeated use of editing effects. I also think that the setting used in my video is more
visually appealing. However, Blueface’s video still has a good overall aesthetic. Both of our
videos use lots of effects, however I feel that the effects I have used are more original and
entertaining to watch. Despite this, I feel that Blueface’s video had better and more creative
camera work.

I feel that I am very suited to the media industry because I am very creative. I have the
ability to visualise what I want my projects to be like and create them close to these ideas.
The things I create are eye catching and entertaining. For example, the effects used in my
music video are interesting and fun to watch. The videos I create also have a unique style,
once again shown through the creative editing in my music video. I also feel that my camera
work is good and creates ideas and themes in my work, as shown by some of the creative
shots I did in my music video, such as the scene where I filmed from behind bars. However, I
still need to develop certain skills in order to be better suited to the media industry. For
example, I need to work on my time management skills and the ability to get things done
before deadlines as this is something that I am not very good at. This will be a vital skill for
working in the media industry as I will have to meet deadlines or get fired.