MISE-EN-SCENE
In order to analyze mise-en-scene, I chose to use the first episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, "Chapter One: October Country," on Netflix.
Following the cartoonish and creepy introductory sequence, which takes inspiration from the comics (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, by Archie Comics) that the series is based off of, the first episode opens to a voice-over describing the town of Greendale as the camera focuses on the exterior of a retro-style movie theater. It's obviously fall in Greendale, as leaves are shown swirling down the street in a brisk wind, and the colors of the theater's neon signage is over-saturated, lending a surreal, 70s-inspired atmosphere to the scene. This atmosphere adds to the strange mood of the show, and helps to establish the aesthetic early on.
The camera then draws into the theater to show the title character, Sabrina, unaffected by the horror movie playing on the screen while her boyfriend is visibly frightened. In this shot, the lighting is low-key, as the main source of light in this scene is the projector and the light beams it emits. As a result, the characters are cast somewhat in shadow and the scene is made more creepy, both as a result of the lighting and the scary movie playing in the theater.
Costume-wise, Sabrina makes a good case for its setting as well as its source material: although obviously Archie-inspired, the costumes are clearly based off of outfits from the 70s - the characters wear blazers over turtlenecks, fashionable, bold peacoats and matching accessories, and Sabrina's hair is a simple, short blonde hairdo with a simple black hairband. Two of the four main characters wear flannel shirts under their jackets, alluding to the season and the climate of Greendale, and overall the costuming reflects the mood of the show, lending realism to its surreal premise.
The scene then shifts to Sabrina and her friends walking through the theater, using shallow space to keep the viewer's eyes focused on Sabrina and to distinguish her and her friends from the rest of the crowd. After the group bumps into one of their teachers at the theater, however, the shot opens up and utilizes deep space to demonstrate just how crowded and busy the theater is. In doing so, the strange coincidence that these kids just so happened to bump into their teacher is emphasized, and along with the lighting and music make the viewer become slightly suspicious of the teacher and her motives.
Following the cartoonish and creepy introductory sequence, which takes inspiration from the comics (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, by Archie Comics) that the series is based off of, the first episode opens to a voice-over describing the town of Greendale as the camera focuses on the exterior of a retro-style movie theater. It's obviously fall in Greendale, as leaves are shown swirling down the street in a brisk wind, and the colors of the theater's neon signage is over-saturated, lending a surreal, 70s-inspired atmosphere to the scene. This atmosphere adds to the strange mood of the show, and helps to establish the aesthetic early on.
The camera then draws into the theater to show the title character, Sabrina, unaffected by the horror movie playing on the screen while her boyfriend is visibly frightened. In this shot, the lighting is low-key, as the main source of light in this scene is the projector and the light beams it emits. As a result, the characters are cast somewhat in shadow and the scene is made more creepy, both as a result of the lighting and the scary movie playing in the theater.
Costume-wise, Sabrina makes a good case for its setting as well as its source material: although obviously Archie-inspired, the costumes are clearly based off of outfits from the 70s - the characters wear blazers over turtlenecks, fashionable, bold peacoats and matching accessories, and Sabrina's hair is a simple, short blonde hairdo with a simple black hairband. Two of the four main characters wear flannel shirts under their jackets, alluding to the season and the climate of Greendale, and overall the costuming reflects the mood of the show, lending realism to its surreal premise.
The scene then shifts to Sabrina and her friends walking through the theater, using shallow space to keep the viewer's eyes focused on Sabrina and to distinguish her and her friends from the rest of the crowd. After the group bumps into one of their teachers at the theater, however, the shot opens up and utilizes deep space to demonstrate just how crowded and busy the theater is. In doing so, the strange coincidence that these kids just so happened to bump into their teacher is emphasized, and along with the lighting and music make the viewer become slightly suspicious of the teacher and her motives.
What a coincidence, Cooper, I just watched this same episode last night. You did a great job of describing the mise-en-scene of the show. I was actually unaware that this show was also based on a comic by Archie Comics. After your description, I can definitely see it, since I am also a big fan of Riverdale.
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