'Prom night' opening scene M-E-S

Mise-en-scene refers to everything in the scene. It consists of five elements; settings and iconography, costume, hair and make up, facial expressions,body language,lighting and colour as well as the positioning of characters and objects within the frame. 

In the above sequence of prom night, a variety of mise-en-scene has been used. The scene is set in a ball room which gives the false impression of a calm environment in a location where danger is not expected. This is used to mislead the audience, preventing them from predicting the events. Although this may not be seen as a conventional location of the thriller genre, it is a real-life situation. Therefore it has an essence of realism; the theme being a common fear of many individuals. This is conventional as the audience is able to relate to the fear felt by the character.

Significant iconography has been used seen with examples such as the envelope that held the results stating who was going to be crowned prom king and queen.This shows how iconography has an emotional impact on the characters as everyone seemed anxious and desperate to find out the results which was prevented by the alarm going off.        

However a more significant element of iconography is the fire extinguisher which the antagonist breaks through the door with. The iconography is bright red which connotes danger that is also associated with the antagonist. The colour red is conventional to the thriller genre as it is sub-consciously associated with blood and potential death.

This connotation is also conveyed with a knife which is yet another example of effective iconography. The knife being held by the antagonist when threatening the victim instantly presents the man as a menacing character. It is sharp and instantly represents pain that the antagonist desires to inflict upon the victim. 

The costumes that are seen throughout the scene are formal suits and dresses which are not associated with the events of the scene;showing the spontaneous way in which the plot unfolds. The antagonist is revealed to be a middle aged man with a rough unshaven appearance. His black casual clothing has a connotation of danger with a baseball hat slightly covering his identity.The look in his eyes instantly illustrates his psychotic approach towards the victim. This contrasts against the blonde hair and nude colour of the victim's clothing that connote innocence and purity. The victim being a fragile and innocent female is a common convention seen in thriller films. Not only in the way the victim is portrayed but also how the thriller portrays the female gender. This convention also applies to the antagonist which also follows the generic conventions i.e. black clothing. 

The lighting used throughout most of the scene is low key as it creates dark shadows which convey a fearful atmosphere. It is also used for greater impact when the antagonist comes into the light from the darkness. Dark lightening is conventional to the thriller genre as it promotes suspense and mystery.It also hides the antagonist's identity and creates an enigma as to who it is. Flickering light is also a feature used to foretell the killer's presence, intensifying the scene. The darkness of scenes is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a fear of the unknown. Shadowing is also conventional as it prevents the audience from being exposed to everything instantly. Instead, tension is built which allows significant recognition of certain elements. 

The positioning of the characters varies throughout the scene. However, one of the most prominent uses of positioning has been achieved in the hotel suite scene. In this scene, the victim is shown next to the closet where the mirror shows the antagonist behind her. The victim being central in the frame makes her the main focus. The antagonist's hand is seen coming out of the darkness which is conventional as his identity is not revealed instantly. His hand suggests his presence to the audience yet not to the on-screen character which creates tension when viewing the scene.

The facial expressions and body language give an insight into the emotions felt by the characters. When the security alarm goes off, the students seem unaware of the seriousness of the situation and do not act upon instruction instantly. This is shown by their slow movement and lack of action. A more suited reaction can be seen by the victim who is faced with a life-threatening situation. Shock and fear is presented when the victim attempts to escape from the killer.This is conventional of a thriller as it creates tension which is felt by the audience. It allows a connection to be built between the character and audience who are able to empathize with the character's predicament.

This research will assist me when creating my thriller as it has provided me with knowledge concerning all elements of the scene. It has enabled me to understand how mise-en-scene must be planned clearly as it has a great impact on the audience.