As we have seen throughout the semester, important information is communicated about a character – or what we might refer to as his/her personality – through the elements of mise-en-scène. In this sense, mise-en-scène can be thought of as a kind of collage that is arranged for the camera by the director and/or the set designer. Subsequently, we in the audience create, or project, a personality onto a character based on what we see (and by what we do not see).
To be sure, this is a process of generalization, but the fact is, without culturally shared archetypes, films/stories probably wouldn’t make sense to us. Therefore, these references, or allusions, have a purpose; they are a type of shorthand that exists between a director and an audience. Once we recognize the “type” – or archetype – that a character falls into, we know how to feel about him, or her, at least at first. (Ex: Dmitri vs. M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel.)
Consequently, your assignment is to communicate a character’s personality through the use of mise-en-scène:
a. Create a generic fictional character – He or she can be a high school or college student, a businessman or woman, a cop or a criminal, a doctor or a drummer. They can be based on someone you know, or completely fictitious, and can be any age, race, or nationality that you like. (Do not use celebrities or established characters such as Batman, Spiderman, Harry Potter, etc.)
b. Next, create a very detailed description of this character’s bedroom, or living room, if you prefer.
c. Format (choose one of the following):
a. a list or inventory of the elements you would want in the room (including wall color/coverings, floor coverings, lighting fixtures, linens, furniture style, etc.)
b. a detailed prose description of the room (without gender-specific pronouns)
c. a drawing or a digital collage that would include all of the elements in the room (pictures of furniture, props, accessories, fabric swatches, tools of trade, etc.)
d. The object is for me to guess who the character is based on what is included in your set design. (This info will be communicated separately, see “e.” below.)
Think of yourself as the director who needs to communicate your vision to the film crew that will have to stage this room based on your instructions and the information you provide.
e. After submitting your final exam, send an email (Subject: Final-Question #7 to containing the identity of the character who inhabits your room (ex: a 16-year-old boy, a 65-year-old retired female librarian, a 22-year-old computer geek/college student, etc.)
