Research: Mise en scene: costume, body language and facial expressions: Miss Begum

Costume, Body Language and Facial Expressions.

Costume, Body language and Facial Expressions.
The costume in a film helps the audience understand more about a character. This can guide the audiences attention to particular personalities or traits. Different costumes in films have different representations. The body language of a character is due to certain actions. The movements they make can represent various things about them and about how they are feeling. Facial expressions show the audience how the character is feeling. Every genre has a certain set of connotations grouped together that are portrayed through costume, hair , body language and facial expression. All these things help the audience draw meaning and understand the narrative of the film better.

Costume, hair and make-up: discuss connotations and stereotypes of characters and clothing (hair and make-up)

Costume hair and make-up have various connotations and colour types. These are:

• light colours - innocence and vulnerability

When a character is dressed in light colours it connotes that they are weak and that they are not a threat or a danger to anyone. They are there to good and not harm anyone.

• tight clothes - confidence and strength

This shows that the character is brave and is on a mission. They do not intend to be defeated or to be shown as weak.

• leather clothes - strong, precise and accurate

Leather clothes connote that the person is strong and not easily broken.

• masks - mystery, secretive and they conceal

Masks are used to play psychological games and add mystery to the narrative.

• red - blood, violent, romance and danger

The colour red shows death and danger. Red represents emotions such as anger and frustration.

• suit wearing antagonist - dangerous and sneaky

A villain that wears a suit shows that they know what they are doing and that they have a plan.

• suit wearing protagonist - smart and bold

A hero that wears a suit is showing that they are brave and well educated.

• normal clothing - weak and regular

A person in regular clothes show that they are not expecting trouble so they are more vulnerable to being a victim.

• uniform - authority, power and order

A uniform shows that the person has a specific job to do and that they are smart and brave.

All these thing a specific to the thriller genre and help the spectator draw meaning from the way the character is.

Stereotypical victim/protagonist - use examples

A stereotypical victim/protagonist is usually dressed in light colours to portray that they are innocent and don't want to harm anyone. This works in a film because the audience do not link light colours and danger together. An example of this is the girl from scream, before the antagonists phones her.

Stereotypical antagonist - use examples

A stereotypical antagonist wears dark colours to show that they are dangerous and mysterious. They usually mask their identity so they are never caught. They wear dark make up and make themselves look distorted. An example of a antagonist that portrays all of this is The Joker.

 

Body language: discuss representations and meaning to the audience and expectations.

The body language of a character is important in a thriller film. It must satisfy the expectations of your audience if you want your film to do well. In a thriller film the victim usually portrays that that they are scared or uncomfortable by using body language, this could be anything from crouching down into a ball or cover there mouths because of shock. The body language of a character can tell you more than the actual words they say, it adds meaning to the narrative.

Stereotypical victim/protagonist - use examples

The stereotypical body language of a victim/protagonist is that they are usually portrayed as weak so they hardly have any upper body strength. They are usually very timid and distressed. Their heads are usually bowed down.

 

Stereotypical antagonist - use examples

A stereotypical antagonist is usually standing up tall with very good body posture. They are quite bold and do not look like they are scared of anything.  An antagonist is someone who comes across intimidating and aggressive, they often tower over their target.

 

 

 

 

Facial expressions: discuss representations and meaning to the audience and expectations.

The facial expressions of a character tell us how they feel in the scenario they have been put in. The audience need to be able to tell their characters expression so they can understand the narrative of the film better and so the director doesn't lose their audience.

Stereotypical victim/protagonist - use examples

The facial expressions of a victim usually shows the character screaming, crying, frowning and crouching. They are made to look weak and vulnerable so the story is sold to the audience watching it. The facial expressions are used to make the audience feel the same as the character so they can relate to the scenario.

Stereotypical antagonist - use examples 

The facial expressions of a antagonist show that they are there to cause pain and invite danger. They are usually shown laughing or smiling. Their expressions are sometimes distorted so the audience cant really tell what emotions they are feeling. This helps the narrative of the film by keeping things a mystery. The expression of an antagonist is used to strike fear into their protagonist and the audience at the same time.



Thriller scene analysis. Analyse a scene identifying the use of costume, body language and facial expressions - use PEER

In this scene the use of costume is used to show that the boy is innocent, you can tell this by his fair hair and the light colours he was wearing. Even though his mother is wearing light colours, you can tell she is the villain because of the way her body language is, towering over the child. Another part of her body language that is obvious is that she is frowning and when she is speaking her mouth is very tightly closed, showing that she is angry. You can also tell because her hair and eye make up is really dark compared to the child. The child's body language shows that he is attentive because he is looking up at her making eye contact. The people in normal everyday clothes are seen to be innocent but their facial expressions show that they are shocked at what they are watching. You can tell the son and the mother are not part of their everyday life because their make up is extremely obvious compared to the people who are watching them.

Conclusion: what types of costume, hair and make-up, body language and facial expressions are you now planning to use and why?

In my thriller I am planning to pick what my character wear very carefully. I want to use a contrast of light and dark colours to create a psychological effect on my audience. I will use hair and make-up to distort my characters and deceive my audiences view. I will make sure all my characters expressions are clear so my audience can draw emotion and meaning through what they are watching.