Setting or Location
For our music video we really wanted to portray reality and its affects on the surroundings around us. We want an Urban environment, where we can see run down, closed shops, messy, littered roads and the odd passer by. We want to represent chlostophobia by featuring small alley ways and insecurity's by walking on a cobble road, to show how unsafe and unsure it can be. Our main character will be walking down or up through these streets singing. The picture below is not a very clear image of what type of road we are looking for, but on the other hand, its got a real urban, grimy feel to it and I like the way shops are boarded up and there is only one or two people in the street.
However, at the beginning of the video, we are going to be filming the school scene. These scenes will be recorded in a regular, average classroom (therefore our target audience can relate to our characters situation.) What we are looking for is a white classrooms, the walls are quite old, so there is a beige tint mixed in, we want single desks which sit in rows,facing forward towards a well used white board with dent marks and black smudges.
One other location we would like to attribute in our video is a brick wall. We want it to be fairly new and still have a deep red colour to contrast with our bright colours of costume. This shot will be used in the background for our 'Lily' to stand in front of and sing. We will be cutting from these shot to the main narrative throughout the song.
Props
In every music video, props play an essential role in how the video comes across to the audience. Throughout all the different scenes that are going to appear in our creation, one scene in particular is going to need specific props to create the exact atmosphere needed, the classroom scene. We will be using posters, pieces of work made to look don't by other students and the room with be set out by single desks and chairs, spread out width of the room facing the front white board. On the white board, there will be in bold writing a message, 'DON'T DO IT.' This is to push forward immediately what the meaning behind our video is.
For the 'doctors' scene, we will be using a pack of prescription drugs.
For the ' politicians' scene, our actors will be dressed in suits and holding a piece of cream paper while directly talking to the camera as if in a debate.
For the 'walking down the streets' shots, we will be using empty spirit bottles, filled with water to create the appearance of alcohol, these will be carried by passers by on the streets and the main character walks towards the camera.
We will also be using empty cigarette packets, as we will be putting these on the paths around her.
We will be using a lighter during a shot that will flicker on and off the screen throughout the video.
Colour
The main point of our video is to create contrast between the realism of a grimy, dark world to the bright colour of the 'Lily' character. To do this, we are simply going to try and record on a dark day, therefore there is a realism effect and the video does not appear to edited, therefore having something that the audience can relate to everyday life with the dream like figure. We took inspiration from Lily's released video, 'LND.'
We will be discussing if my group will be using grey scale within this piece. My first thoughts were that it would make an interesting video being in black and white, taking inspiration from JayZ - 99 problems, it creates a threatening appearance and instantly caught my attention due to it being different from other videos. However, to create the contrasting effect, we need to see the bright and bold colour of Lily.
Then i began thinking whether it would be possible to have the video and all the shots in black and white but still have the main character in bright colour. My group and I are aware that this is going to be difficult to create because none of us has ever used Final Cut Pro and therefore it may not make the effect.
Costume
With regards to our main characters costume, we decided we needed to used bright coloured clothing to fit the upbeat, and fast tempo of the song. During the video, my character will be wearing more than one costume. For the class room scene, my classmates and i will be wearing tradition school uniform consisting of white school shirt, black skirt, grey cardigan and long sock. To create an obvious difference between myself and the other students around me, I will have my buttons undone, have my hair down and perhaps a different colour cardigan. We want to show her rebellious attitude and to perhaps show why they video is following her story.
For my costume during the street shots, I am going to be wearing bright coloured clothing, a dress? with chunky accessories, high heels, made up hair and heavy make up to create the contrast from her to the other people aimlessly walking behind and around her. The extra actors within the scene will be wearing baggy, dark clothing and will have hoods up so its hard to make out their face. This is to suggesting the people have no identity and that they are mysterious.
Make Up and Hair
Although we want my characters appearance to make a bold statement, we do not want to look too tacky, as this will turn off out audience. Therefore, instead of wearing obviously a large amount of make up, i will wear fake eyelashes, natural colour but keep the lipstick bright, perhaps this colour pink, (to represent femininity in a dark and masculine surrounding.)
Lily Allen has also worn this colour or a similar colour to Award ceremonies and on other previous videos, creating a certain look for the audience, making her a type of style icon.
Again with hair, we have to be careful with how much we play with the look. We do not want to create an Amy Winehouse effect by backcombing or extensions but we want my hair to look fashionable and appealing to the teenage male audience as well as being a role model to teenage girls. Lily Allen is famous for her 'box fringe' and its her signature look. At the moment, I have a similar fringe so this could be use to attract her fan based audience.
