Planning setting and Iconography - Miss Miller

Planning setting and Iconography

Introduction
Locations and iconography elements are very important within a music video. The first thing is the setting because it can show the narrative that is being shown throughout the video. Changing the setting throughout the music video means its a good way to show how something has been altered or a mood change within the song, this can create a relation and connection between the artist and the audience as the change can often be emphasised in a particular way and if the setting has changed so represent the mood this means the audience can see the change more easily and quickly. The picture on the left shows a diagram drawn by me and my group which includes our ideas of the setting and iconography, how they will change and what effect they will create when doing this. I will be explaining this in full detail throughout my post.

Setting

The first setting we have chosen to use within our music video is a stage. The stage we will be using within our music video is within a school, but the school setting will not be shown or used, and this is just for the stage purpose. The reason for us choosing a stage is because its conventional to the soul genre, as most soul songs that i have researched into  include a stage, for instance the artist performing on stage in contrast with the narrative being told at the same time. Using a stage within a music video means that the artist has a wide amount of space to perform and the audience can see the artist in full picture. A stage also means the lighting that can be used is very wide and different amounts and colours of lighting can be used on and around the artist. Within the performance on stage, we have decided to used back lighting which will create a silhouette  feature of the artist adding to the conventions of the soul genre and the diversity of the music video. This dark image portrays sad feelings and emotions to the audience, although in a different light the bright lighting shows the artist as glamorous and shown as strong. These two in contrast show the artist as being realistic and making it easy for the audience to create a relationship wight he artist. The types of shots that will be included within the stage location will be long shots, showing a full body image of the artist of them singing on the stage and portraying them self  as a strong independent singer who is singing their emotions to their audience. For the use of the stage we are using the main hall within our school, although this could have a few disadvantages. Firstly the main hall where the stage is placed, is in use a lot of the time and in high demand with the expressive arts side of the school, this would be the same as any stage outside of school, where the demand of frequent use is constant, making it more relatable to the music world and soul genre. For this reason we would have to look into when the stage is free, and book a slot ensuring that the stage will be in use for me and my group for the full hour, ensuring we can take shots in plenty of time and in a high standard. Me and my group want to ensure we have a professional touch to our music video, so spending a few hours filming wight he setting of the stage may mean working around the schedule of the stage. Moreover, there are a few health and safety risks for us to be filming using a stage. Firstly, when the artist is performing on stage it is easy for the artist to easily to fall off or trip on wires etc on the floor. To ensure this doesn't happen me and my group will make sure the artist is places as far back as a possible in the centre of the stage, and no where near the edge to avoid any accidents. Secondly, interruptions from students in the school. When me and me group are filming, students may walk in on the production meaning we may have to re-start filming again. To make sure this doesn't happen, we will put a notice up on the door explaining that the stage is in use for filming and there can be no interruptions. The weather for this setting can not affect our filming.

The second setting we have chosen as a group to use is also within the school, but this time within the music section where we will be using a piano. The piano is in a small room which includes just a piano and a small stall to sit on, the picture on the left shows the evidence of this. For this setting we will be draping black material from the walls to create an effect that the piano is in a dark place, and not in the room that it is in. This dark effect will mean the audience will see that the black piano and black background will be in contrast with each other and there will only be a small difference between the two. The room at the moment doesn't look very professional, so the transformation will mean that the room will look professional and will be to a high standard, although this connects to the emotions that will be sent out the audience which is that she is trapped in her own life and wants to move on from her hometown. Although the room is small it will still allow us to produce the shots that we want too showing a young girl playing the piano starting the journey of her life, as her music career is going to progress. The lighting already within the room is just natural as there is a small window at the side of the room to the right of the piano. Because of this we will have to cover up the window and create out own lighting as the original lighting isn't very bright and doesn't create much of an effect towards the artist. The only limitation for the setting of the piano is the size of the room but we will be able to work on this, using shots from either side of the piano as we will move the piano out form the wall so we can stand behind and film. The health and safety risks within this setting are the stool/chair. This can be easily tripped over and because it is  only a small room, this can be dangerous. When not using the stool we will ensure that it is tucked under the table and not in the way of when we are filming and using the room as flashbacks. The radiator to the right of the piano may be switched on during the autumn times that we are filming, so we will have to ensure that the piano is moved away a sufficient amount so the artist does not burn themselves on the radiator if they was to turn around and look back at the camera. Seeing as the setting is inside the weather it will not affect our filming.

The third setting we will be using for the production of our music video is a underground station in the artist's hometown. The hometown we will be Theydon Bois station. The reason for us using an underground station is so we can film our artist walking in the station as if to be leaving her hometown behind and moving to the city where her life can be more exciting and move up in the world. We will also be using another underground station in central London, this will show the artist leaving her Hometown and walking out of another one showing a new start and connecting to the meaning of the song. This will show the artist as ordinary as she is using public transport to travel places, instead of a taxi or personal driver like any other celebrity would do. The limitations of using this setting will be the amount of people we can include in the background and be careful to not get anyone who is waving or looking at the camera, as we want an effect that the public and the artist don't know that they are being recorded. There are a few health and safety risks which are included on using the London underground station. The camera can easily be stolen, as there are a lot of people in London, as well as the camera being damaged due to people in a rush and pushing past. For this to not happen and exclude these risks the person filming will have the camera attached to them around their neck, so the camera can not be taken although shots can still be taken in a  high standard, we will also stay out of peoples way and try to select a calm setting but with a London urban feel.

The next setting we have chosen to include within our music video is central London. The meaning behind Adele's song references to London as she reflects on her past hometown. We have chosen to do the same thing as we felt as a group that the London setting showed a good meaning and reflected well with the lyrics being sung. This will work well with her Hometown as Theydon Bois is a quite village on the outskirts and London is in the city, where is is populated and crowded all the time, and is also known to include people will successful jobs and extraordinary buildings. This will show to the audience that the artist is just an ordinary girl. The camera shots that we will include within this setting are faced paced editing to over lap the narrative of the music video. We will be filming people walking past, different things taking place and cars and buses going past, and when the filming is finished, when we are editing our shots we will fasten up the shots to look like time is going quickly and the artists views are going fast, this will elaborate on her emotions and meaning being sent out that her life is going quickly. Using the shots in fast-paced editing editing will reinforce the artists the quickness of the artists rise into fame, as she has progressed over the years to becoming more successful and well-known. The use of this setting will also allow the audience to understand and familiarise themselves with the setting as most people within the UK have visited London and will be able to relate to the things being shown depending on our whereabouts within London. Oxford treat is

very popular and busy in terms of the public. The limitations include the public getting in the way of the camera, and doing things such as smiling, waving or moving in front of the camera purposely. this will affect our camera shots, and will mean we have to film the shots several times to allow for no mistakes to be shown. Also the cars and buses on the road, if something where to happen like an argument within the street or a car to break down this could cause us to have to re-film or move location. The health and safety risks involved within the location of London include the amount of people travelling and in London at the time. If the tripod is placed in the middle or side of the street, it will be easy for a member of the public to trip over the tripod or walk into it. Because of this we will have to ensure a member of our group stands either side of the tripod so ensure members of the public are aware that filming is taking place and to step around to sure they do not endanger themselves. In addition to this, the amount of time we will be filming in London will be for nearly a whole day, meaning will we also have to allow for this risk and move locations frequently to avoid any disruptions that may be caused. Due to the camera not being our own and it being lent form the school, we will ensure that the camera is well looked after and kept in a bag when not being used, do to the high crime rate in London and thieves that could be on the streets where we are filming. The weather could affect our filming due to it being raining or stormy weather, as the camera will get wet an the shots being taken will not be able to relate to the message being sent out to the audience about the artists new start to life. The weather we want is to be sunny or cloudy, as this will work well and can easily be edited.

The next setting we have chosen to use is a shopping centre. This location will show the artist hanging out with her friends and having a good time. This will show her socialising with her friends and showing a comfortable personality. This will be relatable for the audience as most people have been to a shopping centre of westfields specifically where we will be filming. The shots that we will be including are long shots and close-ups. The long shots will show the group of friends to be walking along the shopping centre talking and chatting and the close-ups will show them laughing and talking and their facial expressions showing there emotions and feelings. This setting will have some limitations. One of the public may get in the way of the camera, or do something such as wave, to prevent this from happening we will keep the camera out of the way and anyone that asks we will explain to them that we are filming for coursework and to act like the camera isn't filming is the best way. Risks that may happen within this setting is crime, the camera may be roped or stolen, so we will keep the camera with us at all times and in a bag when not in use to prevent any damage. The weather will not effect the way that we film due to the setting being indoors.

Iconography
The first piece of iconography is the microphone, this is the piece of iconography that is used the most. The microphone will be used when the artist is singing on the stage in the hall, which i have discussed above. The microphone is conventional of the soul genre as we often see in music videos that artists perform on stage with a microphone, as this connects to the performance side of the style. For our music video we would like to use an old style microphone as it gives an old school vibe and makes it look ore professional and shows that the artist has been singing for a long time and is experienced. The artist will be shown actually singing into it, and this gives the feeling that they are performing in somewhere like a concert or gig. The performance side means the audience can created a relationship easier with the artist as they can understand what they are singing, as the artist can create certain facial expressions towards the target audience. The microphone adds more of a realistic feel to the music video, as well as professional.

Another piece of iconography that we will be including within our music video is a piano. The piano will be in the music room which i spoke about earlier, but the piano itself is the piece of iconography. The piano being used shows the talent of the artist and extraordinary. Her extraordinary side connects with her ordinary side as the piano and when she is travelling on the train, snipping back from shot to shot. As we see the artist playing the piano it makes it seem more real, as we see the song being played in time with the song, creating a realistic feel, also reinforcing the song. The piano connects to the song as it creates an elegant feel to the song, and the piano is played the whole way throughout so the flashbacks help create the feel of the soul genre and allows the audience to understand what she is feeling. Instruments are key in the soul genre, so it is important they have some connection within the music video. The piano we are using is black, with white keys which can connect to the past and the future of the artists life.

Conclusion
Overall i feel this post has helped me to explore what setting and iconography i will use within my music video, and the reasons why. It has ensured i have a clear picture in my mind on the reasons i will be using these things and why. For example the reasons for using London and the risks that will take place. This has helped me and my group to think ahead and prepare ourself for what is to come. It has made me think about what setting will work well and what won't, and to look into the conventions of the soul genre again and refresh my mind.