Richie Spice - Youths Dem Cold

Visual response:
Throughout the video there are examples of beat/shot punctuation, but it is mostly intended on the beat of the snare drum.  For example, at 0.44 - 0.51, the shots only change on the offbeat with the snare drum. Another example of this is at 1.42-1.43, where the shot transitions are only on the beat of the snare during the fill. This is done with this drum because it is the loudest drum in the song and therefore the most noticeable. This makes it more aesthetically pleasing for the viewer by linking the visuals to the sound.

The majority of shots showing the youths are shown in darker locations, which implies they are hiding. Synaesthesia is used here because most people would think of cruel youths whilst listening to the lyrics. Darkness and shadows usually symbolise badness rather than light, which usually symbolises goodness. The camera lens also has a slight darkening filter on it throughout to give further impact on the viewer.

Narrative:
The video generally doesn't follow a chronological narrative as such. However, there are certain aspects that include everyday problems of youths Spice is singing about, and a few of the sections need a few shots to convey a message.

For instance, this shot shows a long shot of some characters driving their motorbikes down the road from behind.

This subsequent shot then shows an over shoulder shot of the police officer chasing them from inside his car.

Most of the shots that follow a narrative are just different examples of crimes and how the consequences of the crimes unfold. This is not necessarily in consecutive shot order, because sometimes the shots are separated by shots that are off topic or shots of Richie Spice singing.

Star Image:
This video doesn't promote star image as much as a mainstream video for example. This is because reggae songs usually focus more on the feeling of the song and conveying a message, rather than focusing on the commericialism of the artist. This is shown in the video because there is a balance between the shot time of Richie Spice and the shot time of all the other characters as a whole.

In addition to this, there are also many shots of Richie and the other characters together, such as these two. This implies that he values himself equally to the people he is singing about, which challenges Carlsson's theory of star commericalism. Viewers could also possibly interpret this as meaning he has been there himself, which would give the song a deeper meaning from a first hand experience and shows Richie Spice's background.

These shots show Richie Spice in his normal clothes, which aren't specifically focused on to dislplay his wealth or success. He is wearing similar clothes to everyone else in the video to show that his career path is not dictated and comercially based, as opposed to most mainstream music videos of different genres.









Cinematography:

The video begins with a long shot, that fades in from white, of a group of youths to establish what the song is about to begin with.

It then proceeds to a series of mid shots and close-ups to show the faces of some of the people in more detail to show their expressions. All of these shots are shot from a low angle to make the characters seem more powerful. This shot for example is shown even before the introductory drum fill finishes and before the song actually starts properly. This means that the viewers might understand straight away that the youths are supposed to be cruel and powerful.

This shot is the main establishing shot of the video. This shows a young woman with her child and then pans across the rooftops towards Richie Spice to show that he is in the same location and not in a studio or any other location. The shot is shown early on to show the viewer where the video is set so that they don't get confused.

This shot shows a darkening camera effect, which emphasises how evil the youths can become at times.


Video Type:
The video is mostly illustrative because it shows the lifestyles of youths in a certain environment. Richie Spice sings the song about the youths' lifestyles and this is shown throughout the video.

For instance, this shot shows the youths on motorbikes, going out to obtain food for their families, literally illustrating the lyric "searching for food for the pot."

However, quite a lot of the video is also amplifying the meanings of the lyrics.

For example, in this shot Richie points at his head when he says the words "fill that gap." This interprets a different meaning from the previous line "searching for food for the pot." Most people would automatically assume that he is talking about filling the gap in the stomach of the youths because the topic is food, but when he points to his head, this could mean that he is also talking about filling gaps in the brain because the youths gain life experience from searching for food.