2. Hype Williams
• Name: Harold ‘Hype’
Williams
• Born: 1970
• Also known as HYPE
• He is an American music
video, film director and
screenwriter and has been
active since 1991
3. Signature Style
Throughout majority of Hype Williams music videos, he uses
Fisheye lens which distorts the camera view around the central
focus. This has been shot mostly with cinematographer John Perez.
He also places camera shots in regular widescreen ratio while
splitting a second shot and placing it in the upper and lower bars. In
order for Williams videos to be multi-dimensional, atmospheric and
dynamic rather than having static camera angles he uses a
particular method. This method is regularly developing tracking and
aerial shots which repeatedly move backwards and forwards. His
last signature style since 2003 is combining a solid colour
background with a soft different colour light being shown in the
centre of the background and a centre camera focus on the
artists/actors upper body. The effect of this is to create a sense of
illumination of the background by the forefront subject.
4. Signature Style 1
Fisheye lens
Videos that use this style:
• Busta Rhymes – Gimme
Some More
• Missy Elliot – The Rain
(Supa Dupa Fly)
5. Signature Style 2
Splitting shots
Videos that use this style:
• Smitty - Diamonds on My Neck
• Slim Thug - I Ain't Heard of That
• Ne-Yo - So Sick
• Young Jeezy - My Hood
• t.A.T.u. - Gomenasai
• Beyoncé - Check on It
• LL Cool J - Freeze
• Lil Jon - Snap Yo Fingers
• And many others.
6. Signature Style 3
Developing Tracking and
aerial shoTs
Videos that use this style:
• Aaliyah - Rock the Boat
• Missy Elliott - She's a Bitch
• Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight
• Ashanti - Only U
7. Signature Style 4
Creating an illumination
Videos that use this style
• Kanye West - Gold Digger
• Jamie Foxx - Digital Girl (Remix)
• Beyoncé - Video Phone
8. Other Music Videos create by
Hype Williams
• 2Pac - California Love • Jay-Z - Big Pimpin
• The Notorious B.I.G - • Kanye West – Heartless,
Warning & One More All of the Lights,
Chance Diamonds from Sierra
• Craig Mack - Flava in Ya Leone
Ear (Remix) • Aaliyah - Rock the Boat
• LL Cool J - Doin It • ColdPlay - Viva la vida
• Nas - If I Ruled the World • Ne-Yo - So Sick
(Imagine That) • Hoobastank - If I Were
• Street Dreams - Hate Me You
Now • Left Eye - The Block
• Missy Elliott - She's a Party
Bitch • Ke$ha - We R Who We R
• Busta Rhymes - Put Your • Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe,
9. After researching into Hype Williams work, I
found that he mostly directs videos of a R’n’B and
Hip-Hop genre which is why we see such clear
repetition. He is very creative and uses different
camera shots to his advantage by developing them
in a number of ways in order to produce a good
video. Over the years, he has worked with many
different artist and has produced such good music
videos that not only send out a clear message to the
audience but engages them also.
