DEVLIN - LONDON CITY Video analysis

The Video we have chosen to analyze, is Devlin's, 'London City'. The reason why this video is so suitable for us to analyze is because it belongs to the same genre as our own song, 'Goodnight'. Both artists are also part of the underground UK hip-hop/grime scene that is emerging into pop culture through such devices as youtube.com and readily available online downloads . This video is a low budget product that is quite simple, but at the same time very creative. The name and song have great relevance to the video as one would expect, for example its obviously been filmed in the capital, London, which is no coincidence as the song is all about Devlin's experience here. Time lapse photography is used throughout the video to represent the rush that Devlin experiences when he is there. This huge fast moving, never stopping and never sleeping City.

Certain shots are used throughout to show the size and face of the city, for example the video consistently returns to a shot of Devlin lip syncing the lyrics on a backdrop of huge animated screens (pictured right). This low angle shot has been used to represent Devlin as powerful and the screens are there to represent the size and importance of the city as you would struggle to find screens of this size in cities lacking in status - something that Devlin unmistakably believes he already has. A long shot is used at the beginning of the video showing Big Ben and the London eye reminding viewers where this video is being filmed as these iconic landmarks are unmistakable. Close up and medium worm eye shots are used on Devlin to highlight him as the central figure and that all attention should be on him.

There are also visual links throughout linking the lyrics of the song to events happening in the video. For example at 0.41secs (pictured right) he exclaims, "ive got about £400 with me.." the video then switches to a close up of someone counting out twenty pound bills. Although simple this is an effective way of keeping an audience engaged. While filming our video we might employ this technique to gain a similar effect as it has in 'London City'.

This video is primarily a performance based piece starring Devlin as himself. However a narrative does run throughout linking the story told through the song to the visuals. The story being portrayed is one of a positive night out for him and his friends in the capital city, London.

This video has given us great confidence as it is evidence of how to achieve an effective hip-hop video with little financial aid. It's also shown us how successful a video can be without flying abroad to shoot it. Simply by using the city we live in we believe we can create an interesting, challenging music video that brings new elements to videos of the hip-hop/grime genre.

Locations

Over looking Manchester's Skyline
We hope to film on top of one the buildings in Manchester City Centre, most probably at night with the city lit by night lights. We are currently in the process of asking permission to film on a hotel near to Piccadilly gardens.




















Ancoats
This old industrial area of Manchester isn't famed for it's beauty, but it does have alot of character and you can find yourself feeling as though you've been taken back to the early 20th century. This gritty distinctly Mancunian feel is what we want to capture and we will be mixing older locations a more current feel throughout our video. By using this historical location, we hope to represent the history of Professor Greens life as told through 'Goodnight'.























Alexandra Park
Situated on the border of Whalley Range and Moss Side this park has some beautiful walk ways which we will aim to capture in their Autumnal state. We will also use the large open spaces as the sun is setting to enphasize the title of the piece, 'Goodnight'.





















The canal near Dale st. car park
Just under the bridge (pictured below) is a small area right on the canal where not many people venture but is surprisingly attractive and ties in well with the urban theme of our music video.
























Market St. (Central Manchester)
This is where we hope to employ the use of time lapse photography. This technique would work well here because this is the most busy pedestrian street in Manchester and though our protagonist, Kwame, will be standing still we will be using the passers by to emphasize then use time lapse.


























Salford quays near the canal, shooting on the bridge.
At night this area looks particularly beautiful with the lights of the bridge reflecting on the water. At night is when we will be filming here or hopefully just as the sun is setting. As we will be filming in the early months of winter, travelling to Salford in time for the sun set may be a challenge in college time. This means we will be using or own time to film this project, a sure display of our determination to achieve the highest grades.



















Down Deansgate
Probably Manchester's most well known street and great spot for a bit of urban filming.
























In studio
(Picture to follow)

Lyrics Of "goodnight"

Goodnight

I kick flows, rips shows, think it switched though. Shit no, it aint any different when I get home.

I shift po to get dough, lust P's.

If you aint ever been broke? For you to judge me's an insult.

It's my life an' I'm living it, agreed we all have choices but mine limited mostly by my decisions.

If I new then what I new now, I'd a lived life different, I'd be a different me, but I didn't so this is me.

Me, in my position what would you have done? Would you of done what I did? Am I what you would of become?

My guess, my guess is you would of succumb like I did.

The decision was mine, but I was too young an' I picked the wrong path, I went the wrong way.

Left school then got the grade, banged it out, got my pape's.

Stacked my p's copped a cake, I'm holding weight now, made a brick of a ounce an' aint been in the jail house.

I intend on staying free, free for me don't mean free from stress.

Lay in bed but I aint asleep, from I need rest I just blaze the trees.

Drift off hearing my Nan say to me...

Chorus: Goodnight God bless I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight God bless I'll see you in the morning.

Verse 2:

I'm a dreamer but can only dream as long as I'm asleep,. I've been having trouble sleeping.

See Nanny Edie aint here to say goodnight no more, I had to say goodbye to her, inside is where resides the hurt.

Now all I feel is pain, after that nothingness. After that? Nothing since, after that there's nothing left.

Some of her last words were, I cant fight forever. Like she wanted to give up an' of life she was fed up.

She had to go, but I wanted her to stay, 'cause ever since she left things haven't been the same.

I need a new shelter from the rain, my face looking weathered, a facety looking bredder I'm fed up.

I know not what to do, see I'd love to say that I don't give a fuck but I do.

The gift an' curse that I'm blessed with, the pressures on road aint nothing to the emotions that I wrestle with.

Stress got me in a figure four, raw is what I'm thinking, I wonder what I'm living for?

Is it only to hurt? First my Great Nan, now I gotta put my dad in the dirt.

Back in the earth, I wished we could have patched it up first, I was so angry though I just couldn't handle the hurt.

Now your in the back of a hurse. It hurts more than it ever did.

Sometimes I wish that I had never lived. Feels as if it would be better if if never did, live.

I don't know how I'm ever gonna get through this, shit.

I swear down blud I'm running on empty, My life aint nothing to be envied.

So Goodnight...

Media Production video: Professor Green Goodnight

This is the song we have chosen for our music video. We chose this song primarily because it was produced by a hip-hop artist that we were all accustomed to and because this song suits the urban environment in which we will be filming. In an attempt to make this music video as realistic as possible we want to stick with a British hip-hop artist rather than American or international artist. It seems fairly obvious that Jay Z won't be flying out to Moss Side to film his next hit video, however in the 'ghetto' of Manchester is exactly where a UK hip-hop/grime artist might choose shoot their videos. A non-British song wouldn't work with our surroundings and this is one for the main reasons for electing this particular song.

Currently, no music video has been created to go along with this song which can be seen in positive and negative ways. It means we have no direct inspiration which would have been very useful due to how personal this song is to Professor Green. This song discusses his life growing up and the deaths of two key people later on. Had he produced a video for this song you could be forgiven for thinking that a great deal of effort would be put in as the account given is so close to his heart. Then again maybe he felt unable to produce a video good enough to give justice to the emotional issues dealt with in the song. The fact that no official video exists isn't necessarily a negative though as it means we have no restrictions and are free to produce something that will be completely original for this song. One of the main focuses of our piece will be trying to capture the 'urban' style of Manchester as the lyrics of this song paint a very 'urban' picture.

One of the worrying features of this song is the length which, for a hip-hop/grime song is a quite incredible 4.41secs. We are more than prepared to take this challenging song on and if needs be we may shorten our video down so that it doesn't 'drag on'.

The target audience for our video will be aged around 15-25. The hip-hop/grime genre isn't generally enjoyed by peoples who surpass the age of 25, not that this can't happen, but we're just being realistic with our calculations. This video is also going to be mainly targeted at young people in the city rather than young people in the hills of Derbyshire. The hip-hop/grime genre originated in the cities and that's where it is still prosperous today which is why we expect the main audience for this video to reside there.

Initial group decisions

The members of our media production group are Ruben, Owen, Kwame, Ciaran. We've decided to make our music video to the song 'Goodnight' by Professor Green (pictured left). We wanted a song that we would be able to adapt to the urban environment in which we live. 'Goodnight' fits this perfectly as this song falls into the hip hop/grime genre of music, one that suits the urban environment well. As we will be filming in a British city it makes sense to pick a British artist to depict so we can make this music video as realistic as possible. Many UK hip-hop/grime artists do not have the financial support to shoot their videos abroad which only goes to further the point of choosing local.

We've decided to shoot a narrative piece with Kwame playing the main protagonist. He will lip sync parts of the song while other scenes will include matching graffiti with lyrics and time lapse photography. We will also be using using a range of shots to show the emotions of Kwame's face and body language to make more of a connection with the song.

The locations we've decided to use to shoot our video at are Salford Quays, parts of Ancoats near the canal, Alexandra Park, Market St (which can be seen below), Deansgate, Dale St, round the northern quarter and the in college studio. All of these locations are within the city and so all have that urban feel which we desire to capture in our video.

Deciding which Genre to use

From the mind map we have compiled it seems that we're all into hip-hop and so this is the genre we will be looking into for our music video. Some of the artists we are currently looking at are Mos Def, Jay-Z, Professor Green, Jehst, Foreign Beggars and others. Within the next couple of days we hope to have made a final decision upon the song we will be using.

Initial Ideas - Deciding on the Genre