Mise-en-scene

MISE-EN SCENE

The different categories we need to follow in order to have a successful thriller are:

• Lighting
• Clothing
• Iconography
• Body language/expressions
• Positioning of character(s)

Lighting

In our thriller film will will consider three main light sources to set the scene for the film these will be backlighting, filler light and the main light. There will be light from outside which will be the backlighting. The lamps will be used as main light as to keep the room dark enough to keep to the common conventions to thriller films but still allow enough light through the lens of our camera to give it good quality. The filler lighting will be a combination of different light all over the house and will be used antagonistically. We will use the fridge light to fill the lighting in the kitchen whereas the backlighting in the living room will be a lamppost and a dim flood light to just increase the power of the lamp post.  These lights are very slight so will not be very obvious but will give us the slight bit of light needed to create shadows. We will use low key lighting to keep to the common conventions to a 'typical' thriller film. This is to create shadows so the characters look intimidating and allow the audience to see what is not directly in the camera shot. This is an important convention because it can mislead the audience making the narrative more unique by confusing the viewers and catching them off guard more often than usual.

Costume Design

For the victim, we have chosen to dress her in night clothes as they have to be relevant to the narrative but also have that thriller feel about them. We came up with this idea via watching 28 weeks later. She runs through the forrest in her pajamas as has been court off guard and has no time to prepare. We wanted to make her as vulnerable as posable and the night clothes were perfect. They fit the common thriller conventions and our narrative. This shows that she weak and that the killers unexpected arrival has confused her and taken her by surprise. The killers were going to be dressed all in black with there faces will be blacked out and bright eyes, however, this was to difficult to do so we came up with smart attire but however as dark as possible. They will be in a WW2 german gas mask to help the narrative get a different feel. This promotes a slightly odd personality to the characters as well as the already scary and random features. It makes the audience think about his past more than usual and this helps them connect to the film.  This is to put fear and an unsolved identity so that the victim does not know who they are and what they are doing. This is important to the conventions of a thriller because it shows that they wont to be seen but not identified so that the audience is suspicious into who it is.

Iconography

We will be using a small range of props than all have different purposes to the individuality of our narrative; an old style phone, a few doors, a glass, a bottle of water, a fridge, and masks. The narrative shows why the glass and bottle of water is needed. The old style phone and the old masks link in with each other as both have the same theme about them. The phone rings and turns her attention away from one villain, but straight to another. The door and the phone are going to tell the audience that something is going to happen to the character as you can see what she can't. This is called dramatic irony (The dramatic effect achieved by leading an audience to understand an incongruity between a situation and the accompanying speeches, while the characters in the play remain unaware of the incongruity). The cup of water is the excuse for the victim to get out of bed which then leads into the rest of the story and finally the masks are for the antagonists, to hide there faces and to play with the audiences head as they link in with the old style phone which will ultimately lead to the audience adding a natural and subconscious fear affect to them.

Body Language/ Facial Expressions

The body language of the victim will be as if she is having a nightmare with a sweaty face. She will awake quickly and get out of bed. At this point she will be tired and calm. She is blatantly unaware of her surroundings so does not notice the antagonists in the window as she makes her way to the kitchen. In the kitchen she thinks she sees a villain in the door behind her so quickly throws her head round to see if there is some one/thing there. She decides not and then thinking she is going mad goes to the living room as a phone is ringing. She picks up the phone slowly and warily but still unaware of the antagonists. As she hears the hang up tone her face becomes confused and more awake. She is now keeping a close eye on what is around her. Her face lights up as she finds a killer on the front drive way and turns to run to the kitchen.  She sees another antagonist behind her s, now wide awake, throws herself up the stairs and onto the landing. All the doors shut on her in a scries apart from the bathroom door. She again throws herself at the closing door and slides down as if she has given up in life. She sees the killer again and makes on last break of the front door but hastily comes to a stop as she sees herself being taken ahead of her. Her expression is of fear and disbelief. We closely monitored highly rated thriller films such as the strangers and saw to see their body language in different scenarios ad we have planned them into our thriller.

Positioning

We will position the Positioning of the character. All through the scene in the bedroom you notice the girl is always right up to the camera showing that she is the victim and the killer is a mid range to a long range to the camera showing the he is the killer because you can always see what he I doing. This tells the audience abut the characters and knows when something is about to happen creating tension