Mise-en-Scène Research

Definition

Mise-en-scène translates from French into ‘put into the scene’. It is basically everything that has been placed in front of the camera or audience, e.g. actors, props, lighting, costumes, and its arrangement.

Insidious (2010)

The use of lighting at the start of the sequence focuses the audience’s attention towards the fact that the film is starting. They may have been distracted during the ad’s beforehand, so it is

important to engage them.

The props used in this shot are stereotypical of a young child’s bedroom, for example there a colourful sheets, a night-light and a teddy bear. By using these props, the audience are able to

estimate the age of the character, helping them to gain an understanding of the potential family dynamic soon to be at play.

The lava lamp create an eerie atmosphere, setting the scene for the horror, due to the limited lighting. The lamp highlights how limited lighting is in the room, as the rest of the room is plunged in darkness. Darkness

generally connotes negativity. The green/blue colour of the lava lamp can often connote unease and sickliness, like something bad is going to happen. Both of these connotations go towards creating an eerie

atmosphere and a sense of tension.

The silhouette in this shot has clearly been used to create the impression that someone is outside, spying on the family. There is also low-key lighting in this shot, which creates a feeling of tension and unease. These factors are typical of a horror film as they are so successful at gripping

the audience by generating such a tense and eerie atmosphere.

The extreme low-key lighting used here creates a truly dramatic and spooky shot. The person has been set back slightly so they appear as though they are watching and waiting in the shadows,

hence they appear predatorial. This idea will immediately make the audience feel on-edge.

This shot gives the audience a chance to take in an important location in the film. Clearly it is set in a family home, ultimately giving the film a more personal feel- the villain/s are on the offensive within the victims’ own home. The victims have no where safe to escape the terrible reality they

will undoubtedly face within the film.

The shadow in this shot looks considerably intimidating- they’re of a strong, stocky build, meaning they could easily hurt others. Not knowing who the shadow belongs to adds to the audience’s unease because it is natural for all humans to experience a fear of the unknown.

The use of a crooked picture indicates that something is wrong- pictures are rarely wonky unless they have been knocked or bumped and even then they are usually straightened up afterwards as part of a natural reaction. The

fact that this picture hasn’t been straightened again implies that it’s not a priority, something urgent and important must be taking place- something sinister. The lit-up cot immediately attracts the audience’s attention. It lets them know there will definitely be a family dynamic in the film and said family are likely to be the victims.

Often footprints connote an intruder. The audience will pick up on this point an immediately feel uneasy and uncomfortable, associating these feelings with watching a horror film.

Here the prop of a family photograph allows the audience to familiarise themselves with the family of protagonists, allowing them to begin forming an emotional bond.

Attack The Block (2011)

The film begins with no lighting whatsoever. This immediately informs the audience something important is about to take place- it focuses them in preparation for it. Darkness, to many people, connotes negativity, perhaps

something sinister or threatening, hence beginning the film in pitch black is the perfect way to set a precedent for the rest of the film. The only thing other than darkness is tiny ball of light in the sky. This adds an air of

mystery to the film and creates a build up of tension.

This shot informs the viewer of the location of the film. This is important because it provides the audience with additional information which can be used to put things into context later on in the film. The fact that the film is set in a city implies there could be a whole variation of characters- business people, gangs, homeless people- all of which could appear in the film. There is extreme low-key lighting in this shot which adds drama to the scene. Clearly it is night-time, a threatening time of day which often features in

horrors because of the dramatic lighting. Night-time is considered threatening because the lack of lighting can make vision unreliable, anyone could be hiding in the shadows.

The costume the woman is wearing makes her appear harmless and innocent, hence it is the perfect outfit for introducing a protagonist. Her clothing is unusual- it does not follow the trends-

hence the woman appears quirky and fun, instantly the audience are able to start making assumptions about her personality.

Here you can see the protagonist smiling, looking pleased to talk to her mother. Her facial expression implies she is generally a pleasant, friendly person and that she is loving- she is smiling when talking to her mother, so she

must love her. However, there appears to be a slight look of angst in her eyes, perhaps she feels uneasy surrounded by all of these strangers. The audience can begin to bond with the character upon seeing the

character express her emotions and seeing the character’s emotions reveal her personality.

Here the costumes are extremely effective. Hoodies undoubtedly connote gangs. Gangs are always considered threatening, therefore the protagonist will feel extremely threated, especially as there are 5 of them and only 1 of her. The audience will pick up on this fact and begin to feel sympathy and perhaps even empathy towards the woman. They may even feel protective over

her depending on how much of an emotional bond they have already formed with her. This ultimately engages the audience and draws them in to the film. Not being able to see the hoodies faces adds to the immediate threat because you can’t read their

expressions in order to comprehend their intentions, plus shadows are regularly found in horrors. Feeling threatened is typical of a horror, making this shot perfect for introducing the theme.

The fact that the hoodies are on bicycles means they are able to travel faster. If they began chasing the protagonist they would easily be able to catch her, hence the protagonist can not win

against them- she is slower and outnumbered by them. This creates such a strong sense of danger and threat, perfect for a horror.

The facial expression shown helps when attempting to gauge the protagonist’s emotions and sympathise accordingly. You can see the dread and fear she is experiencing which is typical of any horror movie victims. She knows she is in danger and so do the audience. They will therefore feel

for the protagonist.

When viewing his costume up close, you can see one of the antagonists is wearing a bandana to cover the majority of his face. Clearly he is up to no good, as he doesn’t want to be recognisable, particularly to the police. The confirmation of this fact means the audience know for definite that

the protagonist is in danger, making them feel protective over her.

The use of a knife as a prop is common in horror movies. Knives are extremely dangerous, so much so that they automatically connote danger and threat to the audience. The director’s purpose of using a knife in the

film is to express the intentions of the character- he will hurt the protagonist if he feels he needs to. The knife is also the stereotypical weapon found on gang members, therefore having the character wielding a knife is

unsurprising.

As the antagonist attacks the protagonist and a struggle takes place, a sense of urgency and tension is formed. There is also however a feeling of desperation from both characters. The antagonist must be desperate for the

money he will make from selling the items if he is willing to go to such great lengths, meanwhile the protagonist is desperate for this whole situation to be over. Desperation always occurs in horror films- the victims are always

desperate for their nightmare to end, however it is rare to see desperation from the villains.

Using a car as a prop, and destroying it, adds drama to the film. It makes it more exciting and gripping, successfully drawing the audience in. By gripping the audience, it makes them

susceptible to feeling a wider array of emotions, such as fear, as the film progresses.

Here you can see an alien- a new antagonist. The alien jumps up, scaring both the hoodie and the audience. This is standard horror movie technique for scaring the audience. You can see the large

teeth of the alien, which appear extremely menacing, the teeth are the alien’s weapons.

Another opportunity for the audience to see the alien will solidify the fact that they are particularly sinister-looking in the audience’s minds. Viewing the antagonist as sinister is vital when watching a horror because if

they don’t appear sinister, they won’t appear a threat and the audience won’t be afraid of them. Having smoke in the background emphasises the mystery surrounding the alien and creates an eerie atmosphere.

This shot shows the main location of the film- a tower block, hence the title. This allows the audience to keep up-to-date with where the characters are, so they are able to understand the circumstances as they take place. The lighting used- soft lighting in the windows and flood lighting both highlight certain areas and

create shadows. The contrast between light and dark ultimately makes the tower block look more dramatic, highlighting its importance.

Based on my research, I believe lighting to be the most effective type of mise-en-scène. This is because the lighting sets the scene and allows the audience to comprehend emotions, atmosphere and even the genre. Low-key lighting adds drama to a scene by highlighting certain aspects and leaving others in the shadows. In any kind of film, being able to highlights important objects or facial expressions is really effective, as the audience automatically pay attention to them and register any important information. Casting shadows in a scene is extremely effective for horror films because humans are naturally weary of darkness. It impairs our vision, hence it is thought to be scary and unnerving; anyone or anything could be lurking in the shadows, posing an immediate threat. Furthermore, using low key lighting is visually dynamic and engages the audience. This is why I feel lighting is the most effective type of mise-en-scène, particularly for horror films, which is why I will aim to use low-key lighting in my film opening, however I do have limited resources, so it may not be as effective as one would hope.