Stormzy

Option two: answer the following questions briefly, perhaps using screenshots to draw comparisons between the videos

• In this video, black people are presented to be immune to fear. When Stormzy rests on the moving car, this creates a binary opposition. The moving car is dangerous, yet the expression and posture of Stormzy is relaxed. This could suggest that Stormzy is immune to the idea of fear. Arguably this could be a commentary on the treatment of black people during past years, as the amount of hardships they have been through has made them so numb to anything dangerous.
• The mise-en-scene of weaponry, when the men are smashing the cars, is arguably a stereotypical representation of black people. Stormzy, however, walks through this with his back turned on the danger. This reinforces the idea that he is not afraid. It also positions him in a sense of power, as he is not hurt during this scene. This creates the narrative that the others respect him. This could also be to show the audience that they should not be afraid of black people as the stereotype has depicted them as violent. In a way, this is almost subverting the stereotype that black people are 'violent' towards other people.
• Upon the lexis of the lyric, 'mind your fucking business,' the camera is positioned directly in front of a young male with a baseball bat, who 'hits' the camera. This creates the narrative that the persona behind the camera is intruding on their lives, and therefore is a villain. It also shows that although he has been filming, he has only gained around thirty seconds of footage, suggesting that we (the audience) do not know the bigger picture. This is presenting the ideological perspective of the producer, that unless you know the full story, you should mind your own business and further reinforces the idea, that as long as you do not bother others, no-one will bother you.
• The violence depicted could also reference the rising crime within London, we know this video is set in London as we can see iconic landmarks throughout the video. This is similar to the way that Beyonce references the hurricane Katrina and the flood caused by this. They are both presenting an alternative view on a situation.
• The mise-en-scene of costume later in the video, shows a group of men in suits and wearing gold chains. This outfit has connotations of smartness and wealth, therefore giving these black men power and authority over the assumed target audience, who are most-likely poorer. This presents the narrative that black people can be rich, and that oppression does not exist anymore. This is similar to Beyonce's formation, which depicted her sporting expensive outfits.
• There is a scene where dancers close in around a young boy, this then transitions to Stormzy, which could be representative of a time change, and show that someone young and black can grow up to be successful.
• The costumes worn throughout this video are stereotypically 'road man', and they are worn by all of the cast members regardless of their race. This could show that although the audience may associate this style of clothing with a black person, anyone wears it, once again subverting the stereotype.
• Black people are positioned more closely to the camera, with  people of white, asian and other ethnic backgrounds further away. This is a very clever move by the producer, as although the video is all about black representation, it also shows a sense of unity and shows that we are all equal, and by working together we can achieve this equality.