Music Video Idea 3

BLACK HORSE AND THE CHERRY TREE - KT Tunstall

For my third idea for a music video I have chosen the indie/rock song 'Black horse and the cherry tree' by KT Tunstall. Below is the official music video for this track.


The song is quite abstract, but in an interview with The Guardian KT revealed that it is actually a metaphor for good and evil. She also said that the song represents a fantasy where her heart was betrayed and it is about having to dig incredibly deep to find out who you want to be.



I envision the artist to be quite raspy yet soulful and have quite a hard and edgy look. I would like the artist's star image to contain the star values suggested by Dyer such as rebellion, aggression/anger/angst as well as creativity/talent. I want the star to appear rough and raw and her star image should reflect her confidence, power and self-assured nature. In terms of looks and appearance, I would compare my artist to Lorde, Sharon Van Etten, Sky Ferreira and Ida Maria. In terms of sound I would compare the artist to Duffy (Mercy), Pat Benatar (Heartbreaker) and Bonnie Tyler (Holding out for a hero).

 

The majority of the music video would be a performance element in either a dark studio or an abandoned building with lots of harsh metal in the background. I think that the setting needs to match the star image of the artist as well as work harmoniously with the track.




I picture the artist to be wearing an outfit which is complementary to her raspy voice and rebellious and rough look. I would like the artist to be wearing black studded boots, a leather jacket, black skinny jeans and a red lacy top to break up the use of black. She would also be wearing heavy jewellery such as cuffed bracelets as well as dark eye makeup.




The performance element would also consist of a drummer and a guitarist who are shown separately. I picture the artist, guitarist and drummer all in different mirrored/metallic boxes giving the impression of a mirrored maze which would add to the illusion/fantasy element of the track. The drummer and the guitarist would be dressed in black also and their costumes would be quite simplistic. The only props needed are a drum kit and a guitar.
    

There is no narrative for this music video concept as I believe that the song follows its own narrative which is quite abstract so instead of creating an additional narrative I intend on just using imagery to reflect the meaning of the song.








I would like to use some stylistic elements of certain imagery to reflect the meaning of the track and also to represent the artist's ideology and star image. I would like to incorporate the imagery of a kaleidoscope with lots of different colours including blues and purples which would add to the illusion/fantasy element of the video. I would also like to include the imagery of tarot cards and the idea of choices being made which could also work with the use of a mirrored maze to suggest the journey that the artist and also the track go on.   


I believe that the video fits in with the track due to the fact that the lyrics in the track are quite abstract and I think that the video will reflect certain aspects of an interpretation of the track. Additionally I think that the visual ideas that I have come up with support the genre of the track and so would fit nicely with the track. I think that the element of mystery and the idea of choices and illusions not only works well with the visuals I have come up with but would be appropriate to the track.
  

I think that the video concept reflects the star image of the artist as an independent spirit and also the artist's ideology which is that we are all on our own individual journeys and this comes with seeing through illusions and making choices. I believe that the use of the unconventional imagery of the kaleidoscope, tarot cards, mirrored maze and metallic boxed match the rebellious and creative characteristics of the artist as well as matching her angst.

Music Video Idea 2

WHOSE BED HAVE YOUR BOOTS BEEN UNDER? - Shania Twain

For my second idea for a music video I have chosen the track ‘Whose bed have your boots been under?’ by Shania Twain. Below is the embedded video for the official music video to this track.

The artist would be a young woman who is attractive, bubbly, cheeky and enigmatic. The artist’s image would reflect the country genre and she would appear rustic, down to earth and casual wearing dungarees, a bandana and a checked shirt and of course some cow girl boots! She appears to be the girl next door although her image is slightly sexualised and she looks very desirable. The qualities of her star image include youthfulness, rebellion, creativity, originality and success against the odds. She would be similar to Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood in terms of her sound. In terms of her star image and look she would be similar to Taylor Swift when she was a country artist and Sabrina Carpenter in terms of her look but also her cheeky personality. 

   

The performance element for this idea is that the artist is performing the song in an old barn with a band behind her and there is a lot of hay bales in the background and fairy lights at the top of the barn. The setting would be quite rustic and casual and very reflective of the country genre. The artist would be wearing blue dungarees, a red bandanna on her head, a checked shirt around her waist and some funky cow girl boots. The band would also be dressed appropriately in checked shirts and cowboy boots. The only props used in this performance element will be the hay bales in the background, the musical instruments and microphones. 

  

The narrative for this music video fits in well with the lyrics of the song. It has a slightly tongue in cheek humorous tone and it is cheeky and flirty and not sexualised or dramatised. There is a very attractive male who clearly knows that he is attractive and he is preparing himself for a night out in a rural cowboy setting so he would be polishing his cowboy boots, wet shaving, doing his hair and preening himself in general. 

This will be interspersed with the narrative that follows the lyrics regarding the girls he has been flirting with.  You will never see above their knees and you will get an idea of the different girls’ personalities through the different kinds of shoes. The camera will only show the different shoes dancing with the cowboy boots suggesting that he is flirting with many different girls. Additionally there will be elements of his cowboy boots and the many girls’ shoes moving across the screen from under a bed with a heel toe movement as in line dancing. 

 

The stylistic elements will include the different shoes and the country/rustic style as all of the costumes and shoes will need to fit in with the country style and not appear too modernised or contemporary. 

Here is some research that I conducted into cowboy boots when on holiday in Arizona. I went into a cowboy boot shop and looked at the different styles, colours and even personalities of the shoes and this aided me in coming up with the idea of the different boots. Below are some pictures that I took. 

  

The proposed idea for the music video fits in with the track because the narrative works harmoniously with the lyrics following a light hearted approach to flirting. The idea of having a new pair of shoes introduced as a new girl in introduced within the lyrics of the song allows for the narrative and track to tie in nicely together. 

 

The music video also fits in with the star image of the artist because she is slightly rebellious and cheeky which fits with the cheeky chappy in cowboy boots as well as the many girls. Her star image also represents youthfulness and creativity and this is shown in the fun nature of the humorous video. 

  

My idea for this music video works hand in hand with the track and it would provide a light hearted, humorous and fun approach which would attract a young audience and it is also unique and distinctive. Additionally the focus is on the different shoes and not about the attractiveness or size of the different girls. The music video and track also help to represent the ideology of the artist which is that we shouldn't take life too seriously and flirting isn't a crime!