Planning Setting and Iconography

Planning Setting and Iconography

It is important to consider setting and iconography when creating a music video as this helps to set the scene of the video and helps the narrative to be easier to understand for the audience watching. Both aspects help to engage the audience as different and varied settings and iconography are interesting and engaging for the audience as they may be recognizable and relatable. Without location and iconography this would not be engaging for the audience to watch as there is nothing going on which can also help them to understand the narrative. In addition to this, a location used may help to represent the artist and give the audience an insight to their lifestyle and personality which can help the audience to relate to them as they feel like they know them better, which will make the music video successful.

Another setting which I will include into my music video is a piano room, which is easily accessible as this is located in my School. The room is small and simple, which includes plain backdrops with a glossy black piano. This room will be used for mainly narrative purposes. By using this setting it will help make the narrative more easier to follow for the audience as they can tell that the story line is the artists life previous to fame. This section we will consider filters such as black and white which could suggest to the audience that she is reminiscing on the past and how she misses the sense of normality she used to have. Aswell as contrasting positivity and negativity which could also help to infer the mix of emotion of the artist. We will use black drapes to disguise the background of the room so it does not look like an ordinary classroom, as the current state which the classroom is in, does not look professional in order to create a high quality music video. The dark room will emphasize to the audience how low the artist is feeling, engaging them further as they begin to establish hidden meanings behind the lyrics. The small, enclosed space could represent how the artist is feeling and what she is singing about, possibly feeling trapped and enclosed as though she can't escape from what she is feeling. The audience will be able to build a relationship with the artist because they sympathize for her and have possibly been in a similar situation and also gain a found respect for the artist as they realize she is willing to share her emotion for the benefit of the audience. The main limitation for this particular location is the size of the room. This room is limited for space, in which it may be difficult to maneuver the equipment to get our desired shots. However, to over come this issue we will include shots from behind the piano, from different angle to create several, effective shots. We will move the piano slightly as a group, to ensure we can fit the equipment down the back of the piano. However, will avoid encountering risks by moving the piano as a group, so this is not as heavy. Furthermore, the radiator located next to the piano may not be noticed by the members of the group which could lead to burn them self. To prevent this from happening, we will ensure that the radiator is not on to resolve this issue. This will not affect the whether or members of the group as the building is located inside, and cold whether will not become and issue.

Another location in which I will aim to film my music video in is, Theydon Bois Underground Station. This is to include in the narrative parts of my music video. The location is easily accessible as this is a local underground station which also does not get busy until rush hour times in which most members of the public are travelling home from work around 6-7pm. This particular location is a good way in which to help reiterate to the audience and help them to understand the narrative further, of where the artist began her journey to fame and the travelling/transition of where she has ended up. By the artist using public transport this helps to suggest and portray her to the audience as ordinary, and increases her reliability to the audience in which they may feel they are beginning to build a relationship with the artist as they have things in common. However, there are limitations to using this particular location. One limitation is that if we are filming during busy periods of members of the public using the train as their source of transport, we do not want to get many members of the public in the back of the shots, in case of them ruining the shot. This can include waving towards the camera or watching as we film, in which this will decrease the professionalism of the high quality music video we are aiming to create. Another limitation of filming in the underground station is that the location is quite small, so in busy periods it may be awkward and difficult to film and create the right shot. Additionally, the rules and regulations state that filming is not permitted within the station itself. Meaning that we can only create a few different shots, which may not actually grasp the concept of the artist using the transport which we originally wanted. However, we were able to get shots of the station to still try and suggest to the audience the narrative in hope it is still clear to them. 

Another location in which we are hoping to film in is a small village near where we will be filming in School. This is a convenient place to film because it is not far from our main location so it is easy to travel to and from for the members of our group. In addition to this, the village that we will be filming in relates to our music video narrative as it is based around the artists previous life to fame and her reminiscing to when she was younger before everything changed. This is convenient as the setting clearly shows that this is where she has grown up as the location includes many childish aspects in which we could film to show this. This could include the fields which has a rope swing which people would recognize as a childhood memory which is relatable for many members of the audience so is engaging to watch. In addition to this there is a park within the village so we can also film in this area to show the artist when she was younger enjoying herself with her friends. However there is an issue that we may encounter with this location. As we would predominately film after School in the months coming up in which we would film the nights get darker more quickly. This could be an issue as lighting could be a problem which we encountered before. The issue with this could be that we will not be able to see objects on the floor and around us which could possibly result in an injury. To overcome this issue we will consider taking out torches whilst filming to light our way and also to ensure that the shot is not entirely dark. Furthermore to avoid this issue we could arrange times in which people would be able to get back from School and film earlier than the rest of the group so that the shot is not completely dark. Shots in which we will include in this scene could be a panning shot which helps to show the location clearly, for example the field. This will make it evident to the audience that this is the past and the narrative will hopefully become more clearer for the audience. The weather I do not think for these scenes will be a problem because this will give it an authentic effect as the audience will be able to relate to this and enjoy it more to see the friends and artist having fun.

Another location in which we will use for the music video are places in which the artist used to visit when she was younger to show her reminiscing on her past life before she came into fame. This is before the artist felt alone and missed how everything used to be. A location in which we will film in to represent this is a friends house. This helps to reiterate how 'ordinary' the artist was prior to finding fame. The location will include shots of the members of the group, which are acting as the artists friends having a good time. This helps to portray the artists life before she found fame and how much happier she was beforehand. This may build a relationship between the artist and audience as the audience can relate to the artist due to the fact they are missing a particular phase of their life, and can sympathize for the artist as the audience know how she is feeling. Risks could possibly be encountered whilst filming at the location of the friends house. This is day to day risks that any body may encounter whilst be around a home environment. Kitchen appliances which may still be on such as cookers or kettles could harm a group member by possibly burning them. To avoid this, all appliances should be pointed out and made aware of so that group members can realise the dangers of the appliances and keep well away. The house is tiled and floored with wood, which can make for a slippery surface. This should be pointed out to group members as they can them take care when walking through the house and not rush to any specific points in case of any accidents which may occur. 

In addition we will use shopping centre such as Westfield to film certain parts of the music video. This is a close location to our main location which is School and easily accessible for all members of our group via the central line. As the artist is female, this is a good location to use because this will show the activities she used to do and enjoy before she found fame. Reiterating the narrative to the audience of how the artist is reminiscing on her past, in which she was happier. Shots in which we will include for this location could be long shots and mid shots to help show the surroundings and the friends laughing and having fun together without it seeming like they are being followed with a camera. Another shot in which we could use is the use of hand held camera. This will make it seem as though the artist is filming and could be some footage in which was previously filmed before fame. This will give the shot a personal feel and will help the audience to build a relationship with the artist as they feel as though they are having an insight into what the artist would usually do. The problems in which we could encounter with this setting is the business of the location which could prevent a clear shot and may not show the narrative clearly which may be difficult for the audience to understand. The location does however encounter minimal issues in regards to filming. One issue is that the location can become busy during peak times such as rush hour, as most people have left work and are stopping of at the shopping centre on the way home from work. This is why we need to choose a certain part of the location to film in which is not really busy along with a time in which is not peak times so that we can avoid the busiest time of the day. In addition to this, we will be using expensive equipment around the shopping centre and do not know what type of people are surrounding us; which could result in damage or theft of the equipment as a result of carelessness and people in a rush. Therefore we will ensure that we will use the provided bag for the equipment which helps to cover it so it is not known what we are carrying along with holding the bag closely to us. Additionally having a member of the group watching out for potential hazards due to members of the public rushing past the equipment, most likely causing damage so we can prevent this hazard from occurring. Fortunately, this location in which we will be filming will not encounter any issues in regards to weather. This is because we are inside a building so will not be disrupted by rain or storms which are unpredictable in this country.

An additional location in which my music video will be filmed in is Central London. The reason behind this is, that it helps to show the narrative of the artist going to gigs and concerts in and around London. This will enable the audience to be understand the narrative easily as they will not think that the video is set entirely in one location and it will be evident that this is not the case. Another positive of filming in and around the city of London is that this location will be relatable for the audience as they will be able to recognize the location and feel as though they have an insight of the artist which helps them to build a relationship, as they believe that they are beginning to know the artist on a more personal level as they enjoy similar activities and have been to the same places. There are multiple shots in which we can use at this location. For example, we would be able to use a panning shot which helps to display the City, there fore again the audience will be engaged in the music video as they recognize the location. The location of London is stereo typically busy, which may be the case when we are filming. However, this could portray the state of the artists mind as it could show the business and chaotic thoughts in which she is thinking, making the audience sympathize for her as they could relate to this situation. In which the audience may be able to sympathize for the audience increasing their attention as they can relate to this situation due to their personal issues. However, there may be issues that we encounter with using this specific location for our music video. This could be the point I have previously mentioned, the business of London. This could mean that the shot would be difficult to get of the artist in the middle of London as it may not be focused on the artist and the audiences attention may be diverted away due to the busy, chaotic scenery. The members of the public passing may try to get in the way of the camera and possible wave to the camera, disrupting filming. In order to avoid this we will need to film during times where the location may be less busy, such as before people have their lunch break or leave work to begin their journey home. Alongside the streets of London being busy possibly throughout the times we are filming, this could lead to damage of our equipment due to members of the public rushing past and not taking into consideration the expense of the equipment. To avoid any damage to the camera and equipment, when the equipment is not in use we will use the travelling equipment provided to keep it safe. However, when filming we will ensure that one member of the group is looking out for potential hazards which may create damage or risks that could develop. In addition to this, the weather may be an issue due to the UK's unpredictable weather as it could be raining. Throughout this time we could shoot the scene in a different location which may be undercover. We will also ensure that we carry an umbrella with us at all times to protect the equipment that we will be using so that it does not get damaged throughout the process. 

The first piece of iconography which my group has chosen to include in our music video is a piano, which will be used when the female artist is singing the lyrics and also playing the piano at the same time. This helps to portray the artist as talented as they can not only sing but they are able to play an instrument together. The audience are engaged by this as helps them to remember why they originally began to like the artists music. It gives the audience a further insight to the artists personality as this shows her as multi-talented. Furthermore, this helps to also presents the artist as ordinary as she is practicing her piano and in a common setting as most young people would like to take up an instrument; Again, allowing the audience to relate to the artist and feel as though they have been allowed to get to know her on a more personal level through sharing similar interests. The.The piano used is also conventional to the soul music genre as the artist is usually playing an elegant instrument which can also represent the artist. This also shows the passion of the artist as they play the piano. This could also build a relationship between the audience and the artist as this piece of iconography is relatable to the audience as they may play themselves or know that it is a difficult instrument to play.

A microphone is a piece of iconography in which I will incorporate into my music video. This will be used on the stage when we are showing the artist on stage perfuming which will be transitioning clips for our music video to help the audience to understand the narrative more. There are different types of microphones which we could possibly use in our music video but the one in which our group is going to attempt to find and use in the video is the vintage style microphone. The reason for this is that the style microphone is conventional to the soul genre as it seems vintage and more professional which would commonly be used within the video as the narrative is mainly performance based. This creates a unique approach to the music video as the majority of performance based music videos include the use of an ordinary stage microphone. Engaging the target audience as this again suggests and represents the artist as individual and not following what other artists do. Giving the audience an insight the unique personality of the artist, allowing the audience to feel as though they are beginning to know the artist on a more personal level. The unconventional use of a vintage style microphone also suggests that the artist is thinking about every aspect of the music video in order to make a more interesting video to keep the audience engaged. Portraying the artist different to most artists as she is creating personal touches in which she believes her audience want to see. 

Another piece of iconography which we will use in our music video is public transport such as buses/trains. The artist will not be directly using this in the video but will be in the background and still something which the audience may focus on. This will be used when the artist is using the transport to make her journey and show the narrative clearly. This iconography may make the audience feel as though they are similar to the artist as these objects are used by ordinary people which makes it relatable and interesting to watch, especially if the audience has also visited the location where the video is shot.

Another use of iconography in which we will be using is phones when the friends are together. This helps to show the interaction between the group and helps to illustrate to the audience that they are a friendship group and how the artist is reminiscing on the times before she became famous. Some shots in which we will include when using this piece of iconography will include a mid shot to show the facial expressions of the artist and can see how much happier she was before hand and will sympathize for the artist building a relationship with her. It is also relatable for the audience as this is an object which they see on an every day basis. 

This research has helped myself and my group in order for preparing our music video as it has enabled us to plan out which locations we would like to use and has highlighted which locations may not be accessible or convenient to use. In addition to this it has also shown which problems could occur in regards to film schedules and the setting in which we would like to use so that we can prepare and sort out any problems which could have possibly encountered before the issues arises. Furthermore, it has made us think whether or not each location is necessary and will be essential to our video and whether or not the audience will be able to understand the narrative clearly. We are now more aware of scheduling for our music video as the majority of our locations have timing issues as they will either be in use, or need to be filmed at when the location is not at its peak time for business as we do not want this to divert the audiences attention, so we will have to plan ahead and schedule times in which we can avoid this.