LOCATIONS LINKED VITH NARRATIVE

Our aim of the music video is to leave the narrative open to interpretation from the audience through creating a number of different ideas for the audience to pick up on. This will allow for repeated consumption because the audience will be unclear on the narrative.

The first location we will be using is a plain white isolated room, with nothing but a basic mattress on the floor. The plain white room along with the blank mattress represents the idea of purity which juxtaposes with the character’s personality which has been sullied. Furthermore, to manipulate the audience’s interpretation of our music video there will be items which will trigger certain reactions. For example, we are going to place a pair of handcuffs in the background which may connote that violence and acts of sexual assault has been taken place in that room. However, it could equally connote that this character may just enjoy these sort of activities, thus leading to repeated consumption. Additionally, through panning shots we will be able to emphasize the extent of isolation and confinement through the enclosed space of the tiny room. It will further enhance the idea that he has her trapped with no way to escape both mentally and physically. We will use this location intermittently throughout the music video, intertwined with the performance based shots which will take place in a dark room, this again allows us to create another platform of binary opposition through lighting. This could suggest to the audience the contrast of the characters; him representing the darkness that has been brought to the relationship, and her, conversely representing purity.

Another idea that can be picked up by the audience through the isolated room is the idea that she has been isolated from society, so much so to the point that there is no way back. He has left his mark physically through the bruising which will be displayed through close ups and mentally through pushing her to the point of mental illness. Another way that will allow interpretation will be the use of numerous camera angles. Through close ups, for example it will allow us access to facial expressions which in turn can infer different things. One close up we plan on using will display her in a fixed stare, suggesting insomnia. This may be because she is depressed and insomnia is a common behavioural characteristic of the mental illness of depression. However, it may be because she is haunted by the dark continuous memories of his abuse. To confirm this interpretation, we plan on using an extreme close up of her eye, which will cross fade as a transition to the next scene of him ‘performing’ the song.

The second setting that will appear on screen is merely a black space. This will be filmed in a studio via a green screen, with the only element displaying him being through the chiaroscuro lighting. This will be used for the performance based shots of the man singing. The fact that the dark room has no defined walls as creates the illusion if a vacuum which is never ending. This subsequently brings about metaphorical connotations that he has no boundaries, or that he is also mentally ill and does not understand that boundaries do exist within society, thus presenting him as a psychopath to the audience.  On the flipside it may be that actually he also can’t escape this abusive mind set because although he has no boundaries stopping him from doing anything, the eternal black lighting suggests that it goes on forever and he can’t change his aggressive nature.

The third setting we intend on using is a stream in a park. After analyzing numerous music videos, we were inspired by the clever use of mirror shots. Building on this idea, we decided to use this technique but manipulate to make it work in favour of our idea. Keeping going the use of the over the shoulder shot and shot reverse shot, instead of using the mirror we will use a stream and the reflection in the water. However, the aggressive man will be looking for his reflection, yet be presented with her reflection. This implements the idea that she cannot escape his mind. One interpretation of this may be that he has a guilty conscience because she can’t escape his mind. However, it may equally be interpreted that he is so obsessed with her that he constantly is thinking of her, whether this is in a positive or negative light is open to interpretation. Moreover, because he is so obsessed with her, he can’t control himself and so he presents his emotions aggressively which is why he later attempts to splash her reflection away. Additionally, this allows us to explore a number of different camera angles to allow for a variation throughout the video.

The last location we are going to use is a footbridge on the dual carriageway on the A41. We are going to use this location intermittently throughout the music video and intertwine it amongst the other narrative strands to implement the greater extent of the depression, caused by the abuse, to the point of potential suicide. The shots that we will use will subtly bring together physical and mental journey up to the bridge/ up to suicide. We will use a variation of shots to portray the intensity of the act that is potentially forthcoming. These will range between mid-shots, long shots, wide shots, point of view shots and extreme close up shots. The wide shots we use here will display the fast moving cars underneath the bridge and the danger that arises from it, whilst the close up shots will reveal her intense flow of emotions and the different feelings that she is experiencing. We intend to use this narrative strand to end the video on the highest possible extent of suspense and anticipation to leave the audience longing to know the girls destiny, which will In turn result in increased consumption.

To conclude, through presenting a number of different scenes to create a certain mise-en-scene, we are enabling the audience to explore different perspectives of what the case may be, thus ensuring repeated consumption.