Mise-en-scene refers to everything presented to the viewer within the frame of a shot, including color, costume, props, sets/locations, blocking/performance, and lighting. The document discusses how each of these elements can be used to convey meaning and set mood. Color, for example, is used symbolically and connotations of red indicate danger while white suggests purity. Costumes can reveal social class, with ill-fitting clothes implying a lower class. Lighting establishes mood, with high key lighting feeling professional and low key lighting creating suspense through shadows.

1. Mise-en-scene
What does mise-en-scene mean?
Place in the scene- It is used to describe everything in the shot.
What are the 6 key areas of mise-en-scene?
Colour
Costume
Props
Set/location
Blockingandperformance
Lighting
Colour:
How is colour used in the 3 below pictures?
Symbolic use of colour is often used in lighting costume and makeup, such as in the
top left picture features red which has connotations of death and danger. Or white in
the picture on the right, indicating that she is pure and innocent.
Connotations of colour like this are so well understood that are used regularly in
children’s texts such as the above examples above.
Costume:
What can we interpret from these costumes?
The picture on the left can be interpreted as of lower class than that of the picture on
the right due to their ill-fitting clothes and mix of styles and colours, whereas on the
right their clothes all suit and fit well. Completed with a neatly tied scarf around his
neck.

2. Mise-en-scene
Location:
Can be a purpose built set or a real location
Set is a manmade place, whereas a location is a place that a film actually go to in
order to film.
Blocking/Performance:
 Blocking refers to the positioning and movement of actors within the frame,
both in relation to each other and in relation to the camera (which represents
us, the audience)
 Performance covers all aspects of the actual acting – gesture, expression,
accent etc
Lighting:
How is lighting being used to create mood in the following examples?
High key lighting is when the lighting is very high and bright as seen in picture 2 on
the right. Setting the mood as professional.
Low key lighting is when the lighting is low and moody often used in horror films, as
featured in picture 1 on the left. Its sets the mood with suspense as the background
is not completely clear due to shadows.