Mise-en-scene Project

Mise-en-scene was the next aspect of media that we explored. The term is defined as the arrangement and design of a production, simply put, it is everything that is shown in front of the camera. In our project, we were given a random character description and we were asked to create an interactive and engaging station to represent our given character. The character's physical characteristics, setting, and audio elements have to be based on the description. Our station is meant to be a space where the audience can get to interact and get to know the character through interactive and tactile elements. The project was very flexible, since the description was not detailed, we had room to incorporate our own ideas into this character to make them unique. 

Our character description was "A single bank employee who enjoys taking their dog to the dog park, working out at the gym and binging new tv series. They live alone but often host parties with friends and family." At first, we thought that our character was simple and dull, we thought that it was difficult to create an interesting personality with a bank employee. However, after discussing the different stereotypes and brainstorming, we ended up designing an intriguing character. Our character, named Robert Williams, was successful and living a comfortable life. We added unique elements to make him stand out. He was a balding middle-aged man, he was bisexual, and secretly likes to watch love island. We turned a seemingly bland description into a quirky individual. For Robert's costume and physical appearance design, we put together a look of a millionaire; wearing a suit and tie tailored to his body, showing off his muscular physique. 

We presented Robert by designing his Tinder profile. Since he's single, he would like to find a partner, through his Tinder profile, we can put his personality and traits on display, as well as his hobbies and quirks. My group and I also created a slideshow where the audience can explore the places that Robert goes to on a daily basis; for example, his office space, his kitchen, and his living room. Moreover, we allowed the audience to interact and engage with Robert through a presentation of his phone, where the audience explores Robert's music taste and a typical day in his life. We also created a mood board to put Robert's character on one page. 

Throughout the process of developing Robert Williams, we used many different concepts from the representation lesson to make sure that he is represented well. The construction of Robert's character involved deliberate visual and auditory choices that emphasised his quirky personality. For instance, we chose pictures and sounds that related to his interests and lifestyle, such as gym music and his Netflix homescreen to fit into the stereotype that these are the things that a typical gym rat and movie binger would do respectively. We used exoticizing through his bisexuality, highlighting unique experiences while ensuring he wasn't reduced to mere tropes. Additionally, we touched on othering by making Robert stand out against more traditional workers in the banking world, showcasing his quirks that sets him apart. 

Creating Robert Williams as a character was enjoyable for me. I enjoyed how collaborative my group worked together. We brainstormed ideas together and each member contributed our own ideas which led to a successful result. The creative Tinder profile allowed the audience to see Robert's personality and interests, while the interactive slideshow allowed the audience to learn more about his daily life. Although we wanted to include more audio elements originally, our final presentation was still something to pride over. Overall, the project was a puzzle of creativity and teamwork that allowed us to explore character representation in a fun and engaging way. 

Here's the link to the folder with all our interactive elements of our project!

CLICK HERE

How Musicals Makes Us Sing

Musicals have always been a source of joy for audiences who enjoy theatre and cinema, since it can tell stories through songs and dance, showcasing a completely different experience compared to more common genres such as comedy or horror  Past and present directors like Rob Marshall, Baz Luhrmann, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have also contributed by making great musicals that relate strongly audiences of all ages and cultures.

The main audience for musicals is considerably wide and includes many different groups. The animated musical Frozen (2013), for example is very popular among children, while the film version of the classic novel Les Misérables (2012) mostly appeals to the grown-ups because of more mature themes and complicated storylines. The film The Greatest Showman (2017) tells a story while singing along and dancing with catchy music was a bit of all. The film collected $435m and more globally, so all theatre lovers, old and young came from many backgrounds to watch this awe-inspiring movie.

Musicals are characterised to present a story where all the singing and dancing is part of the plot, none of the music nor choreography should seem out of place. The love, dreams, and people's struggles are the most common themes that are displayed through the music. One of the best examples of this is Mamma Mia! (2008) where the story of a girl looking for her father uses popular ABBA songs, making the story even more comedic and enjoyable. 

The methods of making musicals vary but one thing is common everywhere that is the songs, dances, lights, and all other aspects of a grand production. Dance is one of the most important activities in the movie, and the talent of the dancers is also one of the factors of the films' success. Bright and colourful sets are used for the performance, and the score and soundtrack are matched to the moods that the creators of the film want the audience to feel. For instance, in Mamma Mia!, the famous "Dancing Queen" scene evokes the fun and reminiscence of one's youth.

Musicals have the same approached in marketing, which is by inviting people in by showing them the music, with the trailers presenting the songs that are easy to be sung along with and the eye-catching colours. 

Film Sample #1: West Side Story (1961)
This classic musical embodies the genre using the meaningful storyline and unique sound of music. The film is set in New York City, where there are two rival gangs and a forbidden love story between members of the opposing sides. The film shows memorable musical numbers like "Tonight" and "America," that helps continue the plot and displays the characters' emotions and hopes. The choreography is expressive and dramatic to show the performers' talents while showcasing the tensions present in the story.

Film Sample #2: La La Land (2016)
La La Land embodies the musical genre through its use of catchy tunes and dynamic choreography. The film follows aspiring actress Mia and jazz musician Sebastian as they try to achieve their dreams and relationship in Los Angeles, California. The musical numbers, such as "City of Stars" and "A Lovely Night," are uniquely designed and helps conveys emotions clearly. The film's vibrant use of colour enhances the storytelling, while the music shows the feelings of both joy and heartbreak, making it standout in modern day musicals.

Some other films and medias that are included in the musical genre include: The Sound of Music (1965), Chicago (2002), The Lion King (1994), Annie (1982), and Hamilton (2015). 

Sound Projects

After we completed our editing and filming project, we moved on to the next element needed in film production: sound. Through this project, we learned how to tell a story through the use of various auditory techniques. 

For Sound Project #1, we were asked to create a soundscape with no visual aid. Our objective was to create a soundscape of a scene created by our imaginations.  My partner and I chose to create a supermarket scene where there's conflict between a mother and her two young children. We chose this particular setting because there were so many different sound elements that could be incorporated into the soundscape, which was our main focus when we brainstormed the different ideas. After we chose our scene, my partner and I worked together to create an outline that laid out the various parts of our scene and what sounds we could include in those particular parts. The outline allowed us to be aware of what sounds we need and in what order we should add them in. We used the application Clip Champ to layer our sounds. The app offered many tools that helped us change the volume of our sounds and to carefully edit our clips. In this project, we were also asked to create sounds using foley. My partner and I worked together to mimic sounds that were heard in a busy supermarket, such as carts moving by, freezer door opening, the placing of items, etc. 

To reflect, I believe that our project clearly represented a supermarket which was one aspect that I felt we accomplished well. All of our sounds were layered and volumed correctly which helped build the atmosphere. However, I think we could've improved on the parts where the toddler and the newborn were crying and whining, since it sounded slightly artificial. 

The next soundscape we were asked to create was part of our Sound Project #2, where we had to incorporate sound elements to our OWF Project that was created. I reunited with my film partner and we brainstormed different ideas for sounds. It was much easier to envision the sounds we could use for this project because we had a film that we could follow and use to direct our sound elements, aiding in the visualisation of the soundscape. My partner and I created another outline where we separated our scene into multiple parts and added information on the different effects that we were going to use. In our OWF we used Adobe Express, but we moved from that application to Clip Champ because the newer app allowed us to add more audio layers to our project. 

In my opinion, I thought that the second Sound Project was much simpler than the first, but still challenging. I think we did well in terms of having a wide range of sound effects to use and choose from. This gives our scene more character and builds context. However, one way I think we could've improved by was adding more realistic sounds since I thought our final work sounded relatively artificial. 

Here are the links to the projects if you're interested in checking them out. 
Sound Project #1
Sound Project #2