Planning Lighting and Colour

Planning lighting and color

The style of lighting, which I have chosen to use, is low-key lighting through the majority of the music video. This is because a lot for the music video there will be a lot of negativity through the video. I also think that this will help to set the mood, and the atmosphere for the music video, as this would alert the audience that something bad is going to happen. Another reason why I have chosen to use low key lighting is because of the music video will be set at night, therefore the light will naturally be quite dark. I think this will help to convey that this video is a dark one. I also think that this will help reiterate the darkness and the danger which is in this world has and show just how much it needs saving, through the low key lighting, it will almost be like the darker some of the lighting in the video the more corrupt the world is of evil. The darkness also makes a good portrayal of the reality of which people live in because it is a dark world, this is because darkness also conveys the unknown. For example if something is dark to the point where it is unable to make out what is around then this is like entering the unknown, as the person is not going to know what is in front of them or what would potentially happen to them. I also think that there can be two sides to this darkness one side being; the darkness of the antagonist of the music video and careless they clearly are. I think this is also a good way of showing the power and the overpowering control, which the antagonist will have over the protagonist, as it would convey the fear. Then the amount of the darkness as it will be everywhere as all the surroundings would be dark this was convey the antagonist and how much power they have in these situations. Then I think that the other side to this could portray the victim’s emotions and the way that they would be feeling once the antagonist has attacked them, because they are unaware of what is going to happen to them, and this is also one of the connotations of darkness. Thus portraying the protagonists fear in these situations, showing fear to be dark and scary due to the protagonist having no idea about what it going to happen to them. The use of the low key lighting and the darkness convey the reality of which these people live in, the darkness again portrays it to be dark, and the lack of bright colors also shows how it lacks any aspects of life.

 

    By using low key lighting for my dance music video, it won’t really be conforming to the conventions of a dance music video, as usually they are have a heavily high key dance music video. Which uses a lot of bright colors and happy, fun narratives and concepts but through my music video is will be mostly low key lighting which will therefore make the lighting which I have chosen to use in my music video challenge the conventions of a dance music video. But by doing this, it will allow me to relate the lyrics to the visuals.     

 

    Although most of the music will be shot with low key lighting there will be some aspects high key lighting during the video. This will be to convey the minimal amount of protagonist characters which will be having in the music video, thus portraying the little hope which they have and conveying some of the happiness which they might have. The first example of where I will be using high key lighting in this music video would be when the protagonist is shown getting ready and it is like she is in her own bubble, where everything it good, and bright, and where she has nothing to worry about because everything is good, and she is happy living a good life. The protagonist if in her bedroom which is one of settings which will be used for the high key lighting settings, the reason why I have chosen to base the high key lighting here is because this acts as a good metaphor. This would be her bedroom and her house is used to be seen as a bubble then outside would then show the reality of where she lives and convey the darkness and the unknown, which is outside. Thus portraying the bubble which the protagonist is in is where the high key lighting helps to tell the audience that she is happy and is looking forward to her night out. Thus conveying she is not a negative person and not part of the negativity which is going on outside her house. I think that this little bubble which she is in also makes it seem like she is protected, as she in inside her house and therefore thinks that nothing bad will happen to her, because she is happy and is in this little bubble which is protecting her. Another example of where I will be using high key lighting will be where the protagonist is using her phone, and naturally as the phone is used it is very bright and stands out more in low key lighting. Thus the bright light through all of the low key lighting the phone will be really bright this will shows that even though there is only a little bit of bright lighting it will bright enough to show that through all of the evil there can be some good to be had in the world and that more people are trying to save the world and that more good can be in the world and that it can become brighter. This can also show through all of the darkness that there can still be something good in the middle of the darkness, and when the phone brightens up it is like it is fighting through all of the darkness to be good and try to save the world even if it is just a little bit in the most simplest way. The brightness will also convey a little ray of hope of which showing there is some good and that this one phone call could save the world. The use of the high key lighting is used to convey the purpose of the video, which is to save the world and to try and reduce the crime and the negativity which is going on in the world, and by using light I am able to achieve this as it then turns into a metaphor representing light and hope through the video. Some of my setting will also be in a club and this therefore means that is will be dark in the club as well, this can be to create an atmosphere. This also faces similar reasoning to the reasoning before the darkness as the people in the night club won’t know what the rest of the night will hold for the people. But the bright lights which are in the club will help to show that what is going on in the club is not wrong and that there are happy people, and people are enjoying their night. The flashing of the lights would also suggests that there would be a range of different emotions going on at the same time, as people at the club would be facing a whole range of different emotions, which would be both up and down, this would then reflect the emotions of people.   

    By using high key lighting through some of the video will help me to conform to some of the conventions of a dance music video as they are usually are bright, fun and color full and although the phone scene where the high key lighting will be used won’t be a fun scene. But the scene where there will be fun will be where the protagonist is in her bedroom and she is getting ready this would be the time where the protagonist is happy; thus helping me to conform to conventions.  

 

    The main colors which I will be using through my music videos will be very bold ones, and iconic colors. The color which I will probably use the most will be black, this is because part of the purpose of this music video is to convey the darkness of the world which we live in. one of the places where I will be using the color black will be for the color of the hoodie for the antagonist. This is what he will be wearing when he mugs the protagonist’s phone. One of the reasons why I have decided to have a black hoodie on the antagonist is because of the low key lighting which I will be using the color black will start to blend into the background ever so slightly therefore making it hard to see the antagonist in the dark at first until his face becomes seen. Another reason why I have chosen to use black is because it helps the antagonist to blend into the background and become part of the darkness this would therefore make him harder to see. Thus creating the metaphor that he has been consumed by the darkness and the evilness. Further making it look like he is part of night, and darkness. This then helps to convey the idea that evil is everywhere even if it can’t be seen. Thus illustrating how darkness and evil is part of the unknown and can’t always been seen and is able to attack people in many ways even if it means that they can’t be seen. This is the main connotations behind reasons why I have chosen to use the color black in my music video.

    The other main color which I have decided to use in my music video is the color white. This is because like the color black helps to convey some of the purpose of the video so will the color white as it will help to convey the innocence’s of the protagonist. This color white is often used for angels which further connotes forgiving, innocence’s, purity, cleanness, and clear. Therefore I think that this was a good color to put my protagonist in, as this then helps to portray her has being an innocent person. Another reason why I decided to chose the color white to put the protagonist in is because we want the protagonist to be seen as a angle, which for gives this will be evident when the protagonist still helps out the antagonist when he gets run over and the protagonist still get the phone which the antagonist stole and calls for help. This shows why the protagonist is wearing white as she is a good person because even though the antagonist just mugged her, she still has the decency to call for help and make sure that he is okay. This then makes her the better person and then makes her the protagonist because she saves the antagonist after what he has done to her. This would then make her the better person and is one example of how to save the world. White is also a far contrast from black and vise verse. It also shows that the antagonist which is wearing black will be less noticed while in white the character is more likely to stand out more and is likely to be more noticed. This is the main reason why I have decided to use the color white, and the reason why I have decided to use both the color black and white.

 

    These are the main reasons why I have decided to make use of low key lighting through my music video. But also keep some aspects of high key lighting as well. I have also spoken about my reasons behind why I have chosen to use the colors black and white and what they mean through my video and how I will be able to translate this to the audience.