Lesson 4&5 mes

Mise en Scene

What is included in the Mise en scene?

Semiotics “The Study of Signs”

Denotation – What you can see (The literal meaning)

Connotation – What it suggests (The implied meaning)

E.g. A red rose Denotation = A flower that is red in

colour Connotation = Love, romance,

valentines day

Task 1

Mise en Scene analysis:

We will be watching 4 clips from different TV drama sub genres. Use the tables on the following slides of this PowerPoint to fill in your notes about the mise en scene in each.

Sci-Fi – Dr WhoMeaning produced by these elements. What

do these suggest about the characters/places. Be specific with your

examples

Setting Helicopter Carrier

Decor The use of consoles,cages, laser screwdriver and guns

Costume and Make up

Having dark colored clothing, as well as army clothing, suits and dresses and old man make up and fake blood etc for explosion aftermath

Figure Expression and Movement

Shows the idea of hope and moral happiness, insanity is shown as well as depression making the audience feel compassion for these characters

Lighting Most of the lighting is natural lighting and shown to be outside light.

Crime – A Touch of FrostMeaning produced by these elements. What

do these suggest about the characters/places. Be specific with your

examples

Setting Forest, park, living room and a hallway

Decor Coats and coat pegs, sofas, curtains, fireplaces, and glass cabinet.

Costume and Make up

Police uniform, a non uniform officer, normal clothing, stage make up and mud stains

Figure Expression and Movement

Scared, sympathetic, impatient and chasing the character as well as the interrogation

Lighting Outside ‘natural light’ street lamps, torches and lamp shades dimming the light to give an eeire effect.

Soap - EastendersMeaning produced by these elements. What

do these suggest about the characters/places. Be specific with your

examples

Setting Dining area

Decor Wine glasses, champagne bottles, plates, cutlery, tables, chairs, picture frames

Costume and Make up

The cliché of east end of London clothing

Figure Expression and Movement

Eating, eating together, story telling and feelings of guilt and interest

Lighting Ceiling lights therfore indoor lighting ‘unnartural’

Historical - TudorsMeaning produced by these elements. What

do these suggest about the characters/places. Be specific with your

examples

Setting Streets, Great hall and the palace

Decor Carriages, swords and daggers

Costume and Make up

Clothes that fit the time period and theatrical make up such as blood

Figure Expression and Movement

Suspicion, anger and pain

Lighting Natural lighting

Costume

Stereotypes

What is a stereotype?

Can you think of any examples?

If you had to design the costume of a youth offender, what would they be wearing?

Countertypes

This is where the representation is purposefully going against the stereotype

How would you dress a gay male as a countertype?

Representations

In your exam you will have to discuss the representation of one of the following things. Keep this in mind as we go through this task.

Gender Age Ethnicity Regional Identity Sexuality Disability/Physical Ability Class and Status

Task 2 – Costume and Representation

You will be shown a series of stills from TV dramas. Answer the questions that are shown before the image.

Do this in quick note form. You will be feeding back your answers to the class.

Does the costume suggest a historical period?

We are going to look at stills from various TV dramas and you have to decide what period of time it represents.

Life on Mars

The seventies because of the clothing, hair styles and cars that are in the image

Sherlock

Present time because of the background images and the costume and hair style of the two men.

Dr Who

It has been set in the Victorian period however the clothes are misleading leaving you to think it is it a time travel drama from the clothing, make up hair styles and gadgets

Skins

Due to the costume I think this is set in modern day from the clothes make up and posture of each character.

What does the costume represent about the character’s social, cultural and national background?

This time when you are shown stills answer the above question

The OC

Shows wealth, upper class and teens. They all seem to be the same ethnicity and from the same culture of wealth etc.

Holby City

Working class, Works in the hospital and is a surgeon due to the clothing.

Shameless

Lower/ middle class – this is shown through the use of costume, posture and mixture of ethicities etc.

What does the costume indicate about the way a character feels, their fortune or status?

This time when you are shown stills answer the above question

Spooks

They show the status to be of the working/middle class and a very serious attitude towards this.

Downton Abbey

Shows the servants of the house who seem to very serious and of the lower class in the time period it is set.

Merlin

It shows the medieval period and some of them to be lower/working class and the others to be of wealth though their clothing and again they all look serious except the far left who looks happy.

Lighting

Task 3

How does the lighting in the scene affect different moods?

Does lighting change? Is it high or low key lighting?

Watch the Spooks Clip on the VLE and discuss as a class.

Figure Expression and Movement

Task 4

Watch Wire in the blood

How does the mise-en-scène affect and reflect the relations between characters?

Consider also the actors performances

Discussion: what thoughts, feelings and emotions are evoked by the actors’ performances?