Chris Brown – Loyal
The language of the text is that girls are seen as negative,
this may have been done because of Brown’s history after the Rihanna escapade
happened and Brown was prosecuted for assaulting her. He wants to show women as
negatives and that they are to blame. This is shown in the lyrics, for example
‘I wasn’t born last night, I know these hoes ain’t right.’ This connotes women
as cheaters and that they aren’t always the innocent ones.
However, women are also objectified, this is shown not only
in the mise en scene of the video, but also by the use of certain words in the
lyrics such as ‘hoes’, ‘bitches’, and ‘show me something.’ Tis gives the
impression that Brown (and featured artists) are able to use women as they
please, and connotes a lack of respect.
Brown sees himself as dominant, and also sees men as the
dominant gender. This is shown throughout the video as the ‘lad culture’ is
shown throughout as the group of boys are staring at girls. This highlights
Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory. Chris Brown is signed to his own record label
CBE (Chris Brown Entertainment/Culture Beyond Evolution), which is a subsidiary
label of Sony. This highlights that Brown’s views will be the same as the
label, since it is his own label.
Chris Brown however wants to be represented as a new man,
with a new image. Since the Rihanna scandal, Brown has had to deal with lots of
stigma being attached to him, and it is finally clear that this stigma is
starting to be removed. He is wanting to show himself as a new character and to do this he has created a new image for himself, however not everyone thinks it is a good image.
The first shot after the stereo is pressed is a tilt shot going upwards, this show's Brown's outfit.This is done to show the wealth related to R&B as he is wearing Timberland Boots, Jeans and a leather jacket with a tartan Tee, this is a conventional outfit of the genre and it also signifies the expense as we see a ring on Brown's finger. The second shot is a mid shot of Lil Wayne, a featuring artist. The audience is instantly drawn to his gold watch, gold is conventionally expensive therefore they are showing their own wealth throughout the video.
Lil Wayne is showed with two girls by his side. This shows that girls are objectified and are there to look good, this is a constant throughout the video. The next shot is a close up of what appears to be a girl secretly checking her phone, with a mans hand around her waist. This could be done to match up with the lyrics 'these hoes ain't loyal' as she could be checking to see if other men are trying to communicate with her whilst she is with her own man.
Brown's outfit has already changed and the video is only 11 seconds long, this is something to be considered in the creation of my video. This again allows Brown to maybe show his change of character as he has changed so fast in the video. Lil Wayne is rapping surrounded by girls dancing, they aren't interacting with him which again doesn't show women as human but as an object. There is then a cut back to the girl with the phone which emphasises the whole loyal thing about the song.
the next shot shows a long shot of Brown walking down a street side on, this allows it to be made explicitly obvious when Brown turns around to stare at a girl walking the other way, this shows the gender difference surrounding men and women in R&B. it then edits to a long shot of a group of boys where Brown appears to be the ring leader. a girl walks past hand in hand with a boy and brown grabs her hand, she is in revealing clothing which again demonstrates Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze Theory. Brown grabs her other hand, and this aligns with the lyrics of 'these hoes ain't loyal' as he has taken her attention from the man she was with.
There is a medium shot of Brown while he is singing, in the background of the shot is a camouflaged Lamborghini. This is Brown's own car and shows his wealth. This is something seen in the genre as they like to show off things such as a car as the car is very expensive.
The long shot of Chris Brown dancing features advertising boards on the background. On these boards are the logo to his new album which was not released at the time the video was released. This could have been done to promote the new album as Brown's videos are always popular, so this shows a marketing ploy within the video.
the dance scene with Brown and 5 backing dancers is something seen in all of Chris Browns video and has become a convention of his videos. They are all wearing the same outfits and are all matched up. There is then a high angle shot and Brown's outfit changes, this is a good technique as the transition to a new scene is smooth.
There is then a slow motion tracking shot of Brown and Usher going up an escalator, they are looking at girls going the other way, this again shows Laura Mulvey's theory. They are again showing off their wealth to attract girls as they are showing off jewellery such as Watches and Necklaces. The girls also show that they have noticed the boys as they start to make eye contact with them, this shows that the artists think they can get the girls.
The use of multiscreen is done to the beat, is is effective editing as it stands out in the video AND IS memorable. There is also a long shot of featuring artist Tyga with a female tiger on a lead, this shows he has control and dominance over the female animal, and this could suggest that he also has control over the females in the video, which is also represented by the way Brown acts.
There is then another dance sequence, however it is this time Brown dancing with girls. Two girls are seen o be touching him, this shows the ender dis-equality in the genre as they are being objectified. Brown then pushes them off him and more girls enter the scene as the camera zooms out. The girls start dancing, as does brown, and the camera then zooms back into brown as he dances. There is then a high angle shot, and this may be done to put Brown on the same level as the girls and make him look smaller.
the video finishes with Brown walking out of shot and the screen goes darker to a blackuot. This signals an end to the video.
The video starts with a steadicam shot which is moving towards the Maybach car that is prominently the centrepiece of the shot. Kanye West and Jay Z walk into the shot, this creates a point of view shot, as though the camera is the person in the middle of the two.This shot allows the watches of the two to be shown, Jay Z is sporting a Hublot Gold and Black which costs around £20k and Kanye West is wearing a Gold Rolex which costs around £13k. This shows that they have wealth, as the colour gold connotes wealth, and the brands themselves are very expensive and luxurious, therefore they are using this shot to show they are wealthy.
The steadicam continues as they both walk towards the car with a power saw and a blow torch, this could be done to show they are going to cause destruction.A close up of the Maybach badge on the car is shown and a pan of the cars front is shown, this is done slowly to show the car as a desirable object, this again connotes wealth which is a constant throughout the video. The close up of the power tool is shown which leaves the audience wondering what is going to be done.
The location changes to a lighter outdoor area, with an american flag being very prominent, this could show that they both are very patriotic, this is backed up by the use of a Maybach which is also an American brand. The flag is a custom flag made by givenchy, it has the logo instead of the conventional stars used in the flag. This again connotes wealth as the brand is expensive and that the american culture is capitalised and branded, this is a theme throughout the genre as life is branded. In the genre artists are judged and compete to have the branded cars, watches and clothing, This shot again allows Jay Z's watch to be prominent, this is a marketing ploy by Jay Z as he is sponsored by Hublot, and will want to promote the brand as much as possible as he will receive more money.
There is then a cut to a close up of the car being cut open by an industrial knife. This shows that they have enough money to ruin the car, therefore showing their wealth again. The car is then shown outside of the garage location and on a tarmac'd area. There is then a low angle shot of Jay Z where he grabs the camera, implicating he is breaking the fourth wall in relation to the camerawork.
There is then an arc shot as the car arrives being driven by Kanye West, this is done to show that the car is the centre of attention as the camera moves around the car and gives an element of movement. The lighting gets very bright as the car goes past and this is done to give the effect of sunlight bursting through now the car is out of the way, this then allows a smooth edit to the next shot. This shot is focused on Jay Z and Kanye West keeps walking in and out of shot, also known as a lock down shot. This shows that life carries on outside the camera and gives an element of verisimilitude.
Jay Z mentions the brand Hublot in his rap, this is another endorsement by the rapper, however he also says 'a big faced Roley I got two of those'. This could be done to show off his wealth as this is conventional of the genre. The track shot then follows the two artists, the body language suggests that they are gangster like as they are moving their hands in conventional ways that gangsters do. There is also a sense of camaraderie as they are putting their arm around eachother, this is a bold statement as Kanye West never does anything like this, this will shock the audience and make it memorable.
The slow mo shot of the car speeding away with flames coming from the exhaust is usually seen in action movies, this is representative of an action film, this makes the video feel real. Jay Z then grabs the wheel while Kanye is driving, they both appear to be laughing, and a shot of four girls in the back of the car is then seen, this is the first time that the girls are seen. This connotes that Jay Z and Kanye are in control of the girls, just like they are of the car.
There is then a high angle shot of Jay Z rapping with Kanye West in the background of the shot, this is done to make him seem big and powerful, this is how he wants to be seen. They are expressing themselves with the use of their hands, they are throwing imaginary punches, this is done again o make them look powerful and dominant.
It appears that god is very coloqualised in the song and video as the lyrics say 'I made jesus walk im never going to jail.' This could be regarded as blasphemy as Kanye West appears to be praying as he sas this, however it is said that Kanye west believes he is a rap god, therefore he is making himself the god and father of Jesus.
The mid shot of the four ladies in the back of the car shows Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory. They are wearing shirts which are revealing and shows their figures, the camera is highlighting this by the use of zoom and slow motion. There is then a montage clip which shows some of the shots from the video throughout to finish.
There is a medium shot of Brown while he is singing, in the background of the shot is a camouflaged Lamborghini. This is Brown's own car and shows his wealth. This is something seen in the genre as they like to show off things such as a car as the car is very expensive.
The long shot of Chris Brown dancing features advertising boards on the background. On these boards are the logo to his new album which was not released at the time the video was released. This could have been done to promote the new album as Brown's videos are always popular, so this shows a marketing ploy within the video.
the dance scene with Brown and 5 backing dancers is something seen in all of Chris Browns video and has become a convention of his videos. They are all wearing the same outfits and are all matched up. There is then a high angle shot and Brown's outfit changes, this is a good technique as the transition to a new scene is smooth.
There is then a slow motion tracking shot of Brown and Usher going up an escalator, they are looking at girls going the other way, this again shows Laura Mulvey's theory. They are again showing off their wealth to attract girls as they are showing off jewellery such as Watches and Necklaces. The girls also show that they have noticed the boys as they start to make eye contact with them, this shows that the artists think they can get the girls.
The use of multiscreen is done to the beat, is is effective editing as it stands out in the video AND IS memorable. There is also a long shot of featuring artist Tyga with a female tiger on a lead, this shows he has control and dominance over the female animal, and this could suggest that he also has control over the females in the video, which is also represented by the way Brown acts.
There is then another dance sequence, however it is this time Brown dancing with girls. Two girls are seen o be touching him, this shows the ender dis-equality in the genre as they are being objectified. Brown then pushes them off him and more girls enter the scene as the camera zooms out. The girls start dancing, as does brown, and the camera then zooms back into brown as he dances. There is then a high angle shot, and this may be done to put Brown on the same level as the girls and make him look smaller.
the video finishes with Brown walking out of shot and the screen goes darker to a blackuot. This signals an end to the video.
Oits - Jay Z & Kanye West
The video starts with a steadicam shot which is moving towards the Maybach car that is prominently the centrepiece of the shot. Kanye West and Jay Z walk into the shot, this creates a point of view shot, as though the camera is the person in the middle of the two.This shot allows the watches of the two to be shown, Jay Z is sporting a Hublot Gold and Black which costs around £20k and Kanye West is wearing a Gold Rolex which costs around £13k. This shows that they have wealth, as the colour gold connotes wealth, and the brands themselves are very expensive and luxurious, therefore they are using this shot to show they are wealthy.
The steadicam continues as they both walk towards the car with a power saw and a blow torch, this could be done to show they are going to cause destruction.A close up of the Maybach badge on the car is shown and a pan of the cars front is shown, this is done slowly to show the car as a desirable object, this again connotes wealth which is a constant throughout the video. The close up of the power tool is shown which leaves the audience wondering what is going to be done.
The location changes to a lighter outdoor area, with an american flag being very prominent, this could show that they both are very patriotic, this is backed up by the use of a Maybach which is also an American brand. The flag is a custom flag made by givenchy, it has the logo instead of the conventional stars used in the flag. This again connotes wealth as the brand is expensive and that the american culture is capitalised and branded, this is a theme throughout the genre as life is branded. In the genre artists are judged and compete to have the branded cars, watches and clothing, This shot again allows Jay Z's watch to be prominent, this is a marketing ploy by Jay Z as he is sponsored by Hublot, and will want to promote the brand as much as possible as he will receive more money.
There is then a cut to a close up of the car being cut open by an industrial knife. This shows that they have enough money to ruin the car, therefore showing their wealth again. The car is then shown outside of the garage location and on a tarmac'd area. There is then a low angle shot of Jay Z where he grabs the camera, implicating he is breaking the fourth wall in relation to the camerawork.
There is then an arc shot as the car arrives being driven by Kanye West, this is done to show that the car is the centre of attention as the camera moves around the car and gives an element of movement. The lighting gets very bright as the car goes past and this is done to give the effect of sunlight bursting through now the car is out of the way, this then allows a smooth edit to the next shot. This shot is focused on Jay Z and Kanye West keeps walking in and out of shot, also known as a lock down shot. This shows that life carries on outside the camera and gives an element of verisimilitude.
Jay Z mentions the brand Hublot in his rap, this is another endorsement by the rapper, however he also says 'a big faced Roley I got two of those'. This could be done to show off his wealth as this is conventional of the genre. The track shot then follows the two artists, the body language suggests that they are gangster like as they are moving their hands in conventional ways that gangsters do. There is also a sense of camaraderie as they are putting their arm around eachother, this is a bold statement as Kanye West never does anything like this, this will shock the audience and make it memorable.
The slow mo shot of the car speeding away with flames coming from the exhaust is usually seen in action movies, this is representative of an action film, this makes the video feel real. Jay Z then grabs the wheel while Kanye is driving, they both appear to be laughing, and a shot of four girls in the back of the car is then seen, this is the first time that the girls are seen. This connotes that Jay Z and Kanye are in control of the girls, just like they are of the car.
There is then a high angle shot of Jay Z rapping with Kanye West in the background of the shot, this is done to make him seem big and powerful, this is how he wants to be seen. They are expressing themselves with the use of their hands, they are throwing imaginary punches, this is done again o make them look powerful and dominant.
It appears that god is very coloqualised in the song and video as the lyrics say 'I made jesus walk im never going to jail.' This could be regarded as blasphemy as Kanye West appears to be praying as he sas this, however it is said that Kanye west believes he is a rap god, therefore he is making himself the god and father of Jesus.
The mid shot of the four ladies in the back of the car shows Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory. They are wearing shirts which are revealing and shows their figures, the camera is highlighting this by the use of zoom and slow motion. There is then a montage clip which shows some of the shots from the video throughout to finish.
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