This document defines and discusses the concept of mise-en-scene in film analysis. Mise-en-scene refers to everything that appears within the frame of a shot, including lighting, props, costumes, character performances, and sets. It can help viewers understand different elements of a film, such as the time period through costumes, emotions through lighting, genre through props, and story through sets. Micro analysis of mise-en-scene elements can support larger macro themes in a film, such as representations of characters.

1. What is
mise-en-scene?
• It means ‘everything within the scene’.
• When we watch film or TV we analyse
everything we see within the frame.
Connect

2. Mise-en-scene =
• Lighting
• Props
• Costume (hair and make up)
• Characters performance
• Set
Discover
As well as identifying the shot type and angle, we
look at what is in the scene:

3. Mise-en-scene can help us to understand different things. Such as...
The time period
(Costume)
The emotion.
(Lighting)
Discover

4. Mise-en-scene can help us to understand different things. Such as...
The genre
(Props)
The story.
(Set)
Discover

5. Discover
Lighting. Props. Costume. Characters. Set

6. Micro vs Macro analysis
When you macro analyse, you
investigate the larger themes
present (or connoted) within the
work.
The main themes we apply in
media are G.R.A.I.N:
Genre
Representation
Audience
Institution
Narrative
The smaller (micro) aspects within the
text:
• Cinematography (camera
angles, movement)
• Mise-en-scene
(Props, Costume, Lighting, Chara
cter performance, Set)
• Sound
It is a two step process.
Use Micro to support your Macro analysis.
For example, how does the choice of set, props and costume reflect on the
representations constructed in the clip?

7. Watch the first 5 minutes of the episode of Breaking Bad.
You want to Micro analyse it to support your Macro analysis...
Each of you will have one area to focus on.
What do you notice about:
• Costume
• Props
• Lighting
• Camera angles and movement
• Character performance
• Set
• Sound
How does this support your ideas on REPRESENTATION (a Macro element)?
In pairs, discuss your observations.
Together you will write a PEA paragraph on how the characters are
represented in Breaking Bad using the following key terms:

8. In pairs, discuss your observations.
Together you will write a PEA paragraph on how the characters
are represented in Breaking Bad using the following key terms:
• Representation
• Denote
• Connote
• Mise en scene

9. What are codes?
A system of signs which can be decoded to create meaning.
In media texts, we look at a range of different signs that can
be loosely grouped into the following:
• technical codes - all to do with the way a text is technically
constructed - camera angles, framing, typography etc
• verbal codes - everything to do with language -either
written or spoken
• symbolic codes - codes that can be decoded on a mainly
connotational level - all the things which draw upon our
experience and understanding of other media texts, our
cultural frame of reference.

10. What are conventions?
The widely recognised way of doing something -
this has to do with content, style and form
eg the conventions of a music video might
include:
• they are the same length as the song
(somewhere around 4 minutes, say)
• they present the band, who look as though
they are singing
• they have lots of fast edits

11. What’s the difference?
• Codes might be individual to the media text
you are analysing
Eg: The music video might use a tracking shot
that is significant, however, this might not be a
convention for the genre.
• Conventions are something that they ALL
share within that genre or platform

12. What are technical conventions?
Codes and conventions are used
together.
For example, the technical code
of lighting is used in some way in
all film genres.
It is a convention of the horror
genre that side and back lighting
is used to create mystery and
suspense – an integral part of
any horror movie.

13. Genre conventions
• You must be able to identify which
conventions are associated with a particular
genre.
What genre conventions can you
attribute to the ‘thriller’ genre?

14. Watch the opening title sequence
Codes Conventions
Technical
Verbal
Symbolic
Film title:_______________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

15. Use your notes to write an analysis of
the opening titles to ‘7even’
Include:
• micro analysis to support macro ideas
• Denotation and Connotation
• Technical and symbolic codes
• Technical conventions and genre conventions