I had started working on the song back in Voronezh and continued refining it after moving to Moscow. My musical skills – reading music and playing both accordion and piano – helped me immensely. With a MIDI keyboard connected to my laptop, I spent every day experimenting with melodies, trying to combine the main qualities of my favorite hits: strong rhythm, energy, meaningful lyrics (not just a simple “boom-boom”), a modern sound, and a runtime under three minutes – maybe even good enough for Eurovision 2013. As you’ll hear soon, all of these qualities made it into the final song. It wasn’t easy – it took a whole year to finish. I won’t go into all the technical and creative struggles, but the result was worth it.
The process started with composing the music (I arranged it myself at home), then writing the lyrics – common for dance tracks. The vocals were recorded at a studio in Voronezh by a good friend, and I handled the post-production in Moscow. Recently, with the help of a friend, I finished an English version of the lyrics, equal in meaning to the Russian version. You’ll hear it at the video premiere. And here’s a little secret: at the premiere, there will also be an acoustic version and an extended version with an orchestral intro.
A couple of weeks ago, I proudly told the Chizhov Gallery that the song was ready for filming. After thinking long and hard about the storyline and watching lots of other music videos, I wrote a script that I hope feels original and avoids any sense of déjà vu.
After sending the demo and the script, the production team approved everything, and we started shooting.
Setting aside minor issues – mostly the weather – I’m very happy with how it turned out. We shot all the footage in just two days, though scheduling and weather stretched it over a week and a half.
The video tells a love story, full of charm and style. My on-screen partner is a friend I’ve known since school and the academy. I never doubted she was the right choice, and when I offered her the role, she happily agreed.
We filmed across four locations: the 23rd floor of the Chizhov Gallery business center, the elevated pedestrian crossing near Moskovsky Prospekt shopping center, Petrovsky Square, and the embankment by Chernavsky Bridge. I aimed for a “City N” effect, so that anyone watching could imagine the love story happening in their own city.
Looking back at all the work – from winning the competition to shooting the final scenes – I hope that when you watch the video and listen to the song, it resonates with you as much as it did with me.
Finally, I want to thank everyone who supported me in the studio and on set: sound engineer Sergey Astakhov, vocalists Yulia Alekhina and Katya Protasova, co-author of the English lyrics Alesya Vlasenko, my on-screen partner Kristina Ivanova, project coordinator Viktoria Timofeeva, costume designer Alina Sapronova, director of photography Viktor Emelyanov and his team, and all the extras who took part in our collaborative effort.”
28.08.2012
