Quarter 2: Week 1-Mise-en-Scene
I chose to do this post based off of an episode of New Girl.
First, you can notice the setting. Since the show is about four roommates in their thirties living in LA, the show takes place in two main places: the apartment/loft and a bar. While they do visit other places, this is where the majority of the show is filmed. At one point in the episode, two of the characters are yelling at each other in a car while following the other two characters in a different car. Shallow space is used here to give the viewer the feeling that they are right there in the car with them. Later, there is a deep space setting, where Winston is seated alone at the table, but a line of angry customers awaits by the hostess stand. While the action of the scene is between Winston and the hostess in the background, the deep space allows for a feeling of separation.
Later in the episode, Jess is filmed in a bar with her friend Cece. Since they are feeling guilty and acting suspicious, the low key lighting here helps add to the mood. Later in the episode, when Jess is in her classroom at work, they use high key lighting, which fits the area, as most schools tend to be well lit.
Costume is also very important in this show. First, Nick is shown as a very slobbish, childish, and broke character. As such, his clothes are always untidy and baggy and usually in darker colors. Jess on the other hand is a bright and bubbly character and always wears colorful skirts with crazy tops. The costumes also match the time period. The show takes place in 2012 and so the outfits are modern and fit the time.
An example of staging is apparent when they are in the loft. During the Halloween episode, Jess, Nick, and Winston are all in the empty room next door sneaking around on the computer. In the shot, they are seen in the foreground and Schmidt is seen peeking in the background. While not the center of attention, Schmidt’s action is very important for the plot development of the show and stands out in the plain background of the room.
While New Girl is a modern show that may not appear to have obvious uses of miss-en-scene, the setting provides the modern feel of LA and the acting and blocking of the characters is very effective in developing the story. It is clear that different aspects of mise en scene are thus used in a variety of shows and movies.
First, you can notice the setting. Since the show is about four roommates in their thirties living in LA, the show takes place in two main places: the apartment/loft and a bar. While they do visit other places, this is where the majority of the show is filmed. At one point in the episode, two of the characters are yelling at each other in a car while following the other two characters in a different car. Shallow space is used here to give the viewer the feeling that they are right there in the car with them. Later, there is a deep space setting, where Winston is seated alone at the table, but a line of angry customers awaits by the hostess stand. While the action of the scene is between Winston and the hostess in the background, the deep space allows for a feeling of separation.
Later in the episode, Jess is filmed in a bar with her friend Cece. Since they are feeling guilty and acting suspicious, the low key lighting here helps add to the mood. Later in the episode, when Jess is in her classroom at work, they use high key lighting, which fits the area, as most schools tend to be well lit.
Costume is also very important in this show. First, Nick is shown as a very slobbish, childish, and broke character. As such, his clothes are always untidy and baggy and usually in darker colors. Jess on the other hand is a bright and bubbly character and always wears colorful skirts with crazy tops. The costumes also match the time period. The show takes place in 2012 and so the outfits are modern and fit the time.
An example of staging is apparent when they are in the loft. During the Halloween episode, Jess, Nick, and Winston are all in the empty room next door sneaking around on the computer. In the shot, they are seen in the foreground and Schmidt is seen peeking in the background. While not the center of attention, Schmidt’s action is very important for the plot development of the show and stands out in the plain background of the room.
While New Girl is a modern show that may not appear to have obvious uses of miss-en-scene, the setting provides the modern feel of LA and the acting and blocking of the characters is very effective in developing the story. It is clear that different aspects of mise en scene are thus used in a variety of shows and movies.
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