Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, and Mise-en-scene
February 12, 2014
Diegetic:
One instance of diegetic sound in “Hush” the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is when Buffy and her friend Willow pack up after class. First of all, Buffy and Willow are engaging in a dialogue about the last few minutes of class. This noise is being produced within the scene between the two actors and it is not voiced over after production, making it diegetic noise. Further, the lecture hall behind these two leading characters is packing up their backpacks and books. The sound of these extras ruffling is also audible and noise produced within the scene. This is the scene after Buffy dreams about the demons. It is the calm that is very characteristic of horror movies that exists inbetween scenes of horror.
Non-Diegetic:
The example of non-diegetic sound is when Buffy and Wendy first wake up in the morning after their voices have been stolen and they try to say “good morning” to one another. The slow and creepy instrumental music is playing in the background as build up to the eerie experience they are both facing. However, there is no noise at that moment being made by the actions taking place on the set because both of them have lost their voices. Wendy is confused by her inability to hear and mouths “am I deaf?” to Buffy. However, she does not produce any noise. Further at this point both women are standing still and there is no noise being made by the movements they are making on set. The lack of noise produced by the actions taking place on the set and the presence of music makes this non-diegetic noise.
Mise-en-scene:
The most unique representation of mise-en-scene is the shot of the voice-stealing demons when they are gliding down the dark hallway. This is generated imagery that is central to the plot of the episode. The camera angle is shot in a way that allows the viewer to see the demons hovering over the ground, by way of their shadows. The makeup of these creatures is also very notable, as they no longer resemble human faces. Further, during the scenes with the demons there is a change in the way the coloring is shot, making everything slightly more dull and dark including the faces and clothing of the other actors in the show. This unique display of setting and scene is what characterizes the mise-en-scene.
3 Responses to “Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, and Mise-en-scene”
February 14th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Your example of mis-en-scene is indicative of the importance of creating a portrayal of the monster in a specific way. Caroll said, “Thus, in order to account for the interest we take in and the pleasure we take from horror, we may hypothesize that, in the main, the locus of our gratification is not the monster as such but the whole narrative structure in which the presentation of the monster is staged.” (Carroll, 278) Just showing that there are monsters emerging in the story is not enough. You talked about the camera angle showing the demons hovering above the ground, and this shows the power of the monster. It wasn’t enough to just show their gruesome and un-human faces. The scene had to show that these were powerful monsters that were capable of many things. The people creating the episode could have just had monsters walking, but having them hover above the ground fit into the narrative of horror in a specific and frightening way. You also mentioned the lack of color and darkness around the scene, and this also plays into the narrative of horror. By themselves, the monsters may be scary, but there is an added significance in setting the scene in a darker and gloomy way. It forces the audience to think about darkness and horror, and this scene helps set the stage for the rest of the episode. There is a sense of helplessness among those being hunted by the monsters up this point as well. The monsters are in control, and we are witnessing the horror of helplessness. Lastly, I think the fact that they showed the monsters often smiling shows us something as well. It shows that they are not afraid, and are in fact arrogant about their role within the show. The lack of showing weakness and fear in the monster is a central component in horror films, and helps cultivate a desire to wonder what can stop the monster.
February 14th, 2014 at 9:52 pm
Hi, CjB
I chose the same example of the non-diegetic sound as yours. I did not realize what Wendy was talking, but I noticed the creepy background sound, which created a climate of horror. For non-diegetic sound, it must have expressive force to create an image even if you just close your eyes. I watched horror movies sometimes for fun. When I watched the most horrific part, I always closed my eyes and only listened the sounds for the movies. Since I blocked the vision, only my hearing system was working. Thus, the rhythm and tense of the background music, sometimes with the voice pitch of the actors, created the intense and stressful environment even though you do not see it, and then the curiosity drove me to open my eyes to see the scene. Carroll states that “horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis and confirmation” (279). The same principle also apply to the horror movies, and it works even better with the non-diegetic sound for creating a better horrible environment by their imagination even if people are not watching, and the scene from imagination might be even stronger than in the movie. The best words for summarizing are “people like to frighten themselves”.
February 16th, 2014 at 8:53 pm
I too have been known to plug my ears during scary scenes in movies. I have found that this is often because of the non-diegetic sound. The music that leads up to scary scenes can be more scary than the events taking place on screen. When I plug my ears I am just watching the mis-en-scene that the director has created without the non-diegetic sounds. This reduces the horror of the on-screen events and allows me to appreciate the work more. Horror exemplifies the differences between the senses more than any other genre of film. For example, there is a big distinction between the events taking place, the in-scene dialogue, and the background. This difference is not as notable in a comedy, for instance, because non-diegetic sound does not play as big of a role. Carroll classifies this distinction stating that, “horror fiction is a special variation on this general narrative motivation, because it has at the center of it something which is given as in principle unknowable” (281). This is very different from other genres and gives a feeling of excitement to the viewer. Therefore, the senses are much more involved in a horror movie.