Music video: Water meShantelle Keech, Rosie Betteridge and Alexie Lovelace

Finding a soundtrackFor my A2 media coursework, my group and I need to find a soundtrack to use in order to be able to create a music video. To do this we initially decided on a genre that would be most effective for us, the genre we decided on was electronic pop. After searching on YouTube, we came across FKA Twigs.

The soundtrack and artistFor our initial ideas for the music video we search on YouTube for possible soundtracks that we could use, we came across an artist called FKA Twigs and their song ‘Water Me’.

The singer from FKA Twigs, Tahliah Debrett Barnett, is a British singer, song writer and producer. She creates and performs music from the genres electronic, alternative and R&B.

FKA Twigs is a group signed by the British independent label ‘Yung Turks’; their parent record company is ‘The Beggars Group’

Lyrics and analysis He won’t make love to me now

Not now, I've set the fee

He said its too much in pounds

I guess I'm stuck with me

He told me I was so small

I told him “Water me

I promise I can grow tall

When making love is free”

He wont make love to me now

Not now that I've set the fee

He said its too much in pounds

I guess I'm stuck with me

He told me I was so small

I told him “Water me”

She wants more than sex with the client, she wants to feel loved and cared for although he won’t give her what she wants.

By using the term ‘fee’ is signifies prostitution whereby the male pays the woman.

The term small represents her virginity and inexperience.

Signifies that she wants to escape from prostitution.

She wants to lose her virginity so she can grow as a person.

Interpretations One interpretation of this song goes along with the concept of prostitution although the protagonist is wanting more from the male she wants to be in a relationship with the customer.

The term ‘Water me’ could signify her wanting to grow and become something else. It would connote that she wants to leave the prostitution industry and intend to live an ordinary life with the attendant that she wants a relationship with.

When looking for interpretations and reviews we came across this quote which describes the song:

“very corporeal vulnerability that unfolds over robotic and blippy creaks, atonal keys, and ambient synth. ”

- The Guardian

PermissionWe sent a message to FKA Twigs record label ‘Yung Turks’, when we researched their company we couldn’t find an email address so we had to message them through social media.

The message we sent was to ask for permission to use their song, this is due to copy right laws restricting us from using it.

Initial ideas for visual concept

Carnival theme Oriental dancing

Geisha

Bubbles

Object for male desire

“Water Me”

Time-lapse of flowers growing*dies at the end*

Oppression, feminism,

prostitution

Smoke machine

NarrativeThe protagonist works in the adult industry of prostitution, she comes across one client who changes her mind towards male and she begins to fall in love with him. Making her want more. After a while this male stops coming to see her. Due to this when the protagonist is wandering around as a Geisha she sees this male in everyone that she makes eye contact with.

Geisha

“Geisha are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance, games and conversation, mainly to entertain male customers.”

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisha)

CastingWhen we look for an actress to play the protagonist we will be looking for someone who appears to be young and innocent, this will reinforce the idea of virginity and purity.

For the supporting roles we will just need a few people who will have induvial appearances but nothing major that will need a specific appearance.

We also want a group of males that look strong and neglected which juxtaposes the protagonists innocence.

Costume and propsWhen we discussed what our protagonist was going to wear we decide that she should wear a nude coloured leotard. The natural colour signifies her virginity and purity. Furthermore, due to her wearing a leotard it connotes nudity and her natural body.

White is usually a colour more associated with purity but by making her wear a off-white colour such as nude it signifies that she no longer wants that label. This is also shown through the lyrics when she refers to making love with the client.