Actors

Due to practicalities, I have chosen to use my younger sister Ella Warren, who is eight, to portray the isolated young girl in the video. Her young age will help the audience empathize with the protagonist and also bring an element of sensitivity to the video. Using a young actor to convey abstract problems such as love troubles will give the audience a sense of catharsis by showing that these problems can happen to anyone of any age and that they are not seen as trivial. Using a young actor will evoke a sense of pity from the audience which plays into the hands of the songs melancholy themes such as heartache and failed relationships. As a result of using a child actor who is female, it will impact my shooting schedule in a way that requires me to use a series of long shots to reinforce her diminutive frame, which will therefore connote vulnerability whilst I will also be using high angle shots to add insignificant connotations to her character. Also by using an actor rather than a performance from the band for the entirety of the video, it connotes that the band are taking a minimalist approach to making music and that they are trying to disband themselves from having a star image. It also suggests that the band would rather reinforce the message in the narrative of the song than spend all their time in front of the camera. The video will tell a story that is relevant to the narrative but also has deeper meaning, by using a younger actor I will have to shoot the footage in such away that they exploit the use of semiotics effectively: I must ensure that the use of a young actor signs and signifies the correct meaning and that the audience interpret the imagery correctly. She will have to act in a sombre manner whilst maintaining and element of introspection and pensiveness.

By using my younger sister I am taking a more pragmatic approach to my film making as I do not have to rely upon contacting five band members at a time to organise shooting sessions is far less manageable than using one actor (who happens to be a family member ) who is reliable and has no commitments to any other projects in their spare time. These benefits do not contribute directly to the success of the narrative or codes and conventions themselves, however, it is incredibly practical/efficient in allowing me to get my filming done and means that in the event of any last minute changes I can be reactive and quickly make adaptations to my work. It also helps that she has recently subscribed to a series of stagecoach workshops due to her keen interest in acting and stage work. It is also a benefit that I know my sister well and get on with her, therefore I can convey my ideas coherently so that she fully understands how I want the video to look. It also allows me to play on the idea of isolation and rejection, which are two key themes in my video as they echo the narrative in the song, and due to diminutive size due to her age, I can use a number of angles/effects to help her appear islated, lonely and generally enlarge the environments encompassing her.