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A2 Media Portfolio
Lil Uzi Vert - Money Longer
Money Longer was the debut single released by USA hip hop artist Lil Uzi Vert in february 2016. It was taken from his fourth mixtape 'Lil Uzi Vert vs the World'. He belongs to Atlantic Records which is part of the bigger Warner Bros label. It reached 54 on the USA Billboard chart and 15 in the Hip Hop singles chart.
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The video was released on July 8th 2016 and contains some very interesting and successful techniques regarding special effects and props.
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The video is 4:00 minutes long exactly and features an interesting performance narrative. It features many aspects that would be expected of him that show his personality/style etc. A 'trippy' or 'trilly' feel is definitely part of that and is easily seen early on in the video.
This video starts with a pan of the landscape featuring some aesthetically pleasing plants, it then cuts to a POV of someone looking up at a treeline. However it is out of focus and slowed down to maybe give a feel of being under the influence of one of the drugs he mentions in the song (most likely xanax).
After a couple more POV's under the influence it then show's Lil Uzi Vert himself walking through the garden with a child and then a female. The song still hasn't started yet but a muffled sound of another of his songs is quietly playing.It then regains focus and show's Lil Uzi Vert with a female character.
The female character has bright pink hair similar to the dreads of Lil Uzi and this in a way helps establish a connection between them. A rotating shot following them show's Lil Uzi being affectionate towards her and then placing a warm item of clothing over her. This again increases their connection and tells the audience they are in some sort of relationship.
There is then a final shot of the almost 'prologue' before the song starts of the two characters being loving and enjoying themselves. This passage is 30 seconds long and then finishes with a blackout screen. This helps the audience know the song is about to start. The shot is just simple medium shot but is slightly slowed down again. However, it is not as slow as the original POV shots.
As the song starts, a close up shot of a freezer is opened revealing a character who seemed similar to the first female but sticks her middle finger up at the camera. This immediately show's the original mood has changed from the loving and affectionate one we got to know. The fast paced soundtrack supports this 'aggressive' mood too.
She is then dragged out and almost thrown into a seat. It is also shown her hands are tied up. This gives off a 'hostage' like feel in a location of a rundown apartment/house. This again reiterates the aggressive mood. The shots are still quite simple however maybe reminding us that it's still a simple song and not a complex gangster movie etc.
Shots of characters in the apartment are then shown. With fast paced cuts to stay with the tempo and then shots to show their actions, (waving guns around etc). This show's the mood has definitely changed and a new effect on the audience is desired etc. A new location is now introduced.
The exterior location is at a 'Drag Strip' with some special effects being present. The sky is made up of green/pink/blue/purple colours to help support the 'trippy' effect he wants to give off. Centre frame is Lil Uzi Vert who is in orange so a lot of attention will be drawn to him which is the intention. He is situated in front a bleak grey background as well as the black Chevrolet's either side contrasting the general brightness making him stand out. The Sky also increases the aesthetics.
For the rest of the duration of the video the shots seem to reverse from interior to exterior. The female hostage from earlier appears at the exterior location but is still under surveillance. He is still in the same code of dress between locations and the sky can also be seen reflecting inside the interior.
As it progresses, Lil Uzi can be seen with another female who he is showing love and affection towards again. He continues to dance in front of the 'Drag Strip' Sign while races are ongoing that featuire cars such as Lamorghini's etc. Nothing really changes apart from the hat he's wearing and eventually he also put's on a black jumper.
Heading into the last minute of the song, Uzi is running through the car park looking for the 'hostage'. He run's up to females with similar hair and checks if it is them. This narrative is interesting but doesn't really relate to the song itself. However, it is still quite successful and effective due to the colours and props used.
The female then runs out and joins Lil Uzi on a pit/stunt bike for their escape. It's a good shot with the sky in the background and shows the determination on Uzi's face to escape from their torturers/capturers. The soundtrack also begins to wind down and end but the narrative and video continues briefly.
The final shot is a close up of the two similar to the beginning of the video, the love and affection has returned and they seem to be enjoying each others company. The look on their faces also show's they are happy they are safe.
Final Opinion
Overall, I think that this is in an interesting and successful video. The colours particularly interest me and I feel I would like to interact and challenge something that can be seen as 'natural' like the sky or ocean etc. This will be most likely used to a high and effective level if we do decide to use it.