R&P 5: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

Making The Ordinary Extraordinary

Wiley - 'Chasing The Art'

This pop video demonstrates how the ordinary can be presented as extraordinary. This is done through:

• camera shot, angle and movement
• lighting
• mise-en-scene
• editing
• performance

Camera shots, angles and movement

• The wide camera lens used when the artist is riding his bike allows for an extraordinary view of the world. The shot in itself was already interesting but the camera lens adds for another interesting dimension.

• Another interesting technique used is close ups with a shallow focus which really gives the audience a close look at the artists face, perhaps seeing imperfections other artists would hide demonstrating his fans love for the 'art' being the music as apposed to him as a person which is what many artists sell themselves on.

•  The short clips of the graffiti at 0:10 have interesting camera movement. The camera is never static and makes for an interesting dimension for the audience.

Lighting

• The lighting is generally just natural lighting however there are interesting points in the video where the sun is shining through a permeable object to create a flicker.

• They also do a really good job of making the lighting from the sun hit the artist directly in the face.

Mise-en-scene

• Everything in the video is in a 'normal' place demonstrating the realness of the artist which makes the fact that they are able to make the video extraordinary even more significant. 

The clothing is very much streetwear which conforms to the outfit you would expect somebody I the grime genre to wear.

Editing

• The editing is very fast passed which matches the conventional fast paced bpm of grime. (120 beats per minute)
• The editing also doesn't follow a linear pattern which make it interesting for the audience as they're constantly engaged anticipating what will come next.

Performance

• Exaggerated facial expressions and engaged body language create a very energetic performance for Wiley to match the fast tempo of the song.
• The performance is very much how I would expect Wiley to perform should he be on stage in front of his fans showing himself to be a true showman. 

So what makes the video extraordinary?

Essentially all of the elements of the video make it extraordinary. It shows an 'ordinary' world which we see everyday in an extraordinary manner. It really encapsulates the fast tempo of the song and a beat which is extraordinary to an everyday listener is matched by the extraordinary art of work of the London streets which it is filmed in.

What has this post taught me?

This post has taught me how to manipulate the camera and lighting in a way which can make for an interesting music video. In my music video i will aim to make the ordinary seem extraordinary as it creates interesting dimensions and depth for the video.