Sehrish Baseem

For my advanced portfolio, I chose to create a music video and selected the Music Promotion Package becauseI believe music is a diverse platform that has no language because it can strongly be felt. A beautiful dais where people from around the world unite and connect to one another in a number of ways. Music brings a feeling of being content. It's a part of your happiness,sadness and all other emotional burst outs. Where words fail, it is music that speaks.Without music, the universe would be soulless, our minds wouldn't have wings to take a flight to the imagination. Life would be charmless because it is one beautiful thing that washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.To some, the beat of the music is the main inspiration, while many admire the melodious lyrics. Nevertheless, many people are able to enjoy and relate to the music videos that accompany their favorite tracks.
For me, it looks like I have been in a strong relationship with music since ages, A bond that strengthens every minute without fail. Music is an integral part of my life and if it did not exist, I don't know how I would have survived the hollow silence. It fills in the gap between people and things and makes us take a closer look on every aspect, each angle of a number of things including life. Likewise, I have been watching Music Videos from an early age and have developed strong likes and dislikes for many of them.

To create the music video, I watched a number of music videos and took inspiration from them.

The story board is as follows.

To execute anything, other than effort, resources or ideas the most vital part is the planning and research conducted pre hand. For my Music video, I first had to choose a song so I could visualize its concept in my mind and then create a piece of work. Randomly, while scrolling my playlist I came across this beautiful, yet soulful hindi/punjabi song “Bolna” from the film Kapoor & Sons originally sung by Arijit Singh and composed by Tanishq Bagchi. This was the time when I was jotting down ideas for my music video and the most integral part was the music; however, since the song was a promotional song itself for the film, I had to ask for copy rights before producing my video. I picturized this beautiful song on a romantic tragedy. I planned the story as a Romantic tragedy once I was sure of the song and its emotional lyrics which went straight through the soul. I had t look up many music videos of the same genre on youtube to gather more ideas and improve my imagination. The video for the original song was released later and till then I had shot most of the scenes. I drew the story board first to clear up things in my mind and also to simplify stuff for the cast who were suppose to act in my video. After finalizing the track and its portrayal, I was on a hunt to find the perfect cast/actors who could fit in the role of the characters designed by me and that too perfectly. After auditioning a few people, I decided to consider my friends whom I thought would very efficiently work off to put themselves in the characters that I required. I casted Qunoot Sharif, Faizan Masudi, Saif Ahmed and Eshal Tariq and shot the entire music video in a time span of 3 weeks (we shot once a week).

CAST

Qunoot Sharif (Female protagonist)

Faizan Masudi (Male protagonist)

Saif Ahmed (Male actor)

I casted them as I was very sure that they would be able to act well and accordingly. They exactly fit in the characters that I as a story writer had in my mind.

The trio Perfectly did their roles on their part. Even though, they are not professionals and gave several retakes for many of the scenes,but the end result that I obtained was beyond excellent from their Part. I believe, the cast plays the most vital role in the video as they are the representatives throughout. And it’s them from whom the audience is expecting everything and not much from the ones behind the Camera, even though its 2 sided but the audience ony see's them. However, Bringing in romance between them was very difficult as they did not knew each other From before and had met on sets, they got along so well that chemistry was automatically created between them. That made the romantic scenes look perfect!

Mis en Scene:

I planned to use a private premises,that included a beautiful garden. Garden,flowers and colors play a very important role in a romantic music video. The terrace of the bungalow too has been used. I chose to add a flowery touch to build in the element of romance. A cage is used,to add beauty in the backdrop,another location used was Nixor College.

Costume changing was done for every scene as it showed that time/days were passing. Music is a key part since it is a music video, so Bolna was a beautiful,subtle, soulful hindi/punjabi melody. Makeup of the female protagonist was done by Zoya Baseem in the entire video; She gave Qunoot (female lead) the perfect touch up for both (flash back and present scenes). I have shown a small teddy bear with pink roses which symbolizes romance in a lovely way in itself. A timer in the beginning of the video is also shown next to the cage and teddy not only to add a touch of a set backdrop but also that timer shows to the audience to relate the female protagonist has moved on and has not stopped or is not living back in time but has moved on in life. The timer also portrays that she goes back in time (flashbacks are shown while she's writing her diary/notebook). Timer keeps great importance in the starting of the video and is not shown towards the end as (present time is shown) and she is happy in the time now and has accepted life in a beautiful way with a touch of mature romance in form of care by the second husband.

I chose to use Windows movie 12 for editing the video as it's very user friendly and music was added via it only.

Background Of The Music Video Produced

The music video produced, revolves around a young lady who is writing a diary, Basically, an expression of letting out all her emotions have been portrayed through this scene. As the scene unfolds, she visits the lane of her beautiful memories which is shown by a flashback, starting from sepia toned scenes and then entirely colored. Since the video is categorized in the genre of “Romantic Tragedy”, The element of romance is beautifully created via flowers, backgrounds that are usually used for romantic scenes ,a touch on the shoulder, a pretty smile and eye to eye romance gives the video a perfect yet presentable look. For the Romance part; The mis en scene that I used did the entire magic. The back drops included a bungalow’s terrace, a beautiful garden for serenity and love, rest of the scenes were shot at a private premises (proper interior ‘d house).to bring in the reality effect. Costume changing played a vital role and in the Romantic scenes, the colors of the costumes were a major part. Coordination of costume’s color was done for the young couple (shown in the flashback) where they both wear blue, which perfectly matches the scenery of the garden (where the shooting took place) Props like coffee mugs, shawl, flowers and a vintage cage was used. The cage shown in the beginning and the mid of the video signifies that throughout her journey of life, whether how many ups and downs she has faced, it is always been with her that makes her realize at every stage of sadness/happiness she goes through it is she who has the key control of either caging herself and her life and going in isolation or taking things positively in life and moving on like a free bird. The cage is shown in the video to tell the audiences that that she, even though being a woman is like a free bird and can do whatever she likes in her life. Remarrying her old friend later in the video brings it to the audiences that marrying again, and staying happy in that marriage is not a taboo, especially for women nowadays. Whether it’s true love again at a later stage of life or a compromise that she makes for her child; it still portrays her as an individual who has the full right to live her life without being controlled by anyone. She herself, keeps the full authority of her life unlike most women in our Pakistani society.

A deep connection with Flowers has been shown in the music video. Flowers

Were not only used to create the romantic aura, but also portray a mesmerizing effect on the

Audiences. Flowers give a feel of calmness, beauty, add colors to life and give hope that things

Remain beautiful but it is us who need to change the way of looking at things. With time and

If not taken care of, flowers do get dried up, lose their shine, and get dull but similarly, if they are

Shown affection, love and care, they bloom to the fullest and stay as bright as ever. Flowers,

Or the floral theme used in my video basically relate to the female protagonist’s life that how she

Always remains beautiful by soul but loses her shine as a person right after the death of her former

Husband especially when she is pregnant, but when she receives the same amount of love, care,

Console and Affection by her old friend who later marries her, she gets back to life and moves on.

Through such a sequence, my video promotes that life does not stop for anyone and continues at

Its pace, in fact it us who have to move on with it. Moreover, the life we have been blessed with is

Very long but the amount of time it holds is very short and one lifetime is not enough for anything or

Anyone It shows that True love cannot only be done once in life, there are various ways to express

love and friendship Is a source too. The second male protagonist is shown as the female’s second

Husband with whom she moves on in life after the death of her first husband. He is the one who

Makes her feel content in times of her solace and helps her relive her life. He even accepts her

Daughter and is shown as a very caring father. This also breaks the stereotype that step fathers or

Step mothers are cruel. Towards the end of the video, audience get to witness a beautiful line that

The female protagonist writes in her diary right before shutting it; “And some love stories never die”

This is written by Sehrish Baseem. The line added to the video creates a romantic yet emotional

Feel on behalf of the female actor that even though she has moved on and is content, but still

Somewhere in her heart, she still loves and misses her first husband who is also the father to her child.

Coming to the wedding sequence, two of them have been shown. The first wedding is beautifully

Conceptualized with bright lights portraying typical Pakistani culture and a beautiful set was used for

The wedding which was actually a drawing room of the house. The wedding ring scene expressed

Love, sentiments and adoration in a uniquely presentable way. The second wedding shown later in

The music video was picturized in sepia tone effect as it was also a flashback like the first one, but

The second one has been shown with simple floral vines in the background, a gesture of smile and

Ardor from the second male protagonist while the female lead smiles as a compromise she has

Made in life. The wedding sequences were shown as entirely Pakistani. In fact in all the scenes, the

Costumes represent my local culture. The death scene exhibited was shot in 20 mins as a whole,

To show blood, Red ink for writing purposes was used and I had to gather people from the vicinity

To portray it as an accident and crowd has been gathered . Through this video not only a message

of taking life positively Is given but also it is a way of promoting Pakistani culture; the song, costumes,

sets give a feel of it. A happy reconstituted family with devotion for each member is unveiled in the end,

presenting that this should not be a taboo in our Society (Pakistani) and one must accept and respect the

decisions that every Individual makes for him or herself in life for their happiness and satisfaction.

The genre represents a twist; Suddenly in between of pure romance, a tragic life changing incident takes

place and by remarrying the female protagonist shows that how strong her love for her first husband is

That if he was alive, he would have wanted her to be happy and not in solace. She decides to live

And dedicate her life with full ardor to her former husband. The video is mostly in flash backs, starting

of with either sepia/black and white and then being changed to colored to display the subtle, Idealized

Fondness of the couple. The song’s lyrics carry endearment, and unavoidable tenderness, subtitles were

Added due to it being in the hindi language. Every scene is amazingly synchronized with the music and the

Lyrics of course to create the feel of attachment between the couple and also what is happening in the

Music video. Few of the scenes have been shot at Nixor College;

Sehrish Baseem with Protagonist

Entire team

DISTRIBUTION ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA

I decided to release my video on social media for a constructive feedback. This was a promotional strategy that I used.

As a memoir to the cast members I gifted them customized notebooks as they were of great help to me throughout.

This music video was conceptualized,written,produced,directed and edited by Sehrish Baseem. So far I think,that this is the best piece created by me.

Sehrish Baseem

Saturday 14 January 2017

Let's be me again! For everyone who lost a friend.

Tuesday 22 March 2016

A LEVEL ADVANCED PORTFOLIO: MUSIC PROMOTION PACKAGE: MUSIC VIDEO

A LEVEL ADVANCED PORTFOLIO: MUSIC PROMOTION PACKAGE : EVIDENCE (VIDEOS)

A LEVEL ADVANCED PORTFOLIO: MUSIC PROMOTION PACKAGE: ANCILLARY TASK: WEBSITE

A LEVEL ADVANCED PORTFOLIO: MUSIC PROMOTION PACKAGE: ANCILLARY TASK: DIGIPAK

A LEVEL ADVANCED PORTFOLIO MUSIC PROMOTION PACKAGE: CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION (CCR)

Advanced Portfolio: Music Promotion Package (Research,Planning & Execution