1. Mise-en-scene
Itmeans ‘placed in the scene’ – used in theatre whereby the director
would use it to organisethe stage– in media, its used to describe
everything that can be seen in a single shot
Semiotics – the study of signs (all communication is made with a
combination of signs and codes)
Mise-en-scenemeans ‘everything within the shot, so whatdo look for? –
Colour, Costume, Props, Set/Location, Blocking & Performance, and
Lighting
Colour – used as a symbolic aspect in severalplaces such as set, the
lighting, the costumes/makeup etc – often used in children’s texts (e.g.
black clothing to symbolisea villainous character such as Maleficent)
Costume – includes clothes, hair and make up – creates identity and
personality within a character – forms a ‘culturalcode’ meaning the
audience understand how the costumeaspects provide clues about the
character and the situation
Props – objects used in the frame (to dress the set or be used by the
actor) – symbolic and significant(expressing mood and character traits
etc)
Set/Location – set is built for filming and is mostlikely a partof a studio
complex, location involves leaving the studio and filming in an existing
location that is ‘scouted’ – remember to dress the setting purposefully
(e.g. World War Z was filmed in Glasgow which was dressed to look like
Philadelphia in war)
Blocking & Performance – positioning and movement of actors within
the framein relation to each other and the camera (representing
audience) – covers all aspects of the acting – gesture, expression,
language
Lighting – 2 main approaches; high key lighting and low key lighting,
high key – ensures even light across the framewith little or no shadow
or any dark places meaning there’s little dramatic effect, low key –
allows high contrastbetween light and dark in the framewith shadow
being used for a dramatic effect like in a horror movie, there is also
2. ambient lighting – a scene has been lit using available light that’s there
to make it look naturalistic in the frame
Mise en scene creates verisimilitude which refers to the authenticity
(originality) of the environmentcreated on screen