Props Decisions

Costume

I first looked into costumes as it is the first thing the audience will notice about the artist and the actors taking part so I felt that had some sort of significant value upon how each person will be viewed.

Looking at the artist, I felt that although I wanted to keep the elegance and sophistication from past genre singer's, I did want to include some small pieces that hinted at something modern so that the genre can delve into the modern world as something that's kept with the times but has kept its originality. The following is what I envision the artist is be wearing within the video:

As you can see, the costume will consist of blue and black colours - the colour scheme I will follow in terms of keeping her as a recognizable figure to the target audience and have her create a bold statement straightaway. Again, I want to revisit the past by keeping the artist dressed in an elegant fashion and with little focus on accessories and make-up that glamorize the image. Although red is another vital part of my colour scheme, I've decided upon leaving it out in her outfit for the video partly because I felt that it didn't suit the theme of the outfit and it doesn't compliment each other well overall despite it looking really great together in the logo and such.

Looking at the main actor, I am going to have her wear 2 different outfits. For the first, I wanted it to be clear from the start that she was emotionally drained and was 'down and done' as referenced from the artist's song so that she would be seen making that steady transition from ultimately sad to indescribably alive again. So this is what I decided upon her first outfit:

Having her wear such simple clothing is important for the scene as it really portrays her vulnerability in reflection with the lyrics. Additionally, when all a girl is wearing is a run-down sweatshirt, a pair of shorts and socks without make-up; it really shows how rundown she is as a girl's appearance is very important within modern society. By showing what she looks like away from that attracts both my target audience of 16-20 years old and a wider audience also.

I have dressed the artist with the Syntagm & Paradigm theory in mind as I wanted to conform to the genre's conventions in terms of style simply because it reflects the song very well - this portrayal of elegance prominent throughout the song and in the artist herself - and this constructs a certain image of the artist that continues to be portrayed in other products i.e. the colours black and blue representing strength and boldness

For the second, it needed to be the complete opposite of the first as she wears this near the end of the video where the tone becomes happier and more alive so it's important to reflect that onto the actor and continue the transition. This is decided upon her second outfit:

The difference is clear as the clothing is more compact and a lot more tidy than previously as she begins to take pride in herself again. I wanted to keep it cute and casual without overdoing it with too much make-up and jewellery as that would take too much time to film and I need to keep it flowing nicely that fits in with the flow of the song.

I have dressed each person with Levi-Strauss' theory of binary oppositions in mind, the idea of strong vs weak fitting in nicely with the song's lyrics and its underlining meaning. The artist is meant to represent a stronger force, wearing a black and blue outfit against a plain background helps bring out her image. The actor is meant to represent a weaker being, wearing plain clothing with no real colour and appears messy portraying her this way.

Handled Objects
I then looked into props on the set of the scenes that lead up to be the big finale and take a significant role in their own way i.e. the notes will be used to lead the actor around her room, the camera and pictures to activate the flashback narrative of her closest friends, the scrapbook full of pictures of her and her family, the necklace to replicate her love of Jesus Christ and God, etc. 

These are important as, if you check here, I took note of the fact that Grimmie wrote this song with her loved ones in mind and I really wanted to make that vivid within the video. Additionally, having such personal items revealed in such a public and even vulnerable way is quite popular within today's youth as it shows a certain amount of strength in revealing such emotions about things and this touches people in my target audience emotionally that it becomes relatable and that it keeps them coming back to the artist. Additionally, a phone and a small amount of make-up is involved that will be used as she gets dressed to go out to meet her friends to keep a sense of realism present throughout the video.