R + P Post 7: Our opening sequence's planned mis-en-scene

The look of my opening sequence

Camera:

• Quite tight shots to make it feel very claustrophobic.
• Pans to show the interrogation and add a sense of ambiguity.
• Quick cuts to mirror the tension.
• High angle shots to give the sense of a security camera 
• Shot-reverse shot

The shot-reverse-shot and crosscuting of Now You See Me, inspired a lot of our ideas.

                     

Lighting:

• Very little lighting.
• A single light on flex above the table.
• Low-key lighting.

We plan for the scene to look similar to the interrogation scene from The Dark Knight. The low-key lighting will enable us to use Chiaroscurous techniques to portray the dubious natures of the various characters:

                      

Settings:

• A poorly lit police interrogation room- A table and 2 chairs, very plain and boring as the main focus is the tension between the characters.

Props:

• A clipboard with the face of Peter Smith.
• Lamp, table and chair.

Our props will look like the police case notes props used in Luther. This will also be the only time where the audience see Peter's face in the opening sequence adding to the ambiguity behind the whole case.

Costumes: This will arguably be our most important aspect of mise-en-scene as the costumes reinforce and subvert common race and class representations. For example Tyrone will be wearing a hoodie which is fitting with the common stereotypes of the working-class, particularly black people in the working class and it will also touch upon the associations of criminal activity. This will be emphasised through the acting, for example DC Sean Mann telling Tyrone to take off his hood and clearly making him a prime suspect. Although we plan to subvert common representation with Tyrone being the misunderstood character.

• Teens in casual teen clothing specific to their archetype.
• Detective wearing shirt and tie.

David Mills from 'SE7EN' is a good example of the costume for the detctive.

Costume worn by the cast of 'Skins' is a good example of the type of clothing we want the teenagers in our sequence to wear.