Research Part 5: Mise-en-scene Codes

                                                                           Introduction

Revisiting the elements of Mise-en- Scene, they include Setting, Acting, Props, Lighting, Set Design, Hair, Makeup, Costumes, Composition, and Color. These elements are thoroughly explained in preliminary exercises five through six and helped our production team along the way as reference for the information inputted in our charts below. To add, the use of framing and tone can drastically impact how those elements are perceived on screen, as through framing, sound (music, dialogue, and sound effects), visual effects (that set the stone) the audience’s sense are manipulated to immerse in the world of film before them, and “White Noise,” will be explored through the lens of its use of these components incorporated in their film. The sections discussing setting and set design were researched, analyzed and annotated by Peyton P and Lexi M, while the rest of the research was done by Marley B and Lexi M’s team effort, and I ensured to site the information used for each section.  

                                                                                               Setting

Elements	Denote each element noticed in the film opening.	Indicate connotations that support the genre. How do the setting elements indicate or support the genre and storytelling of the film opening? Provide codes to support your answers.
Time of day	Afternoon	At the beginning of the film opening, as the family leaves the frame, you can see outside of the grocery store. The sky is not dark; therefore, we can disprove that the setting is at night/sunset.   Also, the store looks crowded at the end of the opening, so it does not seem like it would be early in the morning either. Stores are usually crowded during the afternoon or midday.
• Time period	In the 80s	In the film opening, there is a slight tinge of greenish/gray. This specific coloring gives the film its 80s vibe.
• Location	A grocery store or supermarket	The opening of the film takes place in a supermarket/grocery store. In this grocery store, every item is perfectly organized, indicating that this society is “perfect.”
• Climate / Season	Spring or Summer	The opening takes place in the spring or summer season. This is because of the clothes that the characters are wearing. (i.e., short skirts, high-waisted trousers). These types of clothing were trending during the 80s during the warmer seasons.
Geography• Landscape or Outdoors / City / Country / Sea / Land / Desert.	In the suburbs	In the opening, we do not get to see the outdoors. But the movie takes place in a suburban town in Ohio.
• Culture / People (Moral attitudes/ core beliefs.)	That there are no imperfections in their society	From the opening, the people are perfectly coordinated. No one is an outcast, and everyone seems to fit in well with each other. They are dancing in unison.
• Social and Economic status	Middle class, middle-upper class	The supermarket looks big with a variety of name brand options in the background, indicating that the area where the film takes place is wealthy.

                               Set Design

An extremely organized supermarket aisle containing bread and juice. 

The checkout area of the supermarket with the different aisles in the background. 

The the meticulously, neatly arranged rows and aisles are meant to emphasize the the "perfect" setting of which the film took place. The characters' cheery, happy-go-lucky expression, and spontaneous dancing establishes suspense and creates suspense and further adds to the deep, unsettling tone of the film, and its lyrics, "you and I will know that- but a future approver may need a prompt from you as the preparer," and indicate a juxtaposition between the film's message and the actions of the characters. The overstimulating, atmosphere and upbeat dancing from the shoppers reinforces the comedy genre in "White Noise."

It is worth noting, that the strategic use of well-organized food items adds to the comfortable, ordered, systematic lifestyles that the characters live in, which is meant to set the audiences expectations for catastrophic events the later occur in the movie.

 

Props

 

- The props that were used in this scene were plastic bags. The employees were throwing them up in the air and then they got a new one after. This shows how carefree the people are and it adds humor as it is not typical to throw plastic bags in the air. 

-The prop that was used in this scene was a shopping cart. The shopping cart is placed in the middle of the family with the youngest child sitting in the cart. This shows how they have a strong bond together, as they are all walking together with the cart. This can potentially show a drama genre later in the film as it can indicate that their bond may be separated in the future. 

The actions of the the shoppers in the scenes above establish how the film is meant to be interpreted. To explain, acting is done through the characters characters action throughout a storyline, which all contributes to the development of the plot. These actions include but are not limited to: gestures, facial expressions, voice tones and qualities, rhythm, and how each of those elements correlates to the drama and theatric in the semiotics of acting. For example, Jack Gladney (the protagonist) is set apart for his distinct blank facial expressions, loose, eccentric sense of style, and quirky attitudes towards his strangely, face-paced reality. Images below demonstrates Jack's character that is exemplified throughout the movie.

Acting

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elements	Definitions	How do the acting elements define meaning from the character and support the film’s genre?
		Document the acting elements of the chosen character.	Indicate the signs and connotations that support the genre.
Appearance	the way that someone or something looks	The appearance of Jack Gladney is ominous and uncanny. He looks like he is hiding something. His hands are low in front of him.	His body language shows his hands positioned in a small clasp, and hung lowly in front of him, which signifies either a lack of confidence or nervousness.
Facial expression	A form of non-verbal communication in which an affect display is communicated via the face	Jack Gladney’s facial expressions appear as perplexed, lost in focus (blank), pondering or in deep thought of something, and distressed.	Distressed, and perturbed facial expressions are commonly seen in horror films to indicate a character’s anxiety in an unfamiliar environment or dangerous situation.
Body Language: Gestures, posture, and body contact.	a range of nonverbal signals that used to communicate feelings and intentions	-Gestures: Hands are drooped to his sides, or are tucked into his jacket    -Posture: Slouched and leaned-forward    -Body Contact: Jack is mainly shown in solitude throughout the film, despite being surrounded by his extended family.	The combination of those gestures conveys the idea of Jack being an understated, relatable protagonist that the audience of this film is meant to resonate with. His emotionless blank expressions, at times, portray a common feeling of overstimulation and lethargy.
Vocal qualities: Tone of voice, accent, pace of speech.	the sound quality of a person's voice	-Tone/ Pitch: Low-pitched, masculine, low inflection, stressed, slurred speech to complement the laidback, neutral persona of his character    -Accent: Mid-western, American English    -Speech Pace: Free-flowing, slow-speech (which contributes to his deep voice), and stretched word patterns	The monotony and slow-paced patterns of his tone correspond with his persona of an average American navigating everyday struggles amidst a busy world.
Personality	the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character	-Intelligent  -Curious   -Risk Taker  -Quiet  -Disassociate	In some scenes, Jack Glaudney has an unsettling look on his face, which shows his disassociate trait. Also, he is often mute, as seen in the film opening.
Role	an actor's part or character plot, which contributes to the development of a film.	-Protagonist  -Narrator of the film  -Previous divorce, now engaged, college professor, intelligent, witty comic relief, and teaches Hitler Studies/ the Nazis.	At the beginning of the film opening, the camera focuses on Jack and his wife for a bit. You can see the disturbing look on his face, which brings the audience’s eyes to him. With this subtle detail, we can see how important he is to the story, considering that he is the only one of his family members that has that look on his face.
Actions	The role of the character determines expected acts.	-As the film’s protagonist, he teaches at College on the Hill and goes about camping, grocery shopping with his family, during his daily overstimulating life.	-By following a regular routine of everyday activities, Jack signifies one who lives an average life, yet at times can still become emotionally blank/numb and fall under pressure from anxieties of life.

Based on this information about Jack's physical attributes, actions, emotions, voice, and facial expressions, it becomes evident as a to why Adam Driver was casted to play his role as the protagonist in this film. For instance, Adam Driver fit the role for Jack Gladney because he had defined facial features that would fit an eerie professor look. Greta Gerwig fit the role for Babetta because her soft features go well with the role of a loving mother and spouse. In which the two individuals balance each other out and correspond well with each other. 

Costumes, Hair, Hair and Makeup

Additionally, the costumes, hair, and makeup had a significant impact on this film. Costumes are defined as the clothing strategically picked by wardrobe designers to pick attire that suits a character in a film best. Hair and makeup are usually done by profession makeup artists and hair stylist behind a set as an actor's entourage, who can manipulate the perceptions of those actor's facial feature and overall physical appearance, which all influence how the audience views their character. In the case of this film, the team of professional stylists used their skills to change the styles of each character to fit the 1980's theme, the events that took place in the film, and the upper-middle class social status of the Gladney family. These elements portray characters to have vibrant, loud, eccentric, and dramatic lives.

 

Images	Document visual signs by observing the period, character’s station (social standing), sense of place, color, tone, style, etc.)	What does the costume indicate about the character, setting, and purpose of the story?
Hair and makeup	The main cast has hairstyles that were popular in the 80s. For example, one of the characters, Babbette (played by Greta Gerwig) wears a previously popular hairstyle from the 80s.	The hair and makeup (like the curly hair Babbette’s character has) further accentuates the year the characters are living in. It also makes the viewers understand how different the world was during that era.
Costume	The costumes worn by the characters really reflect the time that the film takes place in. These costumes were trending outfits from the 80s.	Same with hair and makeup, the costume plays a crucial role in emphasizing when this movie took place. The bright clothing and the eccentric style contrasts with what is happening in this scene (the dancing); The clothing gives the audience a false sense of security.

Color

With all of the previous elements explored above, each could be affected by the use of color in a film and how it is perceived by the audience. In preliminary exercises five and six, they refer to color frequently as color can create connotations about certain characters, their attitudes, or the general atmosphere of the film. Colors can evoke psychological and emotional responses in the audience, as well. For example, red typically establishes the horror/ or romance genre of a film, could signify blood, imminent danger, or love and could evoke a sense of fear or excitement in viewers.

Codes	Meaning
setting	The calculated use of color in this film gives the setting an uncanny feeling. The radiant colors of the shopping aisles, or the vibrant theme colors of the grocery store make the audience believe that the film is upbeat and regular, when it is not.
lighting	The lighting in the film is bright, but it has a strange feeling to it. 
The set design (décor and props)	The props (like the items in the aisle) were colorful and full of life. This contrasts with the unnatural feeling we get from the acting in this scene.
Costume, makeup, and hair	Most of the characters in the opening film were wearing colorful, lively clothes. In the main cast, only three characters were wearing darker clothes. This signifies a contrast in personalities, which could be a main factor in the disaster upcoming later in the movie.
Character	Most of the characters wear vivid and lively clothes.

With the help of colors, this film was able to build suspense through contrasting and emphasizing character accessories and color palettes worn by characters (like Babette, for instance) and the create an atmosphere of lightheartedness and brightness. For example, bright colors combined with the giddy attitudes of the characters in White Noise contribute to the comedic factor in the film’s genre by establishing an ironic contrast between what occurs on-screen versus the reality of the message. These subtle cues can give clues t the audience as to what the film intends to embody and communicates. The message of this film was clearly communicated through the production team's use of bright colors, such a light blues, greens, and vibrant/ neon pinks, and even a few dark colors like navy blue (to neutralize the otherwise over exaggerated flamboyance, to not be too overwhelming), which all illustrated dramatic archetypes of characters with bright, fun personalities.

Composition

Composition is described as the arrangement of visual elements (like props or buildings) in a shot for an intended purpose. One aspect of composition is that the process of blocking is included when arranging  scenery and visuals of a scene. Blocking is is directing your audience's eyes to where you want them to look, and what you want them to feel. In the picture below, everyone standing has their arms out but the boy on the left, creating the focus on him. The producer directed the characters to focus to exclude him, predicting a future event. 

High Key Lighting

The concept of lighting in film could either add emphasis specific scenes and give spotlight to certain characters, or could conceal or darken certain scenes of the film to keep the audience at the edge of their seats in suspense. Lighting is an element of quality light used to create the tone, mood, and atmosphere used to provide a sense of meaning towards the audience. This film exemplifies high-key lighting which signifies a sense a security and familiarity is creates a buoyant, easygoing. The images below demonstrates an example of White Noise's high key lighting.

Furthermore, tone is the attitude that producers and creators have towards towards a subject. The production teams behind this film (A24 and Heyday Films) sought to capture the essence of casual, wealthy, and stable daily life, that is meant to be a set up for later events that cause the Gladney family misfortune. Ultimately, this highlights the uncertainty of life despite seemingly secure circumstances and is a testament to the fast-paced culture the world is in. In the opening scene of this film, the overall tone being reciprocated was eerie and unsettling. One factor that plays into the eerie tone is color, in which various hues of light greens contrasted with shades of dark grey, create an eccentric mixture of colors meant to give the audience an upset, overstimulated feeling. 

Sources:

-DeGuzman, K. (2023). Set Design in Film — Process and Purpose Explained. [online] StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-set-design-in-film-definition/#:~:text=Set%20design%2C%20also%20known%20as.

‌-StudioBinder. (n.d.). Filmmaking Techniques: How to Block a Film Scene. [online] Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/filmmaking-techniques-film-blocking/#:~:text=Film%20blocking%20is%20not%20only.

-Adobe (n.d.). What is framing in photography. [online] www.adobe.com. Available at: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/hub/guides/what-is-framing-in-photography.html#:~:text=Framing%20in%20photography%20refers%20to.