Music Video Analysis: G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha. Me, myself and i

'Me, Myself & I' is an song performed by American Singers G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha. Released on October 14, 2015- it was written by both Bebe Rexha and G-Eazy with the help of, Lauren Christy, TMS and Michael Keenan. The song's music video premiered on October 29, 2015, and since it's release it's gained over 198 million views (aired on G-Eazy's VEVO youtube channel).  Through the four key micro-elements; Mise-en-scene, Editing, Camerawork and Soundtrack, I will be analysing whether the music video conforms or subverts the common codes and conventions of a hip hop/ pop-rap music video.
Watch 'Me, Myself & I' music video on Youtube here; G-Eazy, Me, Myself & I.

Mise-en-scene:
The Mise-en-scene includes; the lighting, props, costumes, settings, etc. This song's mise-en-scene, conforms and subverts common stereotypes creating polysemic views on their demographic. For example; the lighting throughout the music video is a high contrast between light and dark- signifying a symbolic relationship linking the low key and high key lighting to the emotions of the protagonist, characters and/or the demographic. Where a over the shoulder, mid shot is denoted, the low key de-saturated lighting connotes a deterioration of the protagonist's mental illness, in which he is fighting a losing battle with. From the ideology of a the artist dealing with a mental illness, it can become relatable to their target audience that may be struggling with the same issues. This relates to Richard Star's theory and the Paradox of the star, where the artist is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary in the sense that he deals with an issue a average non-famous person can, however is extraordinary in his ability to sing and produce songs.

The lighting throughout the music video is constantly low key, and the only high key lighting source is from the party however it is de-saturated, signifying how the protagonist is distant from the party and the other characters mentally and emotionally, where his surroundings become disillusioned in the de-saturated lighting, the slow motion editing technique used in these shots conform to this ideology. The de-saturated lights cast a strong contrast against the darkness of the outside, symbolising the darkness as the depression or darker self, connoting that it can't affect you when you're in the light surrounded by other caring people, in this point of the music video the protagonist seemly becomes more relaxed and happier in his surroundings, however this can be signified that his drunk. This is denoted from a montage of shots connoting a time lapse of the night, where the protagonist and artist is increasing his alcohol consumption.

Unlike many hip-pop genre music videos featuring a male artist, 'Me, Myself & I' subverts the common codes and conventions where the Laura Mulvey's theory of the Male Glaze is subverted as no females are denoted wearing seductive or revealing clothing, disallowing the audience voyeuristic pleasure. This connotes that the artist doesn't want the demographic to get distracted by the visuals and listen to the bigger image that the artist wants his target audience to encode and decode.

Camerawork:
The various camera shots used throughout the music video conform the previous ideology of depression, this connotation is denoted in the shots were the artist is primarily encoded on his own, where the demographic signify and encode isolation. In a mid shot, with high key artificial lighting behind him casting him as a silhouette,  at a connoted level these denotations signify the silhouette as the black dog campaign. The Black Dog is used as a metaphor for depression- by the protagonist/artist being the one that is symbolising the ideology, his making the direct link to himself and depression. This links to Richard Star's theory where the artist is an idea, artist G-Eazy is promoting the Black Dog campaign as well as making it personal to himself.

Majority of the shots, in a variety of angles, is the protagonist singing to the camera denoted in front of a black background, even though the audience can see the artist clearly, there is no light source or direction of high key lighting in the surroundings. This allows the audience to decode that the artist himself is the light source and the darkness around him is symbolic of his mental illness. This creates a larger image signified that only himself and in his own mind can he beat the mental illness and stop that illness from engulfing him, personally in his case music may be his escape; this links to the uses of gratification theory where target audiences might be able to relate to escaping in music or the mental illness his expressing.

Soundtrack:
Soundtrack can be split into two separate sections; diegetic soundtrack, which is sound we hear that is happening in the music video and non-diegetic which is sound that the characters cannot hear but the target audience can. The diegetic soundtrack of, 'Me, Myself &I' signifies about isolation and loneliness conforming to the major ideology of mental illness and being stuck within himself. As the soundtrack is contrapuntal to the images of the happy party life style happening around the protagonist, it connotes and reflects how the protagonist feels uncomfortable in the situation he was forced into. However as the diegetic soundtrack is contrapuntal and contradictory to the visuals seen

the audience can also decode that it connotes the feeling of isolation is not his normality and is a new feeling or situation that he is fighting to overcome. More diegetic soundtrack of the artist singing, 'Happy Birthday' to himself, brings a sense of irony to the music video. The croaky pitch and slow tempo of his voice signifies he is the opposite of what he is singing; 'happy'. This juxtaposition criticises and mocks the lyrics, has the target audience can encode that the artist and protagonist is far from happy. The non-diegetic soundtrack of the music video creates polysemic views. Whereas the fast pace tempo of the non-diegetic sound is synchronous and parallel to the lifestyle of the party- denoted in slow motion clips. Connoting  a happy atmosphere and normality to the artist's life, conforming to the common codes and conventions of a hip-pop genre music video. It is however, contrapuntal to the protagonist/ artist where he is denoted in various camera angles and shots alone, signifying his sadness and isolation from the rest of the characters around him.

Editing:
Editing is the way in which the music video is pieced together, through the editorial process the editor has the ability to add and create affects. For example, in one bathroom scene, there can be four versions of the same artist denoted, from this the demographic can encode that each version portrays a different mood or aspect of the artist, signified from the era very different era each of them are giving off, further more this connotes and conforms the ideology of having a mental illness and the audience are witnesses and encoding the scene as the artist's battle with his mental illness within his own head. With this being said the contrast between the de-saturated and low key lighting makes the light in the frame almost 'fuzzy' to the audience, where it can be signified that the event occurring on screen is a disillusion inside of the artists head. Through editing the scenes and shots can be placed together in a number of different ways, throughout the music video the shots are dominantly edited in a montage

of shots, parallel to the pace and beat of the non-diegetic music. The montage of shots (using a variety of angles and styles) of the artist in the car, connotes and foreshadows a crash, this conforms of a dominant reading of males as men are associated with flash cars and the danger of speeding in cars. However editing creates oppositional readings of males through cut jumps between the present and archive footage, there is a juxtaposition as in the present shots the artist can be denoted as sad and isolated from the party, where as in archive shots and flashback shots he connotes happiness and a sense of belonging- as the male artist viewed as emotional and lonely his subverts the hegemonic reading of a strong man as male's lack showing of negative emotions, therefore the artist is a counter-hegemonic reading.

The mental illness, seemly is a reoccurring theme throughout the music video, with codes and convention to conform to this theory, the title of the album in which the music video was released in 'When it's dark out' conforms to this as it can connote a fighting battle with his issues or an mental illness, relating personally to his own health or other whom may be dealing with the same, where 'dark' is symbolic of a split personality being out or depression being felt.