Analyses - Eminem The Monster [Smoke Cinematography]

The reason that I am looking at Eminem again is because of smoke cinematography and the way the music videos narrative unfolds. Through the analyses, which will unfold after this, I have found a profound interest in smoke cinematography and wish to use it in my music video where needed to either create mystery or create a distinction between separate narratives within the video. I have screen shotted key points in the video that appeal to my research and analyses.

The opening sequence immediately sets a distorted tone by defying the typical setting of "therapist" and defiantly screams "metal health issues". This sequence closely links with film noir, a technique/genre I would love to explore in my own work. I love the way the smoke adds depth to a shot; creating an atmosphere in which reflects the mood of both the artist and the song. The application of film noir in this shot [shown to the left] shows the mystery surrounding his mental health by creating a silhouette of the artist even tho everyone watching the video knows who the silhouette is. The light rays shine through illuminating the room, this creates an abnormal feel to the music video. This further shows the foreshadowing the death of Eminem's alternate self.

The music video setup is very important to the viewer because it helps them understand the concept of the video is that Eminem's alternate self is a 'Monster'. The current artist is now looking back upon his career either through the medias eyes in his head. The video throughout carries an inception vibe. The elevator is representing his career with the various highlights of his career on the way.  The surreal feel of the music video is really captured by the use of smoke and is something I really want to use. Furthermore by going on a journey with the artist the connection becomes stronger and this keeps the viewer gripped throughout.