English unit on short film

1. IGCSE
Short Film - Lighting and Mise-en-scène

2. Mise-en-scène
Mise-en-scène literally means ‘put in the scene/frame’.
In your books list and describe/discuss all the things you think
might be included in mise-en-scène.

3. Definition
mise-en-scène
/meez on sen/
Noun
mise-en-scène includes refers to all elements of visual style - that is, both
elements on the set and aspects of the camera:
shot selection
shot composition including all aspects of production design and set
decoration
Figure
all objects and props
Lighting
technical camera properties such as shutter speed, aperture, frame rate
and depth of field.

4. Shot Selection = mid shot Shot Composition = Two shot framed with car
window filmed from outside the car looking in
Technical camera = B&W Lighting = low contrast, dimly lit
Depth of field = Shalow (kids are in focus from outside the car – appears to
but foreground and background are not) come from natural street lights
Objects and props Figure

5. Lighting
Copy the table below into your books
Watch the extract from The Most Beautiful Man in the
World.
Observe features of the lighting and make notes to
describe this.

6. Reasons
Offer some reasons for why the director might have
chosen to light the scene in this way.
For example; I think the director chooses to have light
dancing over the little girl’s face because he wanted to
show the contrast between the animated nature of the
program she is watching and the dullness of her own
mood…

7. Mise en Scene
Watch the extract from The Man with the Beautiful Eyes.
Observehow objects, other props and text are used in the
visual narrative.

8. Task
Using notes taken in class, compare and contrast the use of
lighting and mise-en-scène in two of the film extracts screened.