Planning Mise-en-Scene - Miss Georgiou

Mise-en-Scene within films is important because it takes most aspects of the sequence into consideration and therefore covers most bases. This allowed my group to think about several conventions of a thriller when planning our sequence. Planning is required in order to produce excellent sequences because it provides a basic guideline for us to follow and set of ideas for us to refer back to.

Setting & Iconography

Our opening sequence will take part in an isolated setting: an abandoned house in the middle of a forest. This convention focuses on the female character as a potential victim because she is seemingly alone. This makes the audience and character wonder what will happen  next and if she is really alone. An isolated setting is a typical convention of a thriller film because victims are usually isolated first before something bad occurs. This makes the audience feel alone and frightened like they expect the character to be feeling. They have put themselves into her point of view because they have built a relationship with her and worry about her safety.
Iconography in our sequence will include old family photographs, polaroids of previous victims, rope to tie up the victim, blood splats on surfaces, pictures of the victim taken without her realising and autumn leaves on the ground.

Costume, Hair & Make-up

The victim will be wearing a white flowing dress and white socks that will portray her innocence. Both will be muddy and dirty to emphasise on the fact that her innocence and her vulnerability is being corrupted by the dangerous and frightening circumstances she has found herself in. Her make-up will be natural to prove that she is an ordinary person. This will allow the audience to build a relationship with her because they can relate as they feel she is similar to them and so imagine themselves in her situation. Her hair will be long and dark like the antagonists mothers to reveal ideas of our narrative to the audience.
The antagonist will wear a black tracksuit with the hood pulled over his head. He will wear latex gloves on his hands to depict that he is about to kill and he will wear dirty trainers. Contrasting to his mostly dark clothes he will wear a mask that is white. It is typical for a killer to hide their identity from the victims and the audience. This explains elements of the narrative as well as connoting enigma.

Body Language & Facial Expressions

The protagonists shocked, panicked and fearful  facial expressions will be emphasised using certain camera techniques such as close ups. She will appear cowering ans nervous in most scenes to highlight her vulnerability. Due to having no identity, the antagonist will appear emotionless and not remorseful.He will be presented as dominant, confident and bold because he will be walking slowly and steadily behind the victim in the chase scene when she is running frantically. This suggests that he is confident that he will capture her.

Lighting & Colour

Low-key lighting will be used regularly in our sequence as it creates dark shadows around the characters faces as well as connoting tension and enigma.

Positioning

The house will be positioned in the middle of the forest as it is an isolated abandoned setting. The antagonist will always be positioned standing above or taller than the victim, to represent how he is dominant while she is vulnerable.