The mise-en-scene and camera work played a very important part in the Frankenstein Says music video that we created. Throughout the video the mise-en-scene showed many different elements that consisted within the story; these included elements such as the setting, the status of the different characters within the scene and the main visual elements such as the black and white format that the music video was filmed in to show the old fashioned style film that we wanted to portray from the original idea that was created.
The first shot that the audience see when the music video starts is a low angle shot of a castle. This immediately shows the audience the setting for the music video as well as the power that the castle has in the scene. The low angle shot is to show that the castle is portrayed as a scary setting that the audience should be afraid of. This idea came from a haunted house style theme that audiences may have seen in olden day films or in modern day horror films.
The panning shots of the pipes and still shots of other features such as the lighting box are used to set the scene of the music video by showing the dark, cold place as we decided to use a strong narrative at the start of the music video that was based around a comical version of the Frankenstein films.
The first shot that we see of the main character of Frankenstein’s Monster is a close up of the characters face. This was used as it immediately introduced the character to the audience and shows the characters emotions as he opens his eyes from being in an unconscious state. The shot immediately after this is a point of view shot looking up at Frankenstein (The Scientist). The mise-en-scene of this shot shows the audience that at this moment in the music video the monster is in a vulnerable sate and that Frankenstein is more powerful as he looks over the monster that he has created.
As Frankenstein’s Monster sits up the camera shot changes to a medium shot of the two characters that are currently placed in the scene. This was used so that the audience could get a full view of what was happening in the scene and could also get the first real look at the setting that surrounds the two characters of Frankenstein and his monster.
When the audience is introduced to the female character within the music video, she appears from a bolt of light. This was used to show that although in black and white the female character is shown as a bright and beautiful character that is also shown by the low angle shot that shows the audience immediately that she is a dominant character with a big role to play within the rest of the storyline in the music video.
The dancers that appear with scars and bruises in the music video are used to represent two things within the video. Firstly they appear to show Frankenstein’s Monsters confused state of mind after being rejected by the female character. Secondly they were used to show that the music video was created for the dance track of Simon Says so they are used to relate back to the original song that the music video has been created for. The audience see the dancers from many different camera angles that show there mise-en-scene within the music video. These include close up shots to introduce them when they first appear and long shots to show there united bond as a dance troop.
At the end of the music video Frankenstein is killed. The last shot is of him on the ground. To show this we used a high angle shot to show that Frankenstein who started off powerful was no longer power. This was also a nice ending as it juxtaposed the first shot of the music video.
Overall to main locations were used to show differing elements of mise-en-scene as the castle was shown as being dark and cold and the garden was shown as being bright and happy.
