Author Topic: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?  (Read 320 times)

NotoriousTDA

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WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« on: April 14, 2008, 09:52:49 PM »
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mEccxPPwXmI

A lot of things wrong with this video.
 

Sir Petey

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2008, 01:29:23 AM »
The basic form of a music video is to have a series of sets or locations, with which are paired outfits and/or props, to have the artist in some of these locations, and to cut between them for the duration of the video. You can have some of the locations be, say, barns (or places in Brooklyn) and some of the people in the locations not be band members, but almost all videos--including many mini-movies--stick to this scheme: 4+ disparate locations cut up and rearranged. A standard-issue music video presents numerous constructed images (the locations) and then explores them, as visuals, quickly.

Now look at the "Flashing Lights" video again. You'll notice, I hope, that it does not do this at all. Instead, it presents one image and explores it slowly, and it's able to do that is because the image has depth. It is not just a set on which to dance, but something with multiple levels that reveal themselves over time. What happens over and over in this video is that things are revealed: the landscape reveals a car, the car reveals a woman, the woman takes off her clothes to reveal her underwear, the lighter reveals the fire, the fire reveals the woman's body, the trunk is opened to reveal Kanye bound and gagged, the woman reveals the shovel, and when the camera pulls back to deny us exact knowledge of what she does with the shovel, it holds back on the final reveal and thus preserves the tension that all those reveals build up to. What started as an empty stretch of land has become something with characters, a plot, and flash. The cuts, if you will, are internal, are included in the image.

 it offers many of the same elements that music videos (and especially rap videos) usually do--hot, half-naked woman, luxury goods, explosions--but it uses them in an entirely new way. It is not just stylized, but hyper-stylized, so unreal that it becomes packed with meaning.

tempo2

Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2008, 01:57:53 AM »
^^ you pretty much owned him with that explanation! top notch
 

k1000

Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2008, 04:47:59 AM »
^^ you pretty much owned him with that explanation! top notch
yes he did  :)
 

eazye

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2008, 11:14:31 AM »
lol props to pete, that was a damn good read
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iQYKq2uupz8" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/iQYKq2uupz8</a>
 

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2008, 11:16:37 AM »
The basic form of a music video is to have a series of sets or locations, with which are paired outfits and/or props, to have the artist in some of these locations, and to cut between them for the duration of the video. You can have some of the locations be, say, barns (or places in Brooklyn) and some of the people in the locations not be band members, but almost all videos--including many mini-movies--stick to this scheme: 4+ disparate locations cut up and rearranged. A standard-issue music video presents numerous constructed images (the locations) and then explores them, as visuals, quickly.

Now look at the "Flashing Lights" video again. You'll notice, I hope, that it does not do this at all. Instead, it presents one image and explores it slowly, and it's able to do that is because the image has depth. It is not just a set on which to dance, but something with multiple levels that reveal themselves over time. What happens over and over in this video is that things are revealed: the landscape reveals a car, the car reveals a woman, the woman takes off her clothes to reveal her underwear, the lighter reveals the fire, the fire reveals the woman's body, the trunk is opened to reveal Kanye bound and gagged, the woman reveals the shovel, and when the camera pulls back to deny us exact knowledge of what she does with the shovel, it holds back on the final reveal and thus preserves the tension that all those reveals build up to. What started as an empty stretch of land has become something with characters, a plot, and flash. The cuts, if you will, are internal, are included in the image.

 it offers many of the same elements that music videos (and especially rap videos) usually do--hot, half-naked woman, luxury goods, explosions--but it uses them in an entirely new way. It is not just stylized, but hyper-stylized, so unreal that it becomes packed with meaning.

Good shit, you just broke it down, hadn't noticed some of that.
 

Sir Petey

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2008, 11:35:23 AM »
I have a background in journalism, I had a scholorship for it but I got caught up livin that fast life and caught a felony weapons charge and had a kid in my senior year...I went back and graduated but It still fucked my shit up.


NotoriousTDA

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2008, 12:14:14 PM »
LOL Damn petey! Never really thought about it like that.
 

Sir Petey

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2008, 01:17:21 PM »
I knew that video was going to go over alot of cats heads...


I think Spike Jonez is more responsible for the video concept than 'ye.

blunts40sbitches

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2008, 06:06:33 PM »
The basic form of a music video is to have a series of sets or locations, with which are paired outfits and/or props, to have the artist in some of these locations, and to cut between them for the duration of the video. You can have some of the locations be, say, barns (or places in Brooklyn) and some of the people in the locations not be band members, but almost all videos--including many mini-movies--stick to this scheme: 4+ disparate locations cut up and rearranged. A standard-issue music video presents numerous constructed images (the locations) and then explores them, as visuals, quickly.

Now look at the "Flashing Lights" video again. You'll notice, I hope, that it does not do this at all. Instead, it presents one image and explores it slowly, and it's able to do that is because the image has depth. It is not just a set on which to dance, but something with multiple levels that reveal themselves over time. What happens over and over in this video is that things are revealed: the landscape reveals a car, the car reveals a woman, the woman takes off her clothes to reveal her underwear, the lighter reveals the fire, the fire reveals the woman's body, the trunk is opened to reveal Kanye bound and gagged, the woman reveals the shovel, and when the camera pulls back to deny us exact knowledge of what she does with the shovel, it holds back on the final reveal and thus preserves the tension that all those reveals build up to. What started as an empty stretch of land has become something with characters, a plot, and flash. The cuts, if you will, are internal, are included in the image.

 it offers many of the same elements that music videos (and especially rap videos) usually do--hot, half-naked woman, luxury goods, explosions--but it uses them in an entirely new way. It is not just stylized, but hyper-stylized, so unreal that it becomes packed with meaning.

ok theres no need go overboard with the analyzing.....hahahaha all u did was explain what happened, shot by shot

but anyways, i think Kanye's message is pretty much that,  the glamour life, full of nice cars, pretty hoes, and clothes, is what ultimately "killed" him.......simple as that

but seriously
 

Sir Petey

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2008, 06:25:24 PM »
thats the thing dickhead there was only one shot.


your analysis of the video was what the average cat got from it but thats not the case its a metaphor.


Nat Turner-reincarnated

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2008, 06:26:55 PM »
The basic form of a music video is to have a series of sets or locations, with which are paired outfits and/or props, to have the artist in some of these locations, and to cut between them for the duration of the video. You can have some of the locations be, say, barns (or places in Brooklyn) and some of the people in the locations not be band members, but almost all videos--including many mini-movies--stick to this scheme: 4+ disparate locations cut up and rearranged. A standard-issue music video presents numerous constructed images (the locations) and then explores them, as visuals, quickly.

Now look at the "Flashing Lights" video again. You'll notice, I hope, that it does not do this at all. Instead, it presents one image and explores it slowly, and it's able to do that is because the image has depth. It is not just a set on which to dance, but something with multiple levels that reveal themselves over time. What happens over and over in this video is that things are revealed: the landscape reveals a car, the car reveals a woman, the woman takes off her clothes to reveal her underwear, the lighter reveals the fire, the fire reveals the woman's body, the trunk is opened to reveal Kanye bound and gagged, the woman reveals the shovel, and when the camera pulls back to deny us exact knowledge of what she does with the shovel, it holds back on the final reveal and thus preserves the tension that all those reveals build up to. What started as an empty stretch of land has become something with characters, a plot, and flash. The cuts, if you will, are internal, are included in the image.

 it offers many of the same elements that music videos (and especially rap videos) usually do--hot, half-naked woman, luxury goods, explosions--but it uses them in an entirely new way. It is not just stylized, but hyper-stylized, so unreal that it becomes packed with meaning.

ok theres no need go overboard with the analyzing.....hahahaha all u did was explain what happened, shot by shot

but anyways, i think Kanye's message is pretty much that,  the glamour life, full of nice cars, pretty hoes, and clothes, is what ultimately "killed" him.......simple as that


but seriously
yea that was more what eye looked for but no doubt what petey dropped eye didnt know either. but eye was just curious about the message being sent out
 

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2008, 08:31:43 PM »
I get that..  But you really got think to notice that and get sumthing from the video.  Videos aren't supposed to do that to you.

Not saying that they should all be the same generic shit.  But there are plenty of simpler ways to send a different message without making it so boring/hard to conceive.

I think this would have been a great story telling video showcasing a relationship between a famous star and a smalltown girl.  But Ye' still wanted to have blatant Pornstar booty in his vids...   >:(

Mygla

Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2008, 11:15:04 PM »
I get that..  But you really got think to notice that and get sumthing from the video.  Videos aren't supposed to do that to you.

Not saying that they should all be the same generic shit.  But there are plenty of simpler ways to send a different message without making it so boring/hard to conceive.

I think this would have been a great story telling video showcasing a relationship between a famous star and a smalltown girl.  But Ye' still wanted to have blatant Pornstar booty in his vids...   >:(

you sig is kinda gay :p
 

Sir Petey

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Re: WTF is up with Kanye's Flashing Lights Video?
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2008, 12:50:14 AM »
yeah I knew to steer clear of that sig.