Mise-en-scène Case Study

Alice in Wonderland(Live action):

The lighting is dark and the costume Alice is wearing is armor. This symbolizes that she is going to fight, and how it is a dangerous and scary endeavor. The blocking in this shot can be seen as the Jabberwocky is towering over Alice, giving the creature a sense of superiority. The sounds playing during the battle start to slow down, giving a more tense and uneasy feeling as to what is about to happen. The music then switches to a more heroic tone as Alice slays the Jabberwocky. The set design that Alice is standing upon looks unsteady and dangerous, adding to that feeling of uneasiness and tension. The set design also isolates Alice from the rest of the battle happening below her, giving her a sense of vulnerability. There is soft focus in this shot because the scene is not 100% sharp. Soft focus can give off the effect of a dream, and Alice happens to be in a dream while she is in Wonderland.

My Cousin Vinny:

The town in this shot is very rural and traditional looking. However, the two main characters are dressed in black leather, and the girl, Mona Lisa Vito, is in a tight black dress. The lighting is dull and plain, fitting in well with the atmosphere of the city. The costumes therefore pop and are very bold in comparison to the drab city. As for props, Mona is holding a big pink camera, letting the audience know that she is a tourist who is unaware of her surroundings. The car is also dirty, further supporting the fact of how out of place these characters are. This leads to a comedic tone because of how unlikely this situation is. The loud pop music that plays as the two main characters drive into the city further accentuate this difference in lifestyle of these two loud New Yorkers to a quiet town in Alabama. This is shown as the music stops playing as the two actors exit the car. In this shot, there is deep focus because the entire shot is crisp. There is focus on both the actors and the contrasting background. This allows the viewer to notice the huge difference between the actors and the new city they are now in.

Alex Rider(The show):

In this scene, the lighting is very dark, giving an eerie and unsteady feeling about the classroom the student are in. In the set design, there are few desks with few students, making the room seem big. The walls are a darker shade wood, which only adds to the darkness created in the room. Due to the fact that this shot is taken far away behind the classroom to get an overview of the whole room, it makes the class look very long, big, and scary. This could also be known as a long shot. Moreover, the teacher of the class is situated in the front of the room. Due to this blocking, it makes the students seem inferior and vulnerable to whatever might happen in the school. This continues to radiate a spooky and uneasy feeling. The sounds of wind in the background throughout the scene are unsettling and ominous. The same teacher is wearing all black, including a tight turtleneck. This choice of costume creates lots of tension and stiffness throughout the scene. All in all, we can see the new student standing in the center of the room. Due to all of the factors listed above, this new student, Alex, must feel very out of place and nervous.