Research Part 4: Mise en scene Codes (Part 1)

Introduction

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be talking about the mise en scene codes present in the White Noise film opening. Our team researched the many codes found in this opening. I will be splitting the work we've done in half, so this is the first part of our mise en scene research! First, I will explain some background information first.

What is setting in film?

The setting of a film in media studies may be defined as the time and place in which the storyline is articulated or suggested to the audience. 

Where is the story set?

The narrative takes place sometime late in the twentieth century (around the 1980s).

Describe the setting of the film?

The setting of the film "White Noise" takes place in a fictional college town referred to as "Blacksmith".

Work

Elements	Denote each element noticed in the film opening.	Indicate connotations that support the genre. How do the setting elements indicate or support the genre and storytelling of the film opening? Provide codes to support your answers.
Time of day	Afternoon	At the beginning of the film opening, as the family leaves the frame, you can see outside of the grocery store. The sky is not dark; therefore, we can disprove that the setting is at night/sunset.   Also, the store looks crowded at the end of the opening, so it does not seem like it would be early in the morning either. Stores are usually crowded during the afternoon or midday.
• Time period	In the 80s	In the film opening, there is a slight tinge of greenish/gray. This specific coloring gives the film its 80s vibe.
• Location	A grocery store or supermarket	The opening of the film takes place in a supermarket/grocery store. In this grocery store, every item is perfectly organized, indicating that this society is “perfect.”
• Climate / Season	Spring or Summer	The opening takes place in the spring or summer season. This is because of the clothes that the characters are wearing. (i.e., short skirts, high-waisted trousers). These types of clothing were trending during the 80s during the warmer seasons.
Geography• Landscape or Outdoors / City / Country / Sea / Land / Desert.	In the suburbs	In the opening, we do not get to see the outdoors. But the movie takes place in a suburban town in Ohio.
• Culture / People (Moral attitudes/ core beliefs.)	That there are no imperfections in their society	From the opening, the people are perfectly coordinated. No one is an outcast, and everyone seems to fit in well with each other. They are dancing in unison.
• Social and Economic status	Middle class, middle-upper class	The supermarket looks big with a variety of name brand options in the background, indicating that the area where the film takes place is wealthy.

 

2. Set Design 

• A specific field in film production centered on building the physical environment where the movie exists.  

 

• An extremely organized supermarket aisle containing bread and juice. 

                                             

• The checkout area of the supermarket with the different aisles in the background. 

 

• What connotations do you read from the décor? 

From the decor of the opening, this scene takes place in your ordinary “perfect” world. Every item is perfectly placed, every aisle is perfectly spaced out, there is not one blemish in sight. 

• How does the set design illustrate support the characters, story, and/or connect audiences to the film’s genre? 

• The set design illustrate supports the characters, story, and genre by pointing out that the environment they live in is normally perfect. (You and I will know that - but a future approver may need a prompt from you as the Preparer). This can foreshadow that later in the film that an unfortunate event may occur and disrupt their perfect lives. 

 

• Indicate the signs and connotations that support the genre.  

• Everyone dancing in the market- comedy 

• A perfect supermarket (expecting an adverse event to occur)- horror/thriller 

 

3.Props  

• The props that were used in this scene were food items. The food items are labelled as what they are, contributing to the perfect and well-organized lifestyle they live in. This, however, could be a sign of a change in their lives in the future, indicating thriller. 

 

- The props that were used in this scene were plastic bags. The employees were throwing them up in the air and then they got a new one after. This shows how carefree the people are and it adds humor as it is not typical to throw plastic bags in the air. 

 

• The prop that was used in this scene was a shopping cart. The shopping cart is placed in the middle of the family with the youngest child sitting in the cart. This shows how they have a strong bond together, as they are all walking together with the cart. This can potentially show a drama genre later in the film as it can indicate that their bond may be separated in the future. 

 

 

6. Acting  

1. Acting in film may be referred to as the process in which a storyline is communicated through the character-assumptive acting of an actor on stage, screen, radio, or in any other medium that employs the mimetic method. 

2. Actors' gestures, facial expressions, intonation and other voice qualities, rhythm, and how these aspects of a single performance correlates to the drama and the theatrical event are all included in the semiotics of acting. The protagonist of the White Noise movie is Jack Gladney, a professor at Hitler Studies a liberal arts college. Observation wise Jack Gladney seeming is a quirky, odd-looking male who values his family. He is always stuck with a face with an equal balance of confusion and disgust. 

3. Pictures of Jack Gladney:  

    

 

Elements	Definitions	How do the acting elements define meaning from the character and support the film’s genre?
		Document the acting elements of the chosen character.	Indicate the signs and connotations that support the genre.
Appearance	the way that someone or something looks	The appearance of Jack Gladney is ominous and uncanny. He looks like he is hiding something. His hands are low in front of him.	His body language shows his hands positioned in a small clasp, and hung lowly in front of him, which signifies either a lack of confidence or nervousness.
Facial expression	A form of non-verbal communication in which an affect display is communicated via the face	Jack Gladney’s facial expressions appear as perplexed, lost in focus (blank), pondering or in deep thought of something, and distressed.	Distressed, and perturbed facial expressions are commonly seen in horror films to indicate a character’s anxiety in an unfamiliar environment or dangerous situation.
Body Language: Gestures, posture, and body contact.	a range of nonverbal signals that used to communicate feelings and intentions	-Gestures: Hands are drooped to his sides, or are tucked into his jacket    -Posture: Slouched and leaned-forward    -Body Contact: Jack is mainly shown in solitude throughout the film, despite being surrounded by his extended family.	The combination of those gestures conveys the idea of Jack being an understated, relatable protagonist that the audience of this film is meant to resonate with. His emotionless blank expressions, at times, portray a common feeling of overstimulation and lethargy.
Vocal qualities: Tone of voice, accent, pace of speech.	the sound quality of a person's voice	-Tone/ Pitch: Low-pitched, masculine, low inflection, stressed, slurred speech to complement the laidback, neutral persona of his character    -Accent: Mid-western, American English    -Speech Pace: Free-flowing, slow-speech (which contributes to his deep voice), and stretched word patterns	The monotony and slow-paced patterns of his tone correspond with his persona of an average American navigating everyday struggles amidst a busy world.
Personality	the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character	-Intelligent  -Curious   -Risk Taker  -Quiet  -Disassociate	In some scenes, Jack Glaudney has an unsettling look on his face, which shows his disassociate trait. Also, he is often mute, as seen in the film opening.
Role	an actor's part or character plot, which contributes to the development of a film.	-Protagonist  -Narrator of the film  -Previous divorce, now engaged, college professor, intelligent, witty comic relief, and teaches Hitler Studies/ the Nazis.	At the beginning of the film opening, the camera focuses on Jack and his wife for a bit. You can see the disturbing look on his face, which brings the audience’s eyes to him. With this subtle detail, we can see how important he is to the story, considering that he is the only one of his family members that has that look on his face.

 

• The actors that played the film’s characters were good choices. Adam Driver fit the Role for Jack Gladney because he had defined facial features that would fit an eerie professor look. Greta Gerwig fit the role for Babetta because her soft features go well with the role of a loving mother and spouse. In which the two individuals balance each other out and correspond well with each other. 

• Reflection

• To wrap my thoughts up, we analyzed the mise en scene codes of this opening to give us some ideas on what mise en scene elements we should use for our opening. With things to consider like acting or setting, we now know what elements our opening needs to have. In my opinion, this was the hardest part of research to do. It was tedious, but my teammates and I worked together to complete it. Thank you for reading! See you next time! P is taking her leave.

• Sources: 

  •  https://www.litcharts.com/lit/white-noise/characters/jack-gladney#:~:text=Jack%20is%20the%20protagonist%20and,to%20engage%20in%20thoughtful%20conversation.  

   

  •  https://www.charactour.com/hub/characters/view/Jack-Gladney.White-Noise#:~:text=Personality%E2%80%A6,into%20making%20a%20good%20impression 

   

  • https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/whitenoise/character/jack-gladney/ 

   

  • https://www.supersummary.com/white-noise/major-character-analysis/  

  • https://www.jacket-hub.com/product/white-noise-adam-driver-leather-jacket/  

  • https://cedars.cedarville.edu/2023/01/white-noise-depicts-how-we-are-drowning-in-the-noise-we-make/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhite%20Noise%E2%80%9D%20explores%20that%20idea,with%20these%20issues%20as%20well.  

  • https://youtu.be/H4NdcRxULSM?feature=shared  

  • https://youtu.be/Pvx2DHkQeL4?feature=shared