R+P Post 7: Our opening sequence's planned mise-en-scene

CAMERA

• Partly handheld camera movements to mirror the live recording of documentaries.
• Interviews filmed using a tripod so it is steady, conventional of the genre.
• Lots of camera movement, including zooms, focus shifts, and and pans, also conventional of the live-filming-style we aim to achieve.

Handheld camera movements in the opening scene of Waiting for Guffman.

Handheld camera movements in Trollhunter.

LIGHTING

Naturalistic indoor lighting, using warm colour palettes. This is to represent a natural and un-staged setting conventional of documentaries, to give it as natural a feel as possible.

Examples of natural lighting in Parks and Recreation (top left), Waiting for Guffman (top right), What We Do In The Shadows (bottom left), and The office (bottom right).

SETTINGS

It will be set completely in a house. This is because it is both a conventional opening setting of mockumentary films (for example, What We Do In The Shadows), and it is a natural setting fitting of a family, which makes it more similar to live, un-rehearsed filming.

Typical family home interior.

PROPS

• Photos of the family.

• A wedding photo of Joyce and Tony with Tony's eyes scratched out.

• A digital alarm clock.

• Lap trays with dinner on them.

•  A Wii Fit for Joyce to use. 

• A bottle of red wine.

COSTUMES

• Toby - glasses suspended with invisible acrylic thread // clothes propped up in an interview seat using wire // nothing
• Joyce - workout clothes such as leggings or yoga pants.

• Kenny - typical teenager clothes such as jeans and a hoodie.