ISL Week Four - Mise-en-scene

Media ISL – Week 4

Mise-en-scene

 

Mise-en-scene is the process of setting a stage, with regard to placement of actors, scenery, properties, etc.

I have chosen to look at the television programme ‘Friends’ to see how Mise-en-scene is used to create the programme but also what affect it has on the audience. ‘Friends’ is set in New York City. The show is mainly set in Monica and Chandler's Apartments, is one of the two most used set pieces in the show, creating a link to the audience that means that’s where the drama is set, being a generic place to film the show. As the show is on a set, Mise-en-scene is crucial to have so it creates a ‘real-feel’ to prove to the audience that it is actually happening, convincing enough to be a real place.

Joey and Chandlers apartment is the typical stereotyped male’s apartment. ‘Friends’ set have created this by putting the typical male items in there, for example the football table, the huge television screen etc. As well as having the usual props the locations that they go to show how the typical male is for example, they eat at the breakfast bar, unlike Monica who cooks fresh and eats at a table, it shows the contrast between the two genders, showing how unorganised the men are and are like children who need everything doing for them.

However, in Monica’s apartment it is very homely with photos all around, decorated parts of the house, a nice lounge with the sofa with pillows and blankets, all the personal touches that a female would give her house. She tends to make homemade food and wants to have feedback from it, implying she is proud of what she cooks. Stereotypically, a female is the homemaker and does do the cooking but as she is alone she spends her time cooking for friends, implying she wants people to know how proud she is that she can cook as it is part of her career in the TV show too.

The setting that they are in is New York, some of the show is filmed in Central Park, which has its own touch to the set of showing people coming together showing how close the cast are together, and the types of relationships between the cast. The setting of being in New York is a big city where it is busy all the time and doesn’t stop, implying that’s what they cast of ‘Friends’ do. 

 

Here in this shot, Mise-en-scene makes the scene seem real even though it is on a set. You have the typical house layout of a lounge and a kitchen with all of the typical elements in it. The lighting here is very bright so we see what is actually going on in the set like we would a normal house.
They are wearing the typical costume that normal people would wear on a day to day basis, casual showing that they are relaxing with no extraordinary make up that changes the way they look.

It is a very calm scene with no huge events that is happening portraying that they do live a normal life.

The camerawork shows between a mid and long shot showing the audience the relationship that the actors have with each other making it seem more realistic.

 

 

 

 

However, in this still it is showing the audience a major event that is happening in their life and showing how they go about it. The white dress shows purity and the bridesmaids dress showing a theme throughout the shot, gold being the main colour.

The props that are used are the flowers that the bridesmaids are holding as well as the costume implying where they are going what they are doing and what type of day it is.
The four characters being together shows the close relationship that they have, with the high-lighting, suggests it is a special moment they share as they are close friends and go through big events together.

 

 

 

 

The theme of big events shows how special the moments can be throughout the television series and how much they and us as an audience can change. They are in a key location of the apartment where most of the acting happens, as well as everyone being together to see how close they all are and what happens on a normal day. The costume and make-up that they are wearing is all very normal and something you would expect to see people wearing on a day to day basis proving that they go through events as normal people.
The camerawork shows how everyone has come together for the babies, implying the friendly relationship they all have by showing the main actors all together, possibly and ending scene and a big part of the show for everyone to witness.