Pre-Production

On Saturday Nicola and I set up the boys room to ensure the mise-en-scene was correct for a boys room and ready for filming on Sunday.

Before

After

I think this was effective as I think we recreated a realistic looking boys bedroom significant to the specific character and style of our film. Also this pre-production helped to aid in swifter filming the next day which was useful to allow us to get all of the shots we wanted in a quicker time.

Opening Sequences

Over Her Dead Body - Mise-en-scene

Over Her Dead Body is a film about a bride who gets killed on her wedding day and can't seem to let her fiance move on. The mise-en-scene in the opening to this film is key in setting up the story.

The first most obvious thing to be seen is that the key colour in the opening is white which practically takes over the every shot and has a lot of symbolism. It is first used to help show purity which is synonymous with weddings. Secondly when the character wakes up in this odd place, it gives a feel of cleanliness, peace and mystery which helps to present the setting as otherworldly.

The choice to show pictures of the couple before the first scene is good as it gives the audience insight into the relationship and makes it feel more realistic. Then you see a series of layouts (plates, table names) that are all being meticulously put together, this helps to show how the bride is desperate for her wedding to be perfect.

The main characters costume of a yellow dress and red lipstick helps to make her stand out and presents her as an important part of the film. Also the red of her lipstick could signify the oncoming danger she is about to be in. Another point is that she herself is in high contrast to the other characters who are wearing darker clothing, e.g. her friend is wearing a dark flowery dress which even though it is still girly, it is quite dark, keeping your attention on the main character which helps to portray the bridezilla image of it all being about her. She is also in contrast to the scruffy looking man who delivers the ice sculpture in that she is very well put together and he unkempt, this helps to highlight what a perfectionist she is. Her make-up in the other scene is a lot less fierce and she is wearing a white dress which may help to show that she is at peace.

The high key lighting of the wedding scene helps to give the sense of reality and also the slight hint of glamour associated with weddings. The lighting in the other scene is a lot softer and seems slightly top lit which helps to give a more mysterious and angelic feel the the scene.

The setting of the wedding is outdoors in view of the sea, this natural location helps to portray a sense of relaxation and serenity which helps to emphasize how stressed the bride is due to the contrast in her behaviour and the surroundings.

The setting in the other scene is basically just white, it does not seem to be anywhere and seems to be somewhat shrouded in fog which helps to add to the mystery of the place and the supernatural feel to it.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is basically everything that can be seen through the camera, this includes the setting; costume and make-up; figure, expression and movement by actors; lighting and positioning withing the frame.

Setting

• can establish time and place; when and where; links to costume and props - effects understanding
• can establish the sense of genre
• can show the mood of the film

Costume and Make-up

-Could be considered part of the set and they indicate:

• the period
• the state of society
• social class
• cultural backgrounds
• character traits

When characters change costumes it can signify important events such as the character going from rich to poor, or maybe even the removal of clothes linking to the lowering of their defenses.

Figure, expressions and movement

The positioning of characters within a frame and their figure and expressions are extremely important to showing the film and giving insight into who the character is and what they are feeling, as this is more what the audience focuses on.

• Body language
• Appearance
• Facial expressions
• sound elements
• the way the character stands and moves
• moving against stationary background- draws attention to them

Lighting and Colour

Lighting

Lighting is very important in showing the mood or atmosphere of a scene. Three point lighting is the most common way to light a set and it can create either high key or low key lighting.

-The Key light is usually the brightest and most influential light.

-The Back light helps to counteract the effect of the key light and makes the object in shot appear more rounded.

-The Filler light(s) helps to soften any harsh shadows created by the key and back lights.

Low key lighting is created by only using the key and back lights, therefore creating sharp contrasts between the areas of light and the darkness of the large shadows which will be formed; this is thought to be more expressive.

High key lighting is created by using more filler lights which makes the scene appear more realistic, but can also be manipulated to create a more glamorous feel or add a catchlight (twinkle in the characters eyes).

Colour

The colours in a film can help to signify certain things:

• black and white - could show time and place (or maybe suggest a flashback)
• warmer colours - could link to genre (usually in romantic films)
• Colder colours - could link to genre (usually in horror films)

Also colour can act as signifiers:

• Red - danger, aggression, violence
• Pink - femininity, romance, calm
• Blue - peace, cold, cleanliness
• Black - power, death, mystery

Positioning within the frame

The positioning within the frame is incredibly important and can hint to much deeper meaning, for example, if a character is placed in the foreground they might be considered more important than a character in the background. Also the distance between characters may indicate the characters feelings toward each other, like a sort of emotional distance, e.g. if characters are close together it could show that the characters a quite friendly; whereas, for example, in the very famous standoff in the film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly the characters could not get much further apart, showing their resentment for each other.