Mise en scene research-Weaponry

For our film trailer weapons are essential  props, as it is focusing on the idea of survival, and is an action/thriller trying to show the extremes of human nature, therefore will most likely contain scenes of violence and brutality.

The weapons we are considering are fire arms, blades, machetes etc.

In this blog post I’m looking at different types of blades and even items found in the shed that could be used as weaponry.

The first weapon that could be used is- a pitch fork.

The use of a pitch fork suggests to me the idea of desperation and gives a sense of gritty realism- as it is plausible that in a situation where you’re life is threatened that you could use even normal household objects in defence of yourself. 

Connotations of the pitch fork are interesting, as they are traditionally associated with the idea of hell or Satan, with the devil traditionally being drawn as a red demon who wields a pitch fork as an object of torture.   






This could work well for Alkedama as we can play on the pre-existing negative media image of a pitch fork. It will also be fees able to source a pitch fork, unlike some other weapons, so this would make the use of the weapon more practical for our group.

                                                                                                                                                                   
The next weapon- The traditional blade knife                                                                                                  

Blades have always been traditionally used  as a weapon in films, as it readily connotes an air of menace and danger. It is recognisably a weapon, unlike the pitch fork, and we can use a variety of blades. In the research i have done into films such as Arena and hunger games, blades have typically appeared as a choice of weapon- so using them will help us to in keep with convention. 

The character we were thinking to give this prop would be Eris as her character has a sadistic side, which would work well with this type of weaponry, as a blade being wield implies fatality and death, so use of this mise en scene will help reflect this aspect of her nature.

The third weapon- The Saw

 (Chainsaws, would be useful as the sound- a metallic, groaning type noise- instantly signals to audiences something threatening, and we could overlay this sound onto our film- connotations eerie, foreboding, imagery of violence is connected with the image of a chain saw).

(This type of saw, a Hacksaw, is the one used in the famous thriller/horror SAW and worked effectively in that film to create gruesome and un-comfortable scenes. It is also a less common type to use)

Saws are great weapons to use, as they could easily be found in a home, and if we are playing on the idea of our characters being so desperate they would use anything and everything to defend themselves, a saw is perfect. Saw's are traditionally a tool, but now have the media image of a dangerous weapon since modern films, such as SAW so we can exploit this new stereotype.