MISE EN SCENE
Aim: In this section I will be identifying the meanings of Mise en Scene in relation to three music videos.
Define: Mise en Scene essentially means everything within the frame.
Explain: Mise en scene consists of the following costume, movement, lighting and location. It creates a visual surrounding for the audience to asses the time and period of the characters.
Music Video 1 - 'Stress by Justice'
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video 'Stress'?
Performance:
The mise en scene allows us to feel wary and unsure of what is going to happen next due to the number of jump cuts and montages used to create a sense of realism state independence.
The youths being portrayed as dangerous and violent, are boys from Tunisia, Morroca, Algeria and Senegal ageing from around 12-18. These young males display their inappropriate behaviour through carrying harmful weapons to scare the local people, as well as sustaining a position of control. They can be seen travelling around in groups to intimidate the older citizens. This contributes to the binary opposition between the young and old. As this male gang is made up of mainly a black culture, the media immediately classes them as immigrants. Although not every teenager who is black is seen as this, the youths in the video dress to be noticed and purposely intimidate the people around them. Due to their accents, dress sense (black leather jackets to show their collective identity) these teenagers are trying to hide their individuality, and create a barrier between themselves and the Parisians.
Lighting:
The use of natural lighting makes the audience invest in the reality and understand that the film attempts to critique social climate of Paris at the time. Now having followed the London Riots, 'Stress' could be known as a precursor to this event due to the general background information both events are based upon, this being unemployed young adults who feel they have no say within the government and therefore think that causing havoc and violence towards their local community will help them to be noticed and heard. The lighting also suggests a low budget and a documentary style.
Define: Mise en Scene essentially means everything within the frame.
Explain: Mise en scene consists of the following costume, movement, lighting and location. It creates a visual surrounding for the audience to asses the time and period of the characters.
Music Video 1 - 'Stress by Justice'
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video 'Stress'?
Performance:
The mise en scene allows us to feel wary and unsure of what is going to happen next due to the number of jump cuts and montages used to create a sense of realism state independence.
The youths being portrayed as dangerous and violent, are boys from Tunisia, Morroca, Algeria and Senegal ageing from around 12-18. These young males display their inappropriate behaviour through carrying harmful weapons to scare the local people, as well as sustaining a position of control. They can be seen travelling around in groups to intimidate the older citizens. This contributes to the binary opposition between the young and old. As this male gang is made up of mainly a black culture, the media immediately classes them as immigrants. Although not every teenager who is black is seen as this, the youths in the video dress to be noticed and purposely intimidate the people around them. Due to their accents, dress sense (black leather jackets to show their collective identity) these teenagers are trying to hide their individuality, and create a barrier between themselves and the Parisians.
Lighting:
The use of natural lighting makes the audience invest in the reality and understand that the film attempts to critique social climate of Paris at the time. Now having followed the London Riots, 'Stress' could be known as a precursor to this event due to the general background information both events are based upon, this being unemployed young adults who feel they have no say within the government and therefore think that causing havoc and violence towards their local community will help them to be noticed and heard. The lighting also suggests a low budget and a documentary style.
Location:
The location is not specifically recognisable as Paris rather, we can recognise the location as Europe and therefore this film is attempting to say that this social problem of unemployment is occurring all over Europe. Young Arabic men are seeking vengeance for the crimes of the white European.
The location is not specifically recognisable as Paris rather, we can recognise the location as Europe and therefore this film is attempting to say that this social problem of unemployment is occurring all over Europe. Young Arabic men are seeking vengeance for the crimes of the white European.
MUSIC VIDEO 2 - A TEAM BY ED SHEERAN
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video the 'A Team'?
I chose to analyse this music video because I felt it followed a similar storyline to my music video, of a girl who appears to be vulnerably housed.
Lighting:
There is a binary opposition which has been created in terms of lighting and the colour. There is clear juxtaposition between the young girl and the dark streets.
The main character in this music video is a young girl aged around eighteen who is wearing an oversized black coat along with a white hoodie, shorts and ripped tights. Her makeup appears to be smudged, indicating her emotions and thoughts clearly to the audience. Throughout the entire music video she appears to carry around a sleeping bag which also symbolises that she is vulnerably housed.
The other characters that are in the music video seem to be members of the public. They are of all different ages and come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and are dressed smartly to show they are of a different class to the main character. There is only natural lighting used in this music video as it is set outside on location however, it was probably enhanced and changed during post-production as it is now in black and white only, making the story of the video more harsh. A documentary style of filming was trying to be achieved hence the natural lighting.
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video the 'A Team'?
I chose to analyse this music video because I felt it followed a similar storyline to my music video, of a girl who appears to be vulnerably housed.
Lighting:
There is a binary opposition which has been created in terms of lighting and the colour. There is clear juxtaposition between the young girl and the dark streets.
The main character in this music video is a young girl aged around eighteen who is wearing an oversized black coat along with a white hoodie, shorts and ripped tights. Her makeup appears to be smudged, indicating her emotions and thoughts clearly to the audience. Throughout the entire music video she appears to carry around a sleeping bag which also symbolises that she is vulnerably housed.
The other characters that are in the music video seem to be members of the public. They are of all different ages and come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and are dressed smartly to show they are of a different class to the main character. There is only natural lighting used in this music video as it is set outside on location however, it was probably enhanced and changed during post-production as it is now in black and white only, making the story of the video more harsh. A documentary style of filming was trying to be achieved hence the natural lighting.
Performance and Location:
The young girl's goal throughout the music video is to get housed into a flat, or anywhere with warmth and shelter. Instead it becomes incredibly dangerous as she finds herself becoming addicted to drugs and turning to prostitution to avoid living on the streets. These locations become dark and unsafe for the young girl as she faces an unstable future living in places such as these. As well as this, these locations present her as being a misfit and unwelcome. The only temporary relief she actually gets is money from Ed Sheeran.
The set for this video was based in London although there are some indoor shots. This is relevant as none of the indoor shots are of a home or a place she could stay.
The young girl's goal throughout the music video is to get housed into a flat, or anywhere with warmth and shelter. Instead it becomes incredibly dangerous as she finds herself becoming addicted to drugs and turning to prostitution to avoid living on the streets. These locations become dark and unsafe for the young girl as she faces an unstable future living in places such as these. As well as this, these locations present her as being a misfit and unwelcome. The only temporary relief she actually gets is money from Ed Sheeran.
The set for this video was based in London although there are some indoor shots. This is relevant as none of the indoor shots are of a home or a place she could stay.
MUSIC VIDEO 3 - FEATHERSTONE BY THE PAPER KITES
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video 'Featherstone'?
Performance: Throughout the music video the children can be seen walking in a line, one by one at a very slow pace until they meet with another group of children. They then begin a pillow fight, displaying their excitement and freedom of being young kids.
Costume: Costume appears to play a big role within this music video as each character is dressed very uniquely, in what appears to be a costume containing animal fur.
Lighting: Naturalistic lighting has been used within this music video as the only light source which appears to have been used is from the sun as the children are on an adventure in the forest.
Props: Each character noticeably carries a white pillow around with them. This adds to the stylised costume which the chacters can be seen wearing throughout the entire video.
How is Mise en Scene identified throughout the music video 'Featherstone'?
Performance: Throughout the music video the children can be seen walking in a line, one by one at a very slow pace until they meet with another group of children. They then begin a pillow fight, displaying their excitement and freedom of being young kids.
Costume: Costume appears to play a big role within this music video as each character is dressed very uniquely, in what appears to be a costume containing animal fur.
Lighting: Naturalistic lighting has been used within this music video as the only light source which appears to have been used is from the sun as the children are on an adventure in the forest.
Props: Each character noticeably carries a white pillow around with them. This adds to the stylised costume which the chacters can be seen wearing throughout the entire video.
Mise-En-Scene linking to my film:
Performance - I intended to have the characters doing very normal things that a single mum and her young daughter would do, which is simply having fun and doing the normal things of life. Throughout our music video both characters can be seen smiling a lot of the time, enjoying each others company and in general just having a relaxed attitude towards life. However, it is not until the end of the video that we see the twosome walk to an abandoned building which they supposedly call home. In connection to the other music videos I have analysed, their attitude appears to be carefree as unfortunately they know no better than what they have now.
Lighting - Natural lighting has been used within my music video as well as all the music videos I have analysed, and serves to create a verisimilitude. I chose to use naturalistic lighting to preserve verisimilitude as I was describing and showing the social issue of homelessness in today's society. I wanted to make the storyline as realistic as possible.
Costume - The costumes the characters can be seen wearing do not stereotypically represent the typical idea of homelessness, in contrast with the young girl from the 'A Team' who can be seen wearing dirty clothing with holes in and smudged makeup. However, both the girls in my video look like everyone else, in the sense that they are fully clothed and they have coats on for the cold weather. I implemented their look through their hair which looks quite scruffy and the fact that they carry a small pink back pack which essentially has all their belongings in. I did not want to give away the fact that they are homeless straight away as I felt we would receive a bigger reaction from the audience towards the end of the video when they see them walking towards an abandoned building.
Locations - The locations we chose to film in are locations that homeless people often would be seen at. However, the way we have represented these locations leaves the audience in suspense and unaware until the very end of how desperate the situation actually is. The poignant theme again says that homelessness can effect anyone and is affecting people who do not at first glance necessarily fit the stereotype.