When we watch a tv show or movie, we are looking at the Mise en Scene. The Mise en Scene is everything that the audience can see on screen. Some main areas in Mise en scene is setting, lighting, costume, and staging. In this blog post, I am going to analyze the show, Community.
SETTING:
The main setting is at a study room in the Community college, Greendale. The walls are blue with posters hanging all over them. There are many bookshelves with books in them. And to the right, there is a main desk with 8 chairs. This is where the main cast sits during every study session. This creates a family and homey feeling because of how comfortable they are in this space.
LIGHTING:
Throughout most of the show, three point lighting is used. Three point lighting allows us to see the characters and the background perfectly and the balance of lighting between them is the same. This creates a normal atmosphere because it is regular, everyday lighting we are used to seeing. This also shows how one of the characters, Abed, is the one filming the video.
COSTUME:
The costuming of the characters gives insight on their personalities. For example, the third person in the front row, Annie, is wearing proper clothing with her hair clipped up to the side. This implies that she is the more studious and well put together person of the group. The person in the top right corner, Pierce, is wearing a 70's style outfit with a long sleeve button-up and a vest over it. This insinuates that he is old fashioned.
STAGING:
For the staging, I would like to focus on this one scene.
This scene uses a mix of over the shoulder, medium, and long shots in order to show the different characters as they all have a conversation. One shot that stands out is at the 0:11 mark when there is an insert shot of the food Britta brought for the Halloween party she threw. Simple cut transitions are used when moving from one shot to another. When the camera moves, it is usually a pan followed by a zoom out. An example of this is at the 0:05 mark in the video.
When you watch a TV show, the title sequence can speak volumes as to what your show is about. It can tell you the mood, genre, feeling, and so much more, in just a short amount of time. In this blog post, I am going to go over 5 TV title sequences and how it contributes to the mood and feeling of that show.
The first title sequence I will analyze the sequence from the show, BoJack Horseman. This show is about actor, BoJack Horseman, who had a starring role in the hit sitcom "Horsin' Around" in the late 80s and early 90s. Throughout the show, he battles depression, addiction, and maintaining relationships with those he cares about while also trying to stop hurting them. The title sequence is a great representation of that. In the beginning, you see BoJack waking up, where he then goes through a sequence of him walking around, looking dead into the camera. The places he walks around varies per season, but he he is still looking straight at the camera, going through the same motions. This is a representation on how people in his life come and go, but he still stays the same. However, in the final season, season 6, we see a shift in the title sequence. This is because he tries to better himself and make changes that he was too lazy and scared to do. You see him reflecting on his past mistakes as he tries to move forward, however he cannot. This is represented by him still walking through similar motions. It is constantly said by different characters that you can work on yourself, but you cannot change who you are. The title sequence perfectly represents that. The title sequence also shows that this is a serious show that will deal with serious topics and is more of a drama rather then a sit-com.
Another title sequence is from the show, Arrested Development. This show is about how Michael Bluth, son of the wealthy man who own the Bluth construction company, has to now take over the company after his father was put in jail. However, this is not easy because the rest of his family is dysfunctional and get in Michael's way. Unlike the title sequence in BoJack Horsemen, Arrested Development directly tells you the synopsis of the show and the different characters directly. It introduces us to the different family members and who they are in Michael's life. This gives us an idea as to what type of person they are. For example, Michael's mom, Lucille is in overly dramatic poses. To the audience, this tells us that she is a materialistic and self centered person. Additionally, you can tell this is not going to be a serious show and it is going to be more comedic and to not be taken serious.
Total Drama is an animated series about 22 teens in a game show competing for a chance to win $100,000. Every episode there is a different challenge in order to avoid being voted off by the other competitors. In the title sequence, we can tell that the setting is at s summer camp and that is not hygienic. We get introduced to all the characters. Some of the relationships and dynamics that are in the show are in this title sequence. For example, you can tell that the people on the surf board in the beginning of the title sequence like each other or are in some type of relationship. Similar to Arrested Development, the title sequence also gives us an idea of these people's personalities. Based on the title sequence, it is to be assumed that this is a comedy. One give away is that one of the characters fart.
The next title sequence is from the show, SpongeBob SquarePants. This show is about the yellow sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants, who lives in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Here we see him go to work, boating school, and go on other adventures. In the title sequence, we can tell that SpongeBob is a goofy and comedic character because of the visuals. This is given away in the theme song as well, "if nautical nonsense is something you wish" Unlike Total Drama and Arrested Development, we do not get introduced to the different characters in the show, we only really see SpongeBob. The pirate is not a character in the show, so he does not count. You can also tell that this is a children's show based on the bright colors and happy song.
The last title sequence is from the sit-com, Full House. This show is about Danny Tanner's wife dying in a car accident and to help him out with his 3 daughters, his friend and brother-in-law move in to his house, making the house, as the name suggest, full. The title sequence introduces us to the different family members that live in the house. We get a general idea as to who they are. For example, you can tell that Danny Tanner likes to keep things clean, something shown throughout the show. You can also tell that this is a close family and they care for each other. Additionally, the title sequence shows that this is a light-hearted and feel good show.
In conclusion, title sequences tells the audience about what the show is going to be about and plays an important part in the story telling.
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