Research Into Mise-En-Scene - Miss Georgiou

I decided to use a famous 'Mama' scene as my topic to write about for Mise en scene. This is because it includes the 5 elements needed in mise en scene. I have used the cabin scene in Mama which is when the two men find the children in the abandoned house. This scene is scary because there is no one around to help them, plus it is the ideal scene for a thriller. So, the audience know something scary will happen here.


Mise En Scene is used in films to make the stories in the films more believable. There are five key elements that come under mise en scene. These include, settings, where it is set, for example, most thrillers are filmed in an abandoned cabin which is almost always set in the woods, this creates an effect because it makes it more scary because it means that a victim who is here will not be able to get help as there is no one living here. Iconography, the objects being used by the characters, for example if a killer were to be holding a gun, we can interpret that they will use that gun on their victim, so we know that they will die. Costumes, costumes make it easier to understand where characters have been and what their clothes could mean. For example, if that character has just come into the house wearing a suit and tie, we can believe that they have come home from work, or had something very professional to attend. Hair and Makeup is key to the scene, for example, if the character has their hair messy, we can assume they have been through something that would require running away etc. Makeup is also key because if they have makeup running down their face we can assume they have or are crying. This promotes emotions to the viewers because it makes us understand what is going on. Facial expressions are a huge element in mise en scene because this is how we as viewers see how the characters are feelings and how we can tell when something bad will happen. For example, if we see someone screaming, we can connote that the killer is coming for that victim. It also show fear and this is how the audience ends up becoming scared as we don't know what will happen to that character next. Lighting is a very important element. There are two different types of lightings such as, low key lighting, this is when the only lighting we can see is coming from the main or lights coming from the back. This produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas as well as showing us the different shadows and silhouettes that are formed when using this lighting. There is also high key lighting, and this is when more filler lights are used. This lighting is natural, therefore making it appear to be more realistic from our point of view. For example, sunny days. The positioning of the lights must always be the same in order to help the viewers understand the story. The key light is always the brightest and in the middle of the scene. It will always go directly infront of the camera. The backlight comes from outside to create shadows. It is always behind the characters. The filler lights are usually the smallest light that we can see and this is used to lose the appearance of contrast and shadows. Body language is another element as it can show us how the characters feel about other characters. For example, if a character were to lean into a character, we would see that they know the other character well. If they were to lean away, we would know that they are not reassured by the other person and do not trust them.

In the 'Mama cabin scene' there are  a variety of mise en scene elements. The first element i will be discussing is iconography. Iconography is anything within the scene that is used by the characters. In the scene,  the torch is the object being used by the male character, therefore making this iconography. Within the scene, i can see that the man is using his torch as a source of light inside the abandoned cabin in search of the children. It is a very sombre area so it is perfect because the dark scene makes the torch the only source of light that the audience can see. This makes the scene sinister for the audience to watch because the torch is the key light and the audience must follow the light to follow the story and to be ready for what will happen. The reason is it so mysterious is because the audience can't see anything behind him. Due to the darkness, it creates suspense because the audience want to be able to see whats going on but because it's so dark. It is conventional because the civilian is trying to be a hero in search for the girls and is using the torch as his main source of light. This is conventional within the thriller genre because the audience are frightened of what may happen next and as their vision is unaware to make out anything behind them, they are left to be shown the sinister presence rather than trying to find it for themselves.

A further element within the mise en scene topic is setting. Within the scene, this image is shown. The image shows a man walking into a dark cabin in the middle of the woods. I can see that it is in the forest due to the background behind him. In the image to the left, i can see that the forest is discarded and deserted. The fact that it is this way shows that no one is around. As no one is around, this creates a sense of mystery as they want to know why someone would want to build a cabin so isolated to everyone else.  This suggests that they are hiding something away from the public. It also shows the audience that if the characters needed help in anyway, they would not be able to receive any aid as there is no one around. This is the ideal setting for a thriller movie scene due to the fact that it creates fear for the viewers because there seems to be no where for them to hide in the forest from the antagonist and they would have to run a long way to get any kind of help. Another point i would like to mention is that this setting creates a sense of realism as people often go through forests to get to other places. So, this allows them to relate to the story and feel as though they are part of it. This makes them feel empathy and sympathy towards the characters. It is conventional because it is an isolated cabin so no one would know if anyone were to die aswell as the fact that the potential victims will not be able to ask for help because everyone is so far away. The audience know that something will bewilder them in this scene due to the lack of people around the area aswell as the fact that no one actually lives here. This creates a sense of fright and shock because we find out that the children are living there. The audience feel sorry for the children because they way they are living is not a state for humans to live in.  

One element within the mise en scene topic is body language. Within the scene, body language is used to create shock and surprise. From the image on the right hand side, i can see that the man is stood completely still facing the fridge. The man standing still can connote that he is startled by the image in front of him. The audience see a child standing upon the fridge acting very animal like. As the audience as well as i can see, the child is very hunched aswell as twisted and dark. This can represent the mindset of the antagonist as they are portrayed this way. As previously mentioned, the element of shock and surprise are present to the audience within the scene because of the way the man is standing. He is stood very still, showing the viewers that he doesn't want to move incase the child on the fridge attacks him. The audience can see the child is not acting normal, so they can connote that they have not been treated as children should and are actually acting more like animals than humans. This makes the viewers feel anxious and this makes them want to know more about the story aswell as find out more about the children.

Another element within mise en scene is clothing. In this scene, i can see that the type of clothing that the men are wearing to enter the cabin is outdoor wear. I believe that they have worn this type of clothing s that they could us them as protection. They may need this clothing for protection as there may be something dangerous inside the cabin. From this, i can also infer that this type of clothing is a shield to them, warning the audience that there may be something in this cabin this is very unapproachable and will put up a fight. Another reason the men may be wearing this clothing could be to show that they walked through the forest to get to the cabin. This could show that something bad is going to happen to the people that have entered the house. I believe that the children inside have not been treated like children but more like animals, and animal handlers wear protective clothing such as thick jackets, just like the man shown in the image above. So, i believe this shows that the children have not been living the way they should be. This makes the audience feel sympathy towards the children due to the fact that they need to be saved rather than kept in this abandoned cabin. This is conventional within the thriller genre because the producers always try to give hints within the story. This allows the audience to think outside the box and make up their own ideas rather than just relying on the story to be told to them.

The next element within mise en piece is the facial expression that characters are giving. Within this scene, I can see that the men are afraid of the children that they have just seen climbing on the fridge and other places. They are shocked and bewildered due to the fact that the children are acting like animals. The men using these facial expressions show us exactly what is happening and how we should feel about it. For example, when the men's faces are shown on the screen, their mouths are slightly open and from this the audience can connote that they were not expecting them to be like this. In the image, the fear is shown mostly through their eyes, they are wide and looking straight up. This makes them look petrified and the audience will eventually relate because they will feel the same when they see the sight of the animal-like children. The viewers will be faced with the elements of shock, surprise, suspense and tension because this was very unexpected and the faces of the characters make the audience even more fearful as they feel sorry for them for being there. They feel sympathy for the characters because they would not like to be in their position, the also feel empathy as they begin to imagine themselves in the same positions that the men are in right now. This is conventional to the thriller genre because the audience always feel a certain way when seeing the emotions and facial expressions that the characters give out. So, the audience end up relating to them which makes it easier to imagine being placed in their positions.

The lighting within this scene is low key lighting. Low key lighting is created by using only key and backlights in that particular part of the film whilst also producing sharp contrasts of light and dark areas. Deep distinctive shadows and silhouettes are created when using low key lighting. Within this scene, the audience can see that the only lighting is coming from the natural light outside. I believe that this is done to show realism as no colours or effects have been added. This makes it more realistic and the idea of imagining themselves in the situation occurs. Also, as the only light is from the outside, it highlights to the viewers that the men are in the woods. The image also shows the forest as very deserted and hardly any trees are present. I think this is shown to allow the audience to understand that there is no where for the characters to hide and that if they needed help, they would be very far away from any town or village. Therefore, the scene gives the audience the elements of shock, surprise, suspense and tension. Suspense and tension are built up during this scene because they are waiting for the audience know that bad things are going to happen because it is conventional within a thriller film for something to go wrong when the characters are alone and away from everybody. Surprise and shock are present within this scene because when the audience see the children in such a way, they would not have expected them to be like this, therefore, making the shocked and surprised. Low key lighting is conventional within a thriller film because it allows the audience to feel more tension as they can barely see what is going on, therefore making their emotions and feelings heightened. Also, within this scene, the majority of the background is black. Black represents many things such as darkness and evil. This could make the audience aware that something inside of this cabin is dark and evil. It is almost as if they are given a warning. The black is conventional because it is giving the viewers a hidden warning and this allows them to be more aware when they find out what is in the cabin aswell as the characters.

The next element that is makes up mise en scene is the positioning of characters/objects. Within the scene, i noticed this image. The audience aswell as I can see that the way this man is standing fully facing the front tells us that he is scared about what is to the left of him. I believe that he doesn't want to move a single muscle in his body because the children will notice if he moves. As they have not been looked after properly and have been taught to be more like animals than humans, they would most probably attack him. Another reason which leads me to believe that he is frightened is because of the way his eyes are looking downwards and from this image the audience can tell that his eyes move very slowly. From this the audience feel scared because they can't fully see what is there, due to the low key lighting. This makes them anxious to see what is near him but at the same time they don't want to see because they know that they will be afraid. This body positioning is conventional within the thriller genre because in most films the audience see the victims, aswell as other characters, facing this way to not get noticed by the possible antagonist.

In conclusion, i believe that mise en scene is an important factor to look out for when researching about thrillers. They help the audience to understand what is happening and what has happened. I have now realized that I would like to include more of the mise en scene elements that I hadn't thought that I would have wanted. For example, I would like to include more low key lighting, this makes the scene appear to be more dark, therefore, making the viewers understand that the scene will be more dark. It also hints to the audience that they will be scared within the upcoming scene.  It also allows us to point out key features that can influence the way the viewers see things and what makes each film we analyse a good thriller/