Planning: Location

Music Video: Farewell
Artist: Rihanna
Director: Ope

Location #1: Inside the home. The bedroom and bathroom.
I have chosen this location because not only will it make the video extremely relatable, it is simple and conveys the couple as an everyday couple. Seeing as my music video is based entirely on a couple, shooting the video in the home makes their relationship realistic. It will present the actors as doing similar things that an everyday couple does, experiencing the same things an everyday couple go through in their home. Shooting the video in the home will make the music video more empathetic. It conveys the sheer emotion of the song. 'Farewell' talks about a female saying goodbye to her lover who won't be able to be present in their relationship anymore. Therefore, the scenes shot in the home will present their last days living at home as a couple. Many of the shots here will be close-up shots used to convey emotion and feeling. The actions that will take place here will be flirting, affection between the couple, arguing, brushing their teeth, the usual things that couples do at home. As well as the additional actions to portray the hurt of their days with eachother coming to an end like adoring stares and intense coversation and love and hate scenarios.
Many R&B Ballad music videos have focused of love interests spending time in their home. In Beyonce's 'Halo', her and her love interest are shown in their bathroom together. In Rihanna's 'What's My Name', her and her lover and spending a day in at home and she's washing the dishes, in Trey Songz' 'Heart Attack', him and his girlfriend are shown arguing in their home. It gives each video the ability for their audience to think 'yes, I've been through that' or 'yes, I've seen that happening'. It is puts the artists on a the same level as their audience, making them more likable and present. Noticebly in all these videos, the lighting is very bright, showing and giving the sense of a happy relationship.

Limitations that may arise with this location is that I have a limited amount of time in the home location I am using, furthermore, to add to the light feeling of love, I plan for there to be illuminating light used in the bedroom but the weather could hinder that. Nevertheless, daylight will also be acceptable and I will have additional lighting available if necessary.

Location #2: Rooftop/park
This location furthermore adds to the idea of the music video being relatable to the audience. The couple will be shown enjoying their limited time with one another in a public place. It shows the couple being completely enamored with one another everywhere they go, whether it's inside their home or out on the street. It adds to the songs emphasis on the fact they only have limited days together so they are going everywhere together. Many R&B videos have used public locations to portray a couple enjoying their time together. This is shown in Rihanna's 'We Found Love' video where her and her love interest are shown running amok in supermarkets, the street, game parlours and fast food restaurants. It is also shown in Nicki Minaj's 'Right By My Side' where her and her love interest go shopping and eat at an outdoor restaurant. These public intimate moments add to the feel of the video and R&B videos nowadays are very focused on love and sex and aim for the audience to feel the music by the music video acting as a short film illustrating the lyrics.

There aren't any particular limitations with this scene because we don't need specific weather. It will be shot outside and it is a scene that is based on improvising. The couple just having a day out and chilling. However, there are always health and safety risks outside, but not crucial ones.

Location #3: Room with plain background.
This location will be the place where Rihanna, the artist, will be performing the song. I have chosen to have the artist performing the song in a completely different location because I want the narrative part of the video to be focused on telling a story only. I don't want the artist performing and acting at the same time, I believe the music video will enhance the lyrics of the song more if the narrative is strictly narrative. Nevertheless, it is important that the artist is shown  performing their own song so there will be cut away scenes to this plain background scene of Rihanna performing the song. The background will be a simple one so that the focus will be on Rihanna as she sings the lyrics and her facial and body language will express the feeling of the song.
This isn't common with R&B music videos, it is more common with hip-hop videos. Nowadays, most R&B videos have the artist acting and performing the song at the same time. Nonetheless, I have decided that for my video, the conveyance of emotion is critical and therefore I will separate the performing and narrative scenes.

Distance and Access: All three locations will be local to base, nevertheless, equipment, crew and actors will be transported there by cabs and a budget for the entire video shoot has been administered.