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