Secrets and Lies-THIRTEEN

Mise-en-scene: A group of older gentlemen in business suits, all centred into the middle of the scene. The oldest looking one is in the middle, in front of the others, on a chair. This suggests he is the centre of attention and that he is in a higher position/role than the others, or that this picture could be specially taken for him. The suits make them seem more formal and that they either all work together or they are a family. They are all wearing similar suits with the same coloured ties except the man at the front, which would link them together and makes them seem more like brothers, than business partners. The bald man at the left of the shot, glances at this watch, shows he doesn't really wish to be here and is uncomfortable with the situation and wants it to end.

Light and Sound: The light is coming from the centre and doesn't light up anyone and take the focus to anyone seperately, so the focus is on the group as a whole. The only talking comes from the photographer who is trying to get the men to be more energetic and smile, as they are looking slightly bored and lifeless.

Britishness: Classic british working men.

Colour: The mens suits are dull, so they don't really stand out and you focus on everyone as a whole group. The men at the backs red ties links them together and adds a hint of colour to the shot.

Stereotypical: Boring, british, working men.

Secrets and Lies-TWELVE

Mise-en-scene: The lady is wearing seductive lingerie, with a greek-esque props in the background to set the scene for the picture. Her hair is in an old-fashioned style to show the year of the shoot. Lying on a white table to empower in the picture. The greek-style props contrast with the position and dress of the woman in the centre.

Lighting and Sound: Dialogue of the camera man and then the giggles of the woman and her speech, shows she's not taking this very seriously, it's all a bit of a laugh. Then the flash and click of the camera.

Britishness: The accent.

Colour: The white table and props make the scene seem angelic and pure, but then the woman is wearing black lingerie which contrasts with the props, as the lingerie is not as subtle and sweet as the white.

Stereotypical: Lady who still wants to act like she is younger than she really is.

Secrets and Lies-ELEVEN

Mise-en-scene: Young boy sitting on a lavish chair, which matches the colour of his formal clothing. The lady in the background, possibly his mother, she's positioning the child to sit where he needs to be for the photo. the chair is positioned in the centre but the boy is sitting towards the left to add a bit of difference.

Light and Sound: Sound of the photographer and the mother talking to each other and the child, who doesn't have any dialogue; his facial expressions are more of a concentration. the light i coming from the centre, with it all focused on the child.

Britishness: Posh, wealthy-looking, young boy.

Colour: Dull background, makes the child and the chair stand out. The childs waistcoat is the brightest red out of the whole shot and so the audiences attention is drawn to him, and the top half of his body so that we aren't drawn away from his facial expressions. The 'mother' is wearing duller colours that are more informal to suggest she is not taking part in this shoot, she's just watching and doesn't have as much importance as the child.

Stereotypical: Wealthy, little boy

Secret and Lies-TEN

Mise-en-scene :identical blue dresses on each of the children. Stands out against the dark background. Lady that works there is wearing dull clothing and blends into the background. The mothers dress is slightly dull but still has the blue color to show she’s associated with the girls in the centre. Work ladys hair is scruffy and tied back to show shes busy and at work compared to the mothers hair which has had more time and care put into it the girls hair is all identical and neat and tidy, and is being cared for thorughout the extract. The triplets hands are all linked showing their bond and they all link towards the girl in the centre suggesting she’s the oldest of the three. The two women on the edge are symmetrical in the way they are positioned and sat , creating the focus of the scene, the girls in the centre. Mum looks proud and the worker looks tired and not very interested in the mothers story. Two of the triplets look jealous of the sister in the centre getting all the attention. Makes you wonder where the father is in all of this?

Sound and light: Two lights behind focus in on the triplets to add to the main focus of the scene which is them. Light coming in from above and filler lights on the side to soften the faces. The light casts a shadow over the worker to show she’s less important to the scene and the light is more focused on the mother who is telling a story. Sounds of the mother talking about how she conceived the children showing she is comfortable with the other lady in the scene. And there is sounds of fussing over the triplets, to show they are still setting up for the actual photo. Cannot hear the male voice of the photographer like you can in other scenes. adds to the fact they’re not ready for the picture yet.

Britishness: ballerinas. British girls take ballet classes when they were younger. Mothers british accent. Proud british mother.

Colour: dark background. Triplets stand out in the blue. Lady that works there is wearing dull clothing and blends into the background. The mothers dress is slightly dull but still has the blue color to show she’s associated with the girls in the centre. Triplets white shoes stand out against the dark flooring also.

Stereotypes: classic blonde ballerinas. Typical mother in background trying to push her children to greatness as well to the front of the picture. Possibly single mum trying to do good by her daughters to make up for no father, possibly spoiling them?

Secrets and Lies-NINE

Mise-en-scene: The two ladies at the back are more immature than the one at the front, judging on their positions leaning forward with their tongues hanging out. The one at the front is positioned more seductively to show her being more grown up and likes to show off her body more. All the women are grouped into the centre meaning all are centre of attention.

Lighting and Sound: Ladies are laughing to help add a light atmosphere to the shot. Speaking from the photographer and then the flash and click of the camera.

Britishness: A group of good friends having a good time together.

Colour: Two women are wearing black which blends into the background and contrasts with the woman wearing blue. Makes the audience question as to why she is wearing a different colour to the other two.

Stereotypical: older ladies still out having fun with a young mind.

Secrets and Lies-EIGHT

Mise-en-scene: Man is central to the shot. He is wearing a fake moustache which shows a side of his character that is still humurous but is used ironically during this shot due to his attitude towards the photographer. His hand movements show his attitude towards the photographer and that he is not going to take any nonsense from him.

Light and Sound: Character in the shot speaks authoritively to the photographer, who dismisses his request and still flashes the camera.

Britishness: Formal, gentlemanly dress. Clothing for a formal event. however, the fez is not part of this.

Colour: Wearing a red fez, only colour in the shot which makes you concentrate on the man wearing it. his clothing is a black and white suit, which stands out against the background, but shows he has made an effort for the shoot and he is a serious man and takes life seriously.

Stereotypical: Man in formal wear. sense of humour with the fez and fake moustache.

Secrets and Lies-SEVEN

Mise-en-scene: character is placed n a chair to sit up right, look more formal. posture and facial expressions are stiff and uncomfortable, he doesn't really want to be here. the dialogue explains to the audience why he is here and the background information.

Lighting and Sound: dialogue between photographer and man in the chair. then the click and flash of the camera.

Britishness: london, cockney accent.

Colour: suit blends in with brown background, showing the character is quite dull and boring like the colour brown. The character doesn't really want to be there.

Stereotypical: asian man looking for a wife in an arranged marriage.

Secrets and Lies-SIX

Mise-en-scene: The cat sitting on a chair with a bow on the front, showing it is quite special to its owner, the woman behind it, holding it still. The cat is the centre of the shot, in front of the owner, the owner loves her pet, bringing it forward into the spotlight instead of herself.

Lighting and Sound: camera flashes and clicks.

Britishness: typical older white woman who adores her cat

Colour: Chair and rug underneath and grey and white to match the colours of the cat. take the attention away from the owner, who is wearing plain black and not much of the focus.

Stereotypical: of an old woman who adores her pets

Secrets and Lies-FIVE

Mise-en-scene: Dog placed on a table with a red cloth, which matches the red clothing of the owner, shows a connection between them. Also has a dog on her jumper, showing she must have a big love of dogs. Stands out from the rest of the scene. Central to the scene. Dog looks relaxed, despite the excitable owner combing the dog, fussing over him.

Light and Sound: Owner talking and fidgeting noise. Camera click and flash.

Britishness: Lady proud of her dog. Britsh people with dog as a mans best friend.

Color: Red blanket stands out. Blanket matches the woman's clothing, shows the focus on these two characters.

Stereotypical: Owner fussing over her pet. Proud of her dog.

Secrets and Lies-FOUR

Mise-en-scene: Wearing white clothing to show the angelic mood of the scene. Baby does not look very comfortable and is very small so is not very old. The baby isn't wearing anything, and along with the white background shows purity of the scene and the new born baby.

Light and Sound: White light is used to seem happy and angelic. New baby gives a ‘happy glow’. Click and flash of the camera. Bright, filler lights from the side to soften the faces and add more 'glow' to the scene. Make the two characters seem more angelic with softer faces.

Britishness: English accent.

Color: White and pure. All concentration on the characters in the centre.

Stereotypical: Stereotypical happy glow from the new mother.

Secrets and Lies-THREE

Mise-en-scene: Woman dressed as a stereotypical nurse. Her body language is stiff and serious, showing her approach to her job, as she stands behind a chair which is there as a prop for the picture. Facial expressions are serious and showing no emotion; she isn't easily amused and works in a serious role in her job. Only smiles quickly when the photographer says a joke.

Light and Sound: flashes of light when the picture takes, same as before, natural light is used the rest of the time.

Britishness : stereotypical nurse and outfit.

Color: the lady's blue dress stands out and shows the character is the focus of the scene, not the chair.

Stereotypical: Nurse; serious looking and takes their job seriously

Secrets and Lies-TWO

Mise en scene: stereotypical clothing for a boxer; boxing gloves and shorts. Facial expressions show aggression and enthusiasm and passion about his boxing. No hair or make up, its kept simple to show he just concentrates on the boxing. Smiles in between photos to show he’s proud of himself and his work, most likely vain.

Sound and light: flashes of light when the picture takes. Rest of the scene is naturally lit.

Britishness: not applicable.


Color : the gloves and shorts are bright red, so they stand out and are the main focus in the scene to show what the character is doing.

Stereotypes: black man boxing

Secrets and Lies-ONE

Mise en scene: Dated clothing and hairstyles, show date of film. Formally dressed except the child. Dressed scruffily and casually. Stereotypically stood, the mother is more enthusiastic than the rest of the family and the grandmother doesn’t really look like she knows what’s going on. Women look like they’ve made an effort to wear make up. Grandmother is wearing glasses shows her age. Mother is in the centre of the shot to show she’s central to the family and she’s the only one that is enthusiastic about it as she keeps talking to the photographer. Father and son are hiding behind the mother showing thy don’t really want to be there and feel awkward and ‘protected’ by the mother and grandmother. Facial expressions on the son make him look fed up and bored. The father keeps pulling faces and deep breathing to show he’s preparing himself to pretend he wants to be there and that he is fed up of being fussed over about his tie and papers in his pocket. The mother is smiling and over the top with her emotions to show her enthusiasm about the picture and the grandmother looks confused about where she's meant to be and laughs randomly.

Sound and Light: Classic photographic lighting studio, sets the scene. Standard lighting with filler light on the side to soften the faces. People talking and its as if we’re overhearing the conversation. Flash of the camera and the sound of a camera clicking shows the audience a picture has been taken.

Britishness: Classic family. Mum, dad, child and grandmother. The way they’re dressed. Their accent. Mother is head of family and in control. Son is fed up.

Color: two characters that are fed up with it are wearing dull colours and the other two characters are wearing more vibrant colours to show their more enthusiastic approach to the picture.

Children of Men Essay

Children of Men, released in 2006, directed by Alfonso Cuaron and featuring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen, is set in London in 2027, where the human race can no longer procreate. The opening shows the changes in the world, helping to establish and help the audience understand what is going on in this time on Planet Earth. 


Even from the beginning of the opening sequence, the audience are able to hear news reporters reading out news headlines that inform the audience on  what's happened in recent years, setting the scene for the rest of the film, in just the first few seconds. These voices are heard whilst there is nothing visual on the screen, the screen is black, which also makes it easier for the audience to concentrate on what is being said. 
The last news headline we hear, as the shot changes into a shot of what appears to be a cafe, is one about the youngest child in the world being killed, just aged eighteen. This is very confusing to the audience as it begins to make them ask questions, such as why the youngest person is only eighteen and why so many people have crammed into a small cafe to watch this one news story. 


Clive Owens character, Theo Faron, is seen entering the cafe, pushing past the crowds, drawing the audiences attention to him, which makes him considered to be a main character in this film. This is made more definite when the camera moves forward to follow Theo out of the cafe and into the street.
Out on the street, the differences that 2027 holds compared to modern day London are more apparent, helping to set the scene of the film even more so that the scene in the cafe with the news. 
The whole mood of the scene is dark and miserable, with lots of pollution and no real, natural light around. There isn't much colour present except for a few dull blue colours and some red in posters and the typical red London buses, the rest is dark greys and blacks. Along with this is the familiar city sounds of car engines and horns that the audience can relate to if they've ever been to a large city or watched other films or television programmes featuring a large city. The camera continues to follow Clive Owens character outside and pans round him to face back the way the character had just come from. This then means the camera can see the explosion from the cafe and using a point of view shot, runs back towards the explosion to show the chaos that has ensued after the explosion with other characters also running around in terror and confusion. 
The explosion is the last thing to be seen in the opening sequence, so this adds more questions to the audiences minds, making them want to watch more of the film. 


There is also only ever two cuts throughout the opening sequence, keeping the audiences attention where the director has intended and they cannot get confused, if there is more than one shot being focused on, which here there is not. 
Most of the sound is non-diegetic and builds up the suspense of the opening sequence and is cut short as the explosion goes off, expressing the impact of it in the audiences mind. 


Personally, i was instantly hooked to the film, asking all the questions i believe were encoded into this sequence by the writers and director. I want to watch the rest of the film to know what's going to happen and why the explosion had taken place in the first place. 

Pillow Talk vs. Fringe

Both extracts from 'Pillow Talk' and 'Fringe' show didn't styles of editing and pace. Pillow Talk was released in 1959, directed by Michael Gordon and featured Rock Hudson and Doris Day. This factor contributes greatly to the different styles of the editing as the way movies and television series are filmed has changed over time, as technology has changed and better equipment is used, as 'Fringe' was broadcast in 2008, over 50 years after Pillow Talk. 
The pace and editing of both extracts also backs up this point about technology, as Fringe has almost double the amount of cuts as Pillow Talk, making the pace a lot less slow and boring for the audience and also because of the fact that the technology in 1959 may not have allowed the editors of Pillow Talk to create such a fast, flowing pace. 

In’ Pillow Talk’ the camera keeps the whole room in shot while two characters are talking and stays at a mid-shot throughout. We, as an audience, see the whole conversation from an onlooker’s point of view, whereas the extract from ‘Fringe’ cuts between two people to see the point of view of the characters and for us to see the facial expressions and reactions of the characters as the conversation takes place. They use straight cuts between the two characters to show the quick pace of exchange between the two people and adds more interest and intensity to the scenes for the viewer.
The colours used in both extracts affects the mood and emotions of the scene and of the characters. For example, Pillow Talk uses much more colour then Fringe which uses more dull, subtle shades. The red of the ladies dress in Pillow Talk helps add to the love aspect of the scene and the fact that this character is central to this scene and needs to be focused on because the audiences eyes are instantly drawn to her. The use of such a vibrant colour can also suggest the characters feelings and that she wants to stand out from the crowd. The use of darker colours in Fringe makes the scene more sinister and serious, helping to establish the mood of the television programme, letting the audience know what can be expected later on. It also makes the characters seem like they aren't wanting to stand out, they'd rather hang back from the crowd and stay hidden almost.
From an audiences point of view, both extracts are looked at very differently. Fringe can come across as being a bit too full on for some people who aren't used to it and can make some people feel as if they need to keep up with the quick pace and feel as if they aren't able to which can put them off. However, for others it can bring excitement and be more intensity if they like the sci-fi genre. On the other hand Pillow Talk can make the audience feel more at ease with its more relaxed pace and style of editing and not feel like they have to keep up with it constantly, this also has its flaws as some viewers may find this boring and will stop watching after a while. 
For it's time, Pillow Talk was an excellent film, but as technology changes so does the audience and what they want to see within a film. So, nowadays audience would find something such as Pillow Talk less appealing than something like Fringe that is more interesting in the style it's been made and appeals more to younger people who have grown up with films and television programmes edited in this way, unlike an older generation who would have been used to more slow paced scenes, with very few cuts. 
Overall, the two extracts, 'Pillow Talk' and 'Fringe', are very different in the pace and style of editing, due to their target audience and changes in technology. If Pillow Talk were modernised or Fringe was made in a similar time to Pillow Talk, there wouldn't be a lot of difference except for genre. However, the quick, non-stop cuts and zooms throughout the extract from Fringe, make this a much more interesting and enjoyable watch for the modern day audience.