Set in and around the Empire State Building, Eminem’s new music video “Venom” was shot—in part—on Google’s Pixel 3. In the tradition of recent Apple-sponsored commercials, the approach doesn’t focus on the phone. Instead, it shows what the phone can do.  You can see the result here and read the lyrics here. While the project—co-sponsored by Jimmy Kimmel Live—is an amalgam, the behind- the-scenes video–Capturing Eminem’s “Venom”—was done entirely with the Pixel 3.

Techniques Used in the Video

Capturing Eminem’s “Venom” is both a commercial and a documentary. Although made with a huge budget, it provides lessons that apply to low- or no-budget productions. Here are some time-coded points to consider.

0:01 Several opening shots establish the location by focusing on passers-by looking at the Empire State Building.  This suggests that as spectators, we’re part of the show.

0:17 A couple of shots of the crew emphasize the frenetic business of making a big-budget commercial.

0:21 The first interview is with James Larese, the music video’s director. While Eminem and the Pixel 3 are  the co-stars of the music video, Larese is the key figure in the production. He will be seen throughout this behind-the-scenes video.

0:29 Previewing the significant role of the lighting director Marc Brickman, we get a shot of the Empire State Building sparkling in the night sky. Brickman’s interview takes place at 2:52, by which point we’ve seen several examples of his lighting mastery.

0:41: A producer (from the Jimmy Kimmel show) explains why the music video will begin in the lobby. A key with any interview is for the person to say something that isn’t immediately obvious from the visuals. The idea is to add information.

0:51: We get the first clear look at the Pixel 3, which shares the frame with Eminem.

1:13: We see the director working with Eminem, a kind of shot that can be more interesting than a talking-head shot.

3:30: As a kind of fanfare, a question about the helicopters sets up the expectation that we’re going to see something spectacular, reminiscent of the airplane shots in “King Kong.”

4:15: Props have always played a big role in movies. Here, we see the producers using Tweets as props. The big idea is that things can help tell the story, even things constructed out of digits.

4:38: As the protagonist of Capturing Eminem’s “Venom, the director sums up the project.