Research: Mise En Scene - Settings and Iconography (Miss B)

Settings & Iconography

Mise En Scene (Everything On Screen) consists of five main elements; in this post we explore settings & iconography. These are very important and play a part in every film, whether they be of the thriller genre or not.

Setting is the location in which a scene is shot. The setting almost always links to sound, definitely always acts as a representation of the genre and allows the audience to interpret feelings/emotions of the characters and an understanding of what is going on.

Iconography is objects of significance, aka props, that are vital toward the audience's understanding. Iconography is usually a running theme, for example, in a thriller you would expect to  see weapons - such as a knife.

Different sub-genres within the thriller spectrum can have a variety of setting and iconography according to the genre linked with thrill.

Sub-genres & their typical settings/iconography

   
SCI-FI        |        PSYCHOLOGICAL      |  ACTION     |            CRIME

            

        SETTINGS:                       SETTINGS:                      SETTINGS:               SETTINGS:

       forest/labs/space      home/hospital/suburban          road/urban         business/isolation

      ICONOGRAPHY:              ICONOGRAPHY:            ICONOGRAPHY:    ICONOGRAPHY:

needles/medicine/tech        knifes/dolls/photos           guns/drugs/car          drugs/money




Connotations & denotations


The overall setting within this trailer of The Conjuring is a family home in America. Homes are believed to be safe from the outside world, but as traditional supernatural thrillers go, what you really need to fear is on the inside, among all of the attractive decoration. In the very beginning, the actual camera is facing the door from the inside as the family open it, whereas in reality you would be looking in from the outside. This already suggests that the house is inhabited by something invisible.  The furniture inside of the house looks quite old, maybe antiques, and haunted houses are typically old in children's myths. Later we see a different part of the house, the basement, which is dark, dreary and unwelcome. Perhaps the poltergeist lives here which is why is looks so foreboding and depressing. This setting depicts the family as normal and all victims, because as a family is seen as a unit, it is unlikely in the circumstance of them moving for someone to be an antagonist. 

Iconography within the trailer includes a blindfold, a simple act of playing but more meaningfully suggesting that you can't see the antagonist behind the mysterious activity we are about to see. Personified objects, such as the wardrobe, making the normal house seem paranormal. Falling and breaking photographs of members of the family. This might suggest that they are all going to die, or that their family bonds will be broken at some point.


Conclusion
My thriller idea has aspects of sci-fi and psychological sub-genre. It also includes death, and I have not decided if this will be shown or not, but if so, then a forest setting would suit the sci-fi aspect. The iconography includes an angel and perhaps a weapon. Psychologically, I could find a place to represent a hospital to fulfil the psychological conventions. The iconography would be photographs of the two friends included in my idea, dolls to show their childhood and again, a weapon of some sort.