Music Video Analysis

 Nicki Minaj - Pound The Alarm

The first 25 seconds of the video start with a series of shots that establishes the location. The very first shot starts with a title of the location, that being Trinidad. These short sharp shots set the scene for the style of the music video. The traditional steel drums are shown and played to allow the audience to establish the culture and style of the music video. A flag is then shown to again highlight this location. These opening seconds really set the scene for the culture and people of the area and we as an audience are able to engage with this and understand what is typical of daily life. A shot is then shown of a poster which says ‘Trinidad and Tobago The home of the Carnival’ as this is shown the sound of the traditional steel drums is faded out and the sound of a strong base starts. By the change of sounds the video’s atmosphere changes from calm and relaxed to more upbeat and party like. A series of fades are then used to show Nicki Minaj singing and picturesque shots of scenery. Scenery shots also highlight to the audience what time of year it is and we can therefore assume its summer.
In terms of mise en scene, her costume is very revealing and ‘sexy’ as her cleavage is on show, and a lot of her skin is shown. She also touches her hair and jumps about to express this fun and party like atmosphere. A series of flash cuts are used to emphasise this quick pace party like atmosphere. Nicki’s costume changes to carnival wear and as she says ‘what have I got to do to show these girls I own them’ a mid shot of multiple women in carnival wear are used to show this carnival taking place. A range of bright colours are used in the costumes from pink to yellow to green. All costumes consist of little clothing (bikini like top and bottoms) with feathers. This definitely portrays this voyeurism style video. This is emphasised through multiple uses of slow motion shots, both long and close up shots to show the women’s thin and sexy bodies. This is typical of this genre as men and boys who would watch this want to see the assets of women. These types of videos are very popular because of this. As the bass becomes more prominent in the song, a lot more people are introduced into the shots to emphasize this big carnival event. Red handkerchiefs and confetti are thrown about and wide shots are used to show the mass crowds jumping and dancing about to the music. We can definitely say this music video is promoting parties and it’s all about having a good time.

Rapid editing is used to show the variety of people in the carnival and it’s used to show the quick paced celebration environment. As the chorus begins, a series of fades are used from Nicki singing in the hills back to the carnival. These are used to increase the suspense for the party. Also mid shots are used where Nicki thrusts her breasts forward when the song plays a specific beat, this again emphasises this voyeuristic video. Fire breathing and people on stilts, throwing whips are used to engage the audience and feel a part of this experience.

As the video progresses it turns to night by the use of a series of flash cuts, this again emphasises an even more fun and exciting carnival. This is shown with the use of golden fireworks being let off in the background. A dance is then performed by Nicki and some of the carnival people. Nicki is shot in the central position of the camera and this again emphasises that she is the focus of this video.

At the end of the video Nicki is shown walking off on her own, this suggests that she’s the last one to leave the party showing the audience she’s a ‘party animal’ and would be fun to be around, this allows the audience to feel like they know the artist a bit more personally.

Eminem - Like Toy Soldiers

 

The music video opens with a two shot of two little children playing with their toys, there is then some dialogue where one of the boys suggests they do something else as he is bored, during the dialogue there is a lullaby tune being played over the top. The two shot shows the relationship between the two boys as they must be friends. It then quickly cuts to the pages in the book where on one page is a picture of Eminem, the camera then zooms into the picture where there is a little flash and the story the boys are reading comes true. There is then a jump cut which jumps to a mid-shot of Eminem. You can see from what he is wearing and the fact it’s covered in blood something bad must have happened. Suddenly it cuts to an over the shoulder shot which shows one of his friends on a hospital bed with nurses trying to get him back to life.

Shot reverse shot is then used between Eminem and his friend showing his friend most likely dead and then showing Eminem’s reaction to this! A fade was used to go from him being in the hospital when the chorus is on to when he starts rapping. During the beginning of the rap there are a 2 cutaways, 1 showing him in the bathroom looking In the mirror, a zoom out is used at this moment to symbolise that he is lost or far away/lonely. The second cutaway being to the little boys still reading the story. Shot reverse shot is used again from the TV to Eminem on the sofa watching a man on TV. “There’s a certain line, you don’t cross and he crossed it” these lyrics are used whilst he is watching the man on TV which suggests that the man has done something wrong to Eminem. It goes on to say “I heard him say Hayley’s name on a song and I lost it” so this could be that he has done something to Hayley. It then cuts to a newspaper and there is a pan used showing the headlines In the paper, it says “rival mc calls Eminem out on track”.

 There is then a crowd shot of when they are all in the studio, the camera then zooms out and everyone dissolves, this emphasizes that something is gone and that something being his friend. The shot of when Eminem is in the little girls room shows that Hayley must be the little girl and for this man to do something to Hayley or involve Hayley in his song is just crossing the line. The song then goes back into the chorus where you again see shot reverse shot between Eminem and his friend and the nurses trying to revive him, this time you can see the pain and sudden realisation in Eminem’s face that they can’t bring him back to life.

Rapid editing is used to go from showing the lyrics to the little kids to a group of people, another man on TV then to Eminem and finally cuts to a group of men which I believe are his friends. Rapid editing is again used to cut from a shot of a news programme to another of which both  of the programmes headlines are ‘Rap Battles’ the rapid editing continues to the cut from one rapper to another and back and forth showing that they are preparing for the rap battle. An eye line match shows  Eminem looking at something and then cuts to what he is looking at which is in fact his friend being shot.

The part in the music video where his friends hand goes floppy is very important and clever as this is the shot that lets everyone know he is actually dead and they let the audience know this by simply making his hand go floppy. The scene the zooms into his friends funeral where there is a crowd shot to show all his friends and family there, several fades are used to go from Eminem’s face to his friends, family and also to the choir of little children. After the director uses a series of fades but only on the people, for example, when his friend is in the hospital and the nurses around him they just fade away and also for the rappers they fade suggesting that they have all died throughout the war between both the rivals.

The final shot of the scene a painting appears of his friend and 3 rappers who of which were huge in the music industry and who are all dead, the camera zooms into the picture whilst Eminem walks off this symbolises that Eminem’s friend was a great rapper and meant a lot to Eminem.