Genre Conventions: Mise-en-scene

Genre Conventions: Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene: The arrangement of the scenery, props, etc. On the stage of a theatrical production or on the set of a film.

Traditional horror films have the same scenery, either a forest or a haunted house. This is because these places look scary, creating a subliminal message that the audience should be scared. However, many films have had different settings to these. Films such as Carrie, Prom Night, House on Sorority Row, The Initiation and Urban legend are set in a school. This is to target the teenage audience and show that something so horrific can happen in an ordinary place. Films which are set in places such as space or the countryside are particularly terrifying as it implies that the characters are alone and stranded. Space differs from our usual experiences, reinforcing fear of the unknown.

The costumes used in horrors are usually everyday wear. This is so that the audience can relate more to the characters and it makes the film seem more real.

In my Film: 

In terms of scenery we chose to set this film in a house which was built in 1864 as this gives the film an 'old haunted look'. This house was significant as it looks homely inside and doesn't look too 'try hard' however the stone floors and brick walls make the house look just that bit more creepy than the standard house. For the attic scenes we filmed them in the same house due to the fact that the attics are not used and it gave these scenes a more gothic dark look as it looks more abandoned. For the attic my only criticism is that I could have filled it up with some boxes and random items so that it went with the script which states "its almost as if they left the whole house in the attic" this problem is not that noticeable however I feel that it is a downfall to our film.

The props were a big part of the film as the film was based around a Ouija board, This was the main prop and we had to ensure that it looked authentic. The group first purchased a board from Ebay however this turned out to be too small, on a tight schedule we made the decision to print off a Ouija board from the internet on to A3 paper, and stick it to a piece a wood which I cut to the correct size, to create the illusion that this was a real board. We used candles to set the atmosphere, we chose both tea lights and church candles create a eerie vibe. Candles are commonly used and linked to spiritualism so it was fitting that we feature candles in this film. Every prop in this film is set to be old fashioned, this is to keep up the ghostly appearance, due to the attic scene being a huge part of the film every prop used in this has a rustic look, the ladders were old and rickety and I believe that this is key as to keep up the gloomy and predominantly gothic look of the film.

For the characters we chose to keep the looks simple as to keep portraying them as normal teenagers. For one of the main character's Riley; we chose for her to wear skinny jeans and a crop top. This is because its a popular fashion trend among teenagers today and this look is also paired with the popular 'girly girl' connotations, this fits Riley's character profile perfectly. The next character Malia, is set to wear mostly the same outfit as Riley and Malia are in the same social group and social class. We chose for Malia to wear a denim jacket as this is a popular fashion trend and again implies that she is classed under the 'popular' social group. The fact that they are wearing mostly the same clothes is reinforcing that they have similar attitudes and are best friends. The last girl in the film is Mackenzie, Mackenzie wears something which is slightly different a she wears a simple top and a cardigan, this fits into the 'quiet girl' stereotype however her outfit still makes it look like she could fit in with Riley and Malia. Both boys are featured in simple clothing, both wearing black and white which could portray they're 'black and white' (simple attitude) to the Ouija board. Jace is wearing brands like Adidas and Nike, these brands are quite popular however they resemble either a 'chav' look or a sporty type. Any of these connotations can be used to describe Jace. Eli is wearing simply jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket, this is to resemble that in the character profiles I described him as a 'simple guy'. We intended for Eli to be nerdy introvert type, the fact that he wears glasses is helpful in this.

The lighting used in this film is mostly low-key lighting. The Ouija board scene is kept completely in the dark, however we plan to work with candles and flashlights to make the actors be seen. The darkness makes a scarier atmosphere, and makes all of the scenes more suspenseful and gloomy. The lighting in the house that we plan to film in is quite dim and this can cause problems while filming, therefore we plan to film in the day so that natural light comes through the windows and maybe helps with the camera quality.