edit 10-28-13: This vid was originally uploaded on April 9, 2007 3:58 PM and has been seen worldwide and linked to several suicide preventio...
edit 10-28-13: This vid was originally uploaded on April 9, 2007 3:58 PM and has been seen worldwide and linked to several suicide prevention articles. I've received hundreds of comments that range from silly trolls dumping out their gripes to grieving parents thanking me for loading this vid. I stopped approving comments because some of them were just too heartbreaking to read any more, but that's my personal issue and doesn't reflect the viewers' opinions. Hugs to everyone who has lost a family member to suicide, and more hugs to those thinking about it right now. Please call 9-1-1 or a suicide hotline number found at http://suicidehotlines.com/ (US) or http://suicidehotlines.com/international.html (international). The girl who made this video all on her own is still with us, but will always have a daily struggle. She turned 21 this year, and I hope she has many more birthdays, because I love her very much. Thank you to everyone who has let me know this helped them personally in some way, and bless your hearts. - Janika BanksnnVideo by Maizy.nnYesterday, April 6th, I began and completed production of my video for "How to Save a Life" by The Fray. I won't say it's my best accomplishment yet, because I'm still quite fond of my work on "The Best of Both Worlds/The Other Side" but all the same, it's awesome.nnThe video has 5 main storylines all going on at once. 3 of which are suicide attempts.nn1. The clip starting out the video shows me dressed in white, against a white background, to create a sense of non-reality. The color of my eyes, hair, necklace, and lips stand out against the rest of the pale, including my own porcelain colored skin. This represents my conscience. She's watching everything that goes on throughout the video, usually apathetic... until the end.nn2. The second storyline is me, dressed in a light blue tank top and jean skirt, on the telephone. This is used to express abandonment, frustration, and loneliness. Because apparently there's nobody on the other end to talk to. For irony, my shirt says "Spoiled." I pace the living room and take many different positions on the couch.nn3. The third part of my plot is very dark in nature. I've got on a black tank top and roll around on the floor in misery. My hair is semi wet (because of plot #4) and black makeup surrounds my eyes, purposely smeared as if I'd been crying. These scenes are a bit controversial because they do sometimes show my cleavage... but at least I'm a sexy corpse! Yep, I die. I guess it's from slow poison of some sort that causes me to have strange spasms... You'd have to see it to understand.nn4. Ok, so, the fourth storyline is definitely the most controversial & the reason that this video will probably never been seen by anyone but me. It doesn't show anything at all... but I guess it could be considered "implied nudity." I'm in a bathtub contemplating drowning myself. So you get to see my back and my wet hair. It's really hard to explain this scene without it sounding "risque." But I promise it isn't bad. It's just a matter of art. What is more dramatic & believable? You just gotta remember that the scene(s) isn't/aren't about my naked back. Focus on the fact that the girl is trying to drown herself! Geez! Anyways, you can actually seen the water level rising as the video progresses.nn5. Last but not least, the bowling plot! Ok, ok, so I'm not really bowling. I'm getting a bowl out of a cupboard thingy. I wear the same outfit as in storyline #2, plus a bow in my hair. It doesn't make a lot of sense until you realize I'm going to use the bowl to catch the blood when I slit my wrist. Oh yes, I made it gory. Less
