The Office Analysis

Homework Task: Choose a TV Drama and write how Mise-en-Scené  is effective in the opening sequence in terms of creating realism.

TV Drama chosen: The Office

Mise-en-Scené Analysis of ‘The Office (US)’

The Office is a Mockumentary styled comedy-drama that is, conveniently, set in an office in an urban Business complex near New York City. The drama in The Office could be described as unexpected from the opening sequence, as the setting is of a regular office, in which, you would not expect dramatic events to take place and the music in the opening is uplifting, almost like an elongated jingle that sticks in your head. In the various snippets of the show played at the start of the sequence, you see office workers doing regular day-to-day things, however, further through the credits the themes of friendship and romance are incorporated by the characters grouped together in particular snippets, thus adding a sense of realism and drama.

The cast in The Office are all chosen to look like regular work-goers, however little physical traits of each show what their role is in the show, for example, the ‘funniest looking’ guy in the show acts as the funny guy, through his hairstyle and stereotypically geeky look, the overweight character is stereotypically clumsy and unintelligent, while the serious characters are not shown to be smiling or taking part in the various quirky activities displayed in the sequence. The costumes enhance the sense of realism as they all look like genuine salesmen but gain their individuality through the actions they are doing in the sequence, such as various movements and their facial expressions throughout.

Before you’ve even watched any of the show, the introduction tells you vaguely of the personalities and friendships in the show, after watching it you can assume 2 characters are ongoing friends/lovers throughout the show or that a specific character is the one to make a joke in a scene. The Office also focuses on social faux pas, therefore you can also see which characters would generally be described as the ones to act out this faux pas while being able to observe who the normal, hardworking victims of it are.