Will Smith - Men in Black
This video is of the 1997 hit single 'Men in Black' by Will Smith, which was featured on the soundtrack of the film with the same name starring Will Smith. I have chose this video because of the nostalgia behind it as well as it being a catchy song that has stuck in my mind. I associate it with the film, which I rate highly. I am considering doing a hip-hop video for my coursework, which is the
Instant Impact -
This video has a huge instant impact due to the unique narrative and it's link with the film of the same name. It also features big name actors like Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith himself, as well as the memorable ending of the viewer being 'neuralised'.
Non Linear Editing -
The video does feature Non Linear editing as it jumps from the performance of Will Smith and the other agents in the main room as well as Will showing us through the Men in Black company and what it represents through clips from the film. It keeps moving between the two with fast editing and cuts.
Repetitions -
One sort of imagery that is repeated is the trademark sunglasses that members of the fictional organisation wear. All human characters are seen wearing them in the video, and the effect from this is it is know an accessory associated with the films and comic book, as well as being sold as merchandise.
Strong Sense of artist identity -
The video does give us a strong sense of artist identity as it centres around the performer Will Smith throughout and he is the protagonist of this video as well as the film itself. This type of video isn't unconventional for Will Smith as he did a similar thing for his film Wild Wild West years later, creating the theme song which he himself performs and stars in the video for.
A Performance -
The performance throughout the video is lip synching from Will Smith and the back-up female singers, with there being a bizarre designated dance sequence with one of the alien characters from the film around midway through the video. This was most likely put in to add some narrative to the video, as the alien eventually escapes and requires pursuing.
Visual Pleasures -
The most iconic location used in this video is the wall featured in the background of the performing, but this only gained notoriety through the film itself.
Wow Factor -
What makes the video stand out to me personally is the ending where the fourth wall is broken by Will Smith and he uses the neuraliser on the audience. This has what has made the video stand out to me through the years, which is in contrast to the video for Men in Black II's theme song which didn't feature a 'Wow' factor like this.
Provoke Reaction -
The reaction this music video is likely to provoke is an enthusiastic one about going to see the film, with this video possibly getting someone interested in checking out the series. It has no real controversy, and is largely family orientated.
Works on Different Levels -
The video is used to generate hype for the film, and the lyrics are mostly explaining the role of the fictional company and the responsibilities they undertake. It also features various settings from the film and characters, to associate it even more with it.
Pop Culture -
It will be remembered for the notable ending as well as because of nostalgia for people who grew up watching the film and hearing this song around them like me. The film has been talked about more in pop culture then this song was, but it is still an important song in 90s RnB.
A lot of the childhood songs are songs that most people's parents played around them, or related to their parents with artists like Def Leppard and Queen as well as those seen on TV which plays a big part in most people's childhood. The songs from a significant moment included various things such as travelling and various holidays, with our teacher Miss Walsh choosing a song used on her Skydiving video. The music tastes in our class ranged from things like Classic Rock such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to more modern music like Nickelback.
How I remember buying music was both through Cassette tapes and CDs, when physical singles were popular and digital formats from online music stores such as iTunes hadn't released yet. My tastes have changed dramatically from pop music as a young child to Alternative Rock while growing up in Primary School, listening to heavier music like Metallica and Slipknot as a young teenager before house music as I finished Year 11. My current music taste at the age of 17 is a mixture as I still listen to all those stated in smaller amount with a bigger focus of Rap and Hip-Hop, my favourite artists being Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. 
