The premise of the video is that it re-enacts the last day of Tupacs life before he was murdered by drive-by. With this being the theme, the video is understandably 100% narrative (mainly because performance would be impossible seeing as Tupac is dead). The setting of the video is done quite well, making the neighbourhood seem bleak and yet vast and wonderful. The performances from some of the cast is brilliant at making tension between different social groups darker than they could or could not be. It sets the tone for the rest of the video’s occurrences. The locations were well-picked as well. The church which, linking to the theme of death and murder, symbolises afterlife. The murder itself is done in quite a good way suited to the song as well, the location of the diner and the subtle rolling up alongside him and the even more subtle way of censoring the gunfire, replacing it with a shot of the car on the opposite side and the flash of gunfire. It gets the audience on the edge of their seat through the power of suggestion. Speaking of “power of suggestion” the mise-en-scene is good in this video as well. The exchanging of cash doesn’t actually explain what the money was owed for or why it’s being exchanged in the first place. The audience will assume that it is something seedy and ganster-esque. The costuming as well to make them all look gangster with baggy clothes and jewellery, we immediately recognise these characters as being intimidating people partaking in illegal activities. At the beginning of the video there is a short segment of Tupac lying dead in the road and his wife or girlfriend or mother approaches his body, weeping. The diegetic sound in this segment before the music begins is moving and upsetting and gets the audience feeling sympathetic for both her and Tupac. This would be great for portraying loss in my music video project, or to build character and narrative. The camera shots and angles are well done too. There are a lot of close-ups on characters to show reaction or emotion, it fits the video well due to the subject manner and the grief that needs to be portrayed to give a convincing performance. The establishing shot of the city was very good as well, although I feel that the raised arms and smile by Tupac was a bit cliché. This lessened his tough guy front and somewhat ruined the view and effect of the establishing shot. The video ends with a quote and a picture of Tupac. This is done to perhaps teach a lesson or moral to anyone watching, to convince people not to go down the route that Tupac went down in his lifetime. This gives the video a rather poignant message and an educational value. The influences of people with such cultural significance as famous rappers are rather strong, so it makes the video all the more saddening that the subject matter is very much real. I shall try and give off the same impression on my groups project if our subject matter turns “ugly”, which, knowing the rap genre, it most likely will. This video is a great reference point for the gritty style of rap video, showcasing the consequences of a life of crime. The acting is great, the mise-en-scene and camera work is spot on and it leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. The video epitomises gangster and will no doubt help my group recreate the same background and feel of this video. The locations as well are great inspiration for where we shall ultimately film our video.
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