Ideas so far for music video...

After choosing our song 'Everyones at it' by Lily Allen. We examined the lyrics and highlighted key phrases. This immediately inspired us with some basic ideas that we could later change or expand on, the most vivid imagery we got whilst analysing the lyrics was 'teenagers' and the peer pressure of drugs. One idea we had was a house party, which is obviously a stereotypical situation for drug use. Lucy has agreed to the star as the main singer of the video and we had an idea that she could walk around the house party as if she was invisible seeing herself and her friends in a drunken state and in the house party typical behaviour would be seen such as drinking, loud music, violence, one night stands and drug use.
Another idea we had was based in the location of a year 11 class room and Lucy would be sitting at that back of class listening to a lecture on anti drug use and the affects of drugs. After discussing this idea further we thought it would be a good idea to use this concept as an introduction to the music video which could then merge in to another scene, for example the house party idea. Which would portray Lucy reflecting her life now and the impact of drugs on her and her friends lives.
Another idea for a location is a street at night time, perhaps an alley way, to create a grimy urban atmosphere which sticks with the theme. Lucy would be walking down the alley way singing the lyrics, with people walking past/ in the background.

We decided to neglect the house party idea mainly due to lack of control. It would be hard to control a big group of teenagers to naturally act drunk/high therefore we decided to expand on other concepts. Organisation of the event and filming with technical expensive equipment in such a situation are also issues.

After seeking more inspiration we really like the idea of Lucy walking along the streets. We will be staging other people in the streets to act in certain ways, for example; a couple kissing against a wall, people on the floor, people stumbling and laughing etc.
We are still going to start the video with the class room scene merging in to Lucy on the streets. When Lucy listens to the anti drug lecture at the start of the video she appears to look bored and uninterested, we had the idea that the video returns to this scene at the end showing Lucy sitting alone deep in thought whilst her fellow class mates are leaving the room and talking, this is showing that Lucy has really thought about the topic.

Song choice for music video...

Our chosen song for the music video project is 'Everyone's at it' by Lily Allen. Before we came to that particular final song choice we chose a specific genre we all liked, we chose 'indie' and thought about some artists we could choose, for example; Friendly Fires, Kings Of Leon and The Killers. But it was hard to find a song that we liked without an existing music video. We also decided against using male artists, as choosing a female artist meant that we could use a member of our group to star in the video and we decided that this would be a better idea to ensure reliability. We are all Lily Allen fans and thought of a few songs from her latest album, but decided to choose 'Everyones at it' as it a very catchy and upbeat track with clever lyrics that tackle the subject of drugs and being teenagers ourselves we know of the peer pressure and affects that drugs have on the nation and we thought it would be a really good idea to communicate the message of the lyrics through our music video.

The lyrics to 'Everyone's at it' :
I don’t know much but I know this for curtain

And that is the sun poking its head round the curtain

Now please can we leave?

I’d like to go to bed now

It’s not just the sun that is hurting my head now

I’m not trying to say that I’m smelling of roses

But when will we tire of putting shit up our noses

I don’t like staying up, staying up past the sunlight

It’s meant to be fun and it just doesn’t feel right

(Chorus)Why can’t we all, all just be honest?

Admit to ourselves that everyone’s on it

From grown politicians to young adolescence

Prescribing themselves anti depressants

Now how can we start to tackle the problem?

If you don’t put your hands up and admit that your on it

Now the kids are in danger, they’re all getting hammered

From what I can see everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it



I get involved but I’m not advocating

got an opinion, yea your well off the slating

so you’ve got a prescription, yea that makes it legal

finding excuses, is well over whelming with people

you go to the doctor and you need pills for sleeping

if you can convince him then I guess that’s not cheating

see you’re daughters depressed, so get her straight on the Prozac

but little do you know that she already takes crack



(Chorus X2)

Why can’t we all, all just be honest?

Admit to ourselves that everyone’s on it

From grown politicians to young adolescence

Prescribing themselves anti depressants

Now how can we start to tackle the problem?

If you don’t put your hands up and admit that you’re on it

Now the kids are in danger, they’re all getting hammered

From what I can see everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it


As a group, we discussed our reactions in response to the lyrics, this started to get us thinking about imagery and plot ideas for the music video. We created a brain storm of ideas, which can be seen below...

Lily Allen is part of the EMI record label, we felt that is would be appropriate to ask for copywright permission to use the song for our music video. This is the letter that I sent to head of EMI...

To whom it may concern,

My name is Jade Townsend and I am a student at Sussex Downs College in Lewes, East Sussex. As part of my coursework project for media studies, we are creating a music video. Due to copyright laws, we have to choose a song without an exsisting music video. My group and I have chosen the song 'Everyones At It' By Lily Allen and I am writing to you today to request for your permission to use this song for educational purposes.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could let me know as soon as possible, my contact details are listed below.

Many thanks,
Look forward to hearing from you,

Jade Townsend.

247a Arundel Road
Peacehaven
East Sussex
BN10 7JX
jade-townsend@hotmail.co.uk

Introduction to A2 coursework

This year for media A2 coursework we will be creating our own music video, with our own choice of song, with the exception if it already has a music video for it. I am really enthusiastic about starting this project and hope to produce an original and creative music video. I will start the project by planning out some ideas for the music video, choosing the song and gaining inspiration, for example; from other music videos, directors cinematography work and mise en scene element ideas from other media sources. We are working in groups of 2-4 and my fellow group members are Lucy Singh, Kelsey Heaton and Charlotte Hills. I think we will work very well as a group of four as we enjoy the same genres of music and our different qualities ans skills will add various creative and productive aspects to the video.