I worked with Toby Moon Productions once again to film a music video for my original song, “Secretly Admire." Unlike my first music video, I decided not to include any clips of me lip syncing, so that the story unfolding between my four characters would have all of the focus. I wanted the video narrative to be set in a historical era, and Toby Moon Productions suggested the Victorian age. I have been an admirer (not secretly 😉) of all things Victorian ever since I started watching the BBC series Victoria, so I thought it'd be a fun idea to delve into that era.
My music video's fictional narrative of unrequited love overlaps 4 minutes of emotional vocals combined with lively string instruments and percussion. The filming process lasted 3 days, during a weekend in August of 2021. I chose to release the video on Halloween since it would be an easy release date for people to remember. My video also features a cast in full Victorian costume which goes along perfectly with the spirit of dressing up in costumes on Halloween!
It was a joy to have my sister join my cast. Ironically, she played my sister on-screen so it wasn’t hard for us to portray our sisterly bond. The other actors featured in my video regularly act in the plays and musicals at the Dover Little Theatre. Our first day of filming was at the theatre where we filmed the family portrait scene and had each cast member photographed in black and white portraits to mimic the wet plate photography of the Victorian Era.
Our next two days of filming took place inside the Jefferson Township Museum. The interior of the museum is designed as an interpretation of life in the last quarter of the 1800s, reflecting how a family might have lived there during that period of time. It was the perfect set for my Victorian narrative. My two dresses featured in the video were designed by Dianna Filan who volunteers alongside me as a tour guide at the museum.
Produced by Toby Moon Productions
Director: Christopher Stokes
Writer: Elizabeth Smith
Editor: Dan Whitehead
Director of Photography: Angel Fajardo
Assistant Camera: Ben Carolan
Key Grip: Kyle J. Whitehead
Production Assistant: Nick Parada
Costume Designers: Dianna Filan and Tara Howanice
Actors: Madison Taylor, McKenna Brown, Eric Najimian, Kevin Seaver
Filmed at Dover Little Theatre and the Jefferson Township Museum
© 2021 Madison Taylor
Official “Secretly Admire” Lyrics
Written by Madison Taylor
I wrote a letter and sent it out to the wind
Hoping that it'd find you
Somehow, I knew it reached your hands
But it never found your heart
Oh taker of my soul
You will never know, you will never know
Oh stealer of my soul
You will never know that I secretly admire you
I called your name out in a crowd
But the sound lost hope and faded out
I grew long tired of the night
Cause you were all I could think about
Oh taker of my soul
You will never know, you will never know
Oh stealer of my soul
You will never know that I secretly admire you
You will never know that I secretly admire you
And when I smile at you, I am filled with fear
That you might somehow never reappear
And when I smile at you, I shed many tears
Cause I know that I've wasted all these years
And when I smile at you, I am filled with fear
That you might somehow never reappear
And when I smile at you, I shed many tears
Cause I know that I've wasted all these years
Pining over you
You will never know, you will never know
You will never know that I secretly admire you
I wrote a letter and sent it out to the wind
Hoping that it'd find you
Somehow, I knew it reached your hands
But it never found your heart
© 2021 Madison Taylor Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved.
My family and I love to watch British drama and Victorian-based movies, so getting to film my own Victorianesque music video was a dream come true! You can watch my video by clicking here. I’d appreciate if you leave a like and comment on my YouTube channel. Thanks!