Planning Setting & Iconography - Miss Miller

Myself and my group have recently planned the locations and iconography elements that we would like to include in our music video. It is important to consider these aspects because they help to create certain moods and atmospheres as well as setting the scene by providing information for the narrative. If a music video was to have an unrecognisable location and no iconography elements then it would not have much of a storyline and therefore the audience would not engage with the narrative very well. This is because it would be too simple and boring for the target audience to watch. Therefore, if a music video entails a number of different interesting locations and a variety of iconography elements then it is received as more interesting for the audience and they find it easier to engage with. Furthermore, it will make the narrative more clear as the audience will understand the storyline better.

The first location we decided to include was a kitchen in one of our houses. We decided Kerry's kitchen would be best as it is open planned and therefore very light and spacious so the shots will not look dark and there is a lot of room to achieve different camera angles and set up the tripod etc. A kitchen is a familiar setting whereby the audience would be able to recognise and identify with as they would have one of their own which are associated with their own memories, perhaps similar to memories of the artists relationship. Therefore the audience will be able to relate to the artist and build a relationship with them. Also the location will remind them of their own memories and provoke feelings of nostalgia which is a main theme in this music video. My narrative is based upon a set of memories in a relationship which is why my music video requires a variety of locations such as this one. In this shot the two characters who are a couple will be seen making cakes, laughing and throwing flour at each other. This location will be received well by the audience because it is recognisable and familiar to them and they will therefore relate to the characters as well as most likely relating to their situation of baking. This will make the audience reminisce on old memories and therefore feel that the lyrics relate to them personally. The kitchen is a very personal location and so having it feature will create the effect that the artist is sharing very personal intimate moments with the audience. This allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist as they feel that she is letting them into her personal life and seeing her relationship behind closed doors. As a result this creates a level of trust between the artist and audience as the audience feel trusted with the artists personal life which will make them feel important.

Midshots will occur throughout this scene to establish the location and situation so the audience has a clear understanding of where the characters are and what they are doing. Also several close ups will take place to put emphasise on the characters joyful facial expressions and the shape of the cookie dough which will be in a heart to represent love. There are not any major limitations with using this location. The setting is not cramped and is spacious so there are less likely to be accidents as there is more room for the characters to watch the space around them an avoid tripping etc. I am prepared to film in regards of having all the equipment and ingredients so there will be no limitations in regards to that. In terms of health and safety, there is the risk of the actors cutting themselves when using the sharp cake cutter. The only way this can be prevented is by making sure they are both cautious when using it and that there are plasters etc, nearby incase someone is cut. Filming will not be affected by the weather as the setting is indoors.

The target audience is teenagers and young adults which is the age when it is common to experience breakups because it is before the typical age of settling down. Because of this, the audience will most likely be able to relate to this scenario in the narrative and so will think back to good memories of their past relationships. Seeing the relationship of the couple in my music video as though it is behind closed doors and what no one else can see because it is an intimate moment shared with  the two of them in one of their houses with no one else around, means that the audience will feel like they are seeing the audience first hand as if they are a part of it. This makes it easier for them to relate to the emotions of love and nostalgia and in turn relate to the audience as they have experienced the same emotions.

In this scene I will include close-ups of the characters cutting through dough with cake cutters to explain the situation to the audience. I will also interpret a long shot to establish the whole scene and it ill show the male character standing behind the female as they make the cakes together. There will also be other close-ups as the couple mess around and throw cake mix at each other for example. I don't think there are any limitations that come with this location as it is inside and therefore will not be affected by weather. This means we will be able to film it at any time that is convenient for us. The location works well in terms of my narrative as it is spacious and also I have the items needed such as cake cutters and ingredients. The kitchen, however, does not really portray an indie style and so will not portray the artists personality and style unless we decorate it with more iconography related to the indie genre such as fairy lights.The only possible health and safety risk that could take place in filming this scene is one of the characters cutting themselves on a cooking utensil such as a knife or cake cutter. This can be easily avoided if we make sure the characters are careful and cautious whilst filming.

Another setting my group plans to film in is one of our gardens. We have not decided which of our gardens would be the best to use yet but we do know how we want this scene to look. We want to create an outdoor cinema by placing cushions and duvets etc. on the grass and having a white screen with an image projected onto it or using the green screen and editing an image onto it. This will convey another happy memory of the couple before they broke up.It will have a similar effect of making the audience feel a part of the relationship by seeing an intimate and private memory from it. Again this will allow a relationship to form between the artist and audience. 

A long shot will introduce the entire setting to the audience and close-ups will show the couple under a blanket enjoying a film together. This will allow the audience to see the characters facial expressions more clearly and therefore see how they are happy to be with each other. Shot-reverse shots of the characters looking at each other will have a similar effect of portraying the relationship between the two for the audience. There are more limitations in this setting regarding weather because we will be unable to film as the camera and cushions etc. will all get wet. Also it will be difficult to film if it is too cold because this provokes health and safety risks such as the characters becoming too cold. However, this can be easily solved if they wear the correct clothing and it does not rain.

I then moved onto planning iconography elements to involve in my music video. The first iconography aspect I chose to discuss was a guitar. This will be used in the bonfire scene when the male character will be sitting behind the female character and teacher her how to play it. This will be the first scene with both characters and introduces them meeting for the first time and beginning to interact with each other. 

A packet of marshmallows will be iconography of the same scene. The empty packet will also be saved to put in the souvenir box to represent the memory and flashback to it. The memory will be of the couple roasting marshmallows on the fire at the bonfire scene. The burning of the marshmallows will symbolise the inevitable break up of the relationship because it shows something comforting and innocent (the marshmallows) being destroyed. The fire is what burned the marshmallow and show this could suggest that connotations of fire such as anger destroyed the relationship.

The souvenirs that represent each of these memories will be kept in another iconography element - an antique style box which symbolises all of the artists memories of the relationship. This will be a main part of the narrative and so is important as it will help the audience understand and engage with the storyline. he box as a whole represents the past relationship which will be relatable to the audience who will have a lot of memories from their own past relationships.

Planning the iconography aspects ans locations of my music video has helped me prepare for filming because it has given me a clear structure and check-list to use as a guideline when filming. It has put a clear visual image in my head so I know what I want the music video to look like. Planning has also taught me what I have to consider for each location such as health and safety issues and limitations as well as reminding me of the iconography I need to get a hold of before filming.