Mise-en-Scene

 Mise-en-Scene in LABOUR - the cacophony:

1. Setting:

I chose settings for this music video that would reflect the folklore, woodsy aesthetic I was aiming for. Low lighting to create an eerie look helped with this, especially with the opening shot of Hannah under the trees. 

In terms of the plain backgrounds with performance, I chose to focus on the performance over the location. This is to focus on Hannah as the performer. Additionally, using black curtains and walls connotes authority and mourning, fitting in with the themes of the video.

2. Costume:

Hannah:

The two costumes Hannah wears evoke a folklore look, with a bit of medieval style as well, particularly in the long sleeves of her brown overdress/peach dress combination. The style aims to create a better escapism in to the video and its medieval-influenced era. 

The three combinations Hannah wears are: 

• Green overdress with White dress;
• Brown overdress with White dress;
• Brown overdress with peach dress;
• With/without Red Cape.

The green/white combination is from Amazon, however I already had this in my possession.

The brown/peach combination I had previously sewn together for an event.

The red cape was the only aspect that I had to buy specifically for this music video.

Dylan:

Dylan wears a simple navy suit and tie, connoting authority and professionalism, both in the colour and costume itself.

By the end of the video, his costume is much less 'put together', with no suit jacket or tie. This is to connote the lack of care his character now experiences. Additionally, it implies the rebellion from traditional norms Hannah has displayed throughout the video, connoting the possible crumbling of the patriarchy. However, with the return of the red cape to Hannah, this is soon changed, as the patriarchy is so embedded in to society that it would not be that easy to destroy.

Ensemble:

The ensemble wears simple, grey/black clothing with dull colours to evoke a twisted 'normality' we are used to seeing in our society. This aims to present a distorted world in which patriarchy is taken too far in the present day. 

3. Make-up:

No/minimal make-up was used in this video to evoke raw emotion and the setting of 'normal' life. 

4. Gesture Codes:

Hannah:

Hannah's character evokes a very rebellious and mysterious character. Beginning as an enigma to the audience (Rowland Barthes), her rebellious nature unfolds through the video as she attempts to escape the patriarchal society she lives under. 

Using dramatic hand gestures, from mimicking a rope to reaching out to the audience, Hannah's actions and gestures aim to display the repressive nature of her society and her consequent escape.

Dylan:

During the dinner scenes, Dylan is incredibly passive, ignoring Hannah. This aims to suggest to the audience that everything Hannah does is all in her head, and is not happening in real time. 

Furthermore, his change to returning the red cloak back to Hannah forcefully demonstrates the threat he poses in embodying the patriarchy, to which will never weaken easily. 

Ensemble:

The ensemble is overly happy and oblivious in the face of patriarchy, thus acting as a safe haven for Hannah. However, their oblivion, seen in their continuing celebrations and fun while Hannah realises she can never escape the grasp of Dylan, allows for the patriarchy to get away with anything. 

5. Lighting:

In the opening sequence, low lighting is used under the trees to create an enigma as to who Hannah is and what she is doing. 

The video is shot from the perspective of Hannah, therefore a lot of the scenes are dreary, using pathetic fallacy of rain to evoke this.