Mise en scene- iconography

Mise en scene means everything that is 'placed on a stage' which describes everything that is design to create a convincing world to the viewer. There are 5 elements of mise-en-scene include setting, iconography,lighting and colour, body language and facial expressions and costume. All these are arranged in  a particular way in a scene in order to portray a setting mood or feeling also they can also indicate to the audience the genre of the film.

Iconography is a term used to describe any object we see in any  particular scene in a film. These items can range from the props that the characters use to any object or item that is within a building, however these items have a close connection and  adds a meaning to what goes on in a scene.

EXAMPLES OF ICONOGRAPHY THAT IS TYPICAL IN A THRILLER

Knives relate to the thriller genre because it's a key
weapon that the antagonist or suspect uses to harm or kill victims. In thrillers there are some scenes whereby the antagonists stabs the victim and thrusts the knife back and forth, this is very chilling as it sends chills down your spine which makes it fitting to the thriller genre as it really heightens the feeling of terror,uncertainty and suspense that is associated with thrillers. A close-up shot of a bloody knife laying on the ground is an example of how knives can be introduced into a scene.Knives are associated with thrillers as they represent  blood, death, pain and brutality.

Shadows used in thrillers show the antagonist slowly heading towards his or her unsuspecting victim.They are also a great way to mask the identity of the antagonist, as it builds up the mood of anticipation in a scene as the audience is made unaware of who the antagonists is or what he or she is going to do. Shadows present in thrillers symbolize mystery and uncertainty that's the reason why they work so well in thrillers as they it really doesn't give away clues to the audience. In the thriller film scenes, shadows are mostly associated with a really unpleasant isolated locations such as a scene of the shadow of the villain                    raising a knife above his head about to make a kill in gloomy, dirty alleyway or a scene where a bold, shadow of the antagonist walking up the staircase, slowly creeping his way closer to his victim as it builds up fear in the audience.

Running water is an effective iconography utilised as it symbolizes  death because it suggests time running out for the victim to live or escape from danger or the life draining from the body of the victim.Running water usually is associated with the dripping of  blood which hints at the fact the victim is in grave danger of dying.
The running of water also has close connections with the idea of time ticking this suggest the antagonist may be getting closer to his victim or the victim gradually drawing closer to the brink of death.

Woods are locations often used for thrillers as they show a large area of land occupied by only trees with no sign of  civilization usually where the characters are prone to getting lost or being forced to isolate themselves from people by by the villain. Woods often   themselves trying to figure out how to escape. Woods strongly symbolize loneliness and isolation  which makes associated to thrillers as they create the sense of vulnerability and it seems inevitable that the characters will ever find any help or escape from the hands of the antagonist who sometimes hides in the only   in the woods. 

The use of confined spaces in thrillers makes the audience feels as though they are also trapped because they show a really small area which allows very limited  movements. Confined spaces usually symbolize the feeling of deterioration hope for the victim as it leads to  the protagonist to breathing heavily and panting to inform how us as to how they are trapped and cannot escape. Furthermore it signifies the start of their pursuit of freedom from the antagonist or their  struggle as they try to escape.

Bars on windows are used to show confinement, isolation and imprisonment it really gives the audience a real sense of how lonely the character within these places are thus linking it  to the conventional thriller.  It suggests the character has no way of getting out which shows how they are detached from the outside world and therefore makes it relate to the convention of isolation in thrillers. Bars on windows can also mark the start of a spree killing by the antagonist as he escapes from a building of confinement such as a prison by cutting the bars on a window.