Analysis of Logic 'Everybody' Digipak

Digipak Analysis

Logic - Everybody

The main image of the digipak is a painting by Sam Sprait and is based off 'The Wedding at Cana' by Paolo Veronese. The quote from the artist is that Logic called him in the middle of the night about the painting and said "But this is IT dude. It hit me. I want a celebration. My friends, my wife, my inspirations, my dogs, your dog, your girl, you, all races, colors, creeds, genders, sexual orientation. I want a painting of EVERYBODY. All together, having a meal. This is it. However much time it takes, whatever it takes. I'll give you what you need to make it happen. I know it's the middle of the night, but this is a moment we'll remember. Trust me". The main image is a mix of the classical era but with a modern/futuristic twist. They did this by using light textures as well as a minimal colour palette of blue, red, cream and a brown colour. Also in the image there is the 'E' in everybody on flags at the sides of the image. 

This is the original image 'The Wedding at Cana' by Paolo Veronese and was created between 1562-1563.

The characters in the album cover are all people who have inspired Logic in his music and this includes his friends and family as well as producers, fans, assistants and the people who run his social media. All of the people are either wearing more futuristic or traditional clothing. They are all wearing brightly coloured clothing and this meant that the cover became more of a puzzle like Logic.

The font of the main title is used in the song called 'Everybody' (seen below) and in the back cover for the title of the entire album. This continuous font makes it instantly recognizable with fans and the E is included on the flags in the main image.


Inside the booklet of the album there are the titles of the song, for example 'America' with an old fashioned 'I' to describe the ideas and themes behind the song. This is reminiscent of old manuscripts from the medieval periods of history. Logic has written about every single song on his album and in 'America' he talks about how he is going to talk about himself politically and stand up for what he believes in. He also talks about how he idolized Kanye West and how he was outspoken, and still idolizes him even though he feels as though he has not done enough for America and the people.

Song Choice - Logic 'Gang Related'

Gang Related - Logic

The song 'Gang Related' is from Logic's album Under Pressure that released in 2014. Since then he has released three other albums called: Everybody, Bobby Tarantino, The Incredible True Story. The genre that Logic and his music fits into is rap music, this is based on his background of poverty and drugs so he will often rap about his life. Logic is now a part of Def Jam Recordings as well as Visionary, however at the time of Under Pressure he was solely with Visionary.

Logic often raps about his experiences however he said in an interview "This is a lot bigger than me. I don't want to just rap about me on this album, I want to rap about other people as well". This is where he got the idea to rap from a different perspective, his brothers. "And he told me, and he described it and he painted the picture. I wrote it, and nobody wants to be in the streets. Nobody wants to sell drugs. Nobody want to do that. Let's just be real. And, I wanted to paint the picture of someone who was in the streets who obviously did not want to be there and maybe at times were scared but you have to put up the front."

Gang Related does not have a music video and this is the same with the entirety of the 'Under Pressure' album. This means that for my music video I am not being influenced from the original video like I would have been if I had chosen something different.

Copyright Permission Letter

This is the email I sent to Visionary Music Group about using the song 'Gang Related' for my music video.

They have not replied.

Logic: 1-800 Analysis

1-800-273-8255 Analysis

The artist of the song, Logic, got the idea of the song because he "felt compelled to make a song that could actually help those who are in a dark place and can't seem to find the light".
He said in a series of tweets:

Camerawork

The main images of the music video is a story of a gay teenager who is struggling with their personal image. Due to this being a narrative based music video it means the camera angles and shots will be more professional and more like an actual movie. There are multiple shots of the main character being seen as alone and this emphasises the meaning behind the title (the suicide hotline).

There are also a lot of close up of the actors in the video for example the main teenager has a lot of close-ups of his face in order for the audicne to see his expression and feel for him. The Dad also has closeups to show his struggle to accept his son for who he is.


Sound
The sound in the video is the song, apart from a clip in the middle of the music video when the two teenagers are caught by a parent. There is no dialogue in this scene but the knocj of the door is heard over the rhythm of the song. There is also a part of the video in which you hear the gun load to add to the effect of the scene and the narrative surrounding it.

Editing
The edits in the are all very simplistic and this is in order to make the video seem more real and relatable for the audience. Fancy transitions or edits would take away from the human side of the video and would not make it as impactful as it is in its simplist form. There is a edit at the end that has the camera heading towards the light and to a wedding scene in the future with the Dad accepting the son.
The singers in the song also appear on computer screens in the school through the use of a green screens on the monitors and adding the singers in post production.

Mise-en-scene

• The costumes in the video are all standard clothes that ordinary people wear to and from school as well as home. This makes the characters and the setting more realistic and relatable for the audiences to connect to and feel the pain that each character goes through. The main teenager also wears a running uniform and this can help show the audience that he is trying to run away from his feelings.
• The locations in this video are also very realistic and everyday, for example a school where the audience first learns about the main teenagers feelings, and the home where he has a confrontation with this dad and also nearly kills himself with a gun. This shows us that he has problems with himself and the audience will want him to get through this. This again ties in with the title and the lyrics of the song.

Analysis of Music Videos

Analysis of Music Videos

Camerawork:

Some music videos use a variety of camera angles and this helps make the music video seem more professional, however some use only a few different angles and movement.

Childish Gambino - 3005

• This music video uses a constant angle that is a mid shot of C.G and a bear sitting in a Ferris Wheel.
• The music video is a constant recording, however like films such as Birdman, there are secret cuts in the video, this is to help with the destroyed bear after each chorus. After each chorus the camera pans upwards into the sky, and this is where the cut takes place.

Logic - Nasty

• Throughout this music video there is a lot of low angle shots looking up at him, this is a standard shot in most low budget rap music videos to show how powerful they are and their dominance in the industry. 

Logic - Super Mario World

• In the opening shot of Logic's 'Super Mario World' there is a drone shot of a factory that some of the music video takes place. 
• There are also a lot of quick movements from the video, for example quickly zooming in on Logic (showing his status as a star) when he is on a private jet. This shows that he is rich and powerful and can afford it.

Editing:
Kendrick Lamar - Humble
There are a lot of quick cuts in the video and one scene in particular where the camera pans around him while he is rapping. This movement is in time with the beat and makes for an interesting transition.


Childish Gambino - 3005
The editing in this video is very minimal as it is only C.G and the bear in a fixed position with an apparent continuous recording. However this makes it seem simplistic and makes the artist seem more ordinary and through the 'star theory' makes them seem ordinary but talented.

Sound:
Childish Gambino - 3005
Like many songs the only sound from the video is the sound and this means that there is no music from the actual video.
If the music video was more of a narrative video then it is more likely to have dialogue and sound from the actual video.

Mise-en-scene:
Childish Gambino - 3005

• Costumes - C.G is wearing ordinary clothing to show the simplistic nature of the music video. The teddy bear is wearing a hat to show a more human side to the object as it slowly gets destroyed. The other people in the video are extras in the background who, like C.G, are ordinary people on the Ferris Wheel.
• Setting - The setting of the music video is on a Ferris Wheel and this makes the video more relatable for the audiences as they too can ride a Ferris Wheel with a bear.
• Lighting - All of the lighting in the music video comes from the actual Ferris Wheel and not from any other stage lights. This makes the video seem more authentic and less staged then it would otherwise.
• Props - The only prop in the video is the bear that slowly gets more and more destroyed as the video progresses.

Narrative:

Eminem - Stan

The story of 'Stan' is about a fan who is obsessed with Eminem. The actual song is letters from this fan and when the letters aren't answered he puts his pregnant girlfriend in the boot and drives off a bridge. The last verse of the song is Eminem answering the letters before realising that he was the man who drove off the bridge.

Themes:
Childish Gambino - 3005
The theme of 3005 is about Childish Gambino's loss of innocence after starting his rap career. He started out as an actor and comedian who wasn't taken seriously with his music but as he made more music and starred in more TV and movies he got a star persona and therefore had to lose his childishness and innocence to become a rapper. The bear is his innocence and after each chorus he does the more destroyed the bear (his innocence) becomes.

Singers:

Childish Gambino:
Childish Gambino, or Donald Glover, is an American actor, comedian and rapper who has starred in TV shows such as Community (which he produces and writes), films such as Spiderman Homecoming. He has become more of a star after his EP and because of this has two different personas, one with his acting (a more cheerful bubbly character) and one for his music (a straight faced more reserved character). After releasesing his first album he only really connected with his audiences through his music videos.

Michael Jackson

• In the music video 'Billie Jean' the video has a lot of different moments of showing how much of a star he is. There is one scene where he makes a homeless man wear a suit through his touch, and this makes the audience watching him show how much of a star he is by the fact that he can change lives with a touch.
• He also does a lot of dance moves that only he does, for example when he did the moonwalk it was a signature move for him.
  

Male and Female Gaze

Laura Mulvey -  Male and Female Gaze

Male Gaze:

The male gaze is the way in which women are depicted from a masculine viewpoint, this means presenting women as objects of male pleasure.

The mlae gaze is shown throughthe use of costumes, make-up and the camerawork, the camera will often linger on parts of the body.

The male gaze is often used to represent gender in a particular way.

Blurred Lines:

• Hugely controversial when it was released.
• The first shot in the music video is of the artist next to a woman with his name on the screen. This makes him seem to be an imposing figure and makes the artist seem more important.
• Throughout the video the male artists looking at the women as an item of male pleasure.

The male artist are shown as masculine and dominat, meanwhile the women are shown as objects whose only purpose is to be gazed upon.

However there are music videos that challenge the udea of male gaze, while there are also female artists who sexualise themselves as well.

Female Gaze:

The female gaze is seen from the female perspective and often reflects female attitudes. This is either because the creator of the media product is female, or because it is being aimed at a predominantly female audience.
The female gaze works in similar ways to the male gaze and an example of this is 'Call Me Maybe'