Research into Mis en Scene ***

The term ‘mis en scene’ can be defined as, ‘the arrangement of scenery and stage properties’ which include 5 elements. The first being costume with this being an efficient method of characterisation so that the audience understand the representation constructed through costume i.e an antagonist may wear black to connote evil and darkness to reinforce the character he is; thus allowing the audience to have a deeper understanding and recognise the character more clearly. The second element is lighting, which is important when creating mystery in thrillers. Low key lighting is often used to make both the protagonist and audience vulnerable to what cannot be seen, which his often the antagonist. This creates suspense as both protagonist and audience cannot predict what will happen due to lack of visual ability. Furthermore, the setting in which the thriller takes place is also key in the effect the film has on the audience. For example, if the setting is isolated, the protagonist has a decrease chance of escaping and therefore increases emotions of threat and suspense, also felt by the audience. Another element of mis en scene is iconography, which similarly to costume, can be a method of establishing who a character is. An example of this would be an antagonist carrying a weapon on them as this enforces their threat to other characters, thus establishing their ‘dark’, ‘evil’, and ‘threatening’ persona. Finally, the last elements are facial expressions and body language as this is key is reinforcing the emotions of the characters so that the audience can respond and engage with both the film and characters. For example, a protagonist/victim may appear encloses and ‘small’ in their body language as well as appearing distressed in facial expression which conveys to the audience they feel threatened which overall creates suspense as it suggests that a threatening situation is coming. Overall, mis en scene is vital in stimulating a reaction in the audience as the combination of all the elements more the film more realistic and therefore easier to connect to. Therefore the audience are more affected by both the suspenseful and ‘jumpy’ aspects of the film.

I have chosen to analyse a scene from the thriller ‘Scream’. This is an iconic scene from the film as it is successful in building suspense through the use of mis en scene.

The opening scene begins with the protagonist on the phone to the antagonist. There is a clear visual difference between such characters through the use of costume. As stated previously, costume is often used to reflect the personality of the character so that the audience can understand and connect with this visually. The protagonist is wearing a white jumper; a colour that is typically associated with innocence and purity which is reflective of her character as she is the victim. According to thriller convention, protagonists are often seen wearing white to create a similar representation for the audience. Conventionally, antagonists wear darker colours including black, as this colour connotes evil, mystery and darkness which is also reflective of their personality within the film. By having the victim wear white, this may stimulate the audience’s empathy with her and therefore are more vulnerable to any threat she is faced with, thus creating suspense.

Later in the scene, the protagonist is seen running away from the antagonist inside her house. From the long shot used the audience are able to recognise that the house is large, a conventional setting for a thriller film. By using a big house as the setting, this creates the impression that the antagonist has many places to hide which increases suspense as neither the audience nor protagonist can feel assured by knowing where they are. When running through the house the protagonist appears lost as she is not certain in where she is going which makes the audience feel on edge, further building suspense. Lastly, the setting of a big house implies that the owner/victim is wealthy, noted as a stereotypical target of the antagonist.

Further in the scene, the victim is shown with her eyes closed when escaping from out of the house. This facial expression portrays a sense of relief as she feels she is escaping the threat of the antagonist which the audience can recognise through facial expression. The expression also suggests she is scared as she is stopping herself from seeing the killer, implying that he could still be there thus creating suspense through mystery. The chance of the victim escaping keeps the audience in suspense which relates to the thriller genre to keep the audience engaged, attached and feel on edge. In the same scene, the victim also drops her shoulders when escaping from the killer. Her body language suggests she was previously tense and nervous, however once away from the house/killer is shown as relieved for her potential survival. A convention of a thriller is the variation of emotions felt by the characters and how it affects the audience, creating suspense, in which this scene does.

Low key lighting is used when the victim is being chased by the killer. The significance of the key light coming from the house symbolizes safety, as this contrasts with the darkness from the presence of the killer, who is outside. This is also representative of the contrast of good and bad as there is an absolute difference between victim and antagonist, and light and dark. The low key lighting additionally creates shadows which are hiding the identity of the killer. This is conventional to a thriller as it creates an enigma as to who the killer is and therefore creates mystery and suspense for the audience.

After the antagonist is chasing the victim, he captures her, pulling out knife when he does so. This conveys his threat as a character and suggests to the audience a narrative including violence and potential death. The audience therefore have indications that something bad is going to happen, but does not know when and how, therefore building suspense. Weapons are conventional pieces of iconography associated with the antagonist within the thriller genre as this makes the audience feel anxious, uncomfortable and builds tension within the climax leading towards the main event.

Another element that are also considered part of mis en scene, is positioning within the frame.

When the victim has later been stabbed, the positioning of the camera places the victim very close in the frame, emphasizing her importance to the scene and encouraging the audience the engage with what has happened as it also gives the audience a main focus as the character's emotions are highlighted in greater detail, as well as the event itself. The close up is in level with the victim and also makes the character appear upside down, creating the allusion of disorientation that one would feel when bleeding to death, which the victim is doing. This allows the audience to realise that this is a life threatening situation, building suspense as to what will happen after. Typical camera shots are associated with the thriller genre to establish the power of a character i.e a vulnerable victim framed by a high shot and threatening antagonist framed by a low shot to convey power.

Finally, the last element to be considered a part of mis en scene is make-up.

When talking on the phone to the antagonist, the victim's eye make-up appears to be smudged portraying to the audience her distress and has cried due to feeling scared. Through showing the emotions of the victim in a sub-conscious way such as make up, this makes the audience build a relationship with the character and become emotionally involved, which is conventional in a thriller to affect them while watching as they become more affected by the situation the victim is in and therefore more affected by the suspense created.

What have you taken from this research that can assist you in the planning of your own thriller opening?

The research I have carried out into Mis en scene through the analysis of ‘Scream’ has assisted me in planning the mis en scene in my own thriller opening. The setting used in Scream is conventional to the genre and is successful as the audience can relate to it, almost encouraging them to imagine themselves in the situation of the victim. We have chosen to use a house as our setting as we will create such effect and therefore this build more suspense for the audience as become vulnerable as well as the victim. Secondly, the use of costume being reflective of the character is essential in establishing ‘who is who’ and therefore we will conform to the typical convention of victim wearing white, antagonist wearing black as this reinforces to the audience who they are, making it more realistic. Furthermore, the use of low key lighting in the film creates an eerie atmosphere and therefore will complement the use of the house, as both the victim and audience will feel uncomfortable in a setting (a house) that is associated with comfort, making them feel unsafe and vulnerable. We will conform to the use of low key lighting as this will also suggest that the antagonist is present as the darkness will represent his character, creating suspense. However, we have chosen to hide the identity of the antagonist to create an enigma as to who it is, again reinforcing the vulnerability of the victim. Therefore weapons will not be present in our opening so that the initial threat is created as an instinct rather than certain, highlighting the confusion and vulnerability of the victim and audience through building of suspense. Finally, in terms of facial expression/body language, the victim will appear distressed through a lack of certainty, similar to the scene from Scream. Such emotion can be related to by the audience and therefore will affect them more.