Music Video Pitch

Before the Rain – Alexandra Burke

The Song.

Featured on the 2010 Album ‘Overcome’. Personal song, can be shown through not only the emotional lyrics but the way the song is sung. This will add emotion to the video and the viewer watching it. It also allows us to play on the original emotion with the storyline.

The Video Concept

Thought about using a serious topic that is always though of as emotional or hard. Came up with the idea of a ‘Military Wife’ the day in/day out struggle of not knowing where your other half is and what situation they are facing. However we would shoot this from only the Wife’s side of the situation, using pictures, the news and maybe even a calendar which has days crossed out until there other half will return.

Video Timeline Opening Music – Establishing Shot of the House, maybe with the sun rising

in the background, could look quite picturesque! Wife looking through window whilst life is moving on around her. (Could be shot from outside the window and then from behind her moving to focus on a photo of her husband in army gear which she could move from facing up to facing against the surface (trying to block it out)

Verse 1 – See how her life currently is, getting there child ready mixed with performance, crossing a day off the calendar. Lots of slow shots staring in the mirror at her ring etc.

Chorus – Continuation but the performance starts to become more important.

Verse 2 – (Music starts to become more dramatic) A shot of her watching the news with a report of an explosion. (We could film this and play it on the TV adds something else we have created and can pop it on the blog). You see that it gets to her with up close shots, rush for the remote to turn it off and the relief it has when she isn’t hearing about it anymore.

Video Timeline Chorus 2 – Shots like sitting with head against head on table, Very

Performance Heavy as this is where the emotion will come in, staring in the mirror at herself and who she is now.

Middle Section – Runs to the door, almost slow motion you don’t see the faces of the men at the door you see an over the shoulder shot of her face turn from normal to cold. At that point there is a break in the music before the ‘big moment’. An idea of a time lapse (I know its been done before but…) almost her whole life flashes before her eyes.

End Middle/Start of Big Chorus – Performance heavy, mascara running down face singing with raw emotion up close. This will allow the viewer to see what’s happened up close.

Chorus – Shot of sunlight, leaving the house with child in black, shot of funeral possession, could be as simple as 15 people walking in black down a road, could be filmed whilst the sun is fading - The last line is a silhouette from behind the mother and child as you see them hold hands, zoom in of hand being held, fades out.

Performance Shot Ideas

Performance wise, a white background with these two shots could be really effective and emotional to the viewer as it lets you see raw emotion.

We could also film a shot of the actress crying in the same say and put it in to, doesn’t just have to be performance. This is something used in pop

ballad videos quite a few times.

Lyrics

Once upon a time there was a storySo unreal, it's hard to tellNo-one seems to understand

My hell, my heart, my honestyMyself and I, with all of me

Every single time I close my eyesMy mind goes back to where he was

Prominent Lyrics, the first two are repeated numerous times as they feature in the chorus.

Whatever I was Before the Rain – What I was before I was in this situation, it’s took over my life and I can’t get away from it now.

Love is not a crimeBut it sure feels like doing time