This document defines and provides examples of various elements of mise-en-scene that filmmakers can use to creatively control how a scene appears on screen. These elements include setting, props, lighting, costumes, facial expressions, positioning, and visual effects. The document explains how each element can be used to convey meaning, establish time periods and locations, provide clues, and enhance scenes. Examples are given from films like The Planet of the Apes, James Bond: Skyfall, Batman, Star Wars, Notting Hill, Troll 2, Saving Private Ryan, Avatar, and Transformers.

1. Mise-en-scene 3
By
Jonathan Burden

2. What is Mise-En-Scene?
• French for “place on stage”, referring to what’s been placed
on the screen.
• This includes, lighting, clothes, setting, props and sounds.
• Mise-En-Scene allows creators to have creative control.
• Without Mise-En-Scene, creators would not know how to
create an interesting piece or would end up using the same
thing over and over.

3. Setting
• A setting refers to where or what the location
is.
• A setting can either be man made, natural,
(Like a forest), or computer generated.
• A setting can show viewers a time period, as
well as the current situation of the story.
• Different settings can create certain
expectations from the viewer.

4. Settings Continued…
This is the opening scene of the
2001 adaption of The Planet Of The
Apes. The setting is on another
planet and the planet has a sci-fi
look to it, along with drab colours
and destroyed buildings.
Meanwhile, in James Bond: Skyfall,
the end of the film takes place in
an abandoned house in England.
The location is fairly ordinary, along
with some fog and a countryside
backdrop.

5. Props
• Props in a scene can amplify it’s meaning or
give the audience a clue as to what may
happen next, (knife used to stab victim).
• Props, like the setting can be natural, man
made or can be computer generated.
• Props can be used to represent iconic features
on a person,( Batman’s cape or Batmobile).

6. Props Continued…
Batman’s costume defines
the character as he relies on
it to fight crime and get out
of tricky situations.
In the Star Wars Universe,
Jedi’s always carry a Light
saber for when they are
ready to fight or to get past
obstacles. This prop defines
Jedi’s since no Jedi is ever
without one.

7. Lighting + Colour
• Lighting can be used to make an item or
person stand out in the background.
• Lighting can enhance or change the mood of
the film, (Dark blue makes scenes gloomy
while brighter films indicate happiness).
• Colours can also show what kind of film you
are watching, (Bright colours could mean
comedy while dark colours could mean
Horror).

8. Lighting + Colour Continued…
In horror films, especially in darker
scenes, the colours tend to have a
blue filter over the current scene
and the important parts stick out
with bright colours like white or red.
In The Fifth Element, the
lighting is quite bright but
the colours consist of mainly
brown, grey and green.

9. Costume, Hair and Make-Up
• Different costumes can show different time
periods and can show the personality of a
character.
• Clothes can also show where the character is
brought up from or what their lifestyle is.
• Costumes can play a part in certain scenes
later in a film, (Batman's cape is bulletproof).

10. Costume, Hair and Make-Up
Continued…
Star trek is set in the future,
complete with Sci-Fi looking
clothes, even though the hair
styles are not futuristic. Not
all of the people are humans,
in the case of Spock, who has
much pointer ears than the
other cast members.
In Notting Hill, The two stars dress
normally and casually in modern,
showing that the two are from the
present time.

11. Facial Expressions+ Body Language
• Body language can tell the viewer what the
person is trying to say.
• Facial expressions show the current emotions
the character is in.
• These can help make the scene very powerful
between actors and the audience.
• Correct expressions make the actors much
more believable in the viewers eye.

12. Facial Expressions+ Body Language
Continued…
This infamous scene in Troll 2
shows one of the main characters
witnessing one of his friends
getting eaten. His mouth is wide
open, complete with sweat on his
face and his eyes looking focused
off screen. This actor is scared for
his life.

13. Positioning And Space
• Positioning in a frame can audiences to an
important prop or object in a scene.
• It can also be used to show the statuses of
peoples relationships.
• Space refers to the depth of a scene, (shallow
space, off-screen space or Deep space views).
• This can give viewers the sense of adventure
or make a scene tense.

14. Positioning And Space Continued…
This romantic scene is
positioned in such a way that
the couple in question has
most of the screen space and
all of the focus is on them.
This allows the camera to
focus on the body language.
In the beginning of Saving Private
Ryan, a massive battle on a beach
ensures. The cameras here are
near the shooters, showing them
firing on their opponents from
afar, while boats and objects and
the sea take up the space.

15. Visual Effects
• Visual effects in film refers to the special effects
used in a movie.
• They can be made by hand or they can be made
in a computers.
• Special effects are used to enhance scenes, like
the backgrounds, (Star Wars), or explosions,
(Action or disaster movies).
• Visual effects can also enhance the look of
movies to make them look more like the creator’s
vision, (Sci-Fi fims, etc).

16. Visual Effects Continued…
Avatar is mainly all computer
animated, using advanced GCI
effects and motion capture to
show of the world of Avatar.
In Transformers, all of the
robots are computer
generated, interacting with
real actors. They could build
these but computers make
this more flexible and
cheaper in the long run.