HIRO MURAI AND

HANNAH LUX DAVIS

MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTORS

HIRO MURAI
Hiro Murai is a Tokyo-born music video
director based in Los Angeles. He has
worked on insanely popular music
videos since 2009. He has worked with
many artists but he gravitates towards
the Hip-Hop and rap genre. A big name
artist, Childish Gambino, is one of the
artists that has used Murai for the
majority of his big music videos. Despite
focussing mainly on the Hip-Hop genre,
the music videos he creates differ quite
drastically to what you'd stereotypically
expect to see from a rap video. We
associate hip-hop videos with images of
girls dancing, which Laura Mulvey
describes as the male gaze. We also
associate them with tacky gold chains
and violence, but Murai keeps far away
from enforcing these stereotypes. By
not following these typical trends Murai
sets himself up as a sophisticated and

CHILDISH GAMBINO SWEATPANTS (2014)

This music video is simply satisfying to watch and with his videos he takes the audience to an alternate reality. According to
Blumler and Klatzs Uses and Gratifications this would fulfil the audiences need for a diversion from there every day life.

In this video he edits smoothly and only uses pans and dolly shots with the camera. The pace of editing is notably slow.
Despite the upbeat music the editing and camera movements stay smooth and slow which in turn create high levels of
verisimilitude and gives the audience the feel that rather than watching a music video they are just watching everyday life
occur. This follows Andrew Goodwins theory that a key convention of music videos is the enhancement or contrast of the
music through the visuals. Murai provides quite the juxtaposition between the visuals of the music video and the upbeat
bassline, which thus agrees with Goodwins theory. This music video would definitely be put in the category of concept
music videos, this is because of the odd feeling and dream-like atmosphere created by Murai. The only performance aspect
of the video being the constant lip synching from Childish, which is typical of the majority of music videos anyway.

Another way he keeps a high level of verisimilitude is through the use of only medium shots or long shots being used. This
keeps the audience at eye view throughout the entire video and thus enhancing the feeling of reality throughout the video.
Murai never uses unconventional camera angles, such as which further emphasises the verisimilitude.

CHILDISH GAMBINO SWEATPANTS (2014)

Despite this high level verisimilitude, the videos appear dream-like and mystic. I believe this is due to the lighting he uses
throughout the video. He uses low key lighting as an overall effect but adds high key lamps, particularly notable is the intense
spotlight that is directed on Childish in the part of the video when he goes outside. This creates the emphasises the focus on him in
the video as well as create an unrealistic lighting set up which makes him appear to be quite angelic, almost as if hes the innocent
one in the situation. It directly contrasts with the dark, night time lighting outside which could emphasise and represent the lyrics
Im doing me better than you doing you. The purpose of this could have been to show how Childish is the innocent and one and
the one who is going about life right. The way Murai uses lighting creates a hazy atmosphere that makes the audience feel like they
are in a very realistic dream sequence.
When the music changes tone, the visuals follow suit. This again goes along with Goodwins argument that a common convention of
music videos is that the music is accentuated by the visuals. The subject and visual switch halfway through the music video, when
there is a music video, support this. When there is a subject change, the dark background and mood matches the melancholy
music.
As carol Vernallis explains when speaking about the diegesis, repetition of scenes is a key convention of music video. This occurs
distinctively in the music video for Sweatpants, particular as he keeps repeating actions. As Childish explains in an interview, this
creates the intended feeling of claustrophobia and like youre losing it which further emphasises Murais work on making the
video feel dreamlike.

BLOC PARTY SIGNS REMIX (2009)

Murai describes his experience of making this music video as his first real recognised music video in the industry, and its
a great start, especially since their budget was only $2,000. The video has a dystopian, nightmare like aesthetic which fits
the intense beats of the Dance music genre perfectly and perfectly sum.
The medium and extreme close ups he uses constantly throughout the video work to keep the audience suspenseful and
fear induced as they wait to see what horrors will be shown. They embed enigma codes, as Barthes calls them, which
make the audience question what is going on and why. This also helps the audience get the uses and gratifications they
desire. According to Blumler and Katz the video fulfils the audiences need to escape from their reality. This seems to be
a common occurrence in Murais videos because they are so fantastical. The close ups, pan camera movements that
Murai creates help draw attention to the weirdest parts of the video such as the
A technique Murai uses in this music video is a long shot of the characters with the lights in their back, and the camera is
shaken and vibrating rather than staying stable. This is an effective camera movement as it creates even more
nightmarish visuals on screen.
The editing of this video goes both contradict and supports Carol Vernallis theory on music editing. This is because
although he uses jump cuts at a quicker pace than other types of media texts, such as film, his video editing style differs
quite drastically from the majority of music videos. Instead of using short, snappy sequences he uses slower, panned
shows to present the visuals to the audience. This keeps their attention on the critical visuals rather than the narrative,
which in this case there appears to be none.

FLYING LOTUS NEVER CATCH ME (2014)

This video begins in a religious looking building. Initially, if the audience is familiar with Murais work, they will notice things that
seem to be a regular thing for him, such as the fluorescent flickering lights. This adds tension for the audience, and the setting
helps embed enigma codes that will be answered later in the video.
The video was shot in a tighter frame than the regular widescreen music video, this gives the video a retro feeling, it also
focusses the audience on the story being portrayed through the visuals rather than the overall aesthetics. The bright but
natural lighting used throughout the video creates a blissful feel which complements the visuals of the music video. Murai used
natural sun light to his advantage as it creates a heavenly feeling.
Some critics of this music video may argue that this video presents equality for men and women, and this follows Tricia Roses
theory of hip-hop music videos empowering black women. Some may also argue that Murai is targeting this video to a specific
urban tribe (Michel Maffesoli), which would be black, religious people. I disagree as I believe Murai targets no group of people in
particular and uses topics, that everyone relates to, to his advantage, such as he does with the deaths of children in this video.
Murais use of pan shots work well with the meaning behind he video as it creates a more emotional and relaxed feeling rather
than an overly upbeat and messy atmosphere, which the funeral based narrative calls for. They also present the juxtaposition of
the sad faces at the funeral compared with the happy dancing well. I really like this music video because I think its a really
interesting take on the deaths of young children.

CHET FAKER GOLD (2014)

This video, similar to the others has a distinctive lighting style. The lighting in this video can be categorised as
chiaroscuro, this is because it is shot outside at night time so it is pitch black. The only light is a high key, bright and
intense light that is focused in the centre of the image. This unnatural lighting represents the unrealistic scenarios
seen in the videos, and helps embed the enigma codes which make the audience question what is going on.
This video consists of long continuous dolly shots, this keeps it simple which highlights the simplicity of the visuals
so the audience can focus more on the song, whilst simultaneously being entertained.
The videos aesthetic again has this nightmarish/unreal vibe. This is because the actual content of the video is odd
and doesnt seem to relate to the lyrics in anyway. According to Goodwin, this is something that is commonly seen
in music videos; when the visuals do not relate to the lyrics.
One think that is notably different about this video compared to Murais other videos is that the video features a lot
of dancing. Murais videos tend to feature dancing but briefly, such in Sweatpants. However, the video he created
for Never Catch me also heavily featured dance, so it seems to be an irregular thing for Murai to do, however it is
very effective for this type of music video as the genre is much more dance and pop.

BAAEUR DAY ONES (2016)

Again in this video of Murais, the first the audiences eye is drawn to is the atmospheric lighting. The video takes
place in the dark/night time with the main sources of light being from fluorescent lamps or vehicle lights driving
past. This sets the mood with a tense and creepy feeling for the audience. This feeling of uncertainty is also
emphasised by the slow paced editing.
Murai uses a lot of chiaroscuro lighting in the video. This matches the tone of the song well as it is a rap grimey
song so the dark sense that this lighting technique gives supports this and enhances it. It also adds to the mystical
and unreal feeling the videos visuals give.
Something else that is notable in this video, is the coloured lighting used. Although Murais videos often feature a
lot of bright objects and colours, we rarely see him experimenting with coloured lighting. It is effective as it adds to
the dream like feeling of the video, as well as drawing the audiences eye to what Murai wants the focus of the
video to be.
Some may argue that the way Murai presents the female rapper in the song to be covered in a ski mask/balaclava,
not only enhances the lyrics ski mask in the air, but also empowers the black woman. This is because it could be
said that the ski mask wearing represents how her gender shouldnt determine her success or how good she as an
artist, therefore it doesnt matter whether you can see her gender or not. This would fit will with Tricia Roses Black
female empowerment theory, as the visuals could be seen to empower black females in the music industry.

MURAIS STYLE OF MUSIC VIDEO

Murai has a reoccurring theme in the videos he makes of them being set in a dreamlike world and he
puts these unrealistic scenarios across to the audience through his use of lighting and concept themes.
His style of work is quite clearly seen throughout all examples, and the dim almost hazy visuals have
become iconic for him. He ensures the visuals of his music videos enhance the lyrics so tastefully that
it complements the song rather than making it look tacky and purposeful which many music videos do.
Which is something Andrew Goodwin argues is a must in most music videos.
One of the most notable features of Murai's style is his use of lighting. All his music videos have a soft
aesthetic that makes the visuals seem hazy. This can differ to white based backgrounds, like in never
catch me or, more commonly, black based backgrounds, like in Signs and Sweatpants. His use of
bright, fluorescent lights seen in the actual visuals of the video add to the dreamy feeling, whether that
be a peaceful dream or a nightmare. That is dependent on the actual content of the video
Another notable part of Murais style is that the visuals of the music video differ quite drastically from
the actual music and song. The songs he works with are usually upbeat and high tempo, yet the visuals
he creates are smooth and gentle. This is a really interesting style that is unique to him.

MURAIS STYLE OF MUSIC VIDEO

Furthermore, if the artist features in the video its not obvious in the way that it is in most music videos in which
everything in the video is focussed on that person. You get the feeling that the one lip synching isnt necessarily the
artist, but rather just the subject and main character of the video. This works with Richard Dyers Star theory as it
keeps the star out of reach, yet close because you can see them or hear them.
In the future, I think we can expect to see Murai following his iconic style. We may see him create music videos which
feature even more unrealistic situations. He may experiment with videos that are more in the performance and
narrative type of music videos, which would be really interesting to see his take on those types of videos. We may
see him work with different types of artists. Since Signs he has focussed more on the hip-hop music genre so we
might expect him to go back to making music videos for the dance music genre.
As well as this, another thing I noticed that was prominent in almost all of the music videos I looked at was the use of
bright colours. His videos all feature vibrant colours but with retro-esque optical features added and this all works to
create similar aesthetics in all the videos which are iconic and a wonder to watch. We might expect to see more use
of coloured lighting, like he used in Day Ones in Murais future.
According to Young and Rubicams Four Cs theory, I believe his videos main target audience would be The Explorer
because they offer something different to be thought about and pondered upon by the audience. I also think his
videos would be applied to the The Reformer because they offer a different perspective on life and intellectual
consideration.

HANNAH LUX DAVIS

American music video director Hannah Lux Davis has made
a lasting impression in the music video industry. Throughout
her incredibly successful career she has worked with world
famous artists such as Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Miley
Cyrus and Tinashe. It seems that her music video style
attracts female pop artists rather than male, this may be
because she is female herself so can approach them with a
more understanding perspective of their ideas. This could
mean that her videos will be more empowering than they
might be from a male perspective. She has been nominated
for several MTV music video awards for her work and has
won two. Davis has been working on music videos since
2008 after she studied in NY film school and LA film school.
Davis describes that her main inspiration for her work is
visual, she draws on lots of photos to inspire the aesthetic
she hopes to convey in a specific project.

ARIANA GRANDE FT NICKI MINAJ SIDE TO

SIDE (2016)
One thing that is instantly noticeable about this video is the focus of the visuals of the music video being on the actual
artist. This could be because the music video is one for a pop artist so their fans expect the video to be about them. The
framing of the shots are done in such a way so the artist is in the centre of the frame and all eyes are on them. Davis
also uses a lot of close ups and extreme close ups to draw more attention to the artists.
Furthermore, there is quite a lot of emphasis on the female physique in this music video. This is highlighted by the
majority of the video taking place in a spinning class environment where the women are. The outfits they wear, which
include high heels, appear to be more for sexual objectification than sporting. Davis has made significant use of the slow
motion effect in editing mainly to draw more attention to their bodies. This supports Laura Mulveys male gaze theory as
the video is being shown from a heterosexual male perspective with the focus being on their body.
The video is quite high contrasted in its colours with a lot of blue and red tones used in the lighting, this creates a more
vibrant atmosphere which fits the pop genre well. She makes use of chiaroscuro lighting in the more sexual scenes, such
as the ones where the female extras are in the shower, this is to create a more intense and erotic.
Another notable aspect of this video is product placement. The first shot of the music video shows a Guess product
prominently in the background This shows how pop artists are more likely to include intertextuality in their music videos.

DEMI LOVATO COOL FOR THE SUMMER

(2015)
The music video for this song has a very bright and vibrant colour scheme. This mainly comes all from the
lighting. Blue, red, pink, green and yellow tones are used which create a bright and youthful atmosphere.
This could be relevant to audiences of pop artists being mainly younger people. The use of coloured lighting
enhances the songs music and lyrics, as Goodwin describes as a common convention, because the visuals
match the up-beat tempo and represent the lyrics which talk of having fun and enjoying yourself.
As well as this, the shots in the video are edited to fit the tempo and beat of the music, which therefore
increases the emphasis on the music as well as complementing the music well.
Davis continues to use many slow motion shots in this video so the audience is fully focussed on the artist
(Demi Lovato). An already reoccurring technique from Davis is the use of close ups. This is so the lipsynching of the artist is in full view for the artist as well as their face. This is because Lovato is such a big
name with a huge following that her fans want to see her and only her really. This follows Richard Dyers
star theory as the star, Demi Lovato in this case, has become a construction and commodity rather than a
real person. Furthermore, the video shows Lovato doing both everyday things, such as riding in a car with
her friends, and unusual, celebrity things, such as dancing in random well lit alleyways. This confirms Dyers
theory that the star is both in reach and far away for the audience, which why they are appealing.

JESSIE J, ARIANA GRANDE, NICKI MINAJ

BANG BANG (2014)
A big part of this video is that it is sent in a recognisable American city which is shown at the start of the video through various
establishing shots. This means that the video applies to a universal audience as they can easily identify and relate to it. This could
confirm part of Dyers Star Power theory as this universally known location will attract as many worldwide audiences as possible thus
generating more profit. Therefore the idea that the star is simply used as a money maker could be said to be accurate.
The use of product placement and media intertextuality is again prominent in this video. One of the first shots is a close up dedicated
entirely to the Beats by Dre Pill. This is a product that often gets recognition in many music videos for pop/hip-hop songs.
When Ariana is singing, Davis uses quick and snappy zooms from a close up, to an extreme close up and back out again. This is
effective as it enhances the beat of the music as it is done simultaneously. It also works to enhance the lyrics as it brings the
audiences attention to Arianas lip synching of the lyrics.
Laura Mulveys male gaze theory can also be easily applied to this video, as often the camera focuses on womens body and their
provocative dancing. Furthermore, the outfits that the women wear, even the artists are skimpy and show a lot of body. Some, such as
Tricia Rose, may consider this empowering and apply John Bergers ideas that women know the heterosexual men are looking and
want to draw attention to themselves. However, some may argue that the female gaze theory can be applied to this video, as
medium shots are seen towards the start of the video of toned men wearing little clothing and revealing their muscles, therefore
attracting the heterosexual female gaze.A lot of the lighting in this video is neon pink toned, which creates the stereotypical feminine
view of the women featured in the video. This is further embedded with the mise en scene of the music video. The women are often
putting on makeup and dancing which are both quite stereotypically feminine things.

LIL WAYNE FT DRAKE, FUTURE (2013)

The setting for this music video is mainly an industrial looking area with dark, low key lighting. This puts emphasis on the dark and
deep tones of the rap music genre. But some may argue that this isnt a positive thing as rap music is already seen as negative and
violent to many so that doesnt need to be emphasised any more. Despite these possible criticisms, the overall aesthetic of the
video works well for the songs music and lyrics. The red and black hues of lighting and mise en scene used by Davis in the video
add to the darker and grimy tone of the music thus, as Goodwin describes, compliment the music and beat.
As seen in many music videos there is frequent use of close ups and slow motion shots which draw the audiences attention to the
artists, this is so the audience familiarises with who is performing, in case they dont know already, and therefore get familiar with
the brand they have created. The brand of an artist is something Dyer discusses as vital for their success and potential money
making in his star power theory.
It is clear that the women in this video are not being empowered at all. This is because many of the shots, often long shots, show
them to be around the male stars and are presented as being only for sexual purpose in their small outfits and alluring dance
moves. It may come as a surprise to some audiences that this is occurring in a music video directed by a woman. As a minority in
the industry itself, it could be assumed that Davis should be working towards a more equal industry where women are not
objectified. This is something she may begin to steer clear from in the future. Despite this controversial use of women in the video,
the visuals of them do enhance lil Wayne's lyrics such as all she eat is d**k and baby just make me c*me. But does this make it
okay?

CHER LLOYD FT BECKY G OATH (2012)

Much of the videos narrative and visuals are set in a high school, this would instantly appeal to younger people
who can relate. Furthermore, education is a worldwide topic, therefore to have it feature in a music video makes it
much more relatable and therefore the likelihood of it attracting a larger audience increases.
A prominent colour scheme in this video is pink. The artist, Cher Lloyd, is in a pink bikini and sat on a pink
convertible car and the amount of pink featured in the video is quite overpowering. This is a stereotypically
feminine colour which suggests that Davis is targeting this video towards girls.
Prominently in this music video the lyrics are emphasised by the visuals on screen. For example when Cher says
time, time, time a close up of a clock is seen. As well as this when the lyrics mention we crashed your dads car a
car is almost always shown.
An, arguably, untasteful part of this video is the extremely prominent product placement of the just dance 4 and
wii game and console. Davis uses a close up shot of the console controller, which has the logo on it and there are
several close up used of game footage. Although most pop music videos feature obvious product placement, this is
done in a way where it makes the video seem more commercial like rather than an actual music video. This ties
heavily into Dyers theory as in this case Cher Lloyd is simply a commodity and being used to make money.

DAVIS STYLE OF MUSIC VIDEO

From these examples I have gathered that Davis style of music video is dependent on the music genre she is creating
a video for, which are often either Rap/Hip-Hop or Pop. The videos she creates for Pop music include bright colours and
feature a lot of coloured lighting. The tones she uses the most are blue and red. I believe she may do this as it creates
a vibrant and exciting atmosphere which compliments the pop music songs. If she is creating a music video for
Rap/Hip-Hop songs she will tend to use black and red hues prominently within the music video.
Davis style follows many of the conventions discussed by Andrew Goodwin. The pace of editing she uses more often
than not is one that matches the beat and tempo of the songs.
Another thing that is prominent about her style is her use of having sexually objectified women featured in her video.
If the music video is hip-hop/rap the setting is quite industrial and the colours are dark, if it is pop everything is bright
and vibrant
The focus of her music videos are females and the artist lip synching
They are hybrid concept and performance because little to no narrative is portrayed.

DAVIS STYLE OF MUSIC VIDEO

FINAL CONCLUSION

FINAL CONCLUSION