Whodini’s “Five Minutes of Funk” Music Video
Contents
I take a look at Whodini’s “Five Minutes of Funk” music video and explore the different elements that make it a great work.
Introduction
In 1984, the hip hop group Whodini released their single “Five Minutes of Funk.” The track was produced by Larry Smith and featured on the group’s album Escape. The song was a massive success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
To capitalize on the song’s popularity, the group released a music video for “Five Minutes of Funk.” The video was directed by Jeff Kanew and shot in New York City. It features the members of Whodini performing in a dimly lit club surrounded by dancers. The video is simple but effective, and it helped to further cement Whodini’s place as one of the premier rap groups of the 1980s.
The Making of the Video
The music video for “Five Minutes of Funk” was directed by Zbigniew Rybczynski and produced by Ridley Scott Associates. It was filmed in December 1982 and released in January 1983. The video features Whodini performing in a club with a live band. It also includes footage of people breakdancing in a park and other public places.
The Concept
When Russell Simmons approacheddirector Rick Friedman with the idea to make a video for Whodini’s “Five Minutes of Funk,” the two knew they wanted to do something special. They wanted to create a video that would not only be visually stunning, but would also capture the energy and excitement of both the song and the band.
After some brainstorming, they came up with the concept of a “funk battle.” The idea was that two groups of dancers would face off against each other in a dance battle, with Whodini performing in the middle. Friedman then brought in choreographer Liz Caplan to help bring their vision to life.
Caplan worked with both groups of dancers to create routines that would not only be impressive and eye-catching, but would also stay true to the song’s message of unity and understanding. The result was a five-minute dance battle that has since gone down in history as one of the most iconic music videos of all time.
The Shoot
The shoot for the “Five Minutes of Funk” music video was conducted on September 9, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York. The video was directed by Whodini’s manager at the time, Bruce Williams, and features live performance footage of the group as well as appearances by several notable breakdancers from the New York area.
The Editing
After the film was shot, it was time to start editing the footage together to create the final music video. This was done by combine the different takes of each scene together in order to create a continuous story. In order to make sure that the video flowed well, the editor also had to make sure that the footage matched up with the audio. This was done by syncing up the footage with the audio track of the song.
The Music Video
Whodini’s “Five Minutes of Funk” music video was released in 1984. The video was directed by Doug Pray and features the hip hop group performing in front of a live audience. The video was shot in black and white and includes footage of the group performing various stunts.
The Opening Sequence
The opening sequence of the music video features the group driving in a white Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible. They are all wearing white suits with black shirts and ties. As they drive, they are rapping the lyrics to the song. The camera cuts to shots of different parts of the city, including a graffiti-covered wall and a group of children playing in a park. The group is then seen parking their car and walking down a street.
The Dance Scenes
The video features the group dancing in a number of different settings, including a club, a city street, and an abandoned warehouse. The choreography is fast-paced and intricate, and the dancers are all wearing colorful outfits that match the energy of the music. The dance scenes are intercut with shots of the band performing the song, and the whole video has a fun and lively feeling.
The Ending Sequence
The ending of the video features the band performing in front of a large audience. The camera pulls back to reveal that the audience is made up of people from all walks of life, including children and the elderly. This sequence is meant to show that the band’s music is enjoyed by people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
Conclusion
The video for “Five Minutes of Funk” was directed by Doug Pray and released in 1986. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California. The video features Whodini performing the song in a club setting, intercut with footage of breakdancers and a graffiti artist at work. The video was nominated for Best R&B Video at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.
