This is a combination of the mise en scene lectures. It may be a bit different from the class version but it contains the same information.

1. Mise en Scène

2. Journal Question 3
Why is it important to watch films
made outside of the U.S.?

3. Mise en Scène
Arrangement of materials and subjects in front
of the camera
-“placing on the stage” in French

4. Elements of Style (Mise en scene)
Serves to shape the narrative
Shows what the audience needs to see or hear to
understand the scene

5. Including:
set design,
costumes,
the blocking of actors,
performance,
lighting,
camera movement,
composition

6. THE FRAME

7. Aspect Ratio: Width and height of image

8. Aspect Ratio: Width and height of image

9. filmmakers compose the image
to fit the frame
The composition is restricted by
the aspect ratio of the film

10. “Each shot choice a director makes results in mise-en-
scene that creates a unique effect”
Bernard F. Dick

11. The frame
Certain areas can be exploited for symbolic meaning

12. Center of the frame: reserved for important visual elements

13. Top of the frame: power, authority, control

14. Bottom of the frame: vulnerability and powerlessness

15. Edges of the frame: darkness can suggest fearfulness and the
unknown

16. Composition and Design
The eye can detect 7 or 8 major elements of composition
simultaneously
The mise en scène guides the eye through the composition
The dominant is the area that immediately attracts attention

17. What is the dominant is in this composition?

18. Composition and Design
After taking in the dominant the eyes moves to the subsidiary
contrasts

19. What are the subsidiary contrasts?

20. Balanced Composition: places the most important
elements in the center of the frame

21. Placement of people in frame
- near center of frame is a “comfortable” place
Closer

22. Gattica
Edges of frame can create tension

24. Designs composed of even numbers can appear stable and balanced
The Royal Tenenbaums

25. Designs with odd numbers can appear off balance
Rosemary’s Baby

26. Design lines can be vertical
The Shining

27. Design lines can be horizontal
The Graduate

28. Design lines can be diagonal
The Big Combo

29. Territorial Space
5 basic positions each sends a different message

30. Full frontal: facing the camera is the most intimate
We Need to Talk About Kevin

31. Addressing the camera: the viewer becomes a confidant
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

32. Quarter Turn: a favored position with a high degree of intimacy
Volver

33. Profile: looking off camera left or right
The Killer Inside Me

34. Minority Report
Profile: more mysterious and less accessible

35. Three-quarter turn: more anonymous and anti-social,
Black Swan

36. Back to camera: alienation and mystery
Madadayo

37. Composition in Depth

38. Composition in Depth
FOREGROUNDMIDDLE GROUND
BACKGROUND

39. The distance from the near to the farthest
that objects are in focus

40. DEPTH OF FIELD

41. DEPTH OF FIELD

42. D
E
E
P
S
H
A
L
L
O
W

43. Deep Depth of Field
Citizen Kane

44. Shallow Depth of Field

45. FOREGROUND
The Color Purple
Where important subjects are often placed

46. MIDDLE GROUND
- often where the actors are placed
The Town

47. BACKGROUND
Lost in Translation

48. BACKGROUND
- the location
- info about character
- sometimes background is a
character
Lost in Translation

49. Proxemic Patterns
The relationships of organisms within a
given space
The distance between the subject and
the camera

50. Intimate: skin contact to 18” (XCU CU)
City of God

51. Intimacy between viewer and subject
Breakfast at Tiffany’s

52. Or an invasion
Of personal
space

53. With strangers with distance is intrusive

54. Personal: 18” to 4 ft (MCU MS)
Reserved for Friends
and family
The Duchess

55. Social Distances: 4 ft to 12 ft (LS)

56. Long Shot (LS)
Rebecca

57. Public distances: 12ft to 25ft (XLS)
Tends to be formal and detached

58. Extreme Long Shot

59. Lighting as an element of mise en scene
Available or natural lighting is often
used in realist films for a neutral
presentation
High-key lighting is often used in
musicals, comedies, romantic comedies
to present an bright or glossy finish

60. • Low-key lighting in color and black and
white is used to create high contrast
and use light and dark symbolically.

61. Low-key example from Closer

62. Available/natural light example Sherrybaby

63. High-key example Singin in the Rain

64. • Color can be used to create a
dominant, symbolically and to set up a
contrast

65. • What is the dominant color in this
composition?

66. • How is used symbolically here and to
what effect?

67. • Use of contrasting color or foil to draw
the eye to an area of the frame
• What is the dominant color and what is
the foil of contrasting color?

68. • Lens have a profound effect of the
image
• Wide angle create a deep depth of field
and allows for multiple elements of mise
en scene
• Telephoto creates a shallow depth of
field and shows a limited amount of
information

69. • 50 MM creates a neutral composition
and just like eye level angle and
available lighting is often a realist
tendency

70. • Film stock can be fast or slow
• Fast film stock works in low light
conditions
• Is highly sensitive to light
• Can produce a grainy image

71. • Fast film stock example for Barry
Lyndon

72. Slow film stock requires more illumination
than fast stock
Capable of capturing colors precisely and
vividly

73. Slow film stock example

74. • Density of the composition
• Texture of the image
• STARK
• MODERATE
• HIGHLY DETAILED

76. Moderate: The eye can easily take in the elements without
being overwhelmed

77. Highly detailed: The image is packed with visual
information and texture

78. • OPEN AND CLOSED COMPOSITIONS

79. • OPEN FORM
part of subject is cut off

80. • Similar to theater: everything is included

81. What your thesis sentence should do

82. What your thesis sentence should do
Make a clear and specific statement

83. What your thesis sentence should do
Make a clear and specific statement
Indicate the direction of your thoughts

84. What your thesis sentence should do
Make a clear and specific statement
Indicate the direction of your thoughts
Provide structure

85. What your thesis sentence should do
Make a clear and specific statement
Indicate the direction of your thoughts
Provide structure
Be supported by the body of your paper

86. Mise-en-scene is French for placing the stage
and refers to the arrangement of materials in
front of the camera (Kendall).
Remember if you are using my definitions
make sure to give me credit by putting my
last name in parenthesis at the end of the
sentence.
This applies to anything that is not your
original idea! If you take concepts from the
text be sure to source the author in the same
way.

87. Action in the film
Present Tense!!!!
Example: Benjamin Braddock is a
young man with an uncertain future.

88. Avoid using pronouns
Here’s an example of what NOT to include in
your response paper
You can tell that the protagonist is an
anti-hero. We can see this by Joe’s
behavior.

89. The Graduate (put film titles in italics)
Type the entire question out at the top of the
page
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