CHIPMUNK - TAKE OFF
'Take Off' music video is by UK rapper Chip (formerly known as Chipmunk). He collaborated with American star Trey Songz for this single. This music video is very simple and contains many close ups. Close up's are a convention of a performance music video.
Being a performance music video, the purpose is for the artist to perform to the camera. Conventionally, performance music videos have introductions in the beginning of the video, introducing the artist and song name. This screen shot shows the artist name edited over an extreme long shot. The text is bold and clear. The colour is white, the same colour as the artists costume. White connotes purity and innocence and is common colour used in performance music videos.
Here are some examples of performance music videos in which have titles:
Here is a close up of the artist Chipmunk. He is framed in the center. The background is in shallow focus. He is wearing white costume and has light brown sunglasses on. His performance shows him looking over his shoulder directly at the camera/audience. This represents him as paranoid. Also, the camera is at a slight high angle, connoting his inferiority. A close up is a convention of a performance music video developing a visual motif.
In this mid shot, we see both artists. Editing is used to overlay two different footages over each other to create this soft effect. Chipmunk is in the foreground connoting his importance whereas Trey Songz is in the background connoting that he is the feature artist on the song. The background is in shallow focus which makes the artists stand out more.
This mid shot displays Trey Songz. He is dressed casually and wearing sunglasses just like Chipmunk was. He is also wearing white just like Chipmunk was which allows the audience to identify that both artists are connected. There is a girl in a yellow bikini in the background. She is being objectified because she is in the background wearing revealing clothes. Trey is composed in the centre whereas the girl is not.
This close up shows Trey composed in the rule of thirds. The girl is in the background again however this time she is displayed closer than before and is in shallow focus which reinforces that she is being objectified as the shallow focus allows the audience to view her body outline. It is almost as if she is being silhouetted. Also, Trey's performance denotes him looking away from her.
This is the first close up we see of the girl. She is facing away from the audience. The background is in shallow focus. Her make up is natural looking and light. She is composed in the rule of thirds which makes her seem dominant in this shot.
This close up is shown when Chipmunk says "I live my life in the lime light". A lime light is spot lighting which is actually white light. When white light is fractured, it displays a rainbow of colours which is what is being displayed in this shot. The rainbow connotes the lime light. The rainbow is also going across Chipmunk's face highlighting a visual representation of the lyric.
This long shot displays Chipmunk in a city. The music video was actually shot in Miami which we can see through the nice weather and palm trees. Chipmunk is wearing an all white suit with smart white shoes. Behind him are business buildings which connotes him as dominant. This is also taken at a low angle which reinforces his dominance and makes him superior.
This long shot denotes Chipmunk standing directly in front of the tallest building there. It is as if he is a human representation of the building standing well built, formally, strong and tall. There is a lot of nature being shown in this shot. Chipmunk is wearing all white which connotes purity and nature. White is a simple colour and the white costume conforms to conventions of a performance music video.
This mid shot displays the girl to be framed in the rule of thirds. Editing has overlapped her footage with some footage of palm trees. This editing technique objectifies her as it connotes her as a tree in the background of shots. She is wearing yellow which is a bright colour. Usually in performance music videos when there is no female in the song, females are objectified in the background of the shots where the male artists are performing. The yellow costume makes the female more seeable and bright. The bikini means she is there for the male gaze. This allows Chipmunk to appeal to a secondary audience through the objectification of females.
This is a beauty shot of the main artist. These shots are conventional in performance music videos. Chipmunk is framed in the rule of thirds connoting his importance. He also has a beautiful view of the city in the background in shallow focus. "On that note, thats my cue to go" is the lyric being performed at this point. The city in the background represents where Chipmunk will "go."
This is the first shot we see of both artists together without the use of editing. This shot appears when the chorus drops. The beautiful view of the city is in the background again however this time it is not in shallow focus. Lighting is low key which subverts to the conventions of a performance music video as they tend to always use high key lighting. There is a prop of a car in the rule of thirds which is a convention is rap music videos.
This close up of a car is shown when Trey sings "I thought you were down to ride." This shot reflects the lyric. This a tracking shot of the car and it is a short take. The car is black which is a simple colour. Simple colours are conventional in performance music videos.
This mid shot displays Chipmunk performing. His actions reflect the lyric "if it aint a push forward." The location of this shot is a luxurious apartment overlooking the city from its window. The city tends to always be in the background of this music video. Lighting is very low key connoting the mood of the song.
This is also a mid shot. Lighting is low key in this which is making Chipmunk appear as a silhouette. This is a convention is performance music videos. The background of this shot shows the sun set. Chipmunk's performance shows him pointing to it which connotes its importance in this shot.
Editing uses the overlay technique to merge a close up of shot of english money with the midshot of Chipmunk looking at the sunset. This shot reflects the lyric being performed at this point "you claim I'm too busy chasing that paper." The term 'paper' is colloquial language meaning 'money'. The fact that this music video was actually shot in America, Miami, the use of English money is powerful as it represents Chipmunk as a British UK artist. The £20 symbol on the note itself is composed directly in the centre of the shot connoting its importance. Although the opacity of the footage of the money has been lowered, the money still appears to be dominant.
This mid shot of Chipmunk has a voyeuristic feel to it. It is shot from the back of him and the camera pans across to reveal him slowly. The lighting is low key which also adds to the voyeuristic feel. The low key lighting casts a shadow on the side of his face making the shot restricted. He is sitting down on the prop of a chair as if he is in the comfort of his own home enjoying the view from this window.
This mid shot displays Chipmunk as a silhouette again through the use of low key lighting. He is being back lit from the natural light outside the window which is causing him to appear as a silhouette. He is composed directly in the middle connoting his importance. This composition is common in performance music videos and 'Take Off' conforms to the conventions of a performance music video.
This mid shot displays Trey Songz in the foreground and the female in the background. Also in the background is a night time view of the city. This is a visual motif in this music video. Trey and the females costume is matching as they are both wearing a deep shade of burgundy red. Trey is composed in the rule of thirds connoting his importance over the female. The females performance denotes her as facing away from the audience which objectifies her.
This close up denotes Chipmunk in the foreground and Trey in the background. Chipmunk is in deep focus whereas Trey is not. The background of the city during night life is in shallow focus. This shot reflects the lyric "they always me if I'm single in interviews" as the background of the city in shallow focus connotes the interviews. The blurred lights connote busy cameras during an interview.
This mid shot displays Chipmunk in the rule of thirds. Although Trey is in the background and his performance displays him as facing away from the audience, he in composed in the centre which gives him dominance. Chipmunk is wearing a black jacket and black sunglasses. The sunglasses connote the busy city night light as sunglasses reflect light out of a persons eyes.
This close up denotes Chipmunk with a female. Given that he is a male artist and that this is a performance music video, the girl is being objectified as she is not there for any purpose. Reinforcing this is that she is in the background. Males tend to have females in the videos in which they perform to whereas females tend to have males in the artist in which they perform to. The opposite gender is always being objectified in performance videos.
This close up/beauty shot of Chipmunk is a convention of a performance music video. Lighting is high key in this which is also conventional. However the black background makes the lighting to appear dimmer. Chipmunk is wearing a chain in which conforms to his star persona. He is framed in the rule of thirds connoting his importance in the music video as he in the main artist.
This mid shot displays Chipmunk doing his signature sign of a C which stands for Chipmunk. He is in the rule of thirds doing this, whereas the feature artist Trey slightly out of frame in the rule of thirds. This makes Chipmunk appear more dominant and Trey seem objectified as his performance is facing away from the audience.
This mid shot is how the music ends. The audience see Chipmunk in the rule of thirds and then the camera slowly pans away from him and fades to black. This is a beauty shot of the main artist and allows audience to identify with him.
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