When experimenting with unpicking images, scenes from tv shows in class and even my own pictures I take, I have noticed that every part of the image is talked about and noticed by the viewer. This means the focus, the lighting, the mise en scene and the angle all have a big impact on the overall outcome of the image.
When wanting to take the perfect image, you have to make sure every aspect of your camera (aperture and shutter speed) is how you wish for it to be so the final image is perfect.We watched a few clips in class and unpicked them to gain an understanding on what we need to look for in clips/images for future reference. Many techniques were used such as the camera angle, the movement of the camera following a character and also the mise en scene used in the image. This helped my understanding of how important everything in the shot is.
Now I am able to unpick an image from a scene; to put this into practice, here is an image from the TV show Pretty Little Liars where the characters are trapped in a ‘dolls house’ with a stalker haunting them.
This is a good example of a midshot wide angle. This is because you can’t see the whole body of anyone and everyone fits in the shot so it is a wide angle.
The camera will have had a high shutterspeed in order to not let much light into the image. This is known because of the dark gloomy lighting. The aperture will also be low as the aperture is how much light is coming into the lense.
It will also have been a tracking shot because it will have followed the girls down the hallway. In the scene there was also a few panning shots between the 5 girls and the villain in black who was the other side of the room.
In the foreground there is 5 women looking very confused and scared, this may be because they’re looking out for the figure that is lurking in the background. The very dark gloomy lighting connotes the mysteriousness and tension of the scene.
Now I will unpick the mise-en-scene of the image.
C- The actresses’ costumes are very formal, these being floor length ball gown dresses. This is most likely to portray the fact that they are trapped in a dolls house and are supposedly dressed as dolls.
L- The lighting in this image is noticeably dark, this is intentional to give off a tense, scary atmosphere
A- Acting, the acting in this looks quite minimal due to the nervousness on the girls faces, in the scene nobody really says anything as they’re too focused looking out for the man dressed in black.
M- The makeup in this image isn’t the most noticeable as it is a midshot, however in other images in the scene the makeup is slightly more obvious. For example a few of the girls have dark eyeshadow to emphasise their eyes and to tie in with the style and colour of their dresses.
P- In this scene, there are little to no physical props being used, at least not visible in this image but within the episode props such as beds and teddy bears were visible. However, the man dressed in black in the background could be seen as a prop as he has no speaking lines, he is just a figure.
S- The setting of this image looks almost as if it were taken underground, this is because there is little light entering the building and as if it were coming from the roof. It looks like a spacious building because of the long never-ending hallway they are standing in. This setting makes the image look more real and as if the girls are actually lost.
