Mise en scéne of "The Sandman"
As part of some observational work in Media last week, we had to watch "The Sandman" and write down any technical features we noticed to talk about in our blogs. Well, eh, here's mine.
Settings and props:
As we enter the first scene, we see a mother and a small child entertaining themselves in their home; the mother knitting and the child playing with a drum. We can see from the layout of their small home that they are rather poor as the walls are practically bare and most of the house is just wood. Upon the wall is a jerky, ticking clock, within which is a grim reaper-type figure that emerges when it is time for the child's bedtime - and, as we all know, associating bed with death is not good, and is a subtle hint that something bad is going to happen.
The child is then given a lamp by the mother, and sent on his way to his bedroom, braving creaking stairs and long, dark and drafty corridors. When the child at last arrives, he is greeted by the familiarity of his - rather oddly placed - bed.
Regarding the scenes with the Sandman inside what we can only assume is his home, the settings and surroundings are in dark, deep blues and purples to convey that the area is desolate and lonely, perhaps. Blue seems a lonely cold colour.
The child is then given a lamp by the mother, and sent on his way to his bedroom, braving creaking stairs and long, dark and drafty corridors. When the child at last arrives, he is greeted by the familiarity of his - rather oddly placed - bed.
Regarding the scenes with the Sandman inside what we can only assume is his home, the settings and surroundings are in dark, deep blues and purples to convey that the area is desolate and lonely, perhaps. Blue seems a lonely cold colour.
Costume, hair and make-up:
Seeing as the production is made up of puppets, there isn't really much to say about the hair and 
make-up of each character; the mother and child have basic, simple hairstyles, and the Sandman looks like a bird, so to speak, as his hair is pushed away from his face. Also, the Sandman's eyes are a sort of yellow colour, which makes him seem, perhaps, like he isn't quite human.
make-up of each character; the mother and child have basic, simple hairstyles, and the Sandman looks like a bird, so to speak, as his hair is pushed away from his face. Also, the Sandman's eyes are a sort of yellow colour, which makes him seem, perhaps, like he isn't quite human.As with the hair and make-up, the mother and child have simple styled clothes which are lose and casual, probably to signify that they are poor or not very well off, whereas the Sandman wears cold blues and very tight-to-body clothing.
Facial expression/body language:
The child in the production often has a wide-eyed look, which makes him appear innocent and small next to his surroundings and the Sandman, but in some scenes this adds to the affect of the child's fear. Regarding his body language and movement, the child walks or runs as quietly and carefully as he can, portraying to the audience that he is afraid of whatever may be lurking in the dark.
The mother does not appear often in the feature, but when she does she seems to bring calm to the surroundings, wiping aways the child's fear. Her facial expression is calm and relaxed, though her facial features themselves are quite sharp and sallow as though she is either very old, or very thin.
The Sandman's movements are very bird-like, as is his posture. His face is long and he has a large beaky nose which only adds to the bird affect. When he moves, he creeps slowly so as to make floorboards creak and shadows lurk menacingly. Regarding his facial expression, he always seems to have a wide smile, almost as though he gains tremendous pleasure from making the small boy paranoid and scared.
The mother does not appear often in the feature, but when she does she seems to bring calm to the surroundings, wiping aways the child's fear. Her facial expression is calm and relaxed, though her facial features themselves are quite sharp and sallow as though she is either very old, or very thin.
The Sandman's movements are very bird-like, as is his posture. His face is long and he has a large beaky nose which only adds to the bird affect. When he moves, he creeps slowly so as to make floorboards creak and shadows lurk menacingly. Regarding his facial expression, he always seems to have a wide smile, almost as though he gains tremendous pleasure from making the small boy paranoid and scared.
Lighting and colour:
Lighting plays a vital part in The Sandman; it is used to cast eerie shadows, spotlight facial features and generally just scare the heck out of you.
When the first scene begins, the lighting is a soft yellow-brown colour, almost like honey, and it creates a warm and safe effect; it lights the most of the room, leaving no space for shadows or whatever might lurk out in the nighttime air...
When the first scene begins, the lighting is a soft yellow-brown colour, almost like honey, and it creates a warm and safe effect; it lights the most of the room, leaving no space for shadows or whatever might lurk out in the nighttime air...
However, when the child leaves the comfort of his sitting room, the only real source of light comes from the light his mother gave him, which causes long shadows to be cast across the floor and walls, making the corridor to his room appear longer.
There is little colour used in "The Sandman" and the backgrounds mostly consist of browns, blues, blacks and deep purples. The Sandman himself appears to be associated with the deep, dark colours, and the mother and child with the light - perhaps signifying, what we can only assume, is the Good Vs. Evil concept.
Also, as a final note to this section; the moon plays a rather significant part in "The Sandman" and is featured several times throughout - it is used to portray different things, but mostly it seems to be there to add an eerie affect to the child's bedroom.
There is little colour used in "The Sandman" and the backgrounds mostly consist of browns, blues, blacks and deep purples. The Sandman himself appears to be associated with the deep, dark colours, and the mother and child with the light - perhaps signifying, what we can only assume, is the Good Vs. Evil concept.
Also, as a final note to this section; the moon plays a rather significant part in "The Sandman" and is featured several times throughout - it is used to portray different things, but mostly it seems to be there to add an eerie affect to the child's bedroom.
Positioning within a frame:
The director uses different positioning to create different visual effects in The Sandman; sometimes to symbolise power, and sometimes to symbolise different sizes.
For example, when the child leaves the safety of their living room, the shot of the corridor comes from behind the child, making the distance of it seem much longer than it probably is, and also casting more shadows.
When the Sandman is shown, most of the shots are from below his face, making him seem more menacing and scary. The child also has a lot of shots wherein his eyes are made the main focus, portraying further his innocence and vulnerability. In shots with the Sandman and the child, the camera usually comes from behind and above the Sandman's head, making the child look smaller next to him, and less powerful.Ta-daaah.
- jessica.
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