Research Part 4: Mise en scene Codes (Part 2)

Introduction

Hi guys! Welcome back! Today, we will be continuing our discussion about the mise en scene codes from our research. Without any further explanation, let's get right into it!

Work

Costume, hair, and makeup. 

The costume in a film can be described as the clothing an actor wears while performing to denote a character and or style of the production. 

Hair and makeup virtually help actors portray the look of their characters in which creating the look associates the audience with social class, elements, or time periods to better relay the storyline. 

90s, Hippie, and Stereotypical white family influenced the costume design in this film.

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Images	Document visual signs by observing the period, character’s station (social standing), sense of place, color, tone, style, etc.)	What does the costume indicate about the character, setting, and purpose of the story?
Hair and makeup	The main cast has hairstyles that were popular in the 80s. For example, one of the characters, Babbette (played by Greta Gerwig) wears a previously popular hairstyle from the 80s.	The hair and makeup (like the curly hair Babbette’s character has) further accentuates the year the characters are living in. It also makes the viewers understand how different the world was during that era.
Costume	The costumes worn by the characters really reflect the time that the film takes place in. These costumes were trending outfits from the 80s.	Same with hair and makeup, the costume plays a crucial role in emphasizing when this movie took place. The bright clothing and the eccentric style contrasts with what is happening in this scene (the dancing); The clothing gives the audience a false sense of security.

Color 

Color in film can be seen as the strategic use of colors to evoke specific psychological and emotional responses from the audience in which this enhances the storytelling aspects. 

Codes	Meaning
setting	The calculated use of color in this film gives the setting an uncanny feeling. The radiant colors of the shopping aisles, or the vibrant theme colors of the grocery store make the audience believe that the film is upbeat and regular, when it is not.
lighting	The lighting in the film is bright, but it has a strange feeling to it. 
The set design (décor and props)	The props (like the items in the aisle) were colorful and full of life. This contrasts with the unnatural feeling we get from the acting in this scene.
Costume, makeup, and hair	Most of the characters in the opening film were wearing colorful, lively clothes. In the main cast, only three characters were wearing darker clothes. This signifies a contrast in personalities, which could be a main factor in the disaster upcoming later in the movie.
Character	Most of the characters wear vivid and lively clothes.

 

How does color support the film genre? (Look at the tone of the setting, characters, etc.) 
Color supports the film genre by emphasizing or contrasting key actions or events in film, focuses the viewers' attention on specific details, reveals hints to the film’s tone and atmosphere, which contribute to the genre, and can subconsciously inform viewers on where the setting of the film takes place, and the personalities and archetypes of the characters. For example, bright colors combined with the giddy attitudes of the characters in White Noise contribute to the comedic factor in the film’s genre by establishing an ironic contrast between what occurs on-screen versus the reality of the message. The subtle psychological horror elements included in the film such as its strange brightness, which builds up to a dramatic event occurring, and the peculiarity of shoppers being immediately put in a catchy, upbeat, trance-like state that was constantly changing throughout the sequences of each aisle.  

Composition 

Composition can be defined as the arrangement or position of visual elements to convey an intended message. 

Blocking in film is directing your audience's eyes to where you want them to look, and what you want them to feel. In the picture below, everyone standing has their arms out but the boy on the left, creating the focus on him. The producer directed the characters to focus to exclude him, predicting a future event. 

 

Lighting 

Lighting in film may be described as an element of quality light used to create the tone, mood, and atmosphere used to provide a sense of meaning towards the audience.  

The film's opening establishing scene displays the usage of high key lighting. 

Select an image from the film opening to analyze.

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Tone  

Tone in film may be depicted as the attitude that the artist or directing team has towards the subject matter of something they create.  

In the opening scene of this film, the overall tone being reciprocated was eerie and unsettling. One factor that plays into the eerie tone is the color. The coloring of this scene is slightly greenish/gray, which gives the audience an upsetting feeling. Another component that plays into the opening’s tone is the acting. In this scene, every character is dancing in unison. This has a comedic effect, but also has a troubling undertone to it as well.  

 Reflection

For today, we continued our mise en scene research. Like I said in my last blog post, the main reason why we researched mise en scene codes is to help understand these codes, so that we can later incorporate them into our film opening. It was a very long process to complete this section, but we did it all as a team. Thank you for reading, see you in my next research blog! P is signing off.

SOURCES USED:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-set-design-in-film-definition/#:~:text=Set%20design%2C%20also%20known%20as,characters%20interact%20and%20events%20transpire 

https://www.studiobinder.com/filmmaking-techniques-film-blocking/#:~:text=Film%20blocking%20is%20not%20only,and%20execute%20their%20film%20blocking.  

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/hub/guides/what-is-framing-in-photography.html#:~:text=Framing%20in%20photography%20refers%20to,attention%20to%20the%20subject%20matter 

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-depth-of-field-in-photography#:~:text=Leibovitz%20Teaches%20Photography-,What%20Is%20Depth%20of%20Field%20in%20Photography%3F,level%20of%20%E2%80%9Cacceptable%20sharpness.%E2%80%9D