Research and Planning
Joseph Kahn
The Auteur Theory (1950s) claims that a directors films reflects there personal creative vision, as he or she was the auteur. (Frence word for 'Aothor'). In law , the film (Film/TV/Music Video) is treated as a work of art, and the auteur, as the creator of the film, is the original copyright holder. under European union law, the film director is considered the author or one of the authors of a film.
Joseph Kahn was born in Texas in a suburb of Houston. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas. After graduating from Jersey Village high school (1990) Kahn went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He later dropped out after one year to direct music videos and this is where his career started.
In 1999, Kahn started his own production company, Supermega, which was housed under HSI Productions before being let go over budget cuts. Kahn has worked with diverse artists such as,
The video below gives you a time line of Kahn's music video career from 1990 to 2010.
As you can see through Kahn's career he has worked with a number of different artist over the last two decades. Over the course of his career he will make a music video with an artist e.g. Eminem "Without Me" (2003) sometimes the artist will go back and make an other video, e.g. Eminem "Love the way you lie" (2010) however this is not a recurring fact. Joseph Kahn as directed a number of different music genres, Pop, R&B, Rap, Pop-Rock.
In This video shows you extracts of music videos. All these videos are different within music genres however they all uses Kahn conventions. In Eminem's "Love the way you lie" and "Without me", Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone", Lady GaGa "LoveGame" and Chris Brown "Forever" the uses of light is effective to these videos.
In Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" and Lady GaGa "LoveGame" he uses light to make the costume and set/ setting to give it a clean look. This is do through the uses of just a white light wash.
However is Chris Brown "Forever" there is a recurring of red/orange "animated" light, this is used to speed up the action and to make it feel up beet. It also getting the audience watching to the video because they what to see it again. This is the Hyperdermic Seringe theory. (Expand)
With Eminem's "Love the way you lie" the light (fire) is out of focus this gives the audience a feeling that they are inclosed and they can not see what is happening but they want to. This shot if very effective because you see the orange in the background you as an audience member have the connotation of fire.
All these gives reasons for why Kahn uses light in this way. I believe these are used on purpose because he was the audience to relate to the character. If the character is white (using light) they believe they are all right. However, if the character is red (using light) they audience knows something is wrong.
Another way Kahn connects the audience is the uses of camera work. in all his music videos he uses a panning shot. This is there the camera does not move it just turns left and right or up and down. and also Tracking shot. this is where the camera is kept still but is mover around either by a platform or a train.
In Eminem’s “love the way you lie” the camera is used to track across Eminem through the grass. I believe this shot is used to show distance from the story and the artist. Another way in this music video you can tell when the audience is seeing the story or the artist because most shots which show the story is hand held. However when the shot is on Eminem or Rihanna it is on a tripod and is still. Using the variation of shot types tells the audience what they should be watching and when they should be listening.
In 50 cent “Ayo Technology” there is a tracking shot which goes from one end of the gun to another. I think this is used to make the audience think about what it might feel like to look down a gun. Because this shot is a dark shot with white in the background it clearly shows the audience what it is and it intentions.
In Chris Brown “Forever” there is a clever shot with the lights with makes it look there is a tracking shot however they have used the light to make the audience fell like he is moving however he is not.
With Katy Perry “Waking up in Vagus” panning shots are used to move scenes on, but also they give a pint of view shot e.g. this is where we are looking at Katy Perry arriving and then there is a fast pan round to see two doorman waiting for them. This shot is used in a different way but creates the same feel.
However, in Kelly Clarkson’s “Already gone” the whole music video is made of panning and tracking shots. This used slowly which creates the feel that ever think if prefect. One of the best shots is the tracking shot over the violin. It this shots you can see as an audience member the details of the violin. These shots being used shows a scenes of calmness. One effect he uses with the camera that all these videos having in common it that he makes the camera go in and out of focus. This is used on the opening shot of the small tree. The Camera is tracking in out of focus and you get to see it in focus for about 3 seconds. As an audience we see this and we a trying to work out what it is by this time we are shown it we already have a picture in are mind of what it is.
I believe that these Joseph Kahn's conventions are because of his childhood into adulthood. I believe he uses the light and camera shot types (Panning and Tracking) and symbolisations of his childhood not living in one place but moving around. I also believe because he dropped out of University after one year to go into music videos he has to keep challenging himself to make new and different music videos weather that is with a different genre or different artist.
