#MusicVideoOfTheWeek 8
Music Video Of The Week
Vic Mensa - Down On My Luck
This music video is a narrative driven story when Vic Mensa himself is put into situations where something bad happens in a club. Each time something happens he 'gets a chance' to start over and begin the night again. The unique and clever idea works; it goes hand in hand with the song.
The first thing that caught my eye was the lighting of the club. Being a club it is bound to have lots of different coloured lights. Using different colours makes the characters in shot pop out when needed and fade into the back ground when not. At the beginning you get the feeling it might be just another club scene music video that so many are.
The song is relevant to the music video purely down to the lyrics. He keeps getting 'down on his luck'. He gets punched, arrested, thrown up on and drugged as well as many other scenarios which we see play out. If you ask me, he is very down on luck.
The camera techniques are rather simple yet extremely complicated. The large majority of the music video is on a Steadicam walking backward with the story playing out in-front of him. I really like the choreography of the shots as each scenario is usually shot in one take. To have a club filled of people and get the shot right each time would take planning and skill.
Following on, looking at the lighting and colour; the colouring is soft yet the club lights are evident. They don't overpower or draw away from the action however you definitely believe you're in the club environment. One interesting aspect of the music video is he is rapping to the camera, breaking the 4th wall. However he is interacting with other club goers who are unaware of the camera. I really like this aspect and it gives the music video a different edge. Another source of lighting is a ring light or a top light on the camera. Again this adds a different edge to which other artists wouldn't have. He incorporates lighting that 'should' be there in a club as well as lighting we know has come from the camera. It has a drama/documentary feel which I like.
In summary, this music video is very clever. The funny scenarios, the nice camera work and lighting works well for a different and tasteful piece.
JT