Planning Mis en scene***

The term 'mis-en-scene' consists of what is in the scene, such as Setting, Costume/Make up, Facial Expressions, Lighting/Colour and Iconography. Each of these elements are vital in term of the final outcome of the narrative and therefore I have planned each one of them in order to create the most successful and appealing thriller opening possible.

Setting

The opening scene will take place in the victim's house, specifically focusing on her bedroom. Houses are often used as conventional settings in the thriller genre, as it is a location in which the audience can relate to. This convention can be identified in the thriller 'Scream', when the victim is in her house being chased by the antagonist. The location makes the audience feel more uneasy and on edge, as it is easier to empathise with the victim. In the questionnaires I conducted, Millie Cooper claimed that by having a house location, she feels it is easier to be affected by the narrative, as it still affects you when you go to your own house. She also claimed that this makes you feel more like the victim, making you more vulnerable. Therefore I plan to use the victim's house as the setting. The first scene will take place in the victim's bedroom as it suggests an invasion of comfort, creating an eerier atmosphere. Furthermore the image of a young girl in her bedroom implies her innocence and naivety to the audience, and therefore they feel more on edge when she is threatened.

After the victim is in her bedroom and hears a sound from another room, she goes to check the bathroom; the second key setting the audience will see. We plan to use a small house so that it implies to the audience of being trapped, with no escape which will make the audience feel more uncomfortable as well as creating a enclosed atmosphere. Therefore the bathroom will also be small. During the period we planned to film, my bathroom was being redecorated and therefore, we filmed the scene in the bathroom when all the paint had been stripped so that the setting appeared more eerie to the audience, as well as implying abandonment. This planning was inspired from the initial research we had conducted through the analysis of 'Saw'. This thriller film takes place in an abandoned bathroom, which we felt was affective in creating an eerie atmosphere and therefore was inspired to create a similar atmosphere. The bathroom was also an effective setting because we planned to have the victim splash her face to imply her 'distress' which she could easily do in a bathroom.



Iconography

Conventionally, weapons are often iconography that is associated with the thriller genre; however, when I conducted my primary research, the majority of my target audience claimed that they preferred to not see direct violence in a thriller film. Therefore this has influenced the planning of my iconography, because if I did include weapons, the target audience may assume violence will be evident and therefore be disengaged. In turn, the main iconography will be associated with the narrative, rather than conventional weapons. When the scene first opens, the victim is using both a laptop and phone. These are methods of communication and give the victim a chance of escape as they allow her to call for help. However, during the scene both pieces of technology will stop working, thus limiting her chances of communication and escape.In turn, this makes the  victim feel more vulnerable as she is isolated, which makes the audiences more on edge. The iconography planned to be use (phone and laptop) are essential in creating suspense as it implies that there is an unknown reason for them to stop working simultaneously, implying the antagonist's presence. The target audience will also find this more appealing as it favours to their preferences.



Costume/Hair/Make up

Conventionally, the victim is often dressed in light colours such as white within the thriller genre. The colour white is significant in representing the victim as it connotes innocence and purity and therefore the audience are aware of who the victim is, as well as being able to connect with them as a result. This convention is evident in the thriller 'Scream' which I have identified through my research into mis en scene, as the victim is wearing a white jumper. Therefore, I also plan to dress the victim in a white t shirt, so that the audience are visually reinforced with the victim's innocence, so that the contrast between light and dark, or good and bad is highlighted, thus emphasising their conflict in the narrative. Furthermore, when the victim is in the bathroom her eye make up will be smudged, showing that she is feeling highly distressed from the events occurring around her. Her eye make up will suggest to the audience that she had been crying, portraying her emotions and therefore building a relationship with the audience in to feeling empathy for her. This is conventional within the thriller genre and can be identified in the film 'Scream' again. The victim has smudged make up when on the phone to the antagonist to show that she has been crying, highlighting her vulnerability.



Facial Expressions/Body Language

Facial expressions allow the audience to be aware of how the character is feeling. As the narrative solely focuses on the victim, conventionally her facial expressions will portray her distress so that the audience can empathise with her and become more involved in the narrative. This convention can be identified in the thriller 'Prom Night' when Donna (the victim) is in her hotel room and discovers the antagonist hiding, as she begins to hysterically cry to show her vulnerability. In my own production, I plan to incorporate this convention so that the audience can identify her vulnerability and relate to her. When the victim is in the bathroom trying to call for help, her facial expressions will convey her emotions of fright and distress when help is unavailable. This will reinforce her isolation and lack of comfort. This will consist of a contrast of shutting her eyes to stop herself from crying and allowing a visual escape from what she is seeing. She will also widen her eyes to show she is panicked from the events occurring. Body language is a visual stimulus to inform the audience as to how the character is feeling/responding to events within the film. Typically, victims within the thriller will often show rigid body language to show the threat they are under. An example of this can betaken from the thriller 'Scream' as the victim appears very stiff and slow when trying to get out of the house, conveying her inability to relax. This will be incorporated in my own thriller opening to convey to the audience the victim's vulnerability. When the victim is in the bathroom, she will try to call for help using her phone. As she is calling, she will be rocking from side to side to show that she is anxious and on edge which will suggest to the audience a disruption of equilibrium, as this is no the normal behaviour for someone to show. She will also be holding the phone with both hands emphasizing the calls importance to the audience and will also portray she is very scared.


Lighting/Colour

Colour is significant within the thriller genre as the connotations of such colour are often used to present something in a certain way. For example,the significance of a victim wearing a white jumper is essential in portraying their innocence, as the colour of their costume suggests this. If an antagonist was to wear white, the audience may become confused by this as their character and personality are not simultaneous. However, as I have already planned the costume of my characters, I have also planned the font of my opening, and the significance of it's colour. The colour of the credits will consist of a black background and white text, as both of these colours contrast and symbolize the conflict of good and bad that the narrative is based on. The contrast of white font against a black background can be identified in the successful thriller, 'Se7en'. It creates an eerie atmosphere of the colours appear lifeless, which foreshadows the narrative of the opening,making the audience feel on edge form the suspense created.

Lighting is also very significant in creating a certain atmosphere. In particular, low key lighting is often used in the thriller genre to create a dark and eerie atmosphere that makes the audience feel on edge. This convention can be found in the opening sequence of 'Se7en' as low key lighting was used to create shadows that creates an eerie atmosphere. In my own production, a blackout will occur in our opening scene, and the lack of light will be suggestive that the victim is in the presence of the stalker as the darkness will be representative of evil and death. When the victim is looking around the room, she will hold her phone so the light of it will reflect on her face, which will connote her innocence and purity within the darkness she is surrounded by. In this scene, lighting is vital in creating an atmosphere as well as being reflective of the characters, allowing the audience to understand them more.