Miss Georgiou - Planning locations

Locations and iconography are both important elements when it comes to the creation of a music video. This is as both often have a big importance towards the viewing experience of the viewer, and what they would expect to find throughout a music video of a certain genre. The location in which a certain part of a video is filmed creates the scene for that particular segment, which allows for the portrayal feeling towards the audience, as the location may be conventional to the genre. In regards to iconography, its importance relates back to the audience and genre again, as through including items within the frame which the audience would associate with a certain genre of music, it will provide with a more realistic viewing experience as it will be evident that the music video belongs to a certain genre and contains aspects which is appealing towards the target audience. Both co-inside to draw a large amount of significance for the visuals, as the locations and iconography are the core of what can be seen on screen and are the core foundations of a music videos appeal towards an audience.

Location planning

There are a number of settings my group and I discussed upon, gathering ideas on what locations which are accessible would suit certain segments of the music video. The first location we established was to use Buckhurst Hill station for the use of our narrative, more specifically a few shots being filmed on the streets before entering the station. I have chosen this location as it will assist the portrayal of the artists representation straight from the off, as well as providing with an early point towards the narrative. As the locations throughout our music video will change from rural to urban at times, the use of this location will be more for the purpose of the artist as coming across as a down to earth everyday person, due to the semi urban setting, which will assist towards the creation of a relationship between the viewer and artist through the everyday portrayal of them, as the viewer may be able to relate to the position the artist is in. More specifically the artist will be shown entering the train station carrying his guitar and case, shortly after leaving his home in town. The location doesn't limit the possibilities for filming too much as its purpose is used primarily for the opening of the music video, as it will be used to portray an everyday setting so extravagant shots wont be needed. In regards to the crew, the location will in fact be beneficial as myself and my other group members either live within this location or very close to it, alongside other potential people which may be used for filming, which should make the shots relatively easy to film and re-access if they need to be repeated. One health and safety risk which may in fact be an issue during this segment could be posed when entering the station, as if we choose to film during midday, there may be a large number of commuter's coming back from work which will crowd the station, making it a bit risky as the equipment or one of the group members could have a collision with one of the members of the public. To overcome this, my group and I may need to film this particular scene during an off peak time, to avoid the station being overcrowded and any potential risks which could come from this. The weather shouldn't be too much of an issue within this scene and it mainly takes place inside, although for the part before the artist enters the station, the visibility will have to be good enough to provide with clear visuals. As long as the filming doesn't take place at night and the visuals are unclear to see, it shouldn't be an issue if the weather isn't particularly sunny or dull as when it comes to the editing stage, the saturation levels will be lowered to provide with a grainy effect regardless. This relates towards the lyrics of "something is changing, changing, changing" as the artist will be seen moving from location to location through the train service and links with the lyrics of the song in this instance. Every time the chorus is present in the song the artist will be shown changing location; correlating the lyrics and visuals during the planning stage of the production.

The next location my group and I discussed upon relates also towards the narrative, the location for the next scene being Liverpool street station, on the central line in London. One scene where this location will be used is when the artist will be shown busking at the train station. I have chosen this location as it is conventional to the indie genre, as it is a busy urban place in the city of London. Because of this through using this shot it will allow for the portrayal of the concept, as a contrast in visuals can be seen between the urban and suburban location. This will emphasis the struggle of the artist as the scene will show how despite there being such a large number of people there, he will receive barely any money from anyone passing by. This will allow for the audience to feel sympathy for the artist, which may create a relationship between the viewer and the artist through the gritty and down to earth portrayal. The location will limit what my group and I will be able to do in regards to our crew and content. This is as to get to this location, it will take on average between 25-40 minutes on the central line, which won't be a location which we will be able to get additional cast members easily due to time commitments, as well as it possibly being difficult to re-film certain scenes. Although it shouldn't be too much of an issue for my group and myself as we can access the central line easily, due to lighting and other elements we may become restricted for filming time. As mentioned previously with the Buckhurst hill station scene, health and safety hazard we may encounter is filming in the station during peak times, where it will become overcrowded, which may increase the chances of something dangerous occurring. The weather should be too much of an issue with this location as the majority of the lighting which will be present on the visuals will be artificial. Similar to that of the previous train station, this relates towards the lyrics of "something is changing, changing, changing" as the artist will be seen moving from location to location through the train service and links with the lyrics of the song in this instance. 

In regards to the first location stated, another scene will take place using the same location of Buckhurst Hill, although this will focus upon the very beginning of the narrative, as the artist will be seen leaving his home, which will take place before the scene at the Buckhurst Hill train station. This will establish the nature of the music video straight from the off, as it will convey the theme of hardship, which the artist experiences throughout the video. It will also portray the artist as being alone and on his own. This is an essential element as this would appeal towards the target audience, as they would find the down to earth portrayal appealing, making them possible be able to relate towards the artist. This location is convention as it will show a small suburban town, which is a location which many of the viewers would recognize, which they would be able to relate towards as being a 'regular' person home town, which would show the artist as being more of a normal person and similar to the viewer. There are very few limitations towards filming in this location. It is easily accessible for my group and I, has access to natural lighting, and wont be very busy so there are fewer potential issues which could be raised during filming. There are very few health and safety risks with filming in this location, although one which is very unlikely but will have to be kept in mind is to be weary of traffic on the road. This is as my group and I may feel as if a certain angle for a shot will be easier to film nearer to the road. To prevent this from becoming a health and safety risk we shall make sure that we're well aware of any traffic that we encounter. Although with the weather this could potentially be quite a big issue in regards to this location and this scene. This is as everything is taking place outside, therefore we need to make sure that we find time to film during daylight hours where the weather isn't too sunny, although light enough so that the visuals can be clearly seen and edited at a later stage. This is as the visuals will be edited to a lower saturation to provide with grainier and darker visuals. This location relates towards the lyrics of I go back to Clifton to see my old friends, The best people I could ever have met as this is shown as being our artists hometown when he returns back after the failure of performing in the city, and is present on screen when this can be heard. 

Another location which will be used during the duration of the music video will be on the train itself, as the artist will be seen travelling towards central London in the attempt to make money busking on the streets. This will take place near the middle of the music video, and will be done to show the artist travelling from one location to the next, which should occur every time the chorus of the song plays. This location has been chosen for this as it will allow for the artist to be shown travelling to different locations to busk, which has importance towards conveying the message of the struggles into getting into the music industry, alongside showing the artists general struggle to get by, which will portray him in a down to earth light. From this it will allow for the viewer to be able to connect with the artist due to the down to earth light which they are shown in, which the target audience of our music video would find appealing. It is also conventional to the music genre as it links towards the urban locations which will be shown during filming. This location may limit what we can film, as we would be limited to how many times we would be able to gather shots. This is as there is only so many stops on the train which would be suitable for filming, alongside it being difficult to film during peak times due to the high number of people, so the times which we can come together to film may be limited because of this. As mentioned previously, as the shot could potentially take place in a very busy public area, my group and I will have to be weary of our surroundings to prevent encountering any possible hazards during filming. We'll overcome this by not filming during peak times, which is more important in this scene as it takes place in the train itself, being a smaller place with more potential hazards. The weather shouldn't be too much of an issue during this scene as it will take place inside, although filming will ideally have to take place during daylight hours, as it will make the visuals a lot clearer to see. For this reason, when we do get into a position to film when the weather is appropriate for filming, a way my group and I could work around re-filming issues is to film certain scenes multiple times so that we have the footage all ready for editing, as it will be too difficult to find another day which has identical weather to the first time filming. 

There will be another scene which will include being in a moving vehicle, this scene in particular may be potentially difficult to film as it will take place inside of a taxi, which the artist is taking on the way to the station. I have chosen to use this for its relevance towards the narrative of the music video, as the scene is important towards the portrayal of feelings towards the viewer, as well as the artists representation and the way he comes across. It shows the artist as being as hitting the very bottom of his career and life as a whole, as he is shown running away from the taxi. This portrays the struggle which the artist is shown as going through, which emphasises this towards the audience. The shot isn't particularly conventional to the genre as it is not a commonly used form of iconography and location, although the context which it is used allows for the artist to come across in a certain way, which through the portrayal of the artist is conventional to the indie genre as the artist is shown in a more 'personal' light towards the viewer through emphasising his struggles. The use of this iconography creates a relationship with the style of the music video as it is an important part of the narrative, which has a significant amount of relevance as the music video is centred around the narrative and concept. This scene will be very difficult to film as there are a number of limitations towards it. One example of this is that my group and I will probably only get one chance to film this scene because of the issues of getting into the position to film in the first place. Because of this we are going to have to make sure that we get the shots spot on, and have already filmed backups if the original shots are not to a certain standard. One health and safety risk we may encounter with this scene could be make sure who we ask to help us film this scene, as we are going to have to talk to a taxi office and see what they are willing to help us with. For this reason we will have to be weary of who's help we get, as if we get the assistance from a stranger taxi driver, we will have to establish beforehand with them the agreement towards filming, in regards to if there is any money involve and if they are aware of what is taking place during the scene. The weather may be an issue with this scene as the shots will most probably only be able to get done once, so we may have to either compromise with the weather or try and find a day which has clear natural sunlight for the sake of quality of the visuals, which will make the editing stage easier. The taxi scene relates towards the lyrics of "I got out, I got out, I'm alive but I'm here to stay" as the artist will be shown entering the taxi returning back to his hometown, and will connote to the audience that he has gotten out of the spiral of failure due to the lack of success experienced performing in the various London locations. 

Iconography planning

Throughout the music video, there will be multiple forms of iconography shown throughout from start to end. The first piece of iconography that will present, and would be commonly expected to be present within an indie genre music video is that of a guitar. I have chosen to use this for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very important for the sake of featuring the artists performance throughout the video, which has a large amount of relevance during the busking scene which is one of the main contributors towards the portrayal of the artist. Alongside this, it is important as it is such a commonly used piece of iconography throughout the indie music genre, so including some form of musical instrument is needed to make sure the music video follows the codes and conventions of the genre, alongside the practical use of the iconography. It shows the audience that the individual is in fact a music creator and that he has an interest in playing his guitar. Alongside this, the scenes where the artist can be seen playing the guitar is primarily during the segments where he is busking, which portrays the struggle which the artist goes through, and portrays him as being a down to earth individual who just wants to get by, which may be appealing for the audience due to this down to earth portrayal. It links towards the lyrics of the song as during the song it mentions the struggle that the artist is facing, alongside how he wishes to change the way he lives, which is evident through the busking. This creates a relationship between the style of video as It incorporates an element of performance within the music video, alongside the presence of  having the narrative and implied narrative. It also assists towards the portrayal of the concept as it emphasizes the struggle which the artist goes through, showing the harsh reality of the struggles of making it big within the music industry.

The next form of iconography will be that of a money bucket, which will be used by the artist during filming in the scenes where he can be seen busking in public places. I have chosen to use this form of iconography as it has importance towards two things, one being to show the audience how the artist receives no money while busking as the money bucket will be empty, alongside its relevance during the point in the narrative where it gets stolen. Through these two scenes which it is present in, it will show the audience how the artists position isn't improving and how no one is giving him money, which emphasizes the struggle of the artist and shows him as being regarded as insignificant by many and beaten down. Because of this, the audience may be able to create a relationship between him as they sympathize with the artist and the position he is in. It creates a relationship between the style of video as the scenes which have been stated where the iconography is present have a large amount of significance towards the portrayal of the artist and emotion, alongside the general progression of visuals within the narrative.

Another example will be the presence of a notepad, which will be used during the point of the narrative where the successful artist is present, and someone approaches him asking for an autograph. I have chosen this form of iconography as it shows the successful artist as being just that, as it shows the audience how this character is important and successful, which allows for a contrast between the portrayal of the artist throughout the video. This links towards the lyrics for the song during the point where it goes "There's a story for every corner of this place", where during this point the successful artist will be shown, which the use of iconography makes it evident that he is successful opposed to my groups artist. The iconography use in this segment helps create a relationship between the narrative development, but mainly also the portrayal of the concept of the struggles with breaking into the music industry. Because of this the contrast between the two artists are made evident through the iconography use. 

Throughout the video, the artist will be seen wearing primarily black clothing/ dull lifeless colours, which will stay consistent the whole time. This is conventional to the indie genre as it will show the artist in a number of ways which may be interpreted differently. It will show how he has no hope with the position which he is in, and will emphasis this feeling of hopelessness which will be reflected through the visuals also. This form of iconography links in towards the nature of the lyrics, as they are quite dark and miserable during certain points, as it is telling a story of the artists own personal struggles. This creates a relationship with the style of video as it links towards a strong theme which is shown throughout, linking towards the concept of the video. Alongside this, it aids towards the portrayal of narrative as it emphasizes the hopeless position the artist is in.

The artists hair will be messy and natural, which wont change throughout the music video. This shows the artist how the artist doesn't have his act together, and that he has a messy and unorganized life. It also shows that he is in a poor finical situation, which relates towards the artists struggle and them trying to make it in the music industry. This links towards the lyrics of the video as it could possibly relate towards abuse of alcohol, which he may have issues with as it is referenced within the songs lyrics of "I drink to remember, I smoke to forget", which may be the reason behind his poor style of life. It creates a relationship between the style of music video as it is important towards the artists portrayal, which is shown throughout the narrative as the artist being in a bad position. Alongside this, through showing the artist in this way it allows for the concept to be more apparent, as it will show the contrast between the successful artist as being more apparent. 

Contrasting the previous point referring to the portrayal of the artist, for the famous and successful music artist they will be seen wearing bright clothing. I have chosen this form of iconography as it tells the audience that this artist is clearly successful and achieving highly, which is connoted through the bright nature of the clothing. I would say this is in fact conventional as through the use of the colour of clothing, the portrayal of people throughout music videos or just any form of media is commonly evident through the use of colour. This links towards the lyrics of the song as it relates towards the story of our groups artist and the successful artist, as it is showing how the story of this artist has been better and brighter compared to our groups, emphasizing the contrast between the two. This creates a relationship between the style of music video as it is a very important element towards the hidden meaning connoted behind the visuals, as it makes the message of the struggles of getting known within the film industry through showing a side by side comparison of the two complete polar opposites; one happy and optimistic artist, and one which emits a feeling of hopelessness and never ending struggle. 

1) Within the points that you have included on the health and safety requirement for every location and consider ways to prevent the risks

2) Relate points back to the lyrics of your song, to demonstrate further planning techniques of why certain locations have been selected

3) Be careful with the points that you have included on clothing, as this needs to be included within the artist image post