Miss Georgiou - Planning lighting and colour

A variety of different lighting styles and colours are essential within music videos. Diversity towards the visuals is always essential to provide with a different and diverse viewing experience. Another reason is through adding a large number of different lighting styles it can enable for a number of different macro elements to be portrayed, and can help towards portraying characters in the frame in a certain way through the use of this particular form of micro elements.

Planning sheet my group and I used to plan what lighting and colours we would include within our music video 

Within my group and I's music video, we have planned to use three essential forms of lighting and colour throughout different segments of our music video, the first one being the use of natural high key lighting. This is conventional to the indie genre as it is present throughout real life media examples, and is usually present to show real life settings and environments, which are also often present to co-inside with the everyday settings, which is another convention of the genre. This form of lighting will help with the representation of my artist as it will show the artist as feeling optimistic about the situation he is in, and that he feels as if he can make it in the music industry and that he can get by on his own. This will co-inside alongside the visuals as the artist will be shown as being persistent and relentless with his aim, which when the high key lighting will be present his drive will be evident to see.

Example of low key lighting, of an image being taken at night

The second form of lighting and colour which we intend to include is low key lighting. This is as we wish to film some shots later on in the day/ night time, to provide with darker natural visuals. This is conventional to the indie genre as the visuals throughout are often darker, which is done to portray certain feelings towards the viewer, as the themes being shown throughout the lyrics and visuals within the genre are often of a dark nature. Therefore, it is probably a commonly used form of lighting as the visuals them make the concept of visuals more apparent, and enable for certain feelings to be portrayed clearer through the correlating visuals and dark themes. This style of lighting will help represent my artist as it will show the gritty reality of his situation, as he doesn't make it in the end and at the end of the music video he will still be struggling to get by, therefore providing with a realistic contrast with the use of the high key natural lighting. In regards to the indie genre, the use of low key lighting is frequently used to portray almost a depressing like tone towards the visuals and atmosphere of the visuals, as that is an emotion which is frequently conveyed by a number of indie artists. One example of an artist which does this within their music videos is Hoozier, as within the music video for "Take me to church" a low key filter is shown throughout many segments (more so come the end of the video), where it creates negative emotions around the narrative of the video, and as a general feeling portrayed to the viewer. In regards to the lyrics of Two fingers, the lyrics of "Run down some dark alleys in my own head" would suit this use of lighting, due to the dark associations with the colour itself, and the general feeling associated around it. 

Example of an image which has been edited to have a lowered saturation filter

The last form of lighting and colour which my group and I intend to use is a saturation filter to add towards the visuals. This is conventional to the indie genre as it provides with an edited grainy element towards the visuals, making the visuals darker but not to the point where it is pitch black or black and white. This form of colour will help towards the portrayal of our artist as it will emphasis the messages which are shown throughout his actions. This is as despite his best efforts, as he is alone he cant get by to support himself or to make it in the music industry. Through having grainy and dark visuals, it re-enforces this message as the nature of the message is a harsh and gritty reality as the overwhelming majority of artists don't make it professionally. This shows the artist as being a down to earth character who experiences hardships, and is unable to come out on top and to resolve his issues, emphasizing how he is alone and somewhat of a loner, and that nothing would improve without the assistance of others.

In regards to the indie genre as a whole, saturation filters are frequently used within indie artists music videos, one example of an artist which does this very often is Jake Bugg, one example being in the music video for "what doesn't kill you". This is as within it the saturation of the visuals seen are lowered to create darker visuals, which creates a very indie like feel around the artist as he can be seen performing within the video, as dark coloured visuals are a common convention within the indie genre. Within the song Two fingers, the lyrics of "He's with my momma, they're yelling and fighting" would suit this use of the micro element, due to the dark visuals emitting the dark and negative emotions associated with the abuse the mother experiences throughout the music video.

My group and I's target audience will be able to create a relationship with our artist through the uses of lighting stated. This is as the colour of the visuals will correlate between the nature of what will be shown, as the artist will be shown as going through hardships and generally being in a bad position in his life. Because of this, through having certain lighting and colours used, the feelings created through this alongside the visuals will make the audience feel sympathetic for the artist, due to the general hopeless vibe emitted throughout the artists actions and the visuals. He is shown in a down to earth light, being shown in everyday settings and having a bad time, through this down to earth portrayal the viewer may be able to relate towards the artists situation and feel sympathetic for him more so because of this.