FILM 100 - Chapter #3 (mise-en-scene)

TODAY’S AGENDA
Review QUIZ #2
Define and discuss the various elements of
“MISE EN SCÈNE”

CHAPTER 3: MISE EN SCÈNE
WHAT IS “MISE EN SCÈNE”?
PHONETIC: “MEESE – ON – SEN”
French term which means “Placing on stage”
The arrangement of EVERYTHING that appears
in the framing of a film’s shots – setting, lighting,
props, costume, makeup, actors, hair, etc. The
frame and camerawork are also considered part
of the mise-en-scène of a movie. In cinema,
“placing on the stage” really means placing on
the screen, and the director is in charge of
deciding what goes where, when, and how.

Bordwell & Thompson: “MISE EN SCÈNE”
does NOT include camera placement and
movement
Gibbs: “MISE EN SCÈNE” DOES include
camera placement and movement
For this class, we’re Team Gibbs but other
definitions you encounter may vary (some, for
example, include editing and sound design as
part of MISE EN SCÈNE but we are going to
focus on the basic visual)

“MISE EN SCÈNE” (“MEESE – ON –
SEN”)
Think of it as the film’s VISUAL STYLE and
all that entails; the framing of a film’s shots
– setting, lighting, props, costume,
makeup, actors, hair, etc. VISUAL STYLE
also includes frame and camerawork as
part of the mise-en-scène of a film

“MISE EN SCÈNE” (“MEESE – ON –
SEN”)
All the specific visual factors that
combine to make the overall shot
“beautiful” or “sad” or “scary”

Visual Style = HOW A MOVIE
LOOKS AND MOVES
In other words, how the film
conveys its individual “visual
language” to give the viewer
information as it’s telling its
particular story

SCENE ANALYSIS
Employing this concept of
MISE EN SCÈNE and the
correct use of its terms is
the key to successful scene
analysis

SETTINGS, SETS, AND LOCATIONS
SETTING =
The place and time in which the
events of a film occur
NYC, 1895 vs. NYC, 1995, for
example
Incorporates SETS and
LOCATIONS

SET =
Spaces specifically constructed for the
filming of particular scenes; a space
CREATED solely for the film, usually
indoors but sets are also created
outdoors
Offers maximum control for
filmmakers
IMPRESSIVE MOVIE SETS

LOCATION =
Actual “real” places chosen by
filmmakers because they suit the
requirements of the story and
enhance its believability
Offers less control for filmmakers
but gives more “realness”
TIME-HONORED LOCATIONS

CGI = THE ULTIMATE SET?

ACTING =
The various methods and
techniques employed by the people
playing the characters in a film as
directed by the filmmaker

ACTING FACTORS:
Unlike literature, film does not offer
easy access to a character’s “interior
life” so acting is crucial for
communicating that instead; what an
onscreen character is thinking and
feeling is most often conveyed by
the ACTING, not just the dialogue

ACTING FACTORS:
VOICEOVER =
film shorthand for “interior life”, but
it does not adhere to the core
motto of filmmaking, “SHOW,
DON’T TELL”
FILM = VISUAL MEDIUM making
“SHOW, DON’T TELL” crucial

ACTING FACTORS:
CASTING =
Which actors will play which roles
Physical appearance, vocal quality
and general demeanor all play a
very large part of a film’s MISE EN
SCÈNE depending on the type of
film that’s being made

CASTING
Because the actor is the key tool of expression in
film, casting is a very important part of the process.
Traditionally, in mainstream Hollywood films, the
lead roles are played by actors who conform to
standard ideals of beauty.
Secondary roles are often played by character
actors: actors who predominantly play unusual or
eccentric characters and are often not limited to
standard ideals of beauty.

ACTING FACTORS:
Acting in film is different from acting on
the stage in terms of how much
movement an actor makes.
On the stage the audience is sitting a
way off and all the actions need to be
bigger; this is especially true in terms of
facial expression.

FACIAL EXPRESSION =
The direction of an actor’s gaze, the
slightest furrowing of the brow, the cocking
of the head – all these small moves can
convey a wealth of information about the
character’s “interior life”
Film allows actors to be SUBTLE in a way
that’s impossible for stage actors
Benedict Cumberbatch: From Stage to Screen
Knowing about these differences is key to
understanding how to give and get
performances from actors in film

The Kuleshov Effect – 1910 Russia

ACTING TECHNIQUES AND
STYLES: METHOD
There are many techniques that an actor can use to
achieve a performance.
Elia Kazan started the Actors Studio in NYC to
teach and study “The Method” This technique
draws on an actor’s prior experiences to recreate
an emotion or series of emotions on screen – the
idea is that they’re NOT acting, their emotions and
experiences are all REAL...
9 Examples of Method Acting

ACTING TECHNIQUES AND
STYLES: IMPROV
Another approach is Improvisation, where
actors perfect a performance by playing off
one another.
Improvised scenes are often thought of as
used in comedies but the technique can be
used effectively in many styles of films
More examples here

FIGURES IN FILM:
FIGURE =
A broad term that refers to any
object within the film’s frame,
including architectural elements,
natural elements (such as trees or
mountains), furniture, people,
animals, etc.
Of all these, the human figure, in the
form of the actor, is often the most
significant “object” on screen

FIGURES IN FILM:
FIGURE POSITION =
The arrangement of figures in the frame
Can convey a great deal about
character psychology, character
relationships, and theme
The proximity or distance between
characters from scene to scene/shot to
shot often indicates emotional
closeness or distance but it can do the
same if there’s only one character

FIGURES IN FILM:
FIGURE MOVEMENT =
How figures MOVE, both
independently and in relation to
one another within a film
Remember that it’s not JUST
actors that move in a film; many
other figures (objects in a film’s
frame) can move, too

COSTUME =
The clothing worn by characters
Often functions to establish setting
and circumstances; reveal a
character’s psychology, social
status, character traits, and/or her
perception of herself; move the plot
forward; or convey theme
Epic Costume Designs

COSTUME EXAMPLE =
Joey’s jacket in ON THE WATERFRONT

MAKEUP & HAIR =
Ways of “dressing” a character to often
establish time and place, reveal a
character’s psychology and circumstances,
signal a change in a character, or even
convey theme
MOVIE MAKEUP
HAIRSTYLING
100 YEARS-HISTORY

PROPS (Properties) =
Movable objects that appear in a
film
As with all other elements of MISE
EN SCÈNE, props can be used to
provide viewers with important
information about plot, character,
and theme

LIGHTING =
The way light is used in a film to
expose, highlight, or hide objects in
the frame
Think of each frame of a film as a still
photograph that is specifically lit
As with all other elements of MISE EN
SCÈNE, lighting can be used to
provide viewers with important
information about plot, character, and
theme

LIGHTING =
Three-Point Lighting: the basis
for lighting design in film
KEY LIGHT
FILL LIGHT
BACK LIGHT

THREE POINT LIGHTING:

THREE-POINT LIGHTING
KEY LIGHT =
The brightest light source
Placed typically to one side so
that it illuminates from an angle
for desired effect

KEY LIGHT =
The brightest light source
Placed to one side so that it
illuminates from an angle for
desired effect

FILL LIGHT =
Used opposite/with KEY LIGHT to
reduce or eliminate the harsh
shadows created by the key light
Less intense than the KEY LIGHT

BACK LIGHT =
Originates from behind and either
above, below, or to the side of the
back of the main object you’re
lighting
Can create a silhouette effect

BACK LIGHT =
Originates from behind and usually
above the subject (sometimes
below)
Can create a silhouette effect

TYPES OF LIGHTING:
High-Key Lighting =
When the fill light and the back light
are nearly as bright as the key light
Shadows are diminished and the
effect is of an evenly distributed light
source in the entire shot
3-Camera TV Sit-Coms are often
shot this way

TYPES OF LIGHTING:
Low-Key Lighting =
When the fill light and the back
light are much less intense than
the key light; some areas are
brightly lit while some are in deep
shadow/blackness
This effect is sometimes called
“chiaroscuro”

MOVEMENT & COLOR =
MOVEMENT by not only
independent objects like props,
BUT movement also by the
camera itself can be used within
MISE EN SCÈNE to convey
meaning and impact

MOVEMENT & COLOR =
Likewise, COLOR and it
associated symbolism is often
used within MISE EN SCÈNE to
convey meaning and impact
A film’s overall use of color is
called its COLOR PALETTE

FRAMING & COMPOSITION =
How the objects in a shot are
arranged and shown to the
audience – the use of the SPACE
within and inside a shot

Think of each still of a film as a
photograph or painting; how it’s
COMPOSED and FRAMED is what
gives it meaning and impact
Balance, Deep Space, Shallow
Space, Actor-Blocking, even
“Offscreen” Space are just some of
the factors used in framing and
composition

FUNCTIONS/DIMENSIONS of Composition
Definition of AESTHETIC = a set of
principles underlying and guiding the work of
a particular artist or artistic movement; a
particular individual’s set of ideas about style
and taste, along with its expression
FILMMAKER’S AESTHETIC: a distinctive
visual style achieved through composition
that gives films a sense of AESTHETIC unity
(Tarantino example)
FIVE ASPECTS OF STEVEN SPEILBERG’S
MOVIES

DIMENSIONS OF COMPOSITION
TO COMMUNICATE MEANING:
filmmakers often use composition to
communicate MEANING by using 3
dimensions of the frame itself:
HEIGHT
WIDTH
DEPTH

THE USE OF HEIGHT: typically
speaking, the TOP of the frame is the
DOMINANT area and the viewer’s eyes
go to this part of the screen first
When a character appears in the lower half
of the frame it is often significant, perhaps
visually expressing a power relationship
between the characters

THE USE OF WIDTH: while the
dominant area tends to be the general
center of the frame, WIDTH can be used
to visually express exclusion, alienation,
and obscurity, especially when there are
multiple characters on screen in a
multiple of ways

THE USE OF DEPTH: by using the
FOREGROUND, MID-GROUND, and
BACKGROUND when
composing/framing shots, a filmmaker
cannot only convey literal depth within the
image, she can visually express
relationships between characters

THE DOMAIN OF MISE EN
SCÈNE – where it all comes
together to create a space within
the frame in which the story takes
place using VISUAL LANGUAGE
as its main form of communication

MISE EN SCÈNE
10-minute video recapping many
of the aspects covered today
A LIST: 100 GREATEST SHOTS

LOOKING AHEAD
QUIZ #3
Basic Scene Analysis
Chapter #4: Editing

FILM 100 - Chapter #3 (mise-en-scene)

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to FILM 100 - Chapter #3 (mise-en-scene)

Similar to FILM 100 - Chapter #3 (mise-en-scene) (20)

More from profluther

More from profluther (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

FILM 100 - Chapter #3 (mise-en-scene)

Editor's Notes