narrative and mise en scene

2.  Before we create our spy trailer, we decided to
research existing films, posters and magazines so that
we were aware of the typical conventions that is
expected of our genre within a trailer.
 We watched a range of trailers such as ‘Quantum of
Solace’, ‘mission impossible’, ‘Bourne ultimatum’, and
‘taken’.

4.  We found a range of conventions in each trailer including:
 A dramatic soundtrack which compliments the shots
 A fast, sharp edits towards the end
 a strong element of suspense /ENIGMA
 a highly classified information that is normally catastrophic to the
entire world.
 The protagonist is male
 Car chase scenes
 Action
 The organist's back-story - flashback
 Theme – revenge, justice
 Voiceover to build plot
 Tension is built up throughout the trailer
 many fast-paced shots

5.  I am now going to examine whether our group applied
these codes and conventions to our trailer, or whether
we challenged them.
 This is the final draft of our teaser trailer; it took 2 drafts
prior to this to get it the way we wanted. We also got a
lot of audience feedback to help us make the trailer
more appealing to the audience.

6. NARRATIVE
 Storyline:
 After witnessing his ex-wife, a CIA operative, Scarlett killing his
fiancé’ at gunpoint in an attempt to derive valuable information
about Subject 27, Charles, an ex-spy is on the run with the stolen
highly classified information, Subject 27 in vengeance and devised
an intricate plan to obliterate Scarlett and her appointed team.
 During our planning process, we thought of the many different
ways in which we could present our narrative without giving too
much of it away. For example, we knew it was crucial to include
scenes with action that highlighted Charles’ despair and agitation in
his struggle in locating Scarlett. But we may sure not to include the
aftermath of Charles’ and Scarlett’s confrontation in order to tease
the audience.

7. NARRATIVE
 Unfortunately, our first and second drafts of our trailer
were too vague and did not establish any kind of
narrative whatsoever as we were unsure of how to
structure the shots in terms of editing. It took us a while
to realize, and after some audience feedback, we
added some voiceovers to give the audience an
awareness on what was happening in the trailer.
 We agree that it was far too vague and begun working
on making the narrative visible to the viewer.

8. NARRATIVE
 The narrative of our trailer incorporated some conventions of
contemporary films of spy genre. In mission impossible
3, Ethan’s wife held at gunpoint at the beginning of the movie
was a source of inspiration for the scene of at the start of the
trailer, where Charles’ fiancé is at the mercy of Scarlett, who is
holding a gun to her head.
 In trailers of spy genre, the narrative and the theme
interlink, there is normally a conflict through the use of binary
opposition – the protagonist, Charlie vs. antagonist, which in this
case is Scarlett as they both want sole possession of the
valuable object, Subject 27. This is a iconographic code that is
expected of a spy genre film as there is usually a object of some
sort that can cause an adverse impact on the world and lead to
catastrophic results if in the wrong hands – this is evident in
Quantum of Solace.
 We were limited in delivering a storyline through the trailer as
the shots were cut down and constructed under one minute.

9. NARRATIVE
 Our trailer follows most of the conventions of existing
products, for example:
 We have edited all of our shots in chronological order
as to give the audience an understanding of how the
events unfolded.
 Our trailer features a much higher proportion of
disequilibrium, compared to equilibrium because it
mainly contains scenes of action that signify the
struggle between the Scarlett and Charles as they both
go to extreme measures to obtain Subject 27.

10. NARRATIVE
 There was a sense of enigma seeing that towards the
end of the trailer, the fast-paced shots and the dramatic
music both contributed to the tension built-up as it
leads to a highly stressful climax and ends with Charlie
holding a pistol in the direction of the camera, which
provokes a nervous reaction in the audience as leaves
them wondering if he going to pull the trigger and ‘At
whom is the gun pointed at?’, and the ultimate question
‘What is subject 27?’

11. MISE EN SCENE
Props: guns
Props are often of genre
specific iconography.
A prop like a gun is a visual
code that is element of spy
genre as in many spy films
characters are seen
holding on to one as a
means of killing and aid in
creating a sinister feeling
and anticipation. It also
gives Charles’ an image of
dominance.

12. MISE EN SCENE
Props: subject 27
Subject 27 is a highly
classified information that
is stolen from the spy
agency, Charles was
recruited in. The theft of
documents/files/formulas/te
chnology - usually
something good that can
be turned evil – is a
recurring theme in spy
movies and shows.

13. MISE EN SCENE
 Costumes: In movies of this genre, the main protagonist is seen
wearing formal attire, suits especially when infiltrating the
antagonist’s base in social events i.e. (contemporary James Bond
movies). We have applied this dress codes into our trailer in order
for the audience to distinguish the central character, Charles as the
archetypal heroic figure. He is usually Suave, sophisticated, well
dressed to emphasize the seriousness of his self-appointed mission
and his well-informed intellect on gadgets.

14. MISE EN SCENE
 Lighting - The lighting in spy/action thrillers are mostly dark and
mysterious. No character, not even the protagonist is a saint, so the
darker toned lighting in this genre of film emphasizes this idea. The
genre also deals with dark stories and motives so it is favoured for
the lighting to back it up. Our trailer will not use many high key
lighting to help us portray the story as a dark and serious one.

15. MISE EN SCENE
 Location: Scarlett’s agency
This was the first location we filmed a scene in which, Charles and
Katy were seen running away from Scarlett's attackers, in an
attempt to protect Subject 27.

16. MISE EN SCENE
 Location: hall
The image of the hall was where, Katy and Charles ran
into each other arms because they were relieved that
they escaped, after being separated and tortured.

17. MISE EN SCENE
 Location: screening room – torture room
This room was used for two different
scenes. the first scene was when
Susanna, Scarlett's accomplice was
confronted and killed by Charles. It
was used as CIA base. This room
was also used as a torture chamber
when Katy and Charles were
kidnapped and beaten up. It was
also where they join in alliance to kill
Scarlett.

18. MISE EN SCENE
 Location: living room
This is the location of
Sasha's murder. This was
also the angle that the shot
was filmed at. The home
environment contrasts with
the spy genre because
every other shot was spy
related whereas this shot
was in a home which
signify Sasha's
unawareness of Scarlett's
intention.

19. MISE EN SCENE
 Location:
city
A generic convention of spy movie locations is the city at
night. We also had a shot of a boat going by. The darkness
conveys a sense of secrecy and a air of mystery which is
normally present in spy movies.