Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal
This classic Music Video was originally produced for Michael Jackson's movie Moon Walker as a small segment and is regarded as one of the best music videos of all time. The one that I am reviewing is the one aired on Vevo's YouTube channel. The genre of music the song falls into is funk and dance-pop.
The video starts with Michael entering a sleazy bar which looks like it came from the 1930's. the atmosphere is very tense as everyone stares at him, he then reaches for his pocket which everyone perceives as a threat so they also reach for their weapons but Michael just pulls out a quarter and flips in slow-motion towards the jukebox and then the music starts as everyone relaxes and begins to dance. Its such a great premise to start a music video since it establishes atmosphere and tone for the rest of the video.
Even though the song is technically narrative based the video itself is performance based with tight choreography and singing by Michael Jackson himself. i think its more along the lines of artistic and abstract since nothing really tries to explain itself and is just about getting wrapped in the moment. It should be noted that this is the video that showcases the famous scene where MJ leans forward to a impossible angle and raises right back up again.
This is quite notable because of the effects used to achieve it, which was to literally hang Jackson from the ceiling and support him as he lent forward. There are a lot of wide shots and tracking shots probably to keep focus on MJ and to show off the impressive choreography in all of its splendor. lighting is quite dark so that dark shadows can be cast and when does light shines its a deep contrast to what we have seen. i also like the use of the environment since its constantly moved and manipulated for the convenience of the choreography.
Dangerous Cover
This cover is quite complex in its art design since it combines a wide range of imagery in a very intricate way. It sort of looks like a circus structure or even to some extent a giant palace.
The art of this CD cover is quite effective since it is quite striking to look at compared to other covers on a shelf of CDs. This is what I need to do to make my cover interesting to look at and hopefully encourage the customer to buy my CD, i need to make the cover unique, striking, and just overall really enticing. The cover actually reminds me of the Monty Python animations because of all the combined imagery and the funny pairings of two separate images.
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