This document provides a pitch for a music video summarizing as follows:
1) The music video will follow someone recovering from a sudden breakup through flashbacks to happier times and their mental struggle, inspired by Joji's "Test Drive".
2) It will have no direct narrative but play like a regular music video with deeper meaning, incorporating lyrics cyclically to develop the story.
3) The video aims to represent all people equally through ambiguously dressed mixed-race leads while countering stereotypes often found in media.
4) It seeks to relate to and advocate for an audience of 16-25 year olds in the UK and US through depicting the characters' struggles in a relatable
2. Synopsis • Put in short, it will follow the journey of someone
recovering from a sudden breakup.
• FollowingTodorov’s equilibrium theory, it will see the
introduction of a dilemma, which the protagonist
mentally battles with throughout the video.
• Instead of focusing on a direct narrative, it plays like a
regular music video would, except it has an inner
meaning behind the film.
• There will be flashbacks to a “fun-loving” time, relating
to the target audience
• It will be obscure, linking to Barthes’ semantic code of
enigma
• It will be cyclical
3. Genre
As inspiration I will be looking into “Test
Drive”, written and performed by artist Joji,
which is where I will take my lyrics for my
music video from.The music video is akin
to mellow pop, or R&B soul (a form of pop).
It rings similar to artists like Post Malone.
The official music video matches the
alternate aesthetic as it captures that “art
student” vibe of edgy scenes with overly-
deep meanings.
4. Test Drive as an original song is a majority-performance oriented genre,
however there is an underlying narrative which is of prominence.Therefore,
I’d like to replicate that in my work in my own way. Performing through
reoccurring cuts and gradual introduction of new scenes, with enigmatic
narrative where the individual is not provided any exposition and must find
out the story for themselves.
Genre
5. Target
Audience
Gender:
The video will contain two main roles, one male and one female.This pair is to represent
both equally in an audience. However, due to the issue of the lack of representation of
any sort of androgyny in the industry, the two main performers will be dressed in attire
which represents a youthful look, while also keeping ambiguity to not make anyone
overtly masculine or feminine.This gives a bit of a chance for gender-non-conformity to
be represented in the video somewhat. Moreover, this will counter Mulvey's theory of the
male gaze, preventing any sort of sexual or romantic objectification of women by the
audience, as they will be dressed casually.
Ethnicity
The main character of the music video is a mixed-race POC (person of colour) who will act
as an advocate for the idea of countering racial stereotypes often found in the media
today. For example, stereotypes of being exotic, comedic or more will be countered
through channeling a sense of introspect, while also retaining the "fun-loving" aspect
through flashbacks of positive times.The target audience regarding ethnicity is to include
as many people as possible, thanks to the representation through both characters.
Age
Following the brief, I will be aiming this at people aged between 16-25.The song itself is
popular among some sects of society, with Joji having a cult following.The song itself has
raised over 27 million views onYouTube alone.Through the music video, both characters
will be around the target audience's age (one 17, the other 18), which gives a positive
sense of relatability to the audience. In addition, I'll be countering the idea of wreckless
youth through the same reasons listed prior.
6. Target
Audience
(cont.)
Region:
Due to the nature of the shoot, I'll be intending to show this to people from the UK,
particularly people who reside in built up areas like cities in EastAnglia, the South
or in London. However, a secondary audience may appear in the USA, as although
the singer isAustralian & Japanese, he has a large following centred inAmerica (as
most artists do). Nevertheless, this was likely anyway due to it being part of the
West and this being a very "westernised" song.
Socio-Economic Background:
It is intended to be shown to people between E andC. However, due to the nature
of some of the shots, there may be some variation and lean toward a single class.
The shots will mainly take place in less-than-scenic locations except for the so-
called flashback shots, so that would mean it would be much more relatable to
those of lower standing on the economic scale.
7. SONG
[Pre-Chorus]
You gon' jump through hoops
Know how many lines you'll do
Won't matter when you lose
Everything I've done for you
[Chorus 2]
[Verse 2]
Waiting on a sacrificial life
Waiting on the ones who didn't fight
I told you not to waste my f*cking time
I told you never sing that song, you lied
[Prechorus 2]
[Chorus 3]
[Chorus]
She don't wanna tell lies (She don't wanna tell lies)
She don't wanna tell lies (She don't wanna tell lies)
She just wanna feel alive (She just wanna feel alive)
She just wanted more time (She just wanted more time)
I'm looking for a long ride (Looking for a long ride)
She just want a test drive (She just want a test drive)
Dying on the west side (Dying on the west side)
I'll see you in the next life (See you in the next life)
[Verse 1]
What do you want, babe? (What do you want, babe?)
I don't like when you taunt me (I don't like when you taunt me)
You've been calling the wrong name (Calling the wrong name)
I said what do you want, babe? (What do you want, babe?)
I'm working on my aim (Working on my aim)
I'm hoping you do the same (Do the same)
You got me afraid again (Got me afraid again)
So let me just pray again (So let me just pray again)
Here you can see the lyrics for the song I'll be using.As
you can tell, it's cyclical through the usage of a chorus as
the introduction, the middle filler prior to the bridge,
and the final stanza.
I would like to use a variety of the lyrics in relation to the
video. For example, I'll be introducing the viewer to a
flashback upon the lyrics "I don't like when you taunt
me", as if to say that the other person is enjoying their
time while the other isn't. Moreover, I'll use the lyrics
"I'm looking for a long ride/she just wanna test drive" in
link (through Godwin's theory) to the video, as it'll show
the second character riding on a bus after leaving the
main character prior to the first verse.
8. Intertextuality &
Representation
As you would expect, the original song does have intertextual links through lyric
and video. For example, the music video hints at paying homage to Post Malone,
as there is a scene in which the car featured in various points of the video is drifting
around the area, reminiscent of Post Malone's song "White Iverson" (also seen
from how both use desert shots in the evening). Futhermore, the lyric "Dying on
the west side" links to his own personal issue of moving to LA, and the person he
loves remaining in NewYork, without him.This also links to "I'll see you in the next
life", as if he'd have to be reincarnated to truly make it work.
Previously discussed in theTarget Audience slide, I'll be representing minorities
and under-represented people throughout the music video.The use of non-
stereotypical clothing for either character, for example, will support the idea of
people not necessarily needing to conform to specific boundaries, representing
those of non-conforming.As well as this, using a POC will help further break or
counter any stereotypes surrounding race and appearance, as the performers in
the video will be characterised by their "personality" through the song, rather than
whether they're one thing or the other.
