The Key Aspects of Mise-En-Scene.

1. Mise-En-Scene
By Nathan Hodd

2. Props
• Props can define a character in a film. A character can have
a walking stick which could make him unable to walk
correctly, this could be a big part of a film then. One
example of this could be the sonic screwdriver that the
Doctor from “Doctor Who” uses. This is a known item that
the Doctor carries on him at all times.

3. Location/Set
• The location can be vital to what happens in the film. It can
be a romantic film and be set in Paris. This city is just know
for being romantic as it has opportunity for sightseeing.
They are not always shot in the same city as in the film
though, as the film “World War Z” was shot in Glasgow yet
it was set in America. They just closed off a street and
remade the whole street to make it look like an American
street.

4. Lighting
• There are two main ways that lighting can be used during
films. The first is High-Key Lighting:
• This means that there will be very little shadow or dark
areas, meaning that it has very little dramatic effect.
• The other use of lighting is Low-Key Lighting:
• This is when there is a high contrast of lighting and it casts a
shadow out onto the actor/actress. This can be used to
create a suspenseful scene and makes it more dramatic.

5. Colour
• Colour can be used to show a lot of different emotions. It
can mainly be used on costumes like for Cinderella it is
white and blue to show her purity and innocence. Whereas
for a villain like Cruella de Vil, her hair is black on one side
and white on the other. This can be used to show her
personality change, as she can be innocent yet evil. Also
she is wearing a black dress which is showing her evil side.

6. Costume
• Costumes can show a lot about different characters in a
film. The Mad Hatter who was played by Johnny Depp in
“Alice in Wonderland” was very well made. They designed
the Mad Hatter as if he had been waiting at his tea party
for 10 years, therefore his hair and clothing is wild.

7. Blocking/Perfomance
• Blocking is the movement and positioning of the actors,
within the frame, in relation to the audience.
• Performance refers to the whole overall aspects of the actor.
Like their facial expressions, their gestures, accents etc.