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Every single frame of a piece of media has to be constructed in a way that forms the mise-en-scene can be decoded as the preferred reading every time - without no audio narrative featured in almost all music videos, the construction of each shot is perhaps even more important.

So what codes and conventions are there? What do they all represent?

Film Still Analysis

Film directors construct every single detail for every frame of a film, focusing on media language from; props, to costume, facial expressions to lighting, camera angles and colour tints. This analysis will focus in on the latter three.

The most obvious of the three in this case has to be the camera angle. A central high angle shot allows the audience to envisage the majority of the bedroom. The two men are placed either side of the centre with an even distance between, suggesting an impression of them being equals. By watching the film this is confirmed, as the two males are in a balanced argument from both sides, the director has deliberately constructed this frame so that the audience can decode the preferred reading.

The lighting in this image compliments the colour. There is only filter lighting from the audience’s left giving the impression of the window being there. This of course forms shadows across the floor, once again highlighting the idea that it’s during the day as oppose to night. Also, each actor’s face is half covered by shadow, which should be primarily decoded as them being equals in their argument, with the audience able to decode their feel of anger towards each other.

The frame has a blue tint to it, which highlights the fact that it is set in the evening; however, the audience are likely to subconsciously decode the fact that it is not really dark enough to be night time, reinforcing the film’s storyline of the men being treated like young children. The strong use of blues and bold reds implies that the men still have a children’s bedroom, as young boys tend to have blue forced upon them. Primary colours are the most dominant in this frame to confirm the childlike vibe, which also follows a convention of comedy. The wall paper is primarily white, with thin, faint black doodles. This, decoded hints at the men’s innocence. Although, if the audience absorb the entire frame, they’re able to see that the sector of the scene the men are in is covered in shadow and darkness. This is a: juxtaposition. Their bad behaviour is exaggerated by displaying the contrast between how they could be and how they are. They are choosing at argue and behave badly.

Every aspect of media language is considered carefully in order to construct an overall mise-en-scene that can only be decoded as the intended preferred reading, ninety-nine per cent of the time. This particular frame from the comedy film Step Brothers does this well, as the audience should be able to decode the preferred reading from this image without having seen the film or knowing the plot.