Music Videos - This is America

Camera:
F - frame: slow and smooth panning, following him
A - angle: lots of wide angels to capture full background
M - movement: smooth movements 

Mise en scene:
C - costume: 
L - lighting:
A - actors:
M - makeup:
P - props:
S - setting:

Editing:
S - screen time
T - transitions
O - order of narrative
P - pace
S - special effects

1. How is this video commenting on historical, social, cultural, and political issues? 
- references to general black history and culture i.e gospels and theif music. Violence has straightforward shock and is deliberate suggesting we should be outraged/disgusted by the heir=storical contemporary persecution of black people in America. There’s a juxtaposition between the mesmerising tension, shocking violence and the dancing.
2. What is the role of Glover in the video? 
- takes you from scene to scene. He represents all of America, he is not the one shooting people or trying to represent white people but just generally America and shows the racist history and how it affects us now.
3.  How does this promote him as an artist?
- its shows that he values equality and is a strong member in the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campeign
4. In the opening scenes Glover uses grotesque smiles and exaggerated poses, why?
- commenting on racism in the minstrel (entertainment) era.  He acts cartoonish and grotesque signifying the way black people were portrayed to white audiences in that time.
5. Guns VS black lives - what representation is constructed here?
- Black lives matter campeign. Guns are treated with more respected than black lives. The gun is taken carefully in a silver sheet and taken care of however, the corpse is dragged off and immediatly disregarded. 
6. What is the significance of the choir?
- brining the spirit and cultural aspects, shocking when they get shot. A direct reference to the 2015 Charleston, South Carolina massacre in which white supermacist Dylan roof opened fire on a black church.
7. Camera pan to black men on mobiles? What is the significance of this?
- recording everything, it refers to the case of Stephon Clark, shot dead just weeks ago (now 23rd April 2019) for supposedly having a gun on him when all he had was an iPhone. 
8. Why the white horse in the background of the fame?
- biblical reference, revelations 6:8 (KJV)
9. Juxtaposition of dancing and violence, why?
- stereotypical “american” dances mixed with tribal music. Several popular dances in America and African. Could suggest that people will happily adopt black culture but will ignore all the violence and destruction 
10. What is the empty cars and burning police car signify?
- amount of crime and riots 
11. What is the significance of 17 seconds silence?
- Showing respect to the 17 people died in a school shooting in Florida
12. What is the intertextual reference in the closing scene?
- refers to the movies ‘get oput’