Cover Video Essay- Crystal

Regularly, I’ll browse through Youtube, looking at K-pop videos and simply watching them for enjoyment. What I had not contemplated prior to filming this cover video was the entire process behind the scenes. I never took into account the training, effort, and time required to create an attractive video.

I knew this project would be a challenge because I can’t dance well but most importantly, I was worried about letting my group down so I practiced the dance over and over in hopes to attain a tiny fraction of Jaebeom’s dance skills. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard each member in a K-pop group has to work in order to dance as flawlessly as they do. In particular, many females in the K-pop industry often have to dance in heels which means they must put even more time and effort into achieving the degree of perfection that is expected from them.

We came together in the beginning not knowing one another and through this process we experienced difficulties, disagreements, but we also motivated each other to work hard in order to pull the video together. I imagine this is similar to when groups are formed from trainees who are unfamiliar with each but while working in such a close environment, a strong bond is formed. It was a highlight for me to be able to share with my group members the common feeling of pride and satisfaction after completing the video.

All the effort that K-pop artists have to put in to please fans and to achieve success is quite astonishing. Their careers are demanding from producers and fans alike as fans constantly want new releases. My respect for artists have definitely grown as I was able to put myself in their shoes in a small way.

• Crystal