Mise-en-scene Multimedia Project Blog Post

Multimedia Mise-en-scène: Meet Samuel Samson

In our AICE Media Studies class, we did a project called Multimedia Mise-en-scène. The goal was to create a station that helped other groups learn about a fictional character using different media elements. It had to be interactive and show who the character was in a creative way. My group was assigned a character named Samuel Samson — a single dad who works as a community librarian. He’s super patient, thoughtful, and loves reading to kids. We wanted to show how storytelling is a big part of his life and how he uses it to connect with others.

To represent Sam, we made a mood board with pictures like him reading to children, a shelf full of kids’ books, a child holding her first library card, and the Stanford University logo to show that his son just left for college. We also created an interactive library setup with blankets and candy. People could sit down and listen to an audio recording of The Cat in the Hat while following along with a physical copy of the book. It was like stepping into Sam’s daily routine and seeing how he brings stories to life for the kids in his community.

We organized our station like a timeline of Sam’s day. First, people listened to an audio clip of Sam introducing himself and talking about his life — how he became a librarian, how his wife passed away, and how his son just moved away for college. Then they looked at the mood board to get a better idea of his personality. After that, they watched a video tour of the library where Sam works. At the end of the video, Sam invited everyone to join his story time, which led them to the cozy reading area we set up.

When we were building Sam’s character, we focused on construction — how we used different media elements to shape who he is. We chose to highlight his job as a librarian and left out most of his personal life to show that he might be feeling lonely. His son leaving for college added to that feeling. We also made sure the audience could experience what a day in Sam’s life feels like, which helped them understand him better. Our group worked really well together, and I think the station turned out great. If we could change one thing, I’d make the layout more organized instead of switching through tabs. Maybe something like a single webpage or a slideshow would’ve made it smoother. But overall, it was a fun and creative project!

                                                

Follow Me!.mp4 

Introducing Myself!.mp4 

Library Tour.MOV 

Samuel Samson Moodboard 

STORYTIME!.mp4 

 

Genre Research Blog Activity

Film Genre Database Entry: Comedy

Genre: Comedy

Genre Conventions – Content:

Comedy movies are all about making people laugh by taking normal situations and making them totally ridiculous. They show things we all go through, like friendship, love, or feeling left out, but flip them in ways that are stupid and funny. There are always misunderstandings, awkward moments, and characters who just can’t seem to get it right. Even though the people in these movies act wild or silly, we can still see ourselves in them—like adults who never really grew up or underdogs just trying to fit in. What really makes comedy work is the dialogue: quick jokes, sarcasm, and lines you remember long after the movie ends.

Genre Conventions – Production Techniques:

Comedy movies use everything they can to get a laugh, not just the words. Fast editing, funny faces, and physical jokes make awkward scenes even better. The lighting is usually bright to keep things light, and the costumes or sets are often wild, like crazy outfits or rooms that look like a tornado hit them. Even the sounds are part of the joke, whether it’s a silly noise, a sudden stop in the music, or just total silence at the perfect moment. The actors use their bodies and faces as much as their lines, and when they really click or start improvising, it makes the comedy feel even more real.

Institutional Conventions – How the Genre is Marketed:

Comedies are usually advertised with trailers and posters that show off the funniest moments, but don’t give away the whole story. The ads are upbeat and full of energy, with music or voiceovers that match the wild vibe of the movie. Posters often have actors making crazy faces or stuck in ridiculous situations, so you know right away it’s a comedy. If the movie stars someone like Will Ferrell or Jonah Hill, their names are front and center to get fans interested. These days, studios also use short clips and memes on social media to get people talking and sharing online.

 

Film Sample #1 – Step Brothers (2008):

Directed by Adam McKay, Step Brothers is a prime example of absurd and character-driven comedy. The film follows Brennan (Will Ferrell) and Dale (John C. Reilly), two immature middle-aged men forced to live together after their parents marry. The humor comes from their childish rivalry, exaggerated stupidity, and the chaos that follows their attempts to coexist. The film uses bright lighting, colorful set design, and close-up reaction shots to highlight awkwardness and absurdity. Dialogue plays a huge role, with many of the film’s funniest moments coming from improvisation between Ferrell and Reilly. The marketing for Step Brothers focused on the duo’s comedic chemistry, using posters that showed them posing like a family portrait and trailers packed with their most outrageous lines, targeting teens and young adults.

Link To Step Brothers Description And Trailer

Film Sample #2 – Project X (2012):

Directed by Nima Nourizadeh, Project X represents the chaotic 'party comedy' subgenre. The story follows three high school students—Thomas, Costa, and JB—who throw a massive house party that quickly spirals out of control. The film’s humor comes from extreme exaggeration, shock value, and the characters’ cluelessness as things go completely wrong. Shot in a found-footage style, the production uses handheld cameras to make the experience feel raw and realistic, pulling the audience into the chaos. The bright lighting, fast cuts, and high-energy soundtrack create a sense of nonstop motion and excitement. The marketing leaned heavily into its 'wild and forbidden' vibe, promoting the film through viral-style trailers, social media campaigns, and even fake party videos that blurred the line between fiction and reality.

Link To Project X Description And Trailer

Other Examples of Comedy Films:

Superbad (2007) – Directed by Greg Mottola

The Hangover (2009) – Directed by Todd Phillips

21 Jump Street (2012) – Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) – Directed by Jared Hess

Bridesmaids (2011) – Directed by Paul Feig

Jojo Rabbit (2019) – Directed by Taika Waititi

Dumb and Dumber (1994) – Directed by Peter Farrelly

Blog posting - Sound Projects 1 and 2

Sound Project 1

Project Directions: For this project, me and Sofia had to create a short soundscape that told a story using only sound effects no visuals or dialogue. The goal was to capture a full scene and help the listener imagine what was happening just by hearing the sounds. We started by brainstorming a short 1-to-2-minute scene that could happen in real time. Then we planned out all the noises that would make the story clear, like footsteps, background sounds, or objects being used. 

My Approach: When we started brainstorming, we were very unsure of what we were going to do. Initially we thought of maybe doing a car crash but, after thoughtful consideration we decided on a Fire Drill that took place at school. We imagined a fire starting in class and a student noticing it and pulling the fire alarm, from there the students would leave the building and then one of the administrators would come and put the fire out and after they put it out they walked outside.

Outline and Organization: Writing out every second helped keep us organized. We planned which sounds went where and when to bring them in or fade them out. It also made recording faster since we already knew exactly what to capture, and how we wanted to layer.

 

Editing Resources Used: We used Clipchamp though Office 365 to cut fade and mix the clips. I adjusted the volume of certain effects to make them sound distant or close. 

Reflection: The beginning of our audio project came together well, with footsteps, dialogue, and ambient sounds blending naturally for a balanced and immersive effect. Next time, we'd create more of the Foley sounds ourselves—like we did with the footsteps and fire crackling—since we didn’t realize early on that we weren't allowed to do that. Knowing that now, I’d lean into more creative sound-making from the start.

LoburakAgudelo_soundscape_per2.mp4

Sound Project 2

Project Directions: For this project, we created a video that told a short story using sound. It was an expansion of an earlier project, and this time we focused on adding sound effects and music to match the visuals. We planned out all the noises, recorded some ourselves using Foley techniques, and layered them with other sounds to make the scene feel realistic. The goal was to make viewers better understand the story. 

 

My Approach: My story was about a school kid at lunch who gets really bad food. I wanted to make it serious but also relatable. While brainstorming, I thought about what sounds would make the scene feel real like, kids talking, footsteps, and school cafeteria noise. 

 

Outline and Organization: My outline helped me match each sound to what was happening in the video. For example, I planned when the kid with the smelly food banged his hand on the lunch table out of frustration and discomfort. 

 

Editing Resource Used: I used Clipchamp again for most of the sound editing, and I synced the audio with my video, I made sure to adjust timing and volume, so each effect matched the action. I also faded certain audios to help improve clarity and smoothness. 

 

Reflection: I think I did a great job capturing the word (Tolerant) of the scene and syncing the sounds with the video. The eating and reaction sounds made it come alive. One thing was that the video was not meant for sound, so me and Sam tried to make it, so it did not need sound, that was the only downside.

OWFSound_Agudelo.mp4