Director Study - NABIL (Elderkin)



Nabil mostly directs videos for high profile Hip-Hop/R&B artists. He has worked multiple times with Kanye West and Frank Ocean, for example, among other artists from the Hip-Hop and R&B genres. He has also directed videos for pop artists like Nicki Minaj, James Blake and John Legend, however he tends to stick with the same genres. The videos he directs are often done in an abstract, almost conceptual style, with the use of many effects and camera tricks but he also directs straightforward narrative/performance videos. He has named directors that have influenced his style as: David Lynch, which comes across with his abstract style; Jacques Audiard; Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu; and Steve McQueen. The first two clips are examples of Nabil's talent for creating abstract videos, and the next two are done in more of a naturalistic/narrative style.

 Kanye West - 'Mercy' ft. Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz

This clip showcases Nabil's tendency to create rather abstract music videos that are meant to disorientate the audience, as can be seen by the smooth transitions and effects which make the artists in it appear to be in multiple places at once. The location that he chose is very symmetrical and cubic which works well for the video as it creates beautiful mise-en-scene, especially with the lines and shapes that are formed by the pillars. The setting is made to appear almost endless, adding to the overall abstract effect. The video would mostly be considered a performance video, as one of Joan Lynch's three basic video structures, as it includes lip-syncing and dancing. However, it has elements of concept as it's quite abstract and surreal. It's clear that Nabil as a director is very good at coordinating multiple people as it must have been difficult to make sure everyone was in the right place at the right time and the camera in the same rotation so it could be edited into one smooth video. I like the way the video gives the appearance of being one long take. 

 Kanye West - 'Welcome to Heartbreak' ft. Kid Cudi

In this video, Nabil uses a lot of effects done in a 'retro' style and also focusses on very smooth transitions between the shots done using effects, a few examples of which can be seen above. This video is another example of Nabil's flair for abstract conceptual videos mixed with performance elements. I like the camera movements circling Kanye West's head as he lip syncs and the particular transition which moves from Kanye singing to Kid Cudi walking as the new shot smoothly almost pushes the last shot out of frame due to the effects and camera movement.

Travis Scott - 'Piss On Your Grave' ft. Kanye West

I love the way that Nabil shows the two artists meeting in this video, as shown in the clip, and the way Travis Scott really appears to be walking with purpose as the camera tries to keep up with him when following from behind and appears to be pushed by him when it is in front of him. This works effectively to make him seem powerful, which works in synergy with the introductory guitar sounds of the song. The camera movement as the two are lip syncing is done very smoothly and with the low angles makes the two artists look imposing, which goes really well with the overall sound of the song. This video shows that Nabil can also direct a fairly naturalistic video with loose elements of narrative but mostly focussed on performance. 

Frank Ocean - 'Swim Good'

This video shows Nabil can tell a good chronological story within a music video. He uses a variety of shots showing the car driving, capturing a lot of beautiful imagery of the sea and the landscape surrounding the car as Frank Ocean drives. Nabil shows that Ocean clearly has his mind set on where he is going. He also uses more retro-style camera effects when showing the small flashbacks shown in the video, a recurring theme in videos he directs. The video has no elements of performance, solely focusing on the narrative which relates almost entirely to the lyrics in the song.

In conclusion, Nabil is clearly a very talented director, who can do videos in a variety of styles, dependant on the artists request. His videos are usually quite experimental and abstract, however he can also do narrative videos and straight up performance. He often uses retro styled camera effects, so they are definitely part of his visual style. In general, his editing style is usually quite smooth, even making transitions invisible at points or at least not drawing attention to them. He clearly often uses a lot of effects in his videos, mostly to achieve an abstract effect. A majority of his videos could be considered to be part of "the special effects extravaganza" genre of music video, as named by Jon Gow in 1992, meaning that human performance is overshadowed by spectacular imagery. I like his music videos because they are usually very interestingly shot, through the use of effects and his expert direction, which makes them very entertaining to watch. They usually suit the song they are made for very well, adding to the experience of the music.