Mise-en-scene Examples in "American Beauty"

9/21/18

Objective:

IWBAT evaluate how choices in mise-en-scene effect narrative element of the film

IWBAT revise my analysis to maximize specificity and clarity

Reminders:

The permission slip, MES Test

Film

Craft

Mise-en-scene

Narrative

Results of choices

How do these choices affect these results?

Which choices? Which choices have the greatest effects on these shots? The least?

Scene 1

Dominant Feature

Brad Dupree

Colors stick out (depressing colors)

Subsidiary Feature

Painting is Bland

White name tag center + focus

Depth of Field

Shallow D.O.F.

Brand front + center

Scene 2

Depth of Field

Deep, Empty negative space

Shot angle

Looking down

Screen density

Pretty open negative space

How do these choices develop the narrative object of the film?

Screen density

Show the difference between two offices

The difference in character:

Brad: power

K.S: no power

Shot angle

Looking down on KS

Looking up and Dupree

Color:

Bland

Dead-end job

Strong sentences: mise-en-scene choice develops narrative choice

(In-depth +)Specificity__________________________________Clarity (Understandable -)

Today we as a class look at more about mise-en-scene choices in film and talked about a
picture or scene on the Kevin Spacey film "American Beauty". What we've seen in the picture alone is that Kevin Spacey's character is stuck on a job that he does not enjoy at all with the boss looking all mighty and powerful like a dictatorship and Kevin Spacey has no power or even free time in his job. Then the class put down comments for mise-en-scene examples.