AN - Francis Lawrence Case study

Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director who was born on March 26, 1970 in Vienna. He first began his work in the Media as the second assistant camera on the film, Pump Up The Volume (Allan Moyle, 1991) which was prior to earning his bachelors degree in film production at Loyola Marymount University Film School. 

The first music video that Francis Lawrence directed was A Man Rides Through by obscure metal band, Tidal Force. The video switches between performance and narrative, as it tells the story of a reverend having to kill a wanted criminal in the Wild West. From this point onwards, Francis Lawrence went on to become a multi-award winning director who worked on big videos such asEmotion by Destiny's Child (the video that our group is working on for our coursework) and what can be consisted has his highest profile project, Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head) by Will Smith made to tie with the terrible sequel, Men in Black 2 (2002, Barry Sonnefield).


Here is the video for A Man Rides Through:

When looking at Francis' videos, he tends to implement a sense of narrative into the music videos he directs because it his part of his style of filming and by providing a narrative within a music video it will give it a deeper meaning, "It's a way to practice your craft. I tried to master tone, character and story arcs. But narrative was always of utmost importance to me, going all the way back to film school." 

He then had the chance to direct his first feature film after pitching his ideas and drawings for a big screen version of Constantine, based on the DC Comics/ Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels. With control of the film's development in the palm of his hand, Francis was able to see this film as a natural extension of his music videos. This allowed him to tell a deep, complex story, "In music video, you're often limited by the song, the tempo, the pace, the lyrics. You learn to work within those guidelines." 


A few years later, Francis went on to direct another feature film called I Am Legend which is considered one of the most expensive films ever made with a budget of £150 million. He also went on to direct the videos forCircus by Britney Spears and Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.

Filmography

Jump to: Director | Producer | Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | Thanks | Self |Archive Footage

Hide Director (11 titles)

2012Touch (TV series) (post-production)

– Pilot (2012)

2011Water for Elephants

2009Kings (TV series)

– First Night (2009)

– Prosperity (2009)

– Goliath (2009)

2007I Am Legend

2006OK Go: Oh No Special Edition (video short)

2005Constantine

2004Britney Spears: Greatest Hits - My Prerogative (video) (video "I'm a Slave 4 U")

2004From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos (video documentary) (videos "Someone to Call My Lover", "Son of a Gun" and "All Nite")

2003Jennifer Lopez: The Reel Me (video) (videos "Waiting for Tonight " and "Play")

2001Green Day: International Supervideos! (video) (video "Warning")

2000Jennifer Lopez: Feelin' So Good (video documentary) (video "Waiting for Tonight")

Hide Producer (1 title)

2009Kings (TV series) (executive producer - 12 episodes)

– The New King: Part Two (2009) (executive producer)

– The New King: Part One (2009) (executive producer)

– Javelin (2009) (executive producer)

– Chapter One (2009) (executive producer)

– Pilgrimage (2009) (executive producer)

See all 12 episodes »

Hide Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (1 title)

1993Marching Out of Time (first assistant director)

Hide Thanks (6 titles)

2008Cautionary Tale: The Science of 'I Am Legend' (video documentary) (special thanks)

2008I Am Legend: Awakening - Story 1: Sacrificing the Few for the Many (video short) (special thanks)

2008I Am Legend: Awakening - Story 3: Shelter (video short) (special thanks)

2008I Am Legend: Awakening - Story 4: Death as a Gift (video short) (special thanks)

2007I Am Legend: Awakening - Story 2: Isolation (video short) (special thanks)

2005Constantine (Video Game) (special thanks)

Hide Self (15 titles)

2011Cinema 3 (TV series)
Himself

– Episode dated 5 May 2011 (2011) … Himself

2011Días de cine (TV series)
Himself

– Episode dated 5 May 2011 (2011) … Himself

2009The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (video documentary)
Himself

2009North by Northwest: One for the Ages (video documentary short)
Himself

2009Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (video documentary short)
Himself

2009MAD & the City (TV series)
Himself

– Episode #1.6 (2009) … Himself

– Episode #1.5 (2009) … Himself

2008Cautionary Tale: The Science of 'I Am Legend' (video documentary)
Himself

2008Creating 'I Am Legend' (video documentary)
Himself

200720 heures le journal (TV series)
Himself

– Episode dated 16 December 2007 (2007) … Himself

2007Up Close with Carrie Keagan (TV series)
Himself

– Episode dated 10 December 2007 (2007) … Himself

1999-2007HBO First Look (TV series documentary)
Himself

– I Am Legend (2007) … Himself

– Constantine: Heaven, Hell and Beyond (2005) … Himself

– 'Blue Streak': Inside & Undercover (1999) … Himself

2005Caiga quien caiga (TV series)
Himself

– Episode dated 11 February 2005 (2005) … Himself

2005Unscripted (TV series)
Himself

– Episode #1.6 (2005) … Himself

2005Filmography (TV series documentary)
Himself - Director

– Keanu Reeves (2005) … Himself - Director

1999-2001Making the Video (TV series documentary)
Himself

– Britney Spears: I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman (2001)

– Destiny's Child: Independent Women: Part 1 (2000) … Himself

– Enrique Iglesias: Rhythm Divine (1999) … Himself

– Jennifer Lopez: Waiting for Tonight (1999) … Himself

– Jay-Z: Girl's Best Friend (1999) … Himself

Hide Archive Footage (1 title)

2010Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (video documentary)
Himself

Group Brainstorm of our music video ideas

Above shows a group brainstorm of possible shots and ideas we hope to include in the music video 'Emotion' by Destiny's Child. We had a discussion of what we hope to achieve and what we think will make the video. A split screen was suggested although this is used in the original video we hope to be able to use it in a different move effective way, being when the dancers are walking away or towards each other and will the come back into a normal screen shot.

The MTV EMA's

Lady Gaga's has just been awarded with Best music video of 2011 with her music video 'Born This Way' MTV's EMA awards this evening which was hosted in Belfast. Although the star has not only been awarded with this award tonight she has also been given Best Female, Best Song and Biggest Fan base and its not over yet. The artist who turned up in her usual strange and controversial attire in what can only be described as well im not actually sure just for a change! Maybe a giant satalite dish?

Treatment

Here is the treatment for our coursework, which gives you a good idea of what our video is about and how we're going to make it. I apologize for any glitches with the product because it was fine in Microsoft Word.

Treatment A2

'Rhythm and blues, abbreviating to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s.The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular.

The term has subsequently had a number of shifts in meaning. From the early 1950s, the term rhythm and blues was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the 1950s, after this style of music contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used to refer to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. By the 1970s, rhythm and blues was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. In the 1980s, a newer style of R&B developed, becoming known as "Contemporary R&B." '

Examples of R&B female artists include:

- Beyonce

- Keri Hilson

- Jennifer Hudson

- Rihanna

- Marsha Ambrosius

- Alicia Keys

Examples of R&B male artists include:

- Chris Brown

- Cee-Lo Green

- Bruno Mars 

- Trey songz

- Usher 

Nicki Minaj - SuperBass.

 The video was directed by Chris Cunningham who is known for directing strange dance videos and was realeased earlier this year.

- All the girls in the video are dressed like barbie dolls and dont look like real people, they look highly animated which pink hair and all have nice figures.
- They also wear very short denim shorts in part and they are not fully zipped up carrying sexual connotations and signifying nudity. Although this outfit also signifies the blue collar worker and females becoming masculine.
- The White T-shirts and blue cutoffs signify the british male and the working class. The Doc Martin boots also have been used to challenge gender theories as is the pink farrari, motorbike and plane.
- Melting ice cubes and pink ice bucket with a bottle of pink champagne and glasses are obvious fallic imagery and signify male genitalia which are all very unsubtle sexual signifiers.
- There is also a physically fit black male which is used for the male gaze and objectifies his body showing his abs and top half of his body as most male rappers would do with females in their music videos. He is acting female which again is done to challenge gender stereotypes. The two have switched roles, she is playing the male role in the video and he is playing the female role. Nicki pours the thick pink liquid onto his chest signifying ejaculation anchoring the idea that the genders of the two have been swapped and that the video is all about gender and brings in the theorists Judith Butlers idea that gender is not fixed we perform gender for the benefit of others.
- These videos have become more promenant since MTV first started playing music videos in 1981 and has since become the norm.

Comparing Maximum the hormone - What's up people and Greenday - Boulevard of broken dreams.

Geendays - Boulevard of broken dreams was directed by Samuel Bayer who is also an auteur (eg. Ravana - Smells like team spirit) The video was released in 2005 and was not shot digitally

+ The audience for he music video is 15-24 and secondary audiene people who are simply a fan of the punk/rock genre.

+ Their previous song release Holiday which may of influenced the shot choices such as the band walking around the streets of LA and then the desert.

+ The video consists of three men (the band members) infront of a screen (unauthodox)  which is meant to look unrealistic and cheap and a lo-fi asthetic look as the band dont want to be a corporate sell out and want to appear indie although they are signed to Sony Entertainment.

Maximum the hormone - (Whats up people) are a Japanese metal band. Key pioneer being heavy metal bands in alternate to Maximum the hormone EZO and Loudness.

+ The target audience for the band is 15-24 and secondary audience is those who are a fan of the new metal genre, for example New Biscuit as they are the main band in this specific genre which came about in the late 90's which critics have not just shunned but claim to have hatred for.

+ Binary opposition created between the band and another woman in the video who is by herself whereas they are in a group together. The woman is often singled out by low angled shots and has less closeups than the other band members.

+ Fish eye lense is used which could signify entity.