2. HIRO MURAI
Hiro Murai is a Tokyo-born filmmaker based out of Los Angeles, he grew up watching the Japanese yakuza
flicks of Takeshi Kitano this combined with a love for the works of David Lynch has crafted him into the
unpredictable, quirky and creative man that he is today.
Though he is known for each of his videos being completely different from the last this is not to say he
doesn’t have his own signature style. Part of the reason for the uniqueness for each video is his openness to
work with artists of any genre. After watching a few of his videos however you begin to notice a few recurring
themes and features. One of the most noticeable features is his ability to connote the emotions of the song
visually be it though narrative or mis-en-scene. His style is also highly cinematic and polished however this is
sometimes juxtaposed against ominous and gritty scenes and locations. It also seems he has a love affair with
long takes (also a favourite of Takeshi Kittano) which can be seen in a number of his videos, he utilises both
Steadicam’s and dolly's to achieve this. When he does use cuts in his video they tend to be mostly straight cuts
and fades.
3. 3005 – CHILDISH GAMBINO
In this video we see Gambino on a seemingly eternal
Ferris wheel ride besides a teddy bear wearing an aviator
hat (a trademark of Gambino). This perpetual theme is
homogeneous with the lyrics of song “till 3005 I’ll be by
your side”. As to be expected with a video of Murai’s all
is not quite right, as the camera rotates we are shown a
roaring fire going on in the distance possibly
representing Gambino’s burning love for the woman
described in the song. As the video goes on the teddy
bear slowly deteriorates putting further emphasis on the
song themes of everlastingness
4. CHUM – EARL SWEATSHIRT
Another of Murai’s penchants is working with the
same artists repeatedly (something he has done with
both Earl and Gambino). In this song also the dark,
depressing mood has been captured through the
gloomy lighting and sluggish pacing. Earl’s feeling of
bitterness and anger at his departed father (the
subject of the song) are illustrated through a fire in a
shopping trolley. Earl’s feelings of isolation are
captured by having him drift along not interacting
with anything or anyone. The only other ‘person’ in
the video is the drummer who is seen wearing a
skeleton suit back to front so it seems as if he is
looking at you. This love for the otherworldly is a
recurring theme in his videos with actors often
wearing masks and costumes
