2. What Does Mise En Scene
Mean?
Or more importantly, what is it?
Mise En Scene is the french way of talking about everything on scene. The 6
key points of Mise En Scene are:
Colour
Props&Settings
Characters
Lighting
Costume
Facial expression & Body Language
3. Colour
I have chosen the poster for Alice
In Wonderland as my example for
expressing how colour describes
the setting of a movie mainly
because it’s the one poster I have
seen over the years where colour is
everywhere.
If you focus on the front of the
poster, you’ll notice that it’s in a
rather strange, yet beautiful area
along with a happy looking mad
hatter and the famous blue
caterpillar on top of one of many
giant mushrooms.
However, as you look further back,
the colour starts to look bland and
leads to a grey looking castle,
possibly symbolising strictness and
4. Props and setting
Props and settings are what
make a movie. When you go to
watch a movie, it’s mostly only
because the trailer reveals
certain content to attract their
target audience.
Without props and settings, the
movie would look rather pathetic
and wouldn’t be able to bring in
as many viewers.
props can greatly improve the
making of a scene
5. Iconic Characters
Some characters are so
commonly known for their
adventures and humor that they
manage to become Iconic
characters.
If you were to talk about pirate
themed movies, chances are
Captain Jack Sparrow would be
mentioned.
6. Lighting
Lighting can be used to set the mood for a movie, whether
presented in a scene or a poster. It can be used to build
up tension and to create dramatic entrances.
The movie poster presented below is a great example of
this.
The lighting in the poster seems to project from the top
left. Specifically out of a windowsill.
We can make out a house with a gate but nothing else.
This is to show that the movie will be a rather dark
themed, horrific tale.
7. Facial expressions and Body
LanguageThe facial expression and body
language of a character or multiple
characters can give the audience a
good idea about how they are
personality wise and what the movie
is going to be like.
The 300 poster shows Leonidas as a
strong spartan warrior in a pose as if
announcing to charge into battle.
The expression on his face gives us
the impression that he’s looking for
vengeance and is out for blood.
The Ace Ventura poster on the other
hand, shows a confident Jim Carrey
holding his characters job card
toward the camera, a dog biting at
his trousers to create Irony.
8. Costume
Costumes show us how a character
acts and affects how they are seen in
and out of the movie.
Kick-Ass is seen as a rather strange
looking super hero and shows bus that
the movie he’s in could be rather funny.
He also has some sort of batons to go
with his costume, suggesting there
could be quite a bit of violence. The
green on his suit could also symbolise
good.
Deadpool however, has a red and
black costume with what seems to be
white, lifeless eyes. The colour red
could symbolise blood and love. The
colour black could symbolise death and
fear. His body language is interesting
as it is aimed toward the audience. He
points to himself which indicates that