Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene

13 Going on 30

    Hello there! Today we will be exploring the 'mise en scene' of a beloved rom-com titled, "13 Going on 30." You may be questioning what the meaning of mise en scene is. Well, it is a French term that refers to everything that the viewer can see in a frame. Without further ado, let us dive right in!

 

    To analyze the mise en scene, let us discuss their costumes first.  To elaborate, Jenna is 13 years old however, she abruptly woke up and was 30! Throughout the film she makes immature decisions, clearly with the mind of a 13 year old. Their were many scenes in which she chooses childish outfits however something changes in this particular scene. Jenna Rink (the lady on the right) is suddenly wearing very mature and proper clothes. This conveys the melancholic feeling of growing up. Next, the location is set in New York City. Specifically, the setting being near the water at night sets a calm mood, as they are simply having a nice conversation. The scenery consists of a beautiful outdoorsy park that works with the setting to convey serenity. Props consist of Razzles candy that convey a nostalgic mood since they ate those candies as children. The lighting used is low key which contrasts with the dark background, highlighting their importance. Next, another element would be the actors, Jennifer Garner perfectly resembles an older Jenna Rink as she has fantastic emotional range and skills. Adding on, the background characters further add to the scene. Lastly, the framing perfectly sets them within the middle of the screen, again conveying a sense of importance.

    Moving on, the costumes within this scene consist of formal attire, excluding Jenna in which she is dressed in a colorful, childish outfit. The colorful stripes throughout the dress convey her happy nature and give the scene a cheery feel. The location is New York, conveying a home-like area, specifically, the setting takes place in a party room. The fact that this is a party gives a livelier feel to the film and creates a sense of unity. The high-key lighting adds a focused insight on the dancers, as the lights fully show all the characters.

    Within this particular scene, the actors play an important role. Jennifer Garner's character is wearing a bright outfit and wears a bright smile on her face, adding to the good nature of the scenes. Not only does her character convey mood, but the several dogs further add to the causes of her happiness. Also, the framing is important to discuss as it seems they are placed at a bit of a tilt. Many may argue this conveys chaos, however, in this scene it suggests a stroll on a beautiful day! Additionally, the setting being a well-known park, 'Central Park', everyone gathers there and it seems to bring joy.

    Moving on, this particular scene consists of setting, props, and costumes. The setting taking place at his house would imply that they have a close bond, giving a warm feeling of nostalgia. Zooming in, the props that are used are particularly important to the film. The doll-house that Matt builds for her was originally not important to her at all, but by the end of the film she cherishes it with all her heart. Having these props allow nostalgia and sentimental feelings to emerge. As for costumes, her outfit is heavily influenced by the trends of the 80's. While she is living in the future, she is wearing clothes that she'd most likely wear during the 80's, this is because even though her body has changed, her mind hasn't. Thus, their costumes strongly convey nostalgia and the feelings of change. 

    Lastly, this scene emphasizes the utilization of costumes, setting, and lighting. Clearly, the girls are all having fun while wearing pajamas, and clothes that would normally not match. However, they purposefully do this since it demonstrates their immature mind of being young and free. Now, the actors consist of Jenna Rink hanging around people that would understand her, remember she is a child! The child actors play a happy expression on their face since they are singing their lungs out! But having these contrasting actors essentially drives Jenna closer to what she was used to before her development. Next, the lighting used would be considered high-key lighting, as the room is moderately bright in which you can clearly see the hosts.  

Mood Board: Knives Out

Mood Board: Knives Out

Hello! 

Here presented is my mood board for the mystery/thriller movie, Knives Out (2019). 

    Many pictures hinting at the crime are included, for example the bottle of poison. Within the movie, Marta accidentally poisons Harlan which sets the whole plot to unfold. The knife indicates a suicide that was done by one of the characters. The bunny indicating Marta being an easy target, supposedly. The letters and the writings such as "trust no one!" highlight the mystery and overall mood since it keeps the viewers on edge at all times.

    The movie has an overall exciting but ominous mood, so I made sure to accumulate photos of the same aesthetic. Many crime scene photos were included because throughout the whole movie, it illustrates the detective discovering clues. Adding on, the interior/exterior designs that are shown are particularly fitting due to the Victorian styled mansion within the movie. Moreover, due to the exciting nature of a mystery film, there were many dark and gloomy scenes. Of course, I made sure to include photos that would give the same impression. Since dark forests and daunting hallways could create a similar effect to the inauspicious themes of the actual movie.

Sound Project

Sound Project

Sound Story:

Foley Video:

Script:

Scene: Kidnapping

1. Walking into a woman’s house

Ominous music throughout

1. Footsteps

2. Knocking/banging on the door

3. Rattling of doorknob

4. Opening of the door aggressively

5. Man slowly walking in

6. Knife scraping

7. Woman breathing heavily inside a closet

8. Heartbeat

9. Closet opening

10. Woman screams

11. Zipping and taping her up

2. Getting away in a car

1.    Footsteps

2.    Pushing a door to create a slight squeak

3.    Opening the trunk & thud

4.    Throwing her in

5.    Closing the trunk

6.    Footsteps

7.    Opening the car door

8.    Turning on the car

9.    Driving off

                  

    Hello, this is my sound story! Specifically, this story was about a kidnapping. As the ominous music plays, a man is barging into a home. Hauntingly, the man takes slow but heavy stomps throughout the hall. Along with these steps, he carries a knife in one hand, dragging it across the floor. As a women is panting and gasping with fear, the man dramatically opens the door, leading to a loud scream. He proceeds to tie and tape her up, zipping her in a bag. The heavy steps follow to the outside. The women gets thrown into the trunk and he walks over to turn the car on. He makes a quick getaway and never gets caught!

    The sound story was created on CapCut. My partner and I made sure to acquire many sounds in order to layer them, creating a more in-depth story. We played around with different sounds we could create. For instance, the knife scraping sound was created by metal scraping against metal. Additionally, the heartbeats were created from hitting clothes together. The heavy footsteps were made from using dumbbells. Finally, the opening of the door sound was created from a squeaky chair. In contrast, we also used sounds that were pre-made. We got these sounds from YouTube, for example, the sound of the women screaming. 

    Throughout this experience I acquired knowledge on foley sounds and how to use sounds within a story. I realized how important sound was to a story, without it, the story is less engaging and harder to understand. This was not easy to create, but not entirely difficult. This is because of  the creativity it took to use entirely different noises to create a sound that matched the story line. The editing contained many layers, making it a little more difficult than previous editing. However, this experience was entertaining as a story primarily made from sounds, without video, was an original experience.