Mise-en-scene refers to everything that appears within the frame of a shot that can provide context for the audience. There are six main elements of mise-en-scene: 1) body language and facial expressions, 2) setting and props, 3) costumes, hair, and makeup, 4) lighting and color, 5) position of characters, and 6) technical choices. Together these elements are used by directors and actors to construct shots and scenes in a way that conveys meaning and emotion to viewers. Paying close attention to the details of mise-en-scene is important for effectively communicating the film's story and themes.

1. By Charlie Quirk

2. What is Mise-En-Scene?
Mise-en-scene (MES) in it’s most simplest of terms is everything the audience
sees. MES is a French term and refers to a series of different elements of film
construction that can be seen by the audience in a individual shot. There are 6
main elements of MES which are shown below:
1. Body Language & Facial Expressions
2. Setting & Props
3. Costume, Hair & Makeup
4. Lighting & Colour
5. Position of Characters
6. Technical Choices
All of these elements are used in films to construct a shot, when making a film it
is very important for the actors and directors to pay attention to close detail,
which is essentially MES.

3. Body Language & Facial
Expressions
Body Language and Facial Expressions are key to making a shot/scene feel
natural and organic. For example if a character is sad and helpless, then that
character would fold their arms as a sign of personal comfort, they would also
have a worried expression on their face to show their emotion. Therefore it is
key that the actors and directors get the Body Language and Facial Expressions
right, otherwise the audience may get the wrong impression from the character.
However, if a director/actor gets the MES wrong it can result in that scene not
working out correctly. This is why I think Body Language and Facial Expressions
are very important, there’s a saying that says “a picture can paint a thousand
words”, therefore when it comes down to using this element of MES, it’s vital
that the Body Language used is appropriate, along with the facial expressions.
This gives the audience a clear, decisive message about the emotions of a
certain character whether it’s a shot, or even if it’s an entire scene.

4. Setting & Props
The second element of MES is Setting and Props. The setting of a film is
basically the surrounding environment, for example one setting could be a dark,
deep woods, this would usually be used for Horror films to create a sense of
tension and suspense within the audience. The setting is an important element
of MES since it can give a immediate indication to the audience of what the
genre might for a specific film.
Furthermore Props are also a key part of MES. Props are the physical things
that are used within a film, similar to the costume and makeup of a character in
a film, Props can be a good indicator to the audience of what a character’s
personality is like, for example a Murderer in a film may carry some sort of
weapon such as a knife or gun.

5. Costume, Hair & Makeup
The costumes within a film is what a character will physically wear, the Costume
of a character can give the audience an idea of what time period the film is set
in, whether it’s modern day, or even in the past. The Hair of a character can
reflect the character’s personality and can even relate to the time period that the
film is set in. Finally the Makeup can be used in a variety of different ways, for
example in Horror films, a characters Makeup can be used to make them look
different to the other characters, in addition to this it can make these characters
look scary and imposing to the audience.
All 3 of these things are used to inform the audience what type of character the
audience are dealing with, furthermore these things can also reflect the type of
situation a character may find themselves in, for example if a character in a film
is punched in the face, Makeup can be used to put scars and bruises on that
characters face, therefore adding realism to the film.

6. Lighting & Colour
Lighting and Colour go hand in hand as they both have to do with the visible
aspects of a scene and the way it is seen by the audience. Lighting and Colour
can be used to change the look of a scene. There are many different examples
of Lighting that films may use, one example would be low-key lighting, this may
be used for films that want to evoke fear in their audience, therefore this would
best be used for Horror films, as the low-key lighting would keep the audience
on the edge of their seats. Low-key lighting links with the colours that are used
within a film, for example Horror’s are more likely to use darker colours, which
fits in with the low-key lighting since they want to continue the theme of tension
and suspense.
Another example of Lighting is high-key lighting. This is more likely to be used in
Comedy films and Romantic films since the story that is being portrayed to the
audience is generally happier than Horror films and Thriller films. Furthermore,
the Colours in these type of films will also be brighter, therefore representing the
stuff the audience is seeing on the screen during Comedy films.

7. Position of Characters
The fifth element of MES is the Positions of Characters, this is where a specific
character is placed within a shot/scene. For example, in some films the main
character may be in the centre of the shot, this is done because the film
directors want that character to be the centre of attention for the audience. On
the other hand, side characters who may not play an important role in a film may
be positioned on the side of a shot/scene to represent their role in a film.
Another example is how close certain characters are to each other compared to
other characters. For example, if two characters within a film have a close bond
together, they may be positioned in a way that shows their personal relationship,
therefore the closer two characters (or more) are the better their relationship
may be. On the opposite side of the spectrum would be two characters (or
more) that loathe each other. Therefore two characters who have a strong
hatred for each other may be positioned further away from each other to show
their relationship to the audience.

8. Technical Choices
The final element of MES which can be used in films is the Technical Choices.
This includes things like special effects and the shots used within a scene.
Special effects are vital for most modern day films, for example CGI was heavily
used for films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, by using special effects it
allows the audience to become immersed in the film. It also let’s film creators
have complete freedom over what they want from their films.
Shots arguably is the most important thing to consider when making a film, this
is because without shots, a film could simply not be made. There are a wide
variety of shots that can be used within films a few examples include; wide shot,
low angle shot, and establishing shot. The low angle shot can be used to show
the power of a character, the low angle shot can represent the audience/other
characters who are essentially looking up to this powerful, strong character who
has control.

9. Thanks for reading!