Music Video Analysis 2.0- Ben Gilchrist

Kanye West - Touch the Sky (Chris Milk)

Genre characteristics: Kanye West is a renowned rap artist and producer. This song is very similar to others produced by him due to it using a second hand style but "funked up." The video doesn't seem to link to the video and instead sees him and Pamela Anderson as "film stars" starring in a film with the name of the song as the intertwining title. This can easily be spotted by the use of film like conventions, for example, the actor names, and credits given at the beginning. It is also obviously set in a western theme. This can be seen in the mise-en-scene and the way they talk about President Nixon as the current president. The cut to the version of the old song also creates inter textuality.

Relationship between visuals and lyrics: It is possible to tell that there is a relationship between the two. In some shots, Kanye West can be seen singing in time with the song. This, for a rap artist, is pretty much as close to a performance video you're likely to get. However, in the other shots of him and the other "characters" you can see a relationship. Examples include when he raps "the door is closed" as the car door is shut, and when he sings "this must be heaven" and the shot pans into mysterious smoke.

Relationship between visuals and music
Its obvious that these two are linked in the video due to the cutting and editing techniques. For example, in the kiss scene, the music slows down and becomes a bit more concerning. It also stops at one phase when he is talking to another character. His death at the end finally tells us that the "other Kanye" that we have been seeing is actually dead and in heaven. This is explained to us through watching the other clips.

Visual Motifs and Styles: Because Kanye West was not as famous at the time of this release, there was still need for him to tell people who he was, as can be seen at the beginning with the credits. It also lets you know that a star has been used through confirming that the tall blonde is infact Pamela Anderson, and when Lupe Fiasco is introduced into the song, he is also given a introduction scene. Lots of zooms of Kanyes west are included to let us become accustomed to him. Aspects of video such as these are what has made him the global superstar that he is today.

Intertextual references: in the video, Kanye is asked by a journalist if he is concerned about the comments that he made about President Nixon due to the timing that the video is set. However, it is well known that Kanye West on stage once at a charity performance, stopped singing to tell the audience, and people watching on TV how he felt about George Bush's treatment to black people. This could be seen as a slight pun. Also the cut to the old version of this song is included to confirm to viewers that it is infact a different song.

Representation of the Band/Artist: Kanye West in this video is seen as a bit of a ladies man and also a daredevil. They show this by telling a story through the video. In this time he is seen with "his" girl and talking to an ex girlfriend. He is then seen to be shot out on a rocket and is then killed. I believe that this can also relate inter textually as he felt that his album at the time would become a hit-or-miss. He took a chance, as he did in the video, and it worked.

Media Language
Mise-en-scene - It is set probably in the Starsky and Hutch era (70s i think! this is because the song that the baseline is taken form is from this era.), in the middle of the dessert. This is shown in the establishing crane shot. This is confirmed throught the clothing that they are wearng.
Camera Techniques - A lot of close ups are used to help us to relate to the star. Also zooms are used to create emphasis on certain parts of long shots. The low shots make him look bigger, and although we dont know it at the beginning are actually used to indicate the fact that he is in heaven. Lots of pan shots are used to show us what he is seeing.
Special Effects – The only SFX used were when he was seen flying. It was used to ensure his safety as the star. Although they are not very good SFX, i believe that this was for a reason as it was a playful twist on a serious story.