Music Video Analysis 4

This is my music video analysis of “I Need a Doctor’ by ‘DR. Dre’, ‘Eminem’ and ‘Skylar’. The song is found in two singles, Eminem’s single and Dr.Dre’s single, both called ‘I Need A Doctor’. The single was released on the 24^th of February 2011.

The entire music video is basically a short film, a complete narrative. The only odd scenes is when Eminem is stood in the hospital room rapping into the camera instead of Dr.Dre. they constantly keep the singers face in the shots, either the actress, Eminem or Dr.Dre, the only scenes where they may not be is where Eminem is in the reflection.

This video starts off without any music, only certain sounds from the select music videos that are shown on half screens(flashbacks) when he gets into his car its real time again, and we follow him, but we still see flashbacks of music videos, of Dr.Dre’s time in the N.W.A. then concentrating on his recovery after a fierce car crash. The rapper first falls in a deep coma, with Eminem by his side trying to bring him back. Canadian actress Estella Warren is pictured as a beautiful nymph (mouthing Skylar Grey's vocals), hovering over Dr. Dre's unconscious body. Eminem frenzied plead brings Dre back to life who vigorously attacks all who pretended to be his friends and left him in need. The video ends with Dr. Dre visiting former NWA colleague, Eric 'Eazy-E' Wright, who died in 1995, suffering from AIDS. The music only comes into play when Eminem see’s Dr.Dre in the hospital bed and then continues till the end, where it dulls down as Dr.Dre visits the grave.

The shot times average is every three seconds, apart from the chorus where it’s every 4 seconds average. The shots in the chorus vary in time, because of the way they’ve made it, instead of changing the background as well as the position of the ‘nymph’ they just change her dance, location, the angle of the camera recording her or they place more than one of her in the shots, this furthers the image that she is a mystic creature. She disappears after Dr.Dre wakes up. This video makes the viewer feel sympathetic, towards both Dr.Dre and Eminem. For Dr.Dre because hes suffering in a coma, and when he wakes up he has no one but his wife, family and Eminem (slim). For Eminem because his mentor could die, he is loosing a loved one and this connects the audience with the performers because we see their pain and most of the world knows how it feels to have someone close to you die.

That is the main theme of this music video, its about Dr.Dre loosing his friend and no one but ‘slim’ having his back, the video connects with a younger audience with the fast cars and fashionable dress.

(This video analysis was created by Sarah Legg)