1. MISE-EN-SCENE
FM1(a): - An analysis of a film extract
• Mise-en-scène includes setting, props, staging, costume and makeup,
figure expression and movement and off-screen space.
2. SPECTATORS
you will need to develop an awareness of an active role as
spectators in working with the micro features of film and how they
construct meanings and contribute to the sensory impact of
audiences
how responses derive from the micro features of film and the
extent to which they derive from personal and/or cultural identity will
be explored
3. PRODUCERS
you will develop your analytical and creative skills, reflecting your
growing understanding and appreciation of the micro features of film
and the ways in which these can be deployed in order to create
meaning and produce a response
4. OKAY, SO MICRO FEATURES
ARE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT
WHAT ARE MACRO
FEATURES?
5. MACRO FEATURES
genre – the features that fit a film into a certain type, e.g. science fiction, action, horror
(don’t forget about hybrid and sub-genre)
narrative – the plot, viewpoint, the story and the way that it is told
representation – the way in which social groups and issues are presented in a film.
This is a key aspect of Film Studies that crosses over between macro and micro features
FM1 will largely focus on the micro features of film, but we will at
times discuss the micro features in relation to the macro features.
Macro features will be discussed in more detail in FM2.
6. TO SUM UP…
macro features of film language are the major aspects of how a
film tell stories
micro features of film language are the finer details
7. MISE-EN-SCENE
L.O. – What is mise-en-scene and how does it help spectators to construct meaning in film?
8. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
mise-en-scene (pronounced ‘mise on sen’) is a French term that refers to a series
of elements of film construction that may be seen within the frame of a single shot
it means ‘putting on stage’ and is really a theatre term
it helps to think of this difficult feature as staging a play: a location is suggested
on stage, characters dress in certain ways, objects carried by characters are placed
prominently on stage
the phrase mise-en-scene reminds us of film’s theatrical, cultural and artistic
origins
9. WATCH THE EXTRACT FROM ‘TOMB
RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE”
1) How are the following used to create meaning
for an audience?
i. Setting
ii. Costume
iii. Make-up
iv. Props
2) What features of mise-en-scene are typical for
a film from the ‘Action-Adventure’ genre? Can
you think of similar examples?
10. SETTING
watch the opening sequence from the film ‘Donnie Darko’. Write
notes about the setting and why it has been chosen. Was it appropriate
to the film and how?
how might the opening of a horror film be different?
11. film-makers impress audiences with spectacular landscapes, massive
crowds, huge spaceships and fantastic, futuristic worlds
special effects can be used to maximum effect in set design and rather
than employing vast numbers of extras they use computer generated images
to create them
Answer the following questions when watching the ‘Immortals’ film trailer:
1. How have special effects helped to create an effective setting?
2. Why was CGI used?
12. Answer the following questions:
1. What settings were used before the opening credits? Describe them
in as much detail as possible, listing the settings and the key
features of each (this can be done in pairs).
2. Why had they been chosen?
3. As a group of settings were they appropriate to the film and, if so,
in what ways?
14. COSTUME
this refers to items of clothing being worn by
characters or objects seen within any given setting
costume acts like a uniform, linking a character
to a particular group and often a rank or position
within that group
What does the dress code tell us about the
characters?
15.
16. MAKE-UP IS ALSO
INCLUDED IN COSTUME
used to make actors look grotesque, old, attractive, bruised etc.
it can even transform an actors gender
characters from fantasy and aliens from different worlds are also
made more realistic using make-up
17. PROPS
props are the objects seen within the given setting
props work to give an authentic sense of place
they can also be used to suggest important characteristics of a
character or even key themes for the film
19. costume and props can become iconic images that are instantly
recognisable. Can you think of other iconic images from popular
films?
(iconography – objects, images, characters, etc. strongly associated
with a particular genre or film)
21. WHAT IS IT?
This refers to the acting that is taking place. We should be focusing on their
performance and movement
movements can be small or massive involving the whole body or just small parts of the
body
everything is included from eye rolling to sudden running and jumping
we can ‘read’ each movement in some way, as the director and/or actor has chosen
them carefully to put across meaning and understanding to the audience/spectator
body language also tells us a lot about a character, situation or thought processes
22. THE RANGE OF BODY
CODES (ADAPTED FROM
ARGYLE IN HINDE 1972
AND FISKE 1982)
direct bodily contact
the proximity of one character to
another (or proxemics)
the orientation of one character to
another (how bodies are turned towards
one another)
general appearance of individuals (e.g.
tall and thin, short and fat)
head movements (e.g. nodding or
shaking of the head)
facial expressions
gestures (or kinesics)
body posture
eye movement or contact
aspects of speech, such as pitch, stress,
tone, volume, accent, speech errors (all of
which are termed paralinguistic codes)
23. Although you are not expected to remember all of these it is useful to
know what to look out for when analysing a performance
Watch the opening scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. Pay
microscopic attention to detail as possible. What do the performances
of each of the characters tell us about the characters themselves.
24. HOME LEARNING
choose a scene from one of your favourite films
write a 400-600 word analysis focusing on one or two aspects of
mise-en-scene. You need to word process this and should accompany
your writing with screen shots from the scene
this will be used for display purposes, so it is important that it is
your best work possible!
25. SHALLOW FOCUS
In shallow focus one
plane of the image is in
focus while the rest is out
of focus. Shallow focus is
typically used to emphasize
one part of the image over
another.
27. LOW KEY LIGHTING
Low-key lighting is a
technique used to create mood
or set the tone of a scene. Low-
key lighting techniques are
frequently used in horror films
to create suspense or control
how much of the surrounding
scene is revealed.
28. HIGH KEY LIGHTING
High key lighting is lighting
that results in evenly
distributed, low contrast
lighting. In a shot using high
key lighting there will be
more brightly illuminated
areas than areas of shadow
