Evaluation - Question 4

Question 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Research and Planning

YouTube

YouTube helped my research immensely, as I was able to research other music videos, and watch them shot for shot. I was able to slow down the video using YouTube’s slow-motion feature, this helped when I was doing a shot count analysis and was able to count the fast paced cuts that were in-time with the beat.

It gave me a lot of inspiration, when it came to watching how professional directors would produce music videos for big artists such as; Kendrick Lamar. I was able to study the shots, and why they worked well with the genre, and it helped me explore new shots that I wanted to add into my production.

Internet

The internet allowed me to use Google, which opened up everything for me. Any piece of information I wanted on an artist, album, or director was all there for me. I was able to delve into the masses of information on the genre of rap itself, and study the minds of artists and directors who operate in that specific genre. It allowed me to search for the lyrics of my chosen song, and helped with analysing them, finding out the true meaning behind the song, and allowing me to plan my shots based off the story behind it.

Blogger

Blogger is the website that I have used throughout the entirety of the course, and it has allowed me to easily keep track of what I have and haven’t done. The tools allow me to set dates, and labels, in order to group tasks together, and keep everything looking tidy on my blog. It was also very useful in the sense of inspiration; I could look at other people’s blogs and study them for help and guidance, as to how they went about completing the tasks.

Construction

Photoshop

I heavily relied on using Photoshop throughout my course, using it to draft and complete final edits of my ancillary texts. The range of tools allowed me to manipulate images and fully construct my digipak to the way I wanted it. I also used it to craft my magazine advert, which helped when it came to completing the Rocky purple theme.

Adobe Premiere Pro

I used Adobe Premiere Pro to construct my video. I think that it is a great piece of software that allowed me to progress with my editing skills, and gave me full access to different tools and effects that I could use within my video. I think that at first it was hard to grasp but once I had used it two or three times, I got the hang of it, and managed to complete my music video.

Filming
Cannon 700D
For filming I used the Cannon 700D which was perfect for me. I picked it up very easily, and found it rather easy to film shots with. The quality of the camera is amazing, and looked good combined with my shots and angles. The quality fit perfect for my movements, the type of movements typically seen in music videos from the Rap genre.

Steadi Cam
I used the Steadi Cam with some of my shots, especially those when I was moving rapidly in a forward motion. The Steadi Cam is perfect for stopping the camera from shaking, which makes the shots look smooth, and as if the cameraman isn't moving at all. The shots that I used the Steadi Cam in are ones when I track the actor, rapping directly into the camera. I like the Steadi Cam, and would use it again, the only downside is it's weight, which isn't too bad as I was able to use a harness to strap it onto my body.

Evaluation - Question 3

Task 7 - Analysis of at least 3 videos

The video compliment the song, it follows the story behind the lyrics. Joey Bada$$ raps about how everyone has to get money, everyone has responsibilities such as; Paying bills. The video shows a story about a boy who gambles for money, winning people's belongings and selling them on for money. In all this, there is a tragic tale about a boy who murders someone for some Jordan's. Joey himself stars in this music video, which could mean that his life relates to this story in some way or another, and it could be very personal to him.

It also has a deeper meaning and the lyrics talk about how the government make it our problem to earn money to survive, and in some ways its not always legal or ethical ways people are getting money.

Task 8 - Prelim Photography Task

2 shots for Realism:





2 shots for Surrealism:

Task 3 - Research into a marketing package for an artist (Tv Ad)

The ad is promoting Jessie J's your for her album "Nice To Meet You", which took place in 2013.
During the ad, it shows the songs from her album, with tag lines that show you where she will be performing and on which date.

There is also a woman talking over the top, telling you where to buy your tickets. I think that this is a good way to promote a tour, as most people watch TV and it will gain the interest of fans that maybe didn't know about the tour beforehand.

Task 3 - Research into a marketing package for an artist (Digipak)

This is the digipak for Jessie J's album.
The digipak is very simple, the cover is of Jessie, and just her name is present. It is in big, bold, shiny text, this could be to draw the attention of the public.

The disc is very simple, it reads; "Jessie J - Who You Are" with a love heart on the left hand side. It is a nice design, and keeping it simple allows the audience to appreciate the album not the artwork.

Finally the back cover is very simple, it is just white, and it has the names of the songs in order down the middle. Again I think the simplicity is good, and keeps it straight to the point. It doesn't sidetrack listeners from the album itself.

Task 3 - Research into a marketing package for an artist (Magazine Ad)

This is a magazine advert for Jessie J's album "Who You Are"

The magazine advert works well with selling her album because it is simple, and straight to the point. It says that a popular single featuring a good artist is included in the album, this will help the album sell, if people like the song they will be encouraged to buy the album.

It has the name of the album, and also the website of Jessie J, where you will be able to pre-order or purchase the album. The picture is of Jessie J, so for those who don't know her they can get a good look, and if they also have recognised her, they may be tempted to buy the album.

Inside Image 3 - Digipak

Inside Image 2 - Digipak

Inside Image 1 - Digipak

CD - Digipak

Back Cover - Digipak

Front Cover - Digipak

Evaluation - Question 1

Evaluation - Question 2

Digipak Final

Magazine Advert

Music Video - Final Edit

Audience Feedback

Audience Feedback for my A2 Music Video

Sam Weeks -
It's a good music video, lots of cuts and variety of shots. 
Something to be added would be more locations during the verses, and chorus.  

 














Jake Afford - 
Well constructed music video, the close-ups add to the focus of the performer.
More cuts, and different variety of shots, such as long shots etc. Also more locations.










  Ben Hall - 
Good video, Jake's performance is good, clothing suits the genre, nice close-ups of rapping.
More locations, and maybe add in another actor/actress

Digipak - With found images (Edited)

Digipak - Back Cover (Raw Image)

This is the original image that I took of Jake, that I went later on to edit for my Digipak. I really like the lighting for the picture, the way that the lights are setup it blacks everything out in the background, so the only thing that can be seen is Jake and his hat.

Magazine Advert Mock-Up

This is what I want my magazine advert to look like, simple, gets to the point and most importantly it says the date of release. The song I am doing however is featured on an album that has already been released so I will have to change it to 'Out Now' although that still works just as well, as it lets readers know they can go out and buy the album if they wish to. 

Task 12 - Target Audience Research

The target audience for my song is an age range between 16-30, I would say that these are the prime years in which this generation listens to Rap/Hip-Hop, I also believe that the lyrics contained within my song, and many songs alike are suitable for this age group. It contains some sexual, violence and drug referencing, and a lot of Rap/Hip-Hop does these days, therefore it would not be suitable for anyone under the age of 16, who the lyrics could take effect on. It is seen that the younger generation are amongst those who commonly listen to this genre of music, and that of my artist, I believe that the songs contain powerful beats that fill your body with energy, and get you wanting to move and dance about, while singing along. This genre of music, is stereotyped to be good party music, and good to listen to when you want to have a good time. Myself and many people I know feel very strongly towards Rap/Hip-Hop as a genre, and listen to many artists contained within that genre. I think that in this day and age it is a very popular genre to be listening to, and the fan base is ever-growing.

Digipak Design Mock Up Back Cover

This is what I want the back cover of my digipak to look like, as the front of the digipak is the actors face, I wanted the back to be their back. Along with the featured songs written down their back, with the artist and album name at the bottom. I think this will also change slightly, maybe with different positioning of the actor, and maybe a slight change to the layout of the songs etc. 

Digipak Design Mock-Up Front Cover

Hand drawn mock-up of the front cover of my digipak, admittedly it will change upon the final edit, although, this is the basis of what I want it to look like upon completion. Only small things will change, like the font, size and placement of the titles and obviously it will be in colour, most likely a dark range of colours. 

A$AP Rocky - Purple Swag Lyrics

[Intro:]
Smoke, Ty Beats
Better do it 'til we get right, uhh

[Bridge:]
This is for my niggas getting high on the regular
This is for my bitches getting high on the regular

[Verse 1:]
Purple drink, I still sip, purple weed blunt still lit
Real nigga, real bitch, purple swag, that trill shit
Them candy cars, I'm coming down, that paint drip, I still tip
That pimp shit, she ain't plan to fuck, I pick her up, I still hit
That's swag, bitch

[Hook:]
Everything is purple (Swag)

[Verse 2:]
Purple swag, purple swag, I'm in the zone, I'm getting throwed
That purple swag, purple swag, that purple smoke up in my clothes
That big booty, juicy fruity, yellow bone, I wanna bone
I'm getting dome, I took her out, dick in her mouth, she getting on
I'm flexing steel, I'm flexing steel, I'm sitting high, I'm tipping slow
I'm Texas trill, Texas trill, but in NY we spit it slow
(I got these boppas going crazy, they see me coming
Robitussin, quit discussing, ASAP tell these niggas something, swag)

[Hook]

The song doesn't have a story or narrative, it takes a more general approach to a specific drug, nicknamed "Lean" which when mixed it becomes purple. He also raps about where he lives, and what he likes to do in his spare time; Smoke marijuana, and get with girls.

Task G - Digipak Draft Edit (found images)

This is roughly what I would like my digipak to look like. Obviously I would replace J.Cole with my actor, although I like the close up shot, it adds a sense of connection to the fans, with a facial shot of the Artist. I also like the back cover (4th picture) which shows the title of the album and the artist, obviously I would need to add the track list on the back, and make it more original, and to suit my criteria. Overall I think the design and layout is something I am looking to achieve when creating my own Digipak.

Task A - Initial Ideas Brainstorm

This is my brainstorm, full of my initial ideas for my music video. As you can see I was keen on the rapper vibe, and even included rap as a genre, I think this is because I listen to rap the most and my opinion is that it is the genre that makes you feel emotional, and it has an effect on you that makes you want to dance/sing etc. According to my costume and song ideas in this picture above, I seemed to have stuck with the same ideas all the way, and I am still very keen on doing J.Cole - Power Trip as my song. 

Task E - Pitch

This was my notes sheet that I used to pitch my ideas during lesson, it was short but simple and allowed me to have quick notes to refresh my memory on my plan. The song I played to the class was Power Trip - J.Cole, followed with my video inspiration of Often - The Weeknd, I then talked about where I would like to shoot, how many locations I plan to film at, and who I would like to act in my music video. I also gave a brief description of the outfit that I would like my actor to wear during shooting. 

Task I - Costume Shots

The costume that I had in mind for my actor to wear is very simple, the song I have chosen is Rap/Hip-Hop so I wanted to stick towards the genre. I think the costume I have decided on will fit with the stereotypes, and common look of people who listen to/make rap/hip-hop songs. 

Jeans



I chose jeans because they are casual, and usually associated with gangsters or indie personalities. For my video I need my actor to look like he could potentially be part of a gang, and to look laid back, casual and wear American style clothing, jeans in either blue or black help complete that look. 

Hoodie



Hoodies are associated with casual wear, and sometimes stereotyped to be clothing for gang members or gangsters. As seen in Rap/Hip-Hop videos, artists usually wear them, which shows that it is a common item of clothing, it also shows that its popular with rappers and therefore, I want my actor to look like a rapper, so that he fits the part of playing J.Cole. A black hoodie would go with black jeans and the grey will go with the blue jeans, and I will most likely alternate during my music video. 

T-Shirt


I also want my actor to wear a plain t-shirt for the opening shots of the music video, this shows that he is very casual, and laid back. A plain t-shirt just gives him the impression of being simple, and showing he is humble, and not looking to wear massive brands. When you see American teens or young adults, that are associated with rap/hip-hop music, they wear plain white/black t-shirts, this is because it is a type of trend or stereotypical item of clothing. 

Accessories


During my music video, I want to shoot some close ups of my actor, and I want the above accessories to be clearly visible during the close ups. I specifically want the black leather strapped watch, but not for any particular reason, I personally really like that style of watches and I think if I went for a full metal watch, especially gold or silver, it would be too predictable as its often seen that rappers or rich artists wear flashy watches and chains. Whereas I would like my actor to be different, and I want my take on J.Cole to be original. 

Task 10 - Research into the Record Label

 

J. Cole got signed to Roc Nation in 2009, shortly after that he released his second mixtape, "The Warmup". Roc Nation was founded by Jay-Z in 2008, In June 2009, Roc Nation signed a 4-year distribution deal with Sony Music, this basically meant that Roc Nation, and Sony Music made an agreement for Sont to take care of distribution for 4 years. Some well-known artists that have been or are signed to Roc Nation include; Rihanna, J. Cole, Rita Ora, Vic Mensa, Kanye West, Meek Mill and more. After that signing, J. Cole featured on Jay-Z's album "The Blueprint 3" on the song "A Star is Born". He then featured on Wale's Mixtapes; Attention Deficit (2009) and Back to the Feature (2009).


A year later, after signing to Roc Nation, J. Cole released his third Mixtape, "Friday Night Lights" which included features from Drake, Wale and Omen. J.Cole has been part of his own record label since he founded it in 2007, this record label is known as "Dreamville Records". 




After the 4-year distribution deal with Sony Music expired in April 2013, Roc Nation then signed a multi-year partnership with Universal Music. As part of this agreement, forthcoming albums from Jay-Z, Rihanna and others would be released through UMG worldwide. Lucian Grainge, the Chairman and CEO of UMG said "In just five years, Roc Nation has established itself as one of the most successful brands in music with a reputation for developing some of today's most influential and popular talent." He went on to say that the partnership between them and Rihanna would be extended and it would be a homecoming for Jay-Z "an artist and entrepreneur, who has been a creative cornerstone of our company." 
 
 

Task 9 - Digipak Analysis 3

Task 9 - Digipak Analysis 2

Task B - Letter to Record Label or Artist

 This is my letter to J.Cole's Record Label, asking for permission to use his song; "Power Trip".

Task 7 - Vince Staples - Señorita - Music Video Analysis

Señorita - Vince Staples - Music Video

 

"Señorita" is a song by American rapper, Vince Staples. This song features on Staples' debut studio double album "Summertime '06" which was released June 30th 2015. "Señorita" was released as a single first however, May 4th 2015. The music video for this single was released on May 12th 2015, and on 21st October 2015 the video has 3,415,102 views. 

The video includes what would seem like a rundown estate in America, with a group of people walking through the street, holding a bible above their heads. One by one people get shot, and die, therefore the group gradually gets smaller and smaller. Vince Staples, is walking about by himself, and eventually egts up onto a pickup truck with a microphone, and proceeds to rap the rest of his verse. At the end of the video, the camera continues to pan outwards and it becomes obvious that the main gang leader, and his followers are trapped behind glass, and what seems to be a middle class, white family is sitting on a sofa staring at them. 

Camerawork -

The camerawork during this music video, contains many long, pan shots that give the viewer a feel to the scenery. The first shot is a close up of the leader's back, he then turns around and looks at the camera. Then there is a cut to another shot, that is of a hand on a piano, playing the keys. The man playign the piano, then suddenly drops to the floor, and it would seem that he got shot. The next shot is a tracking shot of the group walking forward, with the leader holding a book above his head, that has "VS" written on the front, from what I can gather it means 'Vince Staples'. This shot is repeated although not identical, throughout the video, showing that people keep getting picked off one by one by a gun that you don't see right until the last few shots of the video. There are many tracking shots of Vince Staples during the music video, of him walking towards the truck that he performs upon. The shots follow him, while he is rapping, most of the time looking away from the camera. There is a shot of Vince, on top of the truck performing the rest of his verse, and it keeps cutting to different shots of him, some close up, some long shot, in which you get to see the whole truck and Vince on top, with the microphone. 

The tracking shots have inspired me, and I would like to include some shots similar to them in my own music video. The shots are short, but they grasp the scene perfectly, as Staples covers some ground, moving to a new unseen part of the set. I intend to include a shot like this, with my main actor walking towards an object that is off screen, while I follow him towards the object, he will be lip-syncing the song.

Editing - 

The editing in this video is very simple, there are just a lot of simple, fast-paced cuts that change the shot from Vince, to the group of people holding the book, to people sat in their gardens. The editing helps make the shots sync more and look smoother, they also add variety into the order of shots, for example; it isn't all just shots of Staples, there are ome shots of the gang/group and some other shots of a police man in riot gear, and some people sat in their garden having a barbeque, all of which help the flow of the video, and mix it up a bit, rather than just being a linear video. The entire video is shot in black and white, whether that is to do with the meaning of the song/video, or they just liked it better that way, it certainly grabs the attention of the viewer and makes them think.

I take a lot of inspiration from this video inparticular as the editing is rather simple, and the cuts that they make, help the video flow, and looks seemless. The black and white works very well with the mood and meaning of the song, and even the video, therefore it has given me ideas for my own music video, in which I might have it all/ selected parts of it, in black and white.


Mise en Scéne - 
The mise en scéne in this video is rather simplistic. The lighting is very simple, either natural lighting, or a slight artificial lighting that gives off the impression it was shot in the day. The fact that the video is black and white, takes off the stress of worrying about lighting, as long as you can see everything you want to be seen and the actors/rappers are well lit, it shouldn't be a hassle. The clothing in the video varies a lot to do with the character. For instance Vince Staples is wearing his casual clothing that he probably wears on a day-to-day basis, which is a sort of stereotypical, American skater/gang member style of clothing. He is wearing light, skinny jeans, with a hoodie and a denim jacket over the top, he also looks as if he is wearing some kind of boots. As for the group of people holding the book, the main leader is wearing jeans, with no top, and has tattoos all over his body. As for the others, they are wearing, plain, ordinary, everyday clothing that you would most likely see on the streets of America. There a few props that stand out, such as the book that the group leader is holding, which could be linked with Vince Staples. Another prop is the microphone that Vince uses to perform the rest of his verse, this indicates he could be performing to a crowd, or wanting his voice to be heard. 

As for inspiration, I think a take a lot from the clothing part. I want my actor to dress up in casual clothing and seem as if he is a casual guy, nothing striking about his appearance etc. The plain skinny jeans and the hoodie are becoming a definite for my clothing, as they are stereotypical clothing for rap videos, and rap artists, they are also seen as comfy, casual and plain. 

Task 6 - Magazine Advert Analysis 3

 This is a magazine advert for Jay-Z's album "The Blueprint 3" that was released September 14th 2009. The ad contains the album cover, which is all the white instruments in the background. It also has the date of release and featured songs added at the bottom of the advert. At the very bottom of the advert, it shows that Jay-Z has his own website "www.jay-z.com" and what record label he was signed to "Roc Nation".

• The colours are simple, white and red, with black text. This can be quite easily associated with the record label, Jay-Z was signed to when this album was released - Roc Nation, which can be seen below.

•  The other good thing about this album magazine advert is that, unlike a lot of adverts, it shows two featured songs which were released as singles before the initial album release, therefore it isn't giving away any knew material, but still it is letting people know that those songs will be feautered, and if they know, and like them it will possibly persuade them to buy it.

Task 6 - Magazine Advert Analysis 2

 

This is an advert for Kanye West's album "Yeezus" which was released June 18 2013. As you can see from the image, it is very basic, and only features the Album cover, which is very plain and simple. It is a transparent case, in which you can see a CD contained, with a red post-it note on it saying 'Yeezus'. It has the date of release on the bottom of the ad, which is good for notifying potential customers of when they can pick this CD up in stores, worldwide.

• Although the design is that the case is basic, and it has a good look to it. I believe that it should have at least something on it, such as; Featured songs, artists or lyrics etc. 
• The simple colours give an original look to it, and will draw people in to look at it. It could have more colours to represent the album, or the mood of the songs. 
• It says the date clearly below the CD cover, this way it is easy for people to see when the album is going to be released, so that they know when they can buy it.

Task 6 - Magazine Advert Analysis 1

This is a Magazine Advert for Drake's Album "Take Care" that was released November 15th 2011. 

The advert shows the front cover of album, and highlights that the name of the album is 'Take Care'. It tells the reader that the Album is out on Monday, which would have been helpful for them around the time of the release. The advert has the exact same image as the album cover, so the colours and text don't give much away to the readers of the advert, other than that they will know the cover of the album.

• It should have been more specific with the date of release, rather than just 'Monday' as readers could be confused as to when the exact date of release is.
• The advert notifies readers of some of the featured songs, such as; Headlines, and Make Me Proud ft. Nicki Minaj
• It also mentions some of the featured artists, such as; Rihanna, Lil Wayne and Andre 3000.

Task 5 - Genre Research

When thinking of what genre of music I would like to base my music video off, I had already narrowed it down in my head to three possible genres; Hip-Hop/Rap or Indie.
I came to this conclusion rather easily, as these are the genres of music that I listen to most, and the ones that I enjoy the most. I also think that these genres of music have very good backing beats to the songs, and are easy to coordinate the shots around the pace of the track, and they tend to be easy to relax and listen to.

Hip-Hop/Rap:
When looking into Hip/Hop a few big names came to mind, such as; Drake, Eminem, Dr. Dre, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar etc. All of the above are artist I listen to, so therefore it would be easy when it came to choosing a song, as I am familiar with their songs and lyrics. Rap/Hip-Hop has been popular for years, but in more recent years (2010 - ) it would seem that the Rap game has become more and more popular as time goes by, including the fact that there are new artists becoming incredibly popular regularly, for example; Fetty Wap made his well-known, well loved track "Trap Queen" in 2014 and ever since, his fame has kept on growing. Especially with his newest release of his debut album "Fetty Wap" that was released 25th September 2015.

Rap has a very unique track sound, it is very different in comparison to genres such as Rock or Indie, the backing beats that are produced have their own originality and can vary from, slow, chilled out beats that you can relax to, to very fast paced, bass enthused beats that get you pumped and wanting to dance.

Indie:
As for Indie, I had a few bands that came to mind, that I thought would be a potential choice for my music video, artists such as; Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, The Kooks, The 1975 and Bombay Bicycle Club. The beats for these bands, are usually upbeat and slow, therefore you feel chilled, and it makes it easier to relax while you're listening to it. Indie bands are far more popular in the UK than the US, although there are still unknown bands in the UK as the genre isn't as popular as Rap or Hip-Hop because Rap/Hip-Hop have many singles that are played on the radio, and become mainstream. Whereas you barely hear songs from indie bands, played on the radio.
Here is an example of a song and music video of an Indie song that I personally like and listen to, and it has inspired me, and given me some ideas for my song choice and music video:

Task N - Prop List

Props -

• iPhone 6
• Comb
• Mirror
• Wallet
• Keys

Task C - Mood Board

Task 7 - J. Cole - Power Trip - Music Video Analysis

"Power Trip" is a song by the American Rapper, J. Cole. The song features on Cole's Second Studio Album "Born Sinner" which was released June 18th 2013. Power Trip was released as a single first, and was released February 14th 2013. The music video for this song was released on 9th April 2013. On the 8th September 2015 the video has 35,372,744 views.


 

The video is a visual illustration of the lyrics, and it paints a perfect picture of the story. The story behind it follows on from J. Cole's earlier song "Dreams" which made an appearance on his second mixtape "The Warm Up" in 2009, in which the story is that, he obsesses over a girl and devises a plan to kill her boyfriend. The follow up in the "Power Trip" video is that he carries that plan out and by the end of the video has killed the girl's boyfriend.

This has given me many ideas about doing a music video to a song with a narrative, as if I am telling the story through a visual experience.

Camerawork - 
During this music video, there are many different shots, all used to try and develop the story of the song a little more. The first shot is of the house in which the girl lives, it is a pan of the entire front side of the house. The second shot is of a mid shot of the girl inside the house, which makes it look as if someone is watching her. Then this is followed by a lot of close ups of J. Cole in a strip club, looking depressed, or guilty. It is clear to see that throughout the video the shots are trying to show many obvious things through different types of shots. For example; The shots of the girl, are usually from a distance, and from behind some sort of cover, trying to show that J. Cole is obsessing over this girl. The other shots are showing J. Cole and his companion taking the body to bury, and the rest are showing J. Cole feeling guilty, and depressed. 

As for inspiration from the video, I really like the shots of J. Cole, close up. I think that I want to add in some shots like that, as I want the actor to be singing the chorus to the camera. As for the other shots, I most likely won't be adding many of them as I am aiming to shoot, in a bedroom or a hotel room. I don't think I will have any shots outside, as I think the inside setting would be perfect for the song that I have chosen. 

Editing - 
The editing in this music video is simple, its just full of short cuts, from shot to shot. Nothing major, the cuts are slow paced, nothing flashes or cuts rapidly as the song is slow. Other than some slow paced cuts, there isn't much editing, other than some flashing lights to indicate the police car, and a video effect to show J. Cole is in the club. I want to use a similar edit for my video, for when there will be a long shot of the actor and the room they are in, I want it to look frosted or slightly distorted.

Mise en Scéne - 
The Mise en Scéne is very essential in this music video, the lighting for the outside shots is authentic as it is shot mid-day, and the shots of the house are well lit, with artificial lighting. As for the costume, the girl is wearing lazy clothes; some shorts/underwear and a tank top. J. Cole and his friend are wearing normal everyday clothing, which is typically seen on the younger generation (beanies, hoodies, and jeans) and that of a american gangster type, rapper. As for Miguel, he is dressing up in a suit, indicating he is going off to work, showing he has an important job. As for inspiration I think that I will take the costume and lighting into account, and definitely use them for ideas in my own music video, especially the outfits, as they would be perfect for my music video.