Mise en scene

Mise en scene analysis - Prom Night

Mise en scene is the manipulation and creation of everything in the scene which the audience can see. It is used to build certain ideas about what is taking place, provide an idea about what a character is like and can help to set the mood of the film. 

The audience is introduced to this scene of Prom Night with all of the cast dressed in expensive looking ball gowns and tuxedos. This is in keeping with the glamourous setting of their school prom which is located in a lavish hotel. 

The setting of the hotel connotes to the audience ideas of fun and glamour, far from the bloodshed and horror that is about to take place. It provides a false sense of security for the audience as they think in a big crowd of people the murders which are conventional to a thriller film are unlikely to happen just yet. 

The way in which the cast is dressed gives us significant clues about the society and culture in which the film is set. It is clear to the audience from the expensive outfits which they are dressed in, that the film is set in a well off part of America, often used as the setting for a conventional thriller film. An example of another film in the thriller genre to use this setting is the Scream film series, where the victims all appear to be from a wealthy part of America.

The face of the stalker is also hidden by a baseball cap, keeping his features in shadow. This is conventional of a thriller film as the identity of the attacker is kept a secret. Unusually in this film, the identity of the stalker is revealed, yet when he features in this scene his face is still kept in shadow.

From the facial expressions and body language of the crowd as they are told they need to evacuate the hotel, it is clear to the audience that they are oblivious to the danger that members of their school may be in. One blonde, female character shows her distraught feelings about the interruption by storming off of the stage. This action highlights to the audience that the drama has yet to unfold, and the cast yet, still remain oblivious. This is a use of dramatic irony as the audience know that something bad is going to happen to them, before the characters have even realised anything is wrong. 

The facial expressions of some members of the cast change, when they begin to realise that one of their friends is missing, and cannot be found in the hotel. This, combined with the loud alarm being played throughout the hotel causes them to worry about what may have happened to her. This is conventional of a thriller film as the characters slowly realise what is happening, long after the audience has figured out that danger for the characters is not far away.

In this scene, lighting is used to convey the urgency of the situation and evacuation to the audience, as the lights flash with every sound of the alarm. This causes suspense and tension to build for the audience as they know that the characters will be in danger if they remain in the hotel for too long. This tension and anxiety is further enhanced when one of the female protagonist - Donna,  goes looking for her missing friend. This connotes to the audience that she in in danger, creating dramatic irony as the audience know that if she wanders off on her own, she will be in danger. Dramatic irony is a convention of a thriller film as the audience usually know more than the audience do as to where the attacker is, or when they have put themselves in danger.

While she is being attacked and pursued by the stalker, Donna is kept in the main focus of the frame, highlighting her importance to the plot of the story, as the object of the stalker's affection, and the reason behind all the drama which is about to unfold. 

Low key lighting is also used in this section of the scene in order to create a dark, threatening mood to the scene, which causes Donna to appear more vulnerable as she appears trapped in the darkness. The shadows which are cast all around the room create a ominous atmosphere in the scene as Donnas fate is left ambiguous, as the audience is unaware whether she will survive. Conventionally, the female protagonist would not survive the attack of the stalker, as she is weak in comparison to the pursuer. This conventional idea therefore builds audience expectations of what is about to take place in the scene, and causes shock when she runs into the police, as she is able to make it out of the scene alive.

From the analysis of mise en scene, I have learnt what impact different aspects of the scene can have on the audience's perception of what is taking place. Low key lighting can have an effect on the atmosphere of the scene, building tension as the events taking place appear more threatening and dangerous. 

By positioning characters in certain places within the frame, the director is able to highlight the significance of certain characters to the plot, and how important they are to the events taking place within that particular scene. 

As well as this, costume, hair and make up provides the audience with information about the characters, highlighting who the innocents are, and who is the powerful and threatening attacker. 

I will try to use as many of these aspects in my thriller film to create the most atmospheric, scary scenes that I can, making sure that all or most of the conventions of a thriller film are included.