Creating a Mise-en-Scene

Lighting + Colour

In the abandoned gym  we will use low key lighting from things such as torches, flares and cameras. This will create the key convention of little light in a dark, eerie, thriller scene. The gym that we will use to film the the hostage location, will be burnt out and contain destroyed props. It will be a fairly big open space therefore it would be good to spread small amount of light to create the atmosphere we need. There is also a side room that contains great manipulation of the environment, and will enhance our scenes in a positively good way, giving more elements of fear to our opening/

We will also be filming in the street and on a doorway when they are walking home and retrieving the letter from the doorstep. There will be high key lighting here because street lights give strong lighting from above, so we will work with this in such a way that it will suit the genre's opening conventions.

Setting

Our setting starts with the demolished gym side building, where our victim is being held captive. We then change our setting after a considerable amount of time seeing the two characters involved in the plot, in this room, to a forest setting. We see much of the forest shots from a POV shot, but also see a more broad perspective of it,w hen we see the victims emotion, knowing she is being followed by the captor. The idea of these two settings are that they create a feeling of isolation, show character resemblance of a classic thriller opening and have little lighting, creating a great thriller atmosphere.

Iconography

The iconography we will be using in our thriller opening are items that will help keep the hostage in her place of captivity. Things such as rope, a chair and duct tape will be used. Other things laying around in our location may also be used for effect. We will use a lighter (or possibly scissors) and pictures when the villain is looking through his past and current victims.

Body Language and Facial Expressions

Our villains role will be heavily based on body language, as it is planned that we should not see his face throughout the opening as this creates our 'unidentified menace'. Everything he does should be in a way that almost seems gentile, to provide a contrast to conventions and create a disequilibrium when communicating with the victim.

The facial expressions of the victim will do a lot to explain how the character feels in each frame, whether it be scared, angry etc.
Facial expressions will play a big role in the forest as well, as the captive will be running from the villain in the woods, and it will show a mix of emotions, from distress - panic.

Costume, Hair and Makeup

The costume, hair and makeup will all be relatively similar to things you would see in real life. As the victim is getting ready to go out when she is taken, her makeup is as it would be if she had gone out, and the same with her clothes; the captor looks after her as there seems to be a psychotic passionate feeling for the victim. The victims hair may be a little messed up simply because she became unconscious and the villain may have ruffled it when picking her up.

The villain will more than likely be dressed in normal clothes, as it will help for him to avoid looking suspicious when knocking on the girls door viciously. The hair and makeup will not matter, as he will be unidentifiable, and his face will not be seen.