Audio / Moving Image Media Products (first teaching 2022) GapFill

The Shape of Water © Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2017

Fill in the missing words below to complete the analysis of mise en scène in The Shape of Water (2017).

It is incredible how much information you can gather about a film’s story just by looking at a single shot. Since this is   a longa cranean overheada wide-angle shot, there is more scope to pack information into the image than a close-up would allow.

The two characters in the foreground of the frame can be seen with complete clarity and texture, unlike the far corners of the room, which are slightly out of  focusrhythmnucleuspace.

As is the case with most film shots, the main action of the scene is positioned in the central third of the frame – this framing device is visually pleasing across media products and is widely known as the  rule of thirdsthree-part tricktriolaw of three.

The use of this device tells us that the relationship between these two characters is central to the story.

The director has avoided using  an overhead shota frontal anglea Dutch anglea low angle as this would make the shot look two-dimensional. By placing the camera at a slight angle, this also creates a sense of unbalance, making for asymmetrical  productioncinematographycompositionpace.

We can tell by the  contrastcontradictionjuxtapositioncomparison of hair, costume and make-up that the woman is fairly modest and not particularly wealthy.

Her turquoise dress suggests she might be a cleaner or a nurse.

The make-up and the lack of clothes of her partner suggest that he is a mysterious amphibian creature.

We learn about his situation through the use of  special effectshairmake-upprops – most significantly the metal shackles round his neck, which suggest he is a prisoner. 

This also informs what we know about the  narrativestorysettingcharacters.

We are clearly in some form of laboratory or facility where this kind of creature could be held prisoner. We can also tell a lot about the relationship between these characters through  figure expressionposturegesturemusic – they gaze longingly into each other’s eyes, with open mouths, suggesting there is a romantic attachment between them.

This is further emphasised by the tender body language of both characters.

In terms of lighting, an attempt has been made to create a gloomy, somewhat menacing world. 

This has been achieved through  saturationcontrastfilteringdesaturation of the image – this mutes the colours and makes everything seem less vibrant.

The shot also appears to utilise  side lightingsilhouettelow-key lightinghigh-key lighting as there is stark contrast between the dark areas of the frame and some of the lighter areas.