Analyse how mise en scene can be used to create meaning in a media product you have studied.
Mise en scene
1. All features of mise en scene.
2. At least 2 examples of each feature of miss en scene.
Features of miss en scene: costumes, props, location/ setting, gestures, lighting (high-key and low-key).
Use PEE
P- point: 'the lighting in the scene creates meaning...' No more than one sentence.
E- evidence: when/where it happens and what it looks like
E- explain/effect on the audience:
-empathy
-tension/enigma
-stereotype/challenge
-verisimilitude
KEY WORD: 'Verisimilitude' (realistic). - "The protagonist wears jeans and a t-shirt which creates verisimilitude"
KEY WORD: 'denotes/denoted/denotation' () - "The denoted costumes were jeans and a t-shirt" "The denotation of the costumes were"
KEY WORD: 'connotation/connotes' (inferred meaning) - "This connotes..." "This has connotations with"
E- Female- Laura Muluey (1975)- women are sexualised- 'male gaze' or talk about how a female character challenges this and why its progressive and positive.
2- Carl Rogers (1980)- ideal self/ideal partner. Ideal self: A role model, shown through high key lighting, costumes, gestures. Ideal partner: attractive and someone you want to be with.
Mise en scene- Daniel Isn't Real.
In ‘Daniel Isn't Real’ the mise en scene of the costumes is used effectively to create sympathy. The protagonist Luke Nightingale is always seen wearing regular/normal clothing. When the central conflict begins and Daniel (the demon) starts to manipulate Lukes's mind, the denoted costume is jeans and a grey t-shirt, which creates verisimilitude and makes the audience engaged in the plot of the movie. This is because the audience feels sympathy for Luke when he faces the central conflict of the movie as his clothes present him as a relatable, normal person and reminds the audience of themselves. This then makes the audience believe that he doesn’t deserve the pain he is forced to go through and makes them root for his character to succeed.
Alternatively, the mise en scene of the antagonist's costume helps to make us feel threatened by him and create the impression of power. The antagonist Daniels appearance heavily juxtaposes Lukes, as his clothes and appearance (leather jackets, slicked back hair and suits) has connotations of power and danger, making the audience feel threatened by their presence and scared of them as an opposing antagonist to Luke.
The mise en scene of ‘Daniel Isn't Real’s setting is used very effectively. The movie was filmed and set in the busy New York City, this denotes the cramped city environment to the audience effectively and allows the audience to understand and sympathise with the protagonist's increasing stress level so that the audience is more likely to be invested in the characters story. The location of the movie also has connotations of hopelessness and fear (which is a feeling presented throughout the movie to the characters and audience) as the protagonist is in an extremely busy environment but not a single person can help him. This creates that feeling of hopelessness whilst also building tension amongst the audience, investing them in the story as they wonder how the protagonist can escape.
Throughout Daniel Isn't Real, orange and red colours are used to convey emotions to the audience in pivotal scenes. One key scene where the colour red is used is when the protagonist is heading down a tunnel to go party with his friends, which is lit with red lights. The colour red has connotations with danger and violence so the use of red immediately warns the audience of incoming danger. This helps to build tension and dread amongst the audience as they fear the possible dangers of going through the tunnel and don’t want the protagonist to face them. Heading through this one-way tunnel resulted in a pivotal scene where the antagonists' scary intentions are revealed. The lighting successfully helped to build toward this moment, making it more intense and engaging for the audience.
Because of the nature of ‘Daniel Isn't Real’ being a horror movie, the mise en scene of light manipulation is a key aspect of the movie in creating a feeling of uneasiness and dread. Lighting is often used to help frame the characters and help the audience create impressions of them. An example of this is how the antagonist (believed to be a protagonist at the time) ‘Daniel’ is lit in scenes. Daniel was always presented in shadows, low lighting and dimly lit areas which helped to give the audience an uneasy feeling about his character and that he’s hiding who he really is. Once he is revealed as the antagonist he is framed in a well-lit room, revealing to the audience and protagonist that this is the entirety of the character and that he isn’t trying to hide his true intentions anymore.
Daniel isn't Real uses the mise en scene of key items/props well to mislead the audience and create a false sense of security. This is shown through one of the key items which is a ritual knife owned by a character called Dr Braun. The significance of the knife being owned by this character is important as Dr Braun is a key character that the protagonist looks for guidance from. He is always seen as a knowledgeable character and is presented as someone that can help save the protagonist Luke, which helps to build up the repertoire of the knife. The visual denotations of the knife also help to present it as the weapon that can save him, as it looks ancient and ritualistic which makes the knife seem significant, using the audience's knowledge of horror/demons to create a false sense of security. This is so that when the knife is shown as useless and ineffective the audience feels an overwhelming sense of dread that is present throughout the movie.
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