Mise-en-scene blog tasks

1) Find a distinctive still image and write an analysis of the mise-en-scene. Use each of the aspects you've learned in the lesson.

 

From this still image we can see the producers use a medium close up shot of this female character so that the audience focuses on her facial expression than the setting or her body language. The female character is wearing a bright red shirt and has her nails painted to reinforce this feminine stereotype. She is positioned in the centre of the camera shot to present that she is the focus of this scene and also that maybe she is alone. Her hair is slicked back into a tight bun again reinforcing this stereotype that women have to be elegant and sleek. However her facial expressions signify that she is frightened and anxious possibly by the phone call she is having. We can't see much of the setting however we can see the setting has only neutral tones so that the audience focuses on her than the setting. The use of the prop of the phone reinforces the 90s era where smartphones were not yet created. 

2) Find TWO film or TV extracts on YouTube from different genres (e.g. horror, sci-fi, costume drama). Embed them in your blogpost and write a comparison of the mise-en-scene in each.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDadfh0ZdBM    00:00-1:00

Already the scene starts off with rain and thunder in a very dark setting like an alley way connoting danger, sort of sense of evil looming. We see a black car pull up to a building and see two characters dressed in all black creating an enigma code. We then see a layered checkered floor staircase of the two characters walking up with the camera zooming out so we can see a more clear shot of big this staircase is possibly connoting a mansion? or in general wealth. As soon as the 2 characters enter the room the music suddenly increases creating suspense, possibly to emphasise the fact that they're walking into danger. A third character all dressed in black is introduced to us standing by a window. The second he turns around and reveals himself to us a lighting bolt strikes which causes the music to pause altogether, connoting the power this third character holds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO3-PumyjoI    00:00-01:00

Here in this coming of age film we see the stereotypical american high school dance set in the school's sports hall with colourful posters of "Homecoming" and balloons, lights. We see the stereotypical "loser" of the school standing on the sidelines of the dance with no one to dance with which we can assume is the protagonist, we can tell he is lonely by the empty chairs around him suggesting no one wants to be around him. Then we see two of the other characters clearing out the dance floor after they start playing a more upbeat song connoting that they're not the popular kids as stereo typically in American films the "mean girls" prefer to dance to more slow songs as you can see everyone sort of had to stop slow dancing with their partners as the two characters make space around them to dance. We see all 3 characters dressed in formal wear as appropriate to a dance. And the female character with jewellery on and her hair clipped to one side connoting that this is a stereotypical high school dance.