Mise-en-scene blog task

 Mise-en-scene analysis

• C     Costume
• L     Lighting
• A     Actor
• M    Make-up
• P     Props
• S    Setting 

1)    This image is from the 1976 movie called "Taxi Driver"

So first we can recognize the denotation and the connotation of this image. The denotation is a man holding a gun but what I am really interested in is the connotation and the index of this image. The connotation of this image in my perspective is the man ready to kill someone, this connotation is really similar to my index meaning. That he is practising or going to kill someone.

Props, lighting and setting:

The interesting thing about this image is the way the scene is set up. By analysing the props and setting, we can see that he is in an apartment with a mirror behind him. The lighting is used more low-key, that is to focus on the environment around him and the gun. But also the low-key lighting helps to focus on the actor as well and the expression he has on his face. This with the camera angle and how its setup, kinda gives me a message that he is practising, getting to ready to kill someone or have some evil-intentions.

Actor, costume and make-up:

The message of evil intentions gets boosted even more if you analyse the actor expression and pose. You can see from the pose that it looks like he just wielded the gun from his chest-holster, and the expression he has on his smirk face shows kinda a focused, relaxed face.

2) Find TWO film or TV extracts on YouTube from different genres (e.g. horror, sci-fi, costume drama). Embed them in your blog post and write a comparison of the mise-en-scene in each.

Flight (2012) - Brace for Impact Scene

The first clip is from a movie called Flight, is based on the true story of an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing. In this clip, it shows the pilot saving the crash. This movie is mainly focused on the Drama and thriller genres.

Hancock (2008) - Call Me A**hole One More Time Scene

This clip is a movie starring the famous Will Smith actor as the role of Hancock. Hancock is an unpopular superhero which is rejected by society due to his bad public image. In the clip, Hancock has a pet peeve of people calling him an asshole, and the french kid from the clip really pissed him off which threw him to the air. This movie shifts heavily into the Comedy / Action Genre

One key trait between these two clips is the actor. The way the actor behaves in the clips shows immediately what kind of personality they have. In the first clip, you see the captain, is more relaxed and trying his best to solve the situation without panicking. In the second clip, we can analyse Hancock that he is more of a calm person, a person who doesn't care about anything but can be easily be triggered by small things.  So immediately we can see the two difference between these characters.

Next, I want to analyse the setting and how they use different camera angles to give the audience a better narrative and understanding of the situation. We can see in the first clip there is more close up and focused shots. There are close-up shots when the movie wants you to focus on something. For example when the plain waitress went unconscious or when the is gliding or the different screen and buttons on the plane that are flashing different warnings. It gives the audience a better understanding of the situation which the film pulled off really well. In the second-clip, it also shows different ways the camera shot that gives a better understanding of the actor expressions and mood. The clip is mainly occupied by close up shots which gives a more intense feeling to the audience, especially when Hancock went to the kid ear and whispered to him.