Mise-en-scene in Peaky Blinders Episode 1.

Setting

• Birmingham 1919
• Chinese quarter
• Houses in industrial area
• Canals next to factories

The show is set in Birmingham in the year 1919. The opening is set in a busy Chinese market area which helps to establish the cultural diversity of the city.
The action then moves to dirty, muddy streets in an industrial area. The air is thick with smoke, the houses black with soot. It is a filthy, impoverished area. Later we see canals and factories reinforcing the idea of Birmingham as an industrial centre. The setting suggests a gloomy atmosphere. The world the characters are moving through is gritty, unpleasant and dark. 

Props

• Red lanterns
• Cooking implements
• Suits/Clothing
• Horse
• Red powder

In the Chinese quarter we see people with cooking implements and suits. These objects help the audience identify the setting (a Chinese market) and the characters (traders/shop workers).
After this we see a man riding a horse. He is elevated above all the other characters making him appear more important. Horses are symbolic of class, power and wealth.
The red is the most striking of all colours. The red powder that the young woman uses in her ritual really grabs the viewers attention. Red is associated with all sorts of things from violence and danger to love and romance however in Chinese culture it is considered a lucky colour. The lanterns in the market area were also red. The red colour helps to create a really strong, memorable image.

Lighting

• Dim lighting, indoors and outside
• Red lanterns in the Chinese quarter
• An old man's eyes are illuminated, his face in shadow
• The horseman (Thomas Shelby) has his eyes shadowed by the peak of his cap.

The dim lighting adds to the dark, serious feel of the show as a whole. The red light of the lantern adds contrast. At the end of the scene an old man is shown in shadow except for his eyes. This emphasis concentrates our view on the emotion he is conveying. This kind of shot is also very reminiscent of black and white films from an earlier time.
In contrast to the old man, the horseman's eyes are shaded from view. Where as the lighting of the old man emphasised the emotion in his eyes we can discern no emotion from the horseman. It makes him appear aloof and mysterious.

Casting

• Cillian Murphy, a film actor.
• Benjamin Zephaniah, poet/author.

Cillian Murphy has appeared in many films such as 28 Days Later and Inception. His casting therefore may attract viewers who are already fans of his work.
Benjamin Zephaniah is a well known Birmingham resident. He is known more for his writing than his acting so his casting may be simply to help establish the setting (Birmingham) and to add some more cultural diversity to the show.

Costume and make-up

• Period costume
• Chinese characters in loose fitting mandarin collared suits
• A man wears a bowler hat
• Working class men in flat caps
• Women in aprons
• Children in ripped clothing

The Chinese characters all wear very similar loose fitting trouser suits. One man wears a bowler hat, a style now out of fashion but common during the time the TV show is set.
Later we see more characters in period costume. The viewer can see that we are not in China but in a Western industrial city. Many of the men and children wear flat caps, rounded collars and rough hewn coats. Some of the children have rips in their clothing. The women wear simple dresses and aprons. All this helps to establish the time period in which the show is set.

Movement

• Characters rushing
• Man sat upright on horse, moving at a slow pace
• Women and children running away and hiding

The characters in the market are rushing around in a panicked way. Wherever they are going they must get there quickly.
The man on the horse in contrast move at a slow, steady pace. When they see him coming the other characters run away and hide from him. They are frightened. He appears to be a powerful individual, one who strikes fear in those around him but also one who commands respect.

Mise-en-scene in a horror film.

The clip I have chosen to analyse is the first five minutes of 1996 slasher movie "Scream."

Setting

The swing in the foreground a symbol of childhood, innocence and fun.

• Night.
• A middle class American, family home mainly living-room and kitchen. 
• Front garden where we see a swing hanging from a tree, rocking by itself.
• Back garden with mist rising over a swimming pool.
• Doors and large glass windows.

The scene is set at night. Nighttime is often used as a main setting for horror films. Night and darkness have long been associated with the supernatural. Crimes such as robbery are more likely to occur under cover of darkness. The light represents safety and comfort, dark and shadowy areas represent uncertainty, fear and isolation. 

The home is a large, family house most likely middle class. It appears to be a safe and comfortable setting.

The twisted tree branches look creepy in the dark and the swing rocking by itself seems unnatural. It also enhances the sense of isolation. Swings are associated with childhood. Childhood in horror films is synonymous with innocence. 

Mist or fog is a common horror movie trope. The way it creeps upwards is unsettling. Like darkness it can hide people or objects from view.

Props

The knife block is given a prominent position in the foreground, right of centre. Casey playing with the knife foreshadows later events.

• A telephone.
• Popcorn cooking on a gas stove.
• Large kitchen knife.
• Video cassettes.
• Light switch.
• Door lock.

The identity of the caller is unknown as we only see the recipient. This adds to a sense of mystery. The telephone an ordinary household object becomes a sinister weapon used by the antagonist. He has managed to unnerve the recipient without even entering the house.

The flame on the gas stove appears more dangerous than perhaps an electric cooker or microwave. Popcorn is associated with going to the movies. An example of self referencing.

The protagonist playfully handles a large kitchen knife before replacing it. This foreshadows the use of knives later on in the film.

The protagonist carries several video cassettes of horror films. Another self reference.

She switches the garden lights on and off going from darkness (uncertainty) to light (certainty.)

She goes around the house locking all the doors. The lock represents safety from whatever is outside.

Hair/Make-up/Costume

• Blonde hair (female.) Straight, bob haircut with fringe.
• Fairly natural make-up with quite dark lipstick.
• Blues jeans and white sweater.

Blondes appear frequently in horror films. Hitchcock was especially famous for using blondes. 

The make-up is fairly subdued except for the striking dark lip colour which emphasises her mouth. She is dressed casually in a wool sweater. Wool is often seen as a warm, comforting fabric. The light cream colour may represent innocence. 

Lighting/Colour

• Living-room lit with numerous lamps, fairly bright. Also light from television.
• Night outside. Darkness, shadows.
• Kitchen area, brightly lit.
• Hallway unlit. Criss cross shadows.
• Outside lights. Light reflecting off water.

The living-room is lit with numerous lamps.

Night is an obvious setting for horror films. Darkness provides the perfect cover for criminals, monsters or other supernatural beings. Night is associated with danger and lack of knowledge whereas light is associated with safety and knowledge. The word illumination can mean both supplying an area with light or achieving knowledge or clarity. 

The hallway dimly lit and the walls are covered in crisscross shadows. The sharp angles are unnatural and unsettling. Such lighting harkens back to film noir and even further back to German expressionism, both precursors to modern horror.

Facial Expressions/ Body Language

At first Casey Becker is relaxed and smiling. Both she and the phone are prominent in the foreground. A bookshelf in the background suggests education. A middle class home.

• Happy, smiling.
• Surprise.
• Anger
• Fear
• Crying
• Running
• Screaming/Shouting
• Shock
• Bent double, vulnerable.
• Shaking

At first the protagonist is happy and smiling, dealing with the phone call in a relaxed manner. She shows surprise when the caller lets slip that he can see her. She becomes angry and aggressive but anger gives way to fear. She begins to cry and runs around the house locking doors in a panicked way. She loses her earlier composure and shouts down the phone whilst still crying. Screaming and shouting is common in horror movies especially from women. The name of the film is scream so this could be self-referential. She starts showing signs of shock, shaking and bending over. She appears very vulnerable and her fear is obvious. 

A United Kingdom?

In a straw poll taken in our media class 8 out of 17 people thought that Scotland would vote yes for independence. However many students were unsure either way and the overwhelming feeling was one of apathy. Some were interested to see what might happen if Scotland became independent, like some kind of experiment wondering what would develop. The few students I spoke to about the topic expressed the opinion that it was up to Scotland what they chose to do and that they didn't care either way. Should we care? Yes or no, how deeply will this decision affect not only Scotland but the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and perhaps even the world?

A recent Panorama special traced the earliest rumblings of discontent to the 1970s when standards of living dropped. According to the Scottish born presenter Allan Little Scotland prior to this had been pro Britain and pro Empire with the SNP supporters a weird minority. The real push for independence came after Margaret Thatcher gained power and fought against the unions. When Labour came into power they backed devolution and unwittingly made Scottish Independence a possibility for the first time since the 1700s.

A quick glance at the websites for the yes and no campaign show a stark difference. Whereas the Yes website opens on a glossy short film that aims to persuade us Scotland's future should be independent, the website for the no campaign is straight to business. The homepage of the Yes campaign has a wall of smiling faces, real Scottish people who all have their own reasons for backing independence. The images are glossy and positive. The No campaign website is as dull in colour as it is in content. A muted palette of blue and 'greige.' Having briefly perused both I couldn't tell you whether Scotland would really be better off independent, each one refuting any point made by the other. I'm not sure how the vote will go but I know who's winning in the style stakes.

If Scotland does vote yes what does that mean for Scotland and the rest of the UK? Will the union flag lose the blue of St Andrews cross? Will Scotland lose the pound? Will we better off or worse? If Scotland votes no what new powers will they gain and why shouldn't such power be given to other areas of the UK? And what of other countries? Would an independent Scotland signal the way for an independent Catalan region, an independent Kashmir? There seems to be no definitive answers but one thing seems certain, as David Cameron himself said, things will never be the same.

  

   

Starting up

I have recently enrolled on a level 3 Media course and have set up this blog to showcase my work. I'm actually in class right now blogging!

Hopefully at the end of this course I will be able to progress onto Uni to study either a Liberal Arts degree or a film or media based degree.

Currently I work in an academic library and have just completed my first feature length screenplay. I would like to learn more about the technical aspects of media production and would like to make my own short films or features or to collaborate on a project with someone else.