Miss-en-scene #26

Hi guys! 

In today's blog we’ll be discussing the mis-en-scene of our film. This is honestly one of the fun parts of the production of a film!

                                                             (yippee so excited)

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with mise-en-scene, it's a film technique that refers to all elements in front of the camera. This includes the set, props, lighting, costumes, and actors' movement. In previous blogs I've touched base with the majority of these elements however, today I would really like to dive deeper into how we’ll be incorporating mise-en-scene into our film. As a refresher, the three main feelings/conditions we’re targeting in this film are depression, substance abuse and eating disorders.

How we’ll incorporate it:  

The lighting for one may be dim with a cooler color palette such as blues and grays. This would create a somber or isolating atmosphere that would ultimately reflect the feelings of depression and substance abuse. On the other hand, warmer lighting can be incorporated to convey feelings of hope or recovery. This warmer lighting can be used in scenes where my actor's eating disorder is starting to progressively get better. The setting is also very crucial, that said, a messy/cluttered room could symbolize a character's chaotic mind, whereas an empty or minimalistic space might suggest loneliness. In regard to costumes or makeup, darker clothing and darkness around the eyes tend to indicate depression whereas a worn-out appearance could reflect stress which someone with anxiety may feel often. Camera angles play a huge role in a film's emotional impact. For example, close-up shots on a character's face capture their internal struggle while wider shots make them seem insignificant in their environment. We plan on using a variety of close-up shots when we want the audience to hyper focus on the character's emotional expression. A wider shot could be placed in the remaining 20 seconds of our film where we'll have the characters walking through the crowded halls which will represent the reality of a struggling teenager going to school.  

Every visual element contributes with one another to help the audience understand the character's emotions without relying solely on the dialogue. Ultimately our end goal!