Music video analysis

What techniques does the extract use to engage the audience?


The extract uses various techniques.

Such as the first technique is the usage of colour. Such as they use colours such as red, black and white. As we see the red and black shown together on each hand. Which could connote binary opposition of how it is good vs evil. However it might also represent the good and the bad times they have had in their life. Also we see the colour white being splashed on their "reflection" where white connotes good it could reflect how they are using white to cover all their bad images which is on them as also we see the colour all over Lil Wayne body.  Furthermore we see Lil Wayne painting a picture which could represent how he is trying to paint a self-portrait of himself in our mind. Which could relate to the hypodermic needle as he is injecting this positive image of himself in our head and actually he is a good person but just has had bad times.

Moreover when it comes to Mise-en-scene. In the setting we see how only Lil wayne and Bruno however they are never together they are in 2 separate rooms. Reflecting with the line "only friend" showing how their reflection has been their only friend and no one else was there to support them. As we also see direct and in direct mode of address, such as we see in certain parts Lil wayne wears his sunglasses showing a sense of enigma and how he is hiding something from us.However then we see him without his glasses and looking straight at the camera as he is trying to relate and have a connection with us.

Also in the camera shots. we see a lot of close ups on parts of of tattoos and facial expression. For example how when he says "scars" and we get a close up of his scars, giving a sense of realism as we are witnessing his scars. Also we see a low angle shot of when he is standing in position of a cross showing religious imagery and also connotes how we are looking up at him and looking up at him for coming out of all these problems.

Lastly we see different variation of the lighting. such as we see back lighting used in variation of the scene giving a sense of they had turned they back from "good" at the start. However at the end we see top lighting being used as Bruno is looking up at the light giving the sense of heavenly light and also looking up at good.