(Post 27) Planning- Setting

What do you understand by the term 'setting'?

In the Collins English Dictionary the term 'setting' is defined as- 'the scenery, properties, or background, used to create the location for a film'. It is commonly believed that setting refers only to the location, yet this definition shows that the actual meaning of setting implies the scenery, background and properties of a scene. These aspects all build together to create the setting and location. For example, Downton Abbey may have a location of Yorkshire but the actual setting of the drama is defined by the time period and the context in which it is set- it is set in the fictional Yorkshire estate between 1912 and 1926. It portrays the aristocratic Crawley family and their household in the post-Edwardian era. The context of the time focuses on the social class and treatment of women, at a time of great political change and evolution. All of these factors amalgamate to make the setting of the film.

What settings do you want to use?
Images of potential settings
My video is set in two-time frames- the present and a little in the past. However, even then, both scenes are set within a modern society. It is set in 2017, and the context is our contemporary society. 
(Past/Photographs):
Norwich Light Tunnel:

This is one of the locations for the past. It is located in Norwich city, in the town centre. I decided to use it as one of my locations as it is a very romantic place. It has pretty lighting and accentuates the sense of comfort between the pair. The blue colour of the tunnel has connotations of cold and winter, but the pair will be wrapped up in coats and scarves and will be cuddling each other suggesting that the cold doesn't bother them. 


Disadvantages of using this location:

• This attraction is only in Norwich once a year, at Christmas time. This is a hugely busy time for the city centre as it is when everyone is buying their Christmas shopping. Because of this, the light tunnel will be really busy at the time of filming so it may be difficult to get nice shots of the pair. 

Advantages of using this location:
The advantages of this location are many. 

• First, this location is only available during a certain time frame (Christmas). This suggests a change in time for the video as the rest of the video is filmed in a more autumnal time, rather than winter. This is a good effect for my piece, as I am portraying the progression of the relationship, and the change in time frame suggests a longer, more developed relationship. The use of a Chrismassy location reminds the audience that their relationship is a long one. 
• The location also has connotations of romance and happy relationships. Particularly in this area, there tends to be connotations of romance and happiness. The calming Christmas lights on the background of the stars and the night sky gives the feel of contentedness. Christmas is advertised as a time to be with family and is known as a time of loving and happiness, where couples can escape from the chaos of the rest of the year. This creates a firm connotation of romance and relationships, particularly happy ones. It will remind the audience of those Christmas times where they felt content and happy. Moreover, if there are people in the background they should be Christmas shopping with their loved ones, so will (hopefully) be happy. 
• Finally, the main reason for using this location is the closeness. It is 20 minutes away from my house and I am easily able to get the bus with my actors and get there easily for a day of filming. Also, I want to film some shots on the journey, on a bus, so its perfect. 

The Plantation Garden, Norwich:

This is another location situated in Norwich town. I chose to use this location for many reasons- first, it is a very romantic place and is well known for its beautiful lawns and walls. It is situated in the town centre but is tucked away by itself. It is a piece of nature and comfort in an otherwise harsh urban landscape. This gives it a really unique, calm feel with connotations of romance and happiness. It is also the perfect location. It is 20 minutes from my house and is open to all public for free. It is also perfect as I am able to visit it on the same day as I visit the tunnel of lights. It is easy for me as I can visit here in the daytime when the sun is out and then the light tunnel and fairy lights in the city in the nighttime. It is a ten-minute walk from the light tunnel (at the forum) to the plantation garden. This is the perfect distance.

Disadvantages of this location:

• First, this location is heavily weather dependent. If it is raining I will still be able to film, but I would prefer to film in the sunshine. The whole area is out in the open so it will be difficult to film as if it is sunny. Ideally, I would like the weather to be overcast, but not raining. However, as we live in a very rainy changeable country, I am unlikely to get the perfect weather on the dates where my actors and I are available. 

Advantages of this location:

• It is a gorgeous location and is a commonly used place for couples and picnic goers. The lush gardens and beautiful cascading walls have connotations of relationships, and the nearby church also gives a hint of love and romantic emotions. This promotes the idea of a loving relationship and a developed one- the church could even symbolise marriage which will show how developed their character relationship is. 
• If the weather is right, the shots I film in the secret garden will appear more summery than in the other shots. This will hopefully portray a change in season, so will show how their relationship has progressed over the years. At the very least, it will portray a change in day, so will still show a slight progression in their relationship. 
• The gardens themselves are free, so I am able to use this stunning location at a really minimal price (just the price of travel). 
• The location is perfect for my filming schedule. From my home, the plantation garden is roughly 20 minutes away by car. However, it is notable that this location is only a ten-minute walk from the light tunnel in Norwich. By foot, with my actors, it will probably take roughly 15/20 minutes to find our way there, but this distance is tiny. This is a large advantage to this location, as it allows us to use both locations on a stricter filming schedule, planned over one day. This will allow me to film more in a shorter period, and to begin editing. Here is the map from the light tunnel to the Plantation Garden. It seems rather straightforward, and I should be able to get some shots of the couple walking, holding hands as well.

Field, Tuttles Lane, Wymondham:

Primarily, I decided to use a field in my coursework, and the main characters would watch the sunset across the fields. I had decided to use a field out in the countryside, as I felt it would be a nicer location for this section. However, I struggled to find a suitable location that was in the country, and easy to get to. Then I realised the fields outside of Wymondham were perfect, as they were on the outskirts, and from a certain angle, they appeared in the countryside. It's just around the corner from my house and is a maximum of 5 minutes away. I was going to portray this location in the summer and was going to film in the sunshine. However, when I went to go and film, the weather was not on my side. It rained the heaviest it had rained in the year, and my summery shots soon became torrential rain and flooding. This was unintentional but actually turned out quite nice, as the rain accentuated the romance.

Also, I have decided to use this location another time, to film a silhouette scene in front of the sunset. 

Disadvantages to Tuttles Lane:

• This location is rather near a main road. It is possible to walk further down, but the main road can be visible from most angles of filming. This is unfortunate, as it removes from the feel of the country. This means a longer walk into the field to find a more suitable location in the field. Because of this, I will have to do further research into the area in which I film, which will take up my time. 
• As previously noted, this location is completely weather dependent. This isn't too bad as I am able to film in the rain. In the end, I did actually film certain sections of my coursework in this location in the rain. This was rather effective as it accentuated the romantic feel, similar to films such as 'The Notebook'.

Advantages to Tuttles Lane

• The biggest and main advantage of this setting is the location. It is five minutes from my house and is really easy to get to. This is good as I was able to film some rainy shots, but I can really easily go film some more shots down in the fields at any time. The closeness allows for easy access as I can walk there with my camera equipment and actors. This means I have a completely free location that is five minutes away that I can use at any time. 

Holkham Beach:

The final location I had decided to use is Holkham Beach. Primarily, I had planned to film this in the summer, so the beach was a perfect location for this. This setting would portray happiness and is generally a nice location for filming. However, in the end, I decided to film a little later in the year so this would be a more wintery scene. There is one issue, however, this is the distance. Holkham Beach is one hour four minutes from Wymondham, and I am generally unable to get there. I would prefer to use this location for my coursework, but if I cannot get there I may use a different beach or not include this setting at all. 

Advantages of Holkham Beach:

• This is a really beautiful location that has connotations of sunshine and happiness. People go to the beach with their families in the summer and have a great time. I would like to use this location to portray a feeling of happiness and carefree emotion. This will mirror onto the relationship and the audience will relate these feelings of happiness and calm to the relationship, thus feeling emotionally attached to their development. This will allow them to relate to the issues and messages portrayed in the video. 
• I will preferably film in this location in Summer, or on a sunny day. This will help to imply the development of their relationship over time. Showing the development over time will allow the audience to relate to the characters and their situation more. 

Disadvantages of Holkham Beach:

• The biggest disadvantage of using this location is where it is situated. It is an hour and four minutes away by car. However, I cannot drive, and neither can either of my actors. I would be unable to get a lift there easily, so this is a huge disadvantage to this location. Because of this, I would have to really think through this setting and plan how I would get there. If there was absolutely no way of getting there, I could use a different beach, but that wouldn't be ideal as Holkham is a very beautiful location. 

Potential Locations for the present:

I am unsure of the exact locations where I will film the scenes in the present day, but here are a few potential locations, and some certain ones. 

The Plantation Garden, Norwich:

(Pictured above)

For the present day, I would like to use this location. However, all the reasons why it is perfect for the romance and character development will be used in an adverse way, in juxtaposition. Everything that made this location so wonderful (the sweeping lawns and romantic arches) will be used to accentuate the loneliness and upset the main character feels. The clear comparison between her with her girlfriend and on her own in this location will portray how dysfunctional she feels on her own. The romantic location will further drive home that the main character is alone. She will see that she is alone, which will fuel the pinnacle moment when she decides to go back for her girlfriend. The strengths and weaknesses of using this location still stand.

Bedroom/Wall:

For this location, all I need is a plain wall. This is for the moment in which the main character pastes the photographs upon the wall and stands back. the most likely location for this is either in my house, on a plain wall or outside, against a garden wall. This simply needs to act as a plain background to portray the story upon. This is less of a location, so it doesn't really have advantages or disadvantages, it is just needed to continue the plot. 

Why are you wanting to create these settings? How are they at all relevant to the style of music and lyrics?

Past Locations:
All of the past locations are being used to accentuate their relationship. The settings will mostly be natural- nothing will be changed for the coursework. This is to portray the normality of the situation and the relationship- they are a perfectly normal couple who are deeply in love. The majority of the locations are within the photographs, in the past, but the photographs locations are more unimportant, as the relationship is the main focus that is being accentuated for the audience. The settings in the past aren't that relevant to the lyrics. The lyrics are bitter, sad and emotional and the song itself is a delicate mixture of fast-paced choruses and slower pieces. It evokes emotion and is a truly beautiful song. The places themselves do not relate to the lyrics, but the feeling of hopelessness and sadness is further accentuated by the happiness and love seen on screen. The pair being happy, and in love in the past further enhances the feeling of loneliness and bitterness represented in the lyrics, and in the present setting. 

Present Location: 
The aim of the setting of the present is to enhance the feeling of loneliness and despair the main character feels. The sense of emptiness and upset that is portrayed in the lyrics will be shown in the location in the present. The location is wide and empty and will fully portray how the main character feels empty without their girlfriend.