Casting

I chose my friends Lily Dobson and Wesley Foster to star in my music video for many reasons. Firstly, they are young and fit into the same age bracket as the intended target audience of late teens/young adult. This will appeal to the audience as they will feel more connected to the video and this will make the song more relatable to them. The song is entitled ‘youth’ so my actors should preferably be in their teens as it reflects the song’s true purpose and will make more sense to the audience.

Lily and Wes’ looks also played a vital part in their casting. Lily’s looks go very well with the genre of indie folk. Her long, naturally wavy hair is a common style for people who listen to this genre. She also suited the simplistic, natural fashion well which is also associated with the genre and didn’t look out of place or uncomfortable in this type of clothing and make up. Lily is also very pretty, and in reference to Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘Male Gaze’ this will attract the viewers, especially the opposite sex and will make people subconsciously be more inclined to watch the video. She has a very slim physique which seems to be very fashionable at the moment to have the ‘thigh gap’ etc. so she is someone most viewers would aspire to be like.

Wes also looks very conventional of the genre with dark, big hair and normally dresses in clothes considered to be ‘indie’ like Parkas and Doc Martens, therefore is very comfortable and familiar with the clothes worn in the video. Along with Wes’ looks I also chose him as he is Lily’s boyfriend. As the song is about a young relationship, it is essential for the actors to have chemistry and them being an actual couple will help their acting and make the video a lot more realistic and created verisimilitude. This makes the video a lot better on the whole.