Explaining Song Choice

Regarding The Fantastical And The Cost Effective

One of the most obvious issues with creating a music video at A-level is the lack of budget we have - that is, nothing. No budget. Of course, this means we must be realistic in the ideas and ambitions we create for ourselves and resourceful in how we go about filming and editing. Genres that are usually of high production value in appearance are usually off of the table, therefore. Music genres like R&B, Rock, Pop - these usually entail a good number of extra actors, high-quality filming locations, costumes, special effects and so on…. None of which most of us have the ability to provide. As a result, Indie, Rap, Club/dance tracks are usually quite popular - essentially, anything that we can get away with without drawing attention to our lack of budget and any mise en scene that we can readily provide and have access to.

My Decision

Out of the handful of music genres I had in mind, Indie seemed the most feasible; I'm a teenager. I have a group of friends frequently referred to as "the lads". We all look like we could be in an indie music video. We all fit the look commonly associated with the genre. Immediately, this seemed the most realistic avenue of approach by which I could create a music video where myself and the actors, even locations, in it would not seem odd and out of place. Indie music videos are often made from limited budgets, or designed to appear as such - these factors have all fallen into place perfectly. The genre suits my situation as an A-level student. That's why I have chosen to create an Indie music video.

Which kind of 'Indie'?

Of course, one needs to be more specific when talking about 'Indie' music. Again, I thought about the locations that I have to hand, the actors I have to hand and the props; at first, Indie-Rock seemed the most interesting; I have the friends to form the would-be band, and filming locations would be easily obtainable, depending on the song. Having sifted through the http://www.unsigned.com website however, I found an Indie artist who's style and songs I became particularly fond of. Accidental Hero (Found here:  http://www.unsigned.com/accidentalhero), creates music that is considered 'Indie-accoustic-folk' music, with a slight twang of an american country influence present throughout. A song that I found to be very intriguing was his "Thank God I Don't Believe In God" track; The song is obviously some form of comment on religion (I've not the knowledge concerning his actual personal beliefs, however). The song is different, controversial. It's an unusual song choice, one that requires a little ambition and a lot of imagination to be able to deliver as a music video, and that's why I'm drawn to it. The Ideas I have in mind for the visual content of the music video are obtainable, therefore I consider the song a realistic song choice for my A-level music video.