Codes and Conventions of a Music Video

Kanye West
Diamonds from Serra Leone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgqd80026xU

Mise En Scene

Kanye West uses the sample from the classic song "Diamonds are Forever" by John Barry which was a worldwide hit that was released by Shirley Bassey to create his own music video, the song was so popular that it was the theme song for James Bond.

Before the music video even begins the video has a pre-music sequence such as the quote by Kanye West which only really happens in films, the quote suggest how important Kanye West must seem in the video as quotes are normally taken from very significant people. Already the music video has film like aspects such as the voice over which talks about the blood diamonds which links to the video having a storyline that is voicing their morals. We can now come to the conclusion that the music video is narrative and performance based as there is a strong storyline about children dying from conflict diamonds, this is the theme that runs through out the video. Not only is it a theme but through the music video Kanye West is trying to use his fame to expose the reality of conflict diamonds.

The video is set in Prague and in the mines which both contrast with each other of good against evil as Prague has the connotations of being religious as the camera shows many shots of churches, statues and of Jesus Christ, while the mines reinforce the idea of evil as the children are slaves who risk there life for diamonds. The video might also be set in Prague, which is in Europe as the conflict diamonds are transported to Europe to be sold on. The whole video is in black and white which represents the past but still is on-going.

Editing

Superimpose is used with the overlapping of several images of the children working to compose the life of the children. We can tell that the children are slaves from what they are wearing and how they look. Their eyes are completely black from never seeing daylight and from being underground all day. Fades are also used right at the start of the video when the writing fades in and out before the music starts this again creates film like video.

Camera Angles and Movement

The camera uses forward tracking so that it seems like the audience is entering the mines right at the start of the music video. The camera then uses many tilts and pans to show the conditions of the mines and the diamonds, the effect of this is to show the audience the slavery that happens. As they are slaves the camera uses a low-angle so that the audience is looking up at the slave owner which gives the impression of the audience being submissive and the slave owner having the power and dominance.

Many close ups are used such as the close up of a man inspecting a diamond, the camera frames the man so that the audience see that he isn't a slave because he is a white middle aged man who trades the diamonds. A crane shot is used which gives a sweeping action to show the mountains and where the children mine. Many of the low angles are used when the cameras are focusing on the statues, this gives the statues more significant importance such as the statue of Jesus Christ which shows the more religious aspects. Kanye West leaves the message that by purchasing blood diamonds you are creating the slave trade and having blood on your hands Kanye does this by making the audience feel guilty.