"City of Angels" Music Video

Recently, 30 Seconds To Mars asked their fans (AKA The Echelon) to vote on what they thought should be their next single. Many voted for "City of Angels" and I joined them, giving good reasons for my vote. 

Being an aspiring video editor (youtube.com/kyliekerosene) of course I've now imagined an entire video for this song. LOL. Usually I won't post scripts for my videos online, but I'm not trying to make any money by doing this, I just want them to use my idea because I think it's perfect for the song. So, here it is: 

(Please skip over this part if you don't understand it. More blog after this!!!)

 

00:00 

Time-lapse of the sun starting to set over L.A. 

00:10 

Slow motion shots of city lights coming on as the sun sets, & other slow motion shots. 

00:27 

Quick shots of local people & places (signs, ETC.) to the beat of the drums. 

00:37 

Jared on a rooftop playing piano. Maybe some quick shots of this to the beat too. 

00:46 

RV of Shannon & Tomo walking through the city streets. More quick shots to the beat. Shannon maybe twirling a sharpie like a drumstick. (This will make more sense as you read on)

00:55 

Jared standing on the roof with a microphone, singing, the Hollywood sign glowing in the distance behind him. 

01:04 

Shot of a local boy around 17. Shannon & Tomo reach him, shake his hand, & Shannon draws a triad on the boy's hand with a sharpie. CU of the boy looking from his hand to them as they walk away. 

01:13

A goth girl or maybe a hooker on the corner, obviously lonely. They walk up to her & draw a triad on her hand. 

01:29

Jared on the roof singing.

01:32 

RV of Shannon & Tomo walking through the crowded streets, silhouetted by lights. Interlaced with shots of Jared singing on the roof. 

01:41 

Shannon & Tomo draw a triad on another local's hand, ETC. 

01:45

Jared singing on the roof, the lights behind him. 

01:50 

Some more slow motion shots. 

01:55 

Shannon & Tomo walk into a bar or restaurant. 

01:57

Jared singing. 

02:02 

Shannon & Tomo in the bar/restaurant. Shots of violinists playing to the music. They approach a woman with a little boy. Tomo draws a triad on her hand on "mother" & Shannon draws a triad on the boy's hand on "brother" 

02:09 

Jared singing "me" 

02:11 

Shannon & Tomo walk out of the bar/restaurant, the mother & son watching curiously. Maybe more violinist shots. 

02:13 

"The silver of a lake at night" ...'Nuff said. 

02:18 

Jared singing "The hills of Hollywood on fire" with the Hollywood sign behind him. Maybe some close up shots of the sign too. 

02:22 

Shots of the walk of fame & maybe a close up of Shannon & Tomo's feet as they walk across it. 

02:27 

A couple making out on "streets made of desire" because let's face it, it wouldn't be 30STM without it LOL (& because sex sells) 

02:31 

Shannon & Tomo mark more people, ETC. 

02:40 

Jared singing. 

02:45 

Shots of city lights, ETC. 

02:50

Shannon & Tomo start climbing the stairs to the rooftop where Jared is. 

02:54 

Jared singing as Shannon & Tomo set up to play in the background. 

02:59 

Time-lapse of the sun beginning to rise, & shots of the people they've drawn on (some where they were & maybe some getting out of bed) as their triads start glowing. 

03:05 

Slow motion shot of Shannon bringing his drumstick down to hit it for the first time. Cut away right before hitting. 

03:08 

Shots of the people they marked as wings appear on their backs on "angels" (CGI if able, & if not then just strap on wings that are already on. Either way, this is the first time we see wings.) Their eyes maybe glow too as they look at the camera. Some quick shots of them to the beat, shots of the sun rising, ETC. 

03:24 

CU of Shannon playing the drums. 

03:25 

Jared singing "I am" on the roof with the band. The sun has risen now. 

03:27 

The marked with their angel wings all start running from where they each are on "home" in slow motion.

03:31 

The band playing on the roof. 

03:36

The marked with their angel wings running in slow motion. There are a bunch of them (naturally). They eventually meet up at the base of the building the band is on. 

03:42 

The band playing & singing as it begins to rain. On "angels" zoom out & down to the crowd (filmed from the crowd) 

03:47 

CU of one of the marked looking up at the sky as it starts raining. On "strangers" zoom way out & up to show the whole crowd (filmed from the roof) 

03:53 

The band singing & playing, ETC.

04:03 

Slow motion shots of the marked angels jumping upward, maybe with a hand raised & a finger pointing up for "one" ETC. 

04:12 

The band singing & playing, ETC. 

04:21 

Shots of the crowd holding hands or some of them hugging, drenched with rain. Maybe shots of people walking by watching, ETC. If possible, a time-lapse of the city as the entire crowd of smiling angels slowly fades out of the shot, giving a disappearing effect. Maybe a time-lapse of the sun beginning to set again. 

04:40

The band playing & singing on the roof, wet from the rain (the girls will love it LOL) with the setting sun behind them, if possible. BTW Jared is now back at the piano, & now the band all has angel wings on (or CGI'd. Either way we don't see their wings till now.) 

04:44

Shannon & Tomo disappear (instruments included) & Jared is left playing piano & singing alone on the roof in the setting sun with angel wings. 

04:49 

On the last "angels" Jared looks up from the piano at the view, maybe with tears of joy rising  in his eyes. 

04:51 

Wide shot of Jared at the piano with his wings, the setting sun &/or Hollywood sign behind him, silhouetting him. 

04:53 

Jared disappears too, leaving a gorgeous shot of a lone piano on the roof, silhouetted by the sunset &/or Hollywood sign in the background. Zoom out slow. 

04:59 

Cut to black. 

Beautiful, right? 

I sure hope you think so. 

If you like this video idea, be an angel (pun intended) & share this blog online using the hashtag #MarsAngels along with a photo of yourself wearing angel wings (or photoshopped wings) & a triad on your hand. like so: 

(Evol Eric)

(Kylie Kerosene)

& make sure to tag the band & its members if you can! Even if you can't do the pictures for some reason, you can still share this blog! Here's a great example of an amazing tweet from @MarsAmee: 

There is no guarantee that this will work. In fact, it probably won't. But even if it doesn't, it's a fun way to come together & show our love for this band & this song. 

I don't live in L.A. & I have no other agenda than just to get this idea out there while bringing Echelon together. I hope you'll join me! Who knows, if I get enough people to submit pictures I might even make a lyric slideshow of my own to the song ;) 

Have fun posing, angels! 

Be the lighting, 

Kylie Kerosene. 

UPDATE: 

Well, if you follow the band, you know by now that they didn't use my idea. They did use the rooftop idea though, so I'm okay with that. :) Thanks to those who participated. It was fun! For those who may not have seen it, here is the official "City Of Angels" music video: 

Professional Fangirl

After much consideration, I have decided to add the term "Professional Fangirl" to my Facebook Bio. However, to me, the term "fangirl" doesn't necessarily mean what it means to most people. I'm aware that there are some insane people who take fandoms way too far and can even become violent in their love for something or someone, but I am not one of those people. In fact, I hate those people. I am simply a fan of a lot of different things. Movies, TV shows, bands, even some actors and actresses. But my main goal is supporting them and spreading the word about them, because they move something in me, and I simply want others to be moved as well. 

Here is the top description of a fangirl from Urban Dictionary: 

"A rabid breed of human female who is obesessed with either a fictional character or an actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy. Fangirls congregate at anime conventions and livejournal. They have been known to glomp, grope, and tackle when encountering said obsessions." 

Yeah, so that doesn't really describe me at ALL. While I am a fan of a lot of things, I definitely am not obsessed. And I most certainly would NEVER tackle someone just because I admired them for their work. Why would I want to hurt someone who inspires me? Admiration should come with RESPECT. If I were to meet my favorite director M. Night Shyamalan or my favorite band 30 Seconds To Mars, I would be excited, sure, but not to the point that I would scream in their faces and turn into an ape-like being with no sense to utter normal words.

Also, the Echelon (30 Seconds To Mars fan base) has some great people in it, but some are so insane that they will threaten people online with finding where they live, coming to their house, and killing them, just for being seen with Jared Leto (the band's singer). That's some pretty scary stuff. I do consider myself an Echelon, but there's no way in hell I'd be that crazy with it. Of course the guy has female friends and lovers. He's a musician. Why should I care what he does with his free time? As long as he and his fellow band members keep pumping out amazing music to strengthen and inspire me, I'm good. Thanks.

When Taylor Swift visited The Ellen Show  to promote her newly released album "Red" and perform a couple songs, I noticed that when she came out into the crowd of screaming fans, a few of them literally reached up and grabbed her, nearly pulling her from the stage. You could see it on her face - her guard was up. Luckily, she knew how to handle it, jerking her hand away with a smile, but I felt so bad for her and for all celebrities who get treated like this. I mean, this person is performing for you, and you're screaming so loud you can't even hear them? And you're really going to try and hurt them just so you can be near them? REALLY? Some people are crazy. Actually, most people are. I will never understand most fans and their mindless obsessions with other human beings just because of what they do. What happened to the days when people went to concerts to hear the music, not to try and get a piece of the musician?!? Sadly it seems those days are dead and gone. 

But anyway, I'm ranting. Where was I?

One thing I've noticed on Twitter is that celebrities typically do not respond to the crazy fans that tweet them constant praise for their work, and if they DO respond or retweet and that person freaks out, throwing up all over the internet, it's over. That celebrity will probably never talk to that fan again. However, when you treat a celebrity like a NORMAL person (which is what they are) the chances that they will respond to you are so much higher. I know this from experience. And I HATE when a twitter account fills their bio with "So and so retweeted me" or "followed by so and so" - Um, HELLO, bio's are supposed to tell people about YOU, not about what a nut you are. That is the one sure way I for one WON'T follow you on Twitter. I mean, some of my favorite celebrities and TV shows have replied, retweeted, and followed me on Twitter, but it's no big deal. Know why? Because they're just another person! And I guarantee you I wouldn't have had the continued relationships I've formed with some of them if I had been like "OMG OMG OMG YOU JUST REPLIED TO ME OMFG AAAHHH!!!" LOL. That's annoying. Not only to the person you're addressing, but to everyone who sees it. You have to put yourself in the other person's shoes when talking to someone. And that goes for anyone, not just celebrities. 

But I'm ranting again. What is this about? Oh, right, being a professional fangirl. 

 Whereas regular fangirls might be crazy like that, I feel that the term "professional" fangirl describes someone who is a fan but doesn't go crazy over things, or people. That might not be the official definition of it, but that's how I feel. I am labeling myself as such because I am simply inspired by certain music, TV shows, movies, and people to be who I am. To live the life I want to live. It's hard to explain, but in a way my love for these things is a way of expressing myself, and even defining myself. My love of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones represents the side of me that is a warrior. My love of science fiction (such as Defiance and Mass Effect) is a reflection of my desire to explore the unknown and to evolve as a human being and a race as a whole. And I could go on and on, but there are pieces of me in the things I love, and therefore I love sharing them with the world, because it's part of who I am in a sense. Even if I end up a celebrity myself, I'll probably always continue to love and support and appreciate good movies, music, TV, ETC. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it no matter how much I type, so I leave you with a list of some TV shows I'm considered a fan of.

Being Human (Syfy)
Defiance (Syfy)

Game of Thrones (HBO)
True Blood (HBO)

The Vampire Diaries (CW)
 Beauty and the Beast (CW)
Nikita (CW)

Enlightened (Cancelled by HBO)
The Secret Circle (Cancelled by CW)

Teen Wolf (MTV)

Bomb Girls (Reelz)

Vikings (H2)


You can find me fangirling regularly on Twitter and Facebook.
I also create fan art sometimes. Check it out ;)

Iridescent (New Video)

Footage: Final Fantasy XIII. 

Music: "Iridescent" by Linkin Park. 

As most of you know by now, I've had a pretty rough 6 months, both physically and emotionally. In order to lessen the physical pain, I've been working on expressing my emotional pain more. This video has been one of those outlets for me. This song has also been a useful tool in helping me face negative emotions and let them go. Like the chorus says, "Remember all the sadness and frustration, and let it go." Good advice for anyone. We can't hide from the past, and we can't run from our emotions. The best thing to do is face them head on, and then move on. 

This is the first video I've completely mapped out in my head before editing (of course I had plenty of time to brainstorm while I was physically incapable of editing) but of course it didn't go entirely as planned. The editing gods threw a few twists and turns my way, some bad and some good. I didn't get to do some of the things I planned on, but on the other hand some parts came together perfectly without me even doing anything. Also, I had to get the footage with a video camera, so that's why it's shaky in a few parts. I was going to fix it, but we had major technical difficulties, so I had to make due. I also had to forfeit a few edits that would have helped it a lot in favor of uploading it by the time I'd set. Next time I might just give a day and not a time, LOL. But, hopefully it doesn't suck too bad and you like it anyway...

Those who have played this game in its entirety need to know that I still haven't beat the game. That's why the video only has footage from the first half. So no spoilers please! And as those who have played the game know, the song I chose goes well with the theme of the game. The Eidolons teach the characters the same thing this song teaches those who listen to it. 

L E T   I T   G O .

 

P.S. 

Big hugs & thank you's to my husband Eric, & to the Final Fantasy community. You guys are seriously the best. Thanks for the support!

<3

Do Something.

Since I've grown older, I've realized a few things. There is no roadmap to life - no set course we just fall into - destiny is real, but we have to CHOOSE our destiny by ACTING on it. Also, there are no do-overs, no second chances. Sure we may reincarnate after we die, but as far as this life, we get ONE chance to get it right. If we don't get it right this time around, chances are we won't next time either. 

And most importantly, we have a LOT less time than we think. 

I am currently 28 years old. To most, this age is considered the prime time of life. But a crippling injury has caught up to me (sciatica, herniated disk, emotional buildup), and I am in constant, at times paralyzing pain. Did I know this would happen? No. If I'd known, I would have made better choices, taken care of my body, and stayed in touch with my emotions, even the tough ones. (Yes, repressed emotions can contribute to chronic pain. Face them.) When I was younger, I never imagined feeling so old at only 28! We don't think that something like this can happen until we're much older, but the truth is, you never know. 

Young people - I'm not trying to scare you, I'm trying to open your eyes. To fill you with a burning desire to DO SOMETHING about each of your lives before it's too late. Something meaningful. 

Is it working?

When we're young, we think "I have all the time in the world" and we proceed to waste our best years away by partying, watching TV, playing video games, and before we know it, our lives have passed us by. 

Our dreams. 

Our future. 

Our destiny. 

When we're old, we look back and think "I wish I'd done this" or "I always thought I'd have the time for that." Well, don't be one of those people. 

Don't be like me. 

Don't be a statistic. 

Break the cycle and DO something with your life while you are still young and able. Your best years don't come when you graduate, or after you find love, or after you land a high paying job. 

Your best years are NOW. 

Don't waste them. 

Once again, young people, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to inspire you to get up and move. 

To be a leader. 

To do something that matters.

To start a revolution in your world.

I'm trying to light a fire inside of you. 

Is it working?

Random Review: M. Night Shyamalan

My review of M. Night Shyamalan from Get Glue: 

In my opinion, M. Night Shyamalan is the greatest writer/director that ever lived. All of his films are so intricate & captivating, & I can't understand why so many people don't like him & his films. 

From "The Sixth Sense" to "The Village" Night is a genius when it comes to the twist ending, & this is the trait for which he is most well-known. Then there are films like "Signs" & "Lady In The Water" that produce a strange new outlook on the world. He is so good at instilling magic & faith & hope into the viewer's soul. & that is hard to do through film.

Night is reportedly a joy to work with as well, which makes for a happy cast & crew, which in turn makes for a wonderful film. He is still fairly young & already has an impressive resume of films, & I can't wait to see what he does next!

 
Night has inspired me so much over the years, & I don't think he's going to stop any time soon! He is & will always be my hero :)

And here's my review of Night's movie "The Village" also from Get Glue:

 This film beautifully depicts love in its truest most innocent form, & says something profound about human nature. I truly believe The Village has one of the best scripts ever written, with beautiful quotes, such as my favorite: 

"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe." 

With gorgeous & haunting cinematography, a mind blowing twist, & amazing performances by Joaquin Phoenix (also in Night's film "Signs"), Bryce Dallas Howard (also in Night's film "Lady In The Water"), William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody & more, this film is a diamond in the rough. 

Many people were too small minded to enjoy the film & pick up on the moral of the story: you can take people out of the darkness but you can't take the darkness out of people. I love it. I even made a music video of it years ago. Here it is: 

And don't worry, there are no spoilers in the video, in fact, it's more like a trailer than anything, and people who have seen the video who haven't seen the movie have told me it made them want to see it. So even if you haven't seen it, you should have no reason not to watch the video. ;)

Night's most recent masterpiece is a film called "After Earth" which I finally got to see recently. Here's my review of it from Get Glue: 

I was so excited when I heard Shyamalan was making a new movie, but I was even more excited when I heard what it was about! I love scifi as well as anything post-apocalyptic, & After Earth combines the 2!

Others, however, weren't so excited. They still don't trust Night as a filmmaker. But I happily ignored the critics & saw it anyway, counting the minutes till it started & doing my little chair dance when it finally began.

Even though I sort of expected it to be great, I was still absolutely blown away. I was tearing up within the first 10 minutes! Night has done it again. In fact, I think he's even surpassed his other films with this one. Not only is it visually stimulating & absolutely gorgeous, but it has great acting from Will Smith & his son Jaden, & a great story with a great message: Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Among others.

We all need to see this. Absolutely see it. The critics are just mentally challenged, as usual. Best movie I've seen in a long time...

Here is the amazing trailer: 

I could go on and on, and rant about how much I love Night's other movies as well, but I've ranted enough. I apologize if it was a bit repetitive, but that's the beauty of copy and paste. ;) Needless to say, I love this man's work, and I hope he continues to amaze and inspire us with his creative mind for many years to come!

This has been a (not so random) review, from your friendly neighborhood Kylie Kerosene. Stay epic, and be the lightning. ;)

Random Revew: Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan is one of my main musical influences. People used to call me Kylie McLachlan :p Her music was a huge part of my childhood, as my mother & her friends would listen to her album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" frequently. Basically my childhood consisted of music from The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, & this woman. & to this day she is one of my favorites.

"Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" is not only my favorite album of Sarah's, but one of my favorite albums of all time. It's rare to find an album I can listen to straight through without skipping a single song, & this is one of those rare cases where every single song on the album is a precious jewel. The feeling of it is so haunting & emotional, & the style is unique to Sarah. 

If I had to choose, my favorite songs from "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" would probably be "Possession" (based on a letter from a crazed fan), "Mary" (which i think is about about motherhood & growing old but many see a religious or environmental meaning), "Fear" (a unique ballad in which she hits crazy high notes), & of course "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" (the title track). 

I love listening to this album straight through, especially the last two songs. Here's why: "Fear" is the trembling confession of a little girl who is afraid of love, stating "There's nothing I'd like better than to fall, but I fear I have nothing to give." & directly after that song appears a calm & focused grown woman on the beautiful title track, which states repeatedly "I won't fear love" finishing the album with hope. It's hard not to tear up listening to it. 

It is this perfectly amazing placement of songs, combined with Sarah's beautiful voice & intricate compositions & harmonies, that make "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy one of the best albums of all time.

 

The magic doesn't stop there though. Sarah has released many more amazing albums since then, such as "Surfacing" & "Afterglow" & from these albums some more songs I adore, such as "Adia" & "Witness" from "Surfacing" & "Fallen" & "Stupid" from "Afterglow" but as beautiful & intense as these albums are, my favorite is still "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" & it probably always will be.

Another great album, believe it or not, was the live album "Mirrorball" - I ran that album into the ground. In my opinion, the energy & composition of each song is even better live, which is difficult to find in an artist. Here are two songs from that album to prove it. From the Mirrorball DVD:

I'll Get By (Newest Video)

Footage: Alice In Wonderland.

Music: "Alice" by Avril Lavigne (from the soundtrack). 

 

I have overcome a lot in my lifetime. Rape, heartbreak, suicidal thoughts...  But all these things are mortal enemies, and they CAN be defeated. This video is my declaration of that fact. Not only for myself, but for whoever watches it. There IS hope. You are NOT alone. I founded a support group in 2008 called RISE (Rape Incest & Suicide Education). Check it out if you're interested. 

I experimented more with this video than I ever have, and I really hope you like it! I'm currently fighting yet another battle with a crippling injury called sciatica, and I was going to wait until I had completely defeated it before uploading this video, but then I decided to upload it anyway, as a sign of good faith. Because I've already survived so much, I'm not going to let this pain take me down. I've come a long way already, so here's to a full recovery!

I hope that whatever you're going through, or whatever you have gone through in the past, you can overcome it and RISE above it. And I hope this video gives you the strength to do that, like it's done for me. :)

Here it is: 

Until next time. Be The Lightning. ;)