This is a very important technical aspect and accounts for the visual aesthetic of every shot within a film. Mise en scene relates to:

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Mise en Scene:

Mise en scene is a very important part of filming because the visuals of a film is what draws the audience into the action, therefore it needs to convey what is going on in the story line, as well as relate to the action. Mise en scene is also effective in evoking connotations, denotations or subtle nuances that foreshadow a major event within the narrative.

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In the first scene, Kyle and Olivia are exemplified to be in bed. Because they are teenagers, we wanted to depict a modern style bedroom in order to create a visually pleasing environment for the audience. As well as this, the walls are white and allowed our shots to be in high resolution and a higher key lighting. This white also produces connotations of heaven foreshadowing Olivia’s death within the narrative.

 

Olivia is wearing a black vest top and black leggings. This denotes the idea that she is unhappy due to black being a negative colour associated with death and malice. People wear black at funerals and this further acts as a subtle nuance of Olivia attending her own funeral when she is caught in the bombing. Kyle is seen to be wearing a white t shirt and grey jogging bottoms. It is ironic that he is wearing white and Olivia is wearing black because Olivia’s persona radiates innocence where as Kyle’s paradoxes this due to his lying and almost manipulative persona towards Olivia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main prop within this first scene is Kyle’s phone. This is what initiates the character's conversation and gives the audience an insight on Kyle’s dismissive persona towards his girlfriend, as well as hoe he prioritises his friends over her. The phone is an emblem of tragedy because it exemplifies Kyle putting his friends first and instigates discussion at the beginning of the film whilst verifying Olivia is dead in the final scene.

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In this scene the clothing and aesthetic is the same. Olivia looks in the mirror a lot to denote her reflecting on her life and coming face to face with the one thing stopping her from leaving Kyle, her weak self. The pregnancy test is also implemented into this scene. It is a symbolic representation of family hood, the main reason why Olivia leaves Kyle and therefore holds a significance within the scene. Olivia also writes a note that expresses all the feelings she has been to afraid to say to Kyle over the years. This further adds to the tragedy because it is the final time the characters feelings are understood by one another before Olivia dies.

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This scene is where Olivia is on the bus. There is high key lighting to signify the idea that it is morning and everything is as it should be. This is the moment just before the bus explodes therefore the fact that there is a sense of normality in the mise en scene makes the moment when the bus explodes more hard hitting. There is a subtle nuance where Olivia has a tattoo of a heart on her wrist. This distinguishes her undying love for Kyle and acts as a tragedy technique for before the explosion ends her life.

 

Kyle is also seen running to Newbury park station. The lighting is slightly lower key than the bus, using an almost pathetic fallacy approach, mirroring Kyle’s fear of being too late. When he sees the stranger, he hopes she will help him get to the station quicker. In this scene the sun is seen to be out to connote a form of hope that Kyle will be with Olivia shortly. This is ironic because although Kyle thinks the stranger is going to help him she gives him the most devastating news. This scene as the highest key lighting but is the saddest scene within the film. This is effective because it creates a major plot twist; the audience believe everything id as it should be but it really isn’t.

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By Tamia Mullaney-Downer