The document discusses the concept of mise-en-scene in TV drama. It defines mise-en-scene as the visual elements within a scene, including settings and props, costumes, lighting, positioning of characters, and facial expressions. It explains that these elements communicate meaning and help the audience understand characters' emotions. The document then examines each of the five elements of mise-en-scene in TV drama, providing examples of how they are used to convey meaning and influence the audience.

1. AS Media Studies
TV Drama
Mise En Scene

2. Session Aims
By the end of the session you will be able to:
• Understand the concept of ‘mise en scene’
• Apply the concept to a TV drama extract

3. Definition: Mise En Scene
• A French term meaning what is put into a scene
or frame
• Visual information in front of the camera
• Communicates essential information to the
audience
• Made up of 5 elements: Can you guess what
they are?

4. The 5 Elements of Mise en Scene
• Settings & Props
• Costume, Hair & Make Up
Each aspect of mise-enscene has hidden
meanings within a film
and sends signals to the
audience about how we
are supposed to feel at a
certain point
• Facial Expressions & Body Language
• Lighting & Colour
• Positioning of characters/objects within the
frame

5. 1. Settings & Props
•
Settings & Locations play an important part in filmmaking 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
•
1.
2.
3.
TASK: What settings and props you would find in:
A Science Fiction TV Drama
A Period TV Drama
A Crime TV Drama

6. Iconography:
• images and objects which we associate
with a genre
• and hold specific connotations with a
certain subject

7. 2. Costume, Hair & Make Up
•
Costume, Hair & Make Up act as an instant
indicator to us of a character’s personality,
status & job
•
It tells us immediately whether the film is set in
the present and what society/or culture it will
centre around
•
Certain costumes can signify certain individuals
(i.e. black cloak of a vampire, Spidey’s
Spiderman suit)

8. 3. 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:

9. IMAGE 1

10. IMAGE 2

11. IMAGE 3

12. 4. 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:

13. IMAGE 1

14. IMAGE 2

15. IMAGE 3

16. IMAGE 4

17. Colour
• Colour carries certain
connotations which may
add meaning to a scene
(i.e. Red =
Danger/Passion)
• Can give a scene a
particular look, feel or
mood
• Can be used for dramatic
effect

18. Analysing Mise en Scene

19. 5. 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 (i.e. bright = happy, dark =
disturbed, strobe effect = confused

20. three-point lighting

21. Three-point lighting is the standard method used in visual media such as film,
still photography and computer-generated imagery.
It is a simple but versatile system which forms the basis of most lighting.
Once you understand three-point lighting, you are well on the
way to understanding all lighting.

22. The technique uses three lights called
the key light,
the fill light
and the back light.

23. key light
This is the main light.
subject
It is usually the strongest and has the
most influence on the look of the scene.
camera
The key light is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well
lit and the other has some shadow.
It provides hard light, like that from the sun on a clear day: a bright light with
hard-edged shadows.
It provides excellent modelling by highlighting the shape and contours of the
subject.

24. fill light
This is the secondary light and is placed
on the opposite side to the key light.
Its light can be likened to indirect
sunlight or reflected light from the
environment.
It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer
and less bright than the key and casts soft indistinct shadows.
It is sometimes referred to as the 'highlight' as it is often used to give a sheen or
highlight to an actor's hair.

25. back light
The back light is placed behind the subject
and lights it from the rear.
Rather than providing direct lighting (which the key and fill give), its purpose is
purely for modelling – to provide definition and subtle highlights around the
subject's outlines.
This helps separate the subject from the background and give a threedimensional look.

26. illustrating lighting
The following images of a computer-generated apple are from an online lighting tutorial.
key light only
the key light has been placed to the right
of the camera and has created very
sharp shadows.
It looks okay – is identifiably an apple – but doesn't show any real depth.

27. fill light only
The fill light is usually on
the opposite side of the
camera from the key, so in
this case it is on the left.
As it should be a soft light (created by use of filters or diffusers) the effect is
similar to the key except the shadows are less defined. The apple looks flat and
artificial.

28. key + fill
Using both key and fill gives that all important depth so that the image looks
more three-dimensional.

29. backlight only
The backlight provides very subtle highlighting to the apple, most of which
is in darkness.

30. key + fill + back
Beautiful! A complete
view of the apple.
a fourth light could be used at the back to remove the remaining shadows.

31. key light only
backlight only
fill light only
key + fill
key + fill + back

32. 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

33. 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

34. What types of lighting are used
in the following images:
B
A
D
E
C
F

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

36. BACK
LIGHT
FILLER
LIGHTS
KEY LIGHT

41. TV Drama: