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My Day Behind the Scenes of a Music Video Shoot

by Erin  |  October 13, 2011 - 12:37pm

This past weekend we were invited behind the scenes of a Carol Cox music video shoot to talk about her smoke-free lifestyle and see it for ourselves.

Carol (or CC, as she’s now known) had been in contact with us for a while, after she found out that we were going to be talking to people around the province about all of the great things about living smoke-free.

First off, CC is an incredibly positive personality. In person she’s just like she is on the stage: so enthusiastic, and over the top that she’s larger than life. During the shoot though, we got to see that she truly believes in her message of the power of positivity and living a clean, healthy lifestyle.

The set was freezing that morning and the poor girl was dressed in a tiny Goddess costume, so I caught a chance while we were warming up between takes to ask her some questions about her life as an artist:

Me: I’ll start off with the obvious question, what inspired you to get into the music industry?

CC: I never really “got into” music – I’ve been singing all of my life. I’m not kidding about that either, I sang my first word. Since then I’ve just always known that it was my destiny to be an artist. I was recording Top 40 hits on my own equipment when I was 10 years old. I knew all the words to every boy-band song (laughs) Really though, I went every show that I possibly could and met almost all of them.

Me: A lot of people in your industry, especially from a young age, end up leading some pretty unhealthy lives. Did you ever experience any of that?

CC: Oh yeah, for sure. I’ve walked that path. I definitely partied when I was younger, but I’m so glad that part of my life is behind me – I feel ready to do anything.

Me: What do you mean by “Ready to do anything” and how does that relate to your lifestyle?

CC: Since giving up all of the bad things in my life that were numbing me to the incredible experiences that are all around us, I feel so much more focused every day. My mind is clearer, I’m happier every day and I’m present in everything that I do.

This is the happiest and most fulfilled that I’ve ever been, and putting any chemical into my body would do nothing but cloud my vision and hurt my career as an artist.

Me: What advice would you give to young people looking to break into the music industry?

Just that the path is hard, but it can be done. The people who succeed are the ones who can set goals and drive hard to get them. It’s so important to be clear and present when you’re working towards those goals that distracting your body, mind and spirit with something like smoking just seems ridiculous to me.

Just then there was a tap on the glass and CC was rushed back to set where she had to get rid of her furry coat and act like she was as warm as a beach while the wind slashed against her exposed skin.

I spent the rest of the day watching people run around on set, touching up make-up, changing camera locations, clearing sets and adjusting costumes. The energy was incredible – I never realized how many people and how much work went into shooting a single music video.

One thing that really impressed me with CC was her energy and determination throughout the whole day. She was always full of positivity and set to go for another take, shot, location, whatever the director threw at her. Even as the crew was starting to wind down, she was encouraging them: “We’re making art here! It’s worth it!”

CC told me later that she didn’t think that it would be possible to keep up that kind of pace if she didn’t live the healthy lifestyle that kept her mind clear and energy up all day. I hadn’t been doing anything more than taking notes and watching all day, but even I was exhausted by the end. She was heading back home to talk to all of her Facebook and Twitter fans before getting up at dawn the next day for day 2 of the shoot.

Look for the new music video coming out in November titled “I Love You”, and check out our behind the scenes shots below: