Research into Mise-en-scene- Miss Miller

In this blog I will be analysing a clip from Insidious looking at the visual information that is presented to us infront of the camera in which communicates essential information to the audience. This is called Mise-en-scene. The five elements in which I will be looking at are setting, costumes/hair and makeup, facial expressions/ body language, lighting and colour and the positioning of characters/ objects within the frame. 



Setting

This clip that I watched from Insidious has a setting of within the house, mainly within the bedroom. The iconography used within this scene are typical of the bedroom. Such as, the bed, beside table and the lamp. These make the scene feel more realistic for the audience, as it is based in a family environment and makes it seem anything can happen at anytime. The audience are then led to feel a uncomfortable and a sense of reality, as we don't know what may happen, also building the enigma. It builds up the suspense within the scene, allowing the audience to build a relationship with the characters. As we don't know what may happen next, we feel on edge for the characters and scared on there behalf. The setting also makes us feel as if we are part of the film and that it may happen to us. The setting is conventional to thrillers as if gives a more realistic and suspense building feel.





Facial expressions

Facial expressions play an important role in portraying fear and horror in thriller films. When the loud noise is heard the characters immeadiatley turn their heads to the door. The mans face shows a concerned look which connotes to the audience that he is worried as to what the noise was. This makes the audience feel scared also, we are unaware of what the noise is too therefore the mans face is reflecting what we feel as well. We are then able to build our relationship with the character as we are both feeling the same emotion which is scared and concerned, making it seem we are part of the scene as well. The womens face portrays a stern look towards where the noise came from, this makes the scene more interesting and makes us even more eager to watch and see what happens. It makes the audience feel suspicion to what may happen next.

Colour and lighting

The mise-en-scne elements used within this clip are used to create a dramatic and scary feel throughout. Another key Mise-en-scne element used within the clip is the lighting. The lighting is very low key and very limited and at times quite dark. These dark colours give the scene an eerie feel and therefore build the fear within the clip. The lighting used within the bedroom is again very low key, yet, the iconography in which is the bedside lamp, gives out a light in which makes us focus on the characters in the bed. Because we are focused on the characters, we are led to believe that something bad will eventually happen to them. This builds up the enigma and suspicion within the clip, leading the audience to wonder what may happen to them and ultimately making the audience sit on edge and feel uncomfortable to what may happen. We are also led to build our realtionship with the characters as we are feeling scared for them and apprehensive to the outcome.

Positioning of characters and objects 

The positioning of key characters and objects is a key mise-en-scene element which makes this scene thrilling and scary. At the beginning of the scene when we are introduced to the characters, the man and women are sitting upright with stern facail expressions. With use of both of these things, this connotes to the audience that something has happened and they are both concerned about it. The long shot camera angle, with use of their body language, implies to the viewer that something is disrupted and that something bad could possibly happen. The audience are led to feel a sense of uncertaincy to what has disrupted them and eager to find out more.
Another postitioning of a key character is seen when the women walks into the babies room to find a man standing behind the babies bed. Immeadiately, we are led to feel shocked and scared as to why the man is standing there. Placing the man here gives the audience a feel of uncomfortability, making it seem that something bad will happen to the baby. This makes the scene more thrilling and suspicious. We are also able to build our relatiobnship with the characters as we are led to feel what the characters are feeling, making it seem that we are part of the scene. We feel scared for the women and on edge for the baby as we are not sure what may happen. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds enigma and mystery, making the audience question who he is, why he is there and what is going to happen next.


 

 

Reasearching into mise-en-scene within this clip, will help me plan and make my own thriller clip. It has given me more understanding of what 5 elements I must look at and concentrate on to create a thrilling and scary clip. I now know that setting, facial expressions, lighting and the positioning of key characters and objects, used correctly, will help to create and eerie and tension building atmosphere to the audience.