Blog post #9- 11/30/22 

Mise-en-scene

For this project, the show I chose to watch was season 4 episode 10 of Better Caul Saul, titled “Winner.” This show in general is a suspenseful, gritty drama with many mise-en-scene elements that elevate it to a higher level of complexity. The episode depicts 4 important factors of mise-en-scene, those being setting, lighting, camerawork, and wardrobe.

Starting with the setting, the show is located in modern day Albuquerque, New Mexico. Some of the locations the show chooses to have its post pivotal moments in, such as a law firm office or even parking lot, all convey the message of the show and the talent of the actors. Some episodes have even taken place completely outdoors, while this one in particular spans a wide array of environments. Even as the show goes back and forth between different periods of time it shows the ability the directors have in order to make a visual work of art.

Next is lighting. As previously mentioned, this episode constantly switches between settings. With rapid transitions, the lighting is never constant for long. Indoors, it is gloomy fluorescent lights and grey walls that show the mundaneness of their surroundings, while the characters presented are wearing bright clothes as a contrast. On the other hand, when a different set of characters are shown outside, it is very high key lighting with natural sunlight pouring down on everyone in the shot. Not to mention how the episode begins in the early hours in the day with a bright morning and ends under the moonlight, the only source of light being the screen of a phone. Another interesting thing I noticed during my watch was the fact that protagonist characters were shown in low key, gloomy lighting while the antagonists are outdoors with high key, natural lighting. I’m not sure if this is the only instance of this in the rest of the show, but it seemed like it was worth mentioning. Lighting is definitely one of the more important features in mise-en-scene.

Thirdly is the show’s wardrobe. This show centers around lawyers and criminals, so a lot of the wardrobe is business suits and casualwear. Things you would see every day in a courthouse or around your own neighborhood. At one point, the main character’s choice of clothing becomes important as it is used to show him in an act of rebellion. Other than that, many characters are shown wearing full black outfits, as the color black represents darkness and evil in most western media.

Finally, the camera work. This episode is a nonstop ride through 2-3 intertwining story lines. Through sudden transitions, the viewer is thrown from the New Mexico desert into someone’s living room, or the rear view mirror in a car. Despite this editing style, the pacing of the show is great and easy to be kept up with. As a creative choice on behalf of the directors, some scenes contain little to no dialogue and simply rely on the actions of the characters to convey a tone.