Mise-en-what now? Part 2..

  Hey blog!

Yet again, I will be discussing one mise-en-scene element! Hopefully, you still remember what mise-en-scene is. If you don't, it's okay. In short, it is everything visual you see on the big screen. The element I wish to discuss today is costumes. Why are costumes so detrimental in film and TV shows? We don't realize it, but costumes represent a character's personality, social status, or even emotion. The main way these are portrayed is through colors. Yes, you read that right; colors. 

I never knew colors could have meaning, but here we are. As shown in the image, different colors can represent feelings and even the role they play in society. Blue can be a sign of power and intelligence, while neutral colors like white and brown can show an aspect of poverty.

Let's take a look at an example.

As shown, the character, in the first half, is wearing generally bright clothing. He is also surrounded by  a bright blue sky. However, in the second half, he is wearing dark colors and is surrounded by a dull sky. Can you see the change of spirit through the two halves?

Now, let's move onto the actual design of a costume. A character's background can be shown by the clothing they wear. Whether it's representing culture, beliefs, or values, all can be shown through designs.

One great example of culture being shown through costuming is this image from the Netflix show Never Have I Ever. In some episodes, you see her Indian heritage shown through clothing such as this.

Here is a good example of values in clothing. Here is Kat from the HBO original, Euphoria. As you can see, she has a rebellious outfit on, which fits in quite well with her character in the show. The design and color scheme show off her persona.

Overall, costumes have more responsibility than just to make a character look visually appealing. 

Farewell for now, blog.

                                                                           Resources:

Color Chart: Meanings of colors. (2015, February 19). AstaPasta. https://amamikonyan.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/meanings-of-colors/

Image Color Contrast: Redirect notice. (n.d.). https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommunication.dissolve.com%2Ftips%2Fhow-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes&psig=AOvVaw2BUR5MMZ00DFOxAvRrK7fA&ust=1740436169977000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCKjSp5Ts2osDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Never Have I Ever Image: Charuza, N. (2020, May 22). An Indian fashion editor on Devi’s Sari in Never Have I Ever. Popsugar. https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/how-i-feel-about-devis-sari-in-never-have-i-ever-47495610

Image of Kat from Euphoria: Morin, A. (2022, August 25). Relive Barbie Ferreira’s most iconic euphoria looks. E! Online. https://www.eonline.com/news/1343565/relive-barbie-ferreiras-most-iconic-euphoria-looks