Mise-en-scene: Set

Where it all occurs is one of the most significant things to consider when telling a story using a movie. The story itself depends in great part on the surroundings. It may affect the tone of the story, help us to discern the personalities, and even contribute to the narrative. Consider it as the room that surrounds everything else going on in the narrative.

The set is in my partner's room for our narrative, and it is the ideal site to gather everything. Layla's mental state will be reflected in the room. This is an emotional terrain reflective of the grief and battle of the character; it is not only a bedroom. We are helping to produce a world that seems like it could be of someone you know by giving the scene a living, realistic touch.

Layla's room will not be cheery or light as she is mourning deeply. It will be somewhat disorderly, much like her brain. Her past will reveal ignored awards and forgotten pastimes, which will be evidence of how much she has changed since her brother's death. The room should feel left, a location where Layla has ceased to maintain her surroundings and herself. The lighting and the angles the room is shot will further assist in conveying the isolation and grief.

The room will let us know much about Layla's interior world. The dusty, neglected space will reveal just how much she is trying to maintain everything together. We could even see a photo or memory link her to her brother—something that would help us remember who she used to be before everything changed. The collection itself becomes a personality, revealing to us what is happening inside Layla's core.

For this narrative, my partner's room sets will really bring Layla's emotional trip alive. It is an expansion of her mourning, her solitude, and the chance for her to rediscover herself—not just a physical area. The room will transform with the character, therefore making it as vital to the plot as the character herself.