Mise-en-Scene(meez-on-sen)

Write this as atitle and make your own notes as we work through the

slides that follow.

Media Studies @ KBA

www.kbamediastudiestvdrama.blogspot.com

Why?

• Mise-en-scene is one of the 4 key technical areas that you have to be able to analyse in the textual analysis exam.

• The other 3 are use of the camera, editing and sound.

• Mise-en-scene is the first we will look at in detail.

Media Studies @ KBA

What does it mean?

• Mise en Scene (it is French in case you hadn't worked it out), can be translated as something like "Arranging the scene".

• Essentially this is the name given to the design and arranging of what appears in the frame of a TV drama.

Media Studies @ KBA

• An audience's first perception of the TV drama they are watching is usually the location where the first scene occurs, or the outer appearance of the character taking part in the opening of the scene.

• This first impression can provide the audience with a wealth of information regarding the character and the location, without that information having to be "spoken". On a higher level, this information can be used as a subtext, to enhance the ideas the film is trying to make.

Media Studies @ KBA

5 Elements

• There are 5 elements of mise-en-scene.

• All of these relate to what appears in each frame of a TV drama.

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Settings and Locations

• Settings & Locations play an important part and are not just ‘backgrounds’

• Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time is spent finding a setting which already exists

• Settings can manipulate an audience by building certain expectations

• Props is short for ‘properties’ – this means the ‘things’ that are present on a set or are used by characters.

• Props can help to establish expectations for the audience.

Media Studies @ KBA

Costume, Hair and Make-up

• Costume, Hair & Make Up act as an instant indicator to us of a character’s personality, status and job

• It tells us immediately whether the programme is set in the present and what society/or culture it will centre around

• Actors dress so that they are a representation of their character and not of themselves

• Certain costumes can signify stereotypes (i.e. black is associated with ’bad guys’) or establish quirks – think ‘Dr Who’.

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Facial Expressions and Body Language

• Facial Expressions provide a clear indicator of how someone is feeling

• If someone is smiling broadly, we assume they are happy, etc

• 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:

Media Studies @ KBA

Media Studies @ KBA

Media Studies @ KBA

Framing and Composition

• Positioning within a frame can draw our attention to an important character/object

• A director can use positioning to indicate relationships between people

• TASK: What does the positioning in the following image reveal about the characters:

Media Studies @ KBA

Media Studies @ KBA

Lighting and 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 and body

• To reflect a characters mental state/hidden emotions (i.e. bright = happy, dark = disturbed, strobe effect = confused)

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Practical Task

• We are going to watch a clip from an episode of a BBC TV crime drama series called The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

• The episode is called A Suitable Vengeance and was first aired on the 17th March 2003.

• The following contextual information will help but would not be provided in the exam.

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Practical Task

• In this episode Inspector Thomas Lynley (the 8th Earl of Asherton) is returning to his family home to celebrate his engagement to Helen.

• He is accompanied by Sgt Barabara Havers who is his ‘partner’ but also a friend.

• Other characters who appear in the clip are Sidney (his cousin), Justin Brook (Her boyfriend) and Lady Asherton (his mother).

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Practical Task

• We will watch the clip 4 times.

• During showings 2, 3 and 4 you need to make notes in your exercise book about the first 3 of the 5 elements of Mise-en-scene:

1. Settings and Locations

2. Costume, Hair and Make-up

3. Facial Expressions and Body Language

Media Studies @ KBA

Practical Task

Media Studies @ KBA

Practical Task

Media Studies @ KBA