Mise-en-scene refers to everything that appears in front of the camera, including setting, props, costumes, makeup, facial expressions, lighting, color, and character positioning. It provides visual clues that influence how the audience interprets the story and feels. There are five key elements of mise-en-scene: setting and props, costumes/makeup, facial expressions and body language, lighting and color symbolism, and character positioning. Students learned how each element creates meaning and discussed examples through images and tasks. They practiced analyzing mise-en-scene elements in paragraphs with a point, evidence, and analysis structure.

1. Mise-En-Scene
L/O: to be able to know MES key
terms and understand their
significance

2. Starter
• Mise-en-scene means …….
• It’s _________ info in front of camera
• It gives us information about:
– ______________ (time & place)
– ______________

3. Starter (cont)
• The 5 parts of MES are:
1. ________________ & P _______
2. ____________, Make-up/Hair
3. Facial __________ & Body ____________
4. _______________ & Colour Symbolism
5. ___________ of characters/objects within the frame
• Each aspect of the mise-en-scene creates _____________ which will be
interpreted by an audience. Also, they give us visual clues which influence
how we __________ .
– ______________ (time & place)
– ______________

4. Starter
• Mise-en-scene means …….’in the frame’ ‘the arrangement of everything in
the frame’
• It’s visual info in front of camera
• It gives us information about:
– Setting (time & place)
– Characters

5. Starter (cont)
• The 5 parts of MES are:
1. Setting & Props
2. Costume, Make-up/Hair
3. Facial expression & Body language
4. Lighting & Colour Symbolism
5. positioning of characters/objects within the frame
• Each aspect of the mise-en-scene creates meaning which will be
interpreted by an audience. Also, they give us visual clues which influence
how we feel.

6. Settings & Props
• Settings & props play an important part in film-making
and are not just ‘backgrounds’
• Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time
is spent to find a setting which already exists
• Settings can manipulate an audience by building
certain expectations and then taking a different turn
• They make a scene seem ‘real’

7. How does setting convey period?

8. Setting & Props task
(copy and complete chart)
• TASK: What settings you would find in:
Extension: give specific details of setting
GENRE SETTING PROPS
A sci-fi (science
fiction) film
A romance film
A Zombie horror
film
A Western film
A Crime/gangster
film

9. Costume, Hair & Make Up
• Tell us immediately whether the film is set in
the present and what society/or culture it will
centre around
• Act as an instant indicator to the audience of a
character’s personality, status & job
• Certain costumes can signify certain individuals
(e.g. black cloak of a vampire) or groups (e.g.
policemen)

10. Quick Analysis task
• Costume:
• Prop:
• Makeup:
• Hair:

11. Costume, Make-up and Hair
GENRE COSTUME MAKE-UP & HAIR
A sci-fi (science fiction) film
A romance film
A Zombie horror film
A Western film
A Crime/gangster film

12. Facial Expressions & Body
Language
• Facial Expressions provide a clear indicator of how
someone is feeling
• If someone is smiling broadly, we assume they are
happy but we may get a different feeling if this is
accompanied by scary music
• Body Language may also indicate how a character
feels towards another character or may reflect the state
of their relationship
• TASK: What meanings/emotions do the following
images convey:

13. IMAGE 1

14. IMAGE 2

15. IMAGE 3

16. Positioning of Characters &
Objects within a frame
• Positioning within a frame can draw our
attention to an important character/object
• A film-maker can use positioning to
indicate relationships between people
• TASK: What does the positioning in the
following images reveal about the
characters/film:

17. IMAGE 1

18. IMAGE 2

19. IMAGE 3

20. IMAGE 4

21. Colour
• Colour carries certain
connotations which may
add meaning to a scene
• It can give a scene a
particular look, feel or
mood
• It may also be used for
dramatic effect

22. TRON:
• Blue signifies:

23. • A range of bright
colours were used
because…..

24. Lighting & Colour
Lighting & Colour can be used to achieve a variety of effects:
• To highlight important characters or objects within the
frame
• To make characters look mysterious by shading sections
of the face & body
• To reflect a characters mental state/hidden emotions
• Reflect the overall mood/atmosphere

25. Key, Fill & back light
• Key: main light
• Fill: to fill in shadows
• Back: lit from behind
• y:

26. Types of Lighting
LOW KEY LIGHTING
• Created by using only the
key & back lights
• Produces sharp contrasts
of light and dark areas
• Deep, distinct
shadows/silhouettes are
formed
Example: Horror Films

27. Types of Lighting
HIGH KEY LIGHTING
• More filler lights are used.
Lighting is natural and
realistic to our eyes
• Produces brightly lit sets or
a sunny day (right)
Example: Rom-Coms

28. KEY LIGHT
FILLER
LIGHTS
BACK
LIGHT

29. What types of lighting are used
in the following images:
A
FD
C
E
B

30. For each image, answer the
following questions:
What type of lighting is used in each image (High
or Low Key)?
Where are the KEY LIGHTS, FILLER LIGHTS &
BACK LIGHTS in each image?
What effects/meanings does the lighting suggest?

32. Mise-En-Scene
L/O: to be able to identify MES key
terms and explain their significance
Jan 15

33. Close your book
• In silence……
• S__________ & __________
• C_________, Make-up, H______
• ________ expression & ______ ________
• L_________ & C_______ symbolism
• __________ of characters/objects in the
frame
Raise your hand if you think you know all of them

34. 1. Setting & Props
2. Costume, Make-up/Hair
3. Facial expression & Body language
4. Lighting & Colour Symbolism
5. positioning of characters/objects within the frame

35. Paragraph structure
You need to be able to IDENTIFY AND
ANALYSE
P = __________
E = __________
A = __________

36. Paragraph structure
You need to be able to IDENTIFY AND
ANALYSE
P = point (make a point)
E = example (provide example/evidence from image)
A = analysis (explain the meaning/connotation)

38. Model Paragraph
• You now know key terms, now you need to reflect on the meaning of
the lighting.
Example
Point: The scene from ‘American Beauty’ has low key lighting,
Evidence: there are strong shadows created by the strong key light from
the door; the key light is also a back light because the
characters are standing in front of the light. There is also a
subtle fill light from a light outside of the frame at the top left
corner.
Analysis: The strong key light suggests the light is coming from the
interior of a building which is set at night. The strong contrast
created by the high key lighting makes a serious/dramatic
atmosphere which fits with the drama genre.

40. In groups, on A3
Example
Point: The scene from ‘Sin City 2’….
Evidence:
Analysis:

41. Bringing it all together!
__ Setting & props
__ Costume/makeup
__ Facial exp/body lang
__ Lighting/colour
__ Position

42. Copy point
Complete evidence & analysis
Setting Props Costume Make-up Facial
exp
Body
Lang
Lighting colour position
The
setting
show the
realism in
the scene.
The props
indicate
the
realism in
the scene.
The
costumes
illustrate
the roles
of the
characters
.
The make
up
highlight
the roles
of the
characters
.
The facial
expression
s show the
feelings of
the
characters
.
The body
language
suggests
the
feelings of
the
character.
There is
_______
type of
lighting.
The
colours
indicate
the
atmospher
e.
The
placement
of the
characters
shows the
relationshi
p between
them.
Evidence
Analysis

43. MES paragraphs
• I am doing the _____ level.
• My ____ paragraphs will be on:
1) _______________
2) _______________
3) _______________
4) _______________

44. Choose 2-4 to write up in full
paragraphs.
• Use template below if you need to.
Example SETTING
Point: The setting shows the realism in the scene.
Evidence:
Analysis:

45. Homework
• Due: next wed
• Annotate the MES picture (resident evil)