The music video pitch proposes a concept for Mahalia's song "17" that depicts the struggles and thoughts of teenage girls as they navigate self-confidence and societal pressures. It will tell the story of a main girl through bright colors that become more vibrant as her confidence grows. The video aims to resonate with teenage girls and women in their 20s who experienced these challenges when younger. It will incorporate slow motion, close-ups, reflections and pop music video styles to convey the journey from black and white to color as the song and character progress.

1. Music Video Pitch.
Ellie Sutton-Burgess

2. Song that I’m using:
Mahalia – 17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MK7pfAm5Cs
Mahalia (full name Mahalia Burkmar) is from Syston, Charnwood in Leicestershire, But she is
based in Birmingham. She is an alt-R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Her biggest influences are
Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. She wrote her first song at age eight and signed a deal with a major
record label at age thirteen. At the age of thirteen was signed to a major record label and
released her first collection, Head Space EP, in mid-2012.

3. Concept:
The narrative of the music video will be based on the song ‘17’ By
Mahalia. The video will be about the struggles and thought that we
have as young teenagers but as the song goes on it talks about her
becoming confident and happy with who she is and not to be affair of
society and what is says you should be like. So my target audience will
be for teenage girls and women in there 20s who may have
experienced these feeling when they were younger.
In the video I will have one main girl as the The video will include lots
of bright colours such as pink and yellows to represent her youth and
freedom. I was thinking that the music video could start in black and
white and then become more colourful as the song goes on to
represent her growth in her confidence.

4. • Lots of bright colour = environment, lighting or clothing
• Slow motion shots
• Extreme and close up shots – different features of girl
• Low and high angle shots – depending on mood = low angle shot of
girl next to building at the beginning and then higher angle shots
when more confident.
• Pop music video style.
Style:

5. • Start with a slow motion shot of filming of actor walking. Behind shot.
• Start with still close up shots of girls faces – cutting to different shots.
• Cut to extreme close up of their lips – lip syncing the song.
• Close up on feet then have a pan up.
• Cut to a mirror shot of girl doing her makeup in the mirror
• Cut to girl down the road – pan up of her outfit
• On ‘yhh’ – cut to lips lip-syncing
Some starting ideas:

6. Ministry of
sound advert.
Thinking of
you – Mabel.
Cigarette –
Raye.
Came here
for love – Ella
Eyre. – slow
motion shot.
Some inspiration shots
from other videos:

7. More inspiration:
I like the use of the still
image shots – could be
used in the club night
party scene.

8. Style techniques.
• Mirror reflection – Wolfgang.
• Girlfriend looking into the mirror crying.
• Escher photographer.
• Want to use reflections through out the video
Use this in
the
makeup
scene.
Copy this – could use a makeup hand
mirror as the reflection or phone.