“War on Drugs”

What is this doing visually to communicate this message?

This video uses art to communicate the message. The process of creating the artwork is sped up so that it is a time lapse and fits into a four minute video. The artwork matches the narration to create more of an impact to the viewer. Additionally, the artist uses pre-painted pictures to add to the artwork such as people, money bags, and marijuana leaves. The more important images that the artist wants to convey are painted in bright colors whereas the background and less important details are painted in black and grey. The artistic style is very angular and choppy, which matches the chaos of the story that is being told. The video gives off a raw vibe with the art supplies along the side of the screen and the style of the paintings.

2. What is it doing aurally?

The video uses sound effects and music to go along with the narration. However, it does not overdo it and only uses sound effects or music when a point is being emphasized. The music and sound effects do not drown out Jay Z’s voice, so the focus for the entire video is on his message. Jay Z also talks relatively fast and does not enunciate every word, which goes along with the vibe of the story being told. He narrates this video using simplistic terms so that everyone can understand, regardless on your education on this topic. In spite of this, however, his narration is not so simple that he loses his credibility.

3. How does this medium impact/change the message?

This medium impacts the message because it utilizes visuals and digital media, which are both how the younger generations of today are consuming and spreading news, information, and opinions. Had this story simply been a written article, it may not have gotten shared as quickly or even at all. Since it is a video, it can be played right on the news feed and is engaging enough for people to stay interested. People can easily share this video to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which are where news stories mainly gain popularity now. Additionally, the video is not extremely long to where the viewer loses interest. Our attention spans are growing shorter and shorter each day, so the length of the video is just right.