Q2 week 1

Mise en scene 

I chose to comment on the mise en scene on the movie "Moana". I chose to comment on this movie because it is one of my favorite movies and I believe that the the setting, costumes, and more are all appealing and play a big role in how good movie is. 

Setting- Moana takes place 3,000 years ago in the islands of Polynesia, and area that includes Hawaii, Tonga, and Tahiti. The movie starts by opening up to a majestic bird flying through an open area showing beautiful waters and pretty green land. The movie Moana used deep space which is when there are important components in the from located both close to and far form the camera. It is used to emphasize the distance between objects and or characters as well as any obstacles that exist between them. This is seen in Moana when sees the glowing rock (heart of the island) that she wants to get. The strategy of deep space is used because Moana is trying to get the rock but things keep getting in the way and the distance keeps getting further and further. 

Lighting- For the most part the lighting in the movie is natural because of the setting. The setting plays a big role in the lighting because on the island, the lighting is from the sun. The lighting I would say is fairly bright because the sun and the reflection of the sun on the water. Relating to the three point lighting, I would say that the closest is the high key lighting. I would say this because the lighting is bright and gives off a happy vibe instead of a gloomy, sad, or suspicious vibe like low key lighting would. But in the beginning of the movie, there is a little low key lighting. This is seen right in the beginning when the story is being told and it gives off a mysterious and suspicious vibe. The overall lighting of the whole movie gives off the mood of beachy and an island life.

Costume- Costume is the most noticeable aspect of mise en scene. In Moana, the costume plays a big role in the movie and the plot in the movie. The costumes in this movie show that the characters are islanders and their outfits are something you would see a tribe wear. Moana, the main character has on a tapa, which is a textile made from a mulberry tree, and her skirt is made from pandanas. In the movie you can tell that all their outfits would be handmade and not bought. 

Staging- Because the movie is a cartoon, it is not that easy to write on the staging of the movie. One method I noticed in the movie was blocking. This is when the actors are positioned to show dominance within each other. I saw this in Moana when Moanas dad is yelling at Moana for going to close to the water. The dad is positioned to be "hovering" Moana while yelling at her. This shows dominance and that the dad is clearly in charge. 

Costume-