Mis en scene

Still Image:

Scott Pilgrim Vs the World

The main character in this still is Scott Pilgrim, from Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim Vs the World. With him in the shot, is what appears to be one of the first several villains in the film while two of his band mates look on, holding guitars. The still was taken only a small amount of time into the movie, during the battle of the bands. The setting of the still is on a stage as there is equipment scattered around the room. This is also supported by the rigging in the back and the stage lights.

The characters appear to be wearing, everyday average costumes, that the audience would wear. This may be the director's attempt at allowing the audience to relate to the Protagonist, allowing you to feel sympathy for him throughout the rest of the film when facing difficulties.

Immediately we are drawn to the comic book illustration aspects of the movie. The bright white text is an electric and bold font, one of the key aspects of comic book text - it is used as an onomatopoeia. Here, the sound comes from the protagonist punching what appears to be one of the first of the seven villains of the film. 

Around the protagonist's fist, are smoky circles, presenting the power, effect and movement of the punch, similar to that in comic books. The villain, appears to be flying backwards from the power of the punch. he radiates white light, which further impacts how powerful the punch comes across. 

Despite the fact it features some aspects of low-key lighting, it is in fact high-key, using bold lights and colours. This creates a comic-book-esque scene as it boldness means it appears in your face and stands out, as well as through the use of light and dark contrasting. Perhaps, the director was trying to allude that the unrealistic could be real. 

Film Extracts:

Guardians of the Galaxy clip

The advanced technology of the setting in the scene, suggest that they reside on a space ship, however, it does not suggest whether it is set in the future or present. The characters vary in the clip, most appearing extra-terrestrial-like. The only normal humanoid appears to be the main protagonist, who is garbed in a red ravager jacket, blue top and jeans - making it appear as though he is from earth. The other two, more peculiar humanoids are the green girl, with dark and purple hair, dressed in a tight futuristic assassin's clothing and the blue man with red carvings in his body, who is wearing just trousers. The other to beings in the scene, resemble a tree-like being (groot) and a racoon (rocket). Groot appears to be wearing nothing and rocket is wearing a small futuristic suit. This suggests that they are from space or at least have been bio-engineered. The characters are sitting in a circle, and their angry, frustrated and yet humourous facial expressions, dialogue and body language indicates that they are arguing about a plan to defeat the main villain of the film, Ronan the accuser. Their argument brings a humorous element to the clip, like it does to most of the film, which will appeal to comic book fanatics who enjoy that aspect of the guardians of the galaxy comics. The lighting is low-key, pointing towards the unrealistic nature of the film and it's storyline.The dim lighting causes the colouring in the scene to be mainly dark or appear to be so.

Mad Max: Fury Road

The scene starts at a quick pace and is located in a desolate desert filled with dunes. The main character is driving a vehicle which appears to be dystopian, as it is dirty and damaged, seemingly undesirable, like the setting. It shows that perhaps, the people who live in the world have lost hope and some have even lost their sanity. The characters are being chased by other people on similar looking bikes, trying to bomb the car, causing it to catch a light. Inside the main car, is a bunch of female sitting in the back of the vehicle, dressed in decrepit clothes that have worn away, and the main female in the front with a gun and prosthetic arm, and the main character driving. The use of the gun suggests that it is a thriller, not just a dystopian post-apocalyptic movie. The makeup on their faces suggest that they haven't cleaned themselves in ages as it is essentially dirt, which links back to the theme of the dystopian society, where nothing is the same and people are trying to kill you, so your main concern wouldn't be your hygiene. They also have added quite a lot of scars to their faces, showing the audience they have been through a lot. The lighting is high-key due to the natural light source from the sun, implying that it is realistic and therefore, the director wants the audience to believe that this could happen in real life and could be our future when oil runs out. Their facial expressions and body language vary. The girls in the back of the car appear apprehensive and scared, whilst the two in the front appear more serious, protective and aggressive. This implies they are protecting the girls. 

Dreamgirls

By the style of clothes the characters in the scene are wearing, you would be able to infer that the movie is set during either the 1960's and 70's. The main focus is on the characters on stage, who are performing at a theatre, showing that they are R&B performers or want to be. This would make sense since the 1960's and 70's were key moments in the history of R&B, specifically for African-Americans as they started the genre. It is suggested that it is a talent contest since there are judges just in front of the stage, who seemed extremely impressed by the vocals and talent of the girls. All three girls have afros and are wearing classy clothing and make-up, supporting the fact they are performing. The man behind stage, has slicked back hair, and his dress code is very formal, suggesting he is a business man, and most business men who are at these types of shows are scouting talent, which the audience can imply he is doing. The lighting is quite dim through the rest of the setting, except for the stage to allow the audience to focus on them. The girls are putting a lot of effort into their performance due to the amount of dancing (body language) they are doing. The girl in the middle is the main focus of attention in the clip, because she appears to be the centre of the group and the main singer, which is emphasised by the arrangement of them.