Mise-en-scene

from French mettre – “to place, put”

• refers to the visual arrangement of items on screen

BUT, mise-en-scene also takes into account how those items affect the

atmosphere of the shot

Dominant (Focus of the shot)

• The thing the director wants you to see first on screen

How is the shot arranged so that you look “where you are supposed to look”?

Subsidiary Contrasts

• Everything else on screen after the dominant (items in the background)

Does any other visual material add a further level of information to the shot?

Camera Distance and Angle

• Distance of shot (long, medium, etc.)

• Camera angle (low, high, flat)

How do the camera distance and angle influence your opinion of the objects on screen?

Composition

• The visual organization of all objects on screen (similar to elements of a good shot, but for a still image)

Note horizon,

placement, sizes, positions, etc. of objects.

Framing

• The tightening of the frame around an object (using lines, doorways, walls, other objects, etc)

Framing can emphasize an object or make it appear threatened.

Character Placement

• The arrangement of characters on the screen (position, size, etc.)

Staging Position

• The characters’ reactions to the camera

Is the character looking at the viewer? Looking away? How intimate is the viewer able to get with the character?

Density

• The amount of visual information on screen

High density can symbolize chaos.

Low density can symbolize calmness.

Depth

• The number of different distances at which objects are placed on screen

Lighting

• High light/Low light• Source of the light• High or low contrast

lighting

The use of light can affect your perception of the objects on screen.

Lens/Filter

• Lens – a covering of the camera to add effect to the visual

• Filter – a covering of the light source to add effect to the visual

The lens or filter is used to alter the lighting or exposure of the shot.

Color

• Note the dominant color and any use of contrasting or symbolic colors

Form

• Either open or closed Closed form – objects on screen are not affected by their surroundings

Open form – objects on screen ARE affected by their surroundings

Lines

• Horizontal lines – movement and fluidity

• Vertical lines – confined or stagnant feeling

• Diagonal (oblique) lines – tension

These visual principles, with appropriate modifications, can be applied to any visual analysis. Of course, while we are actually viewing a film, most of us don’t have the time or inclination to explore all elements of mise-en-scene in each shot. Nonetheless, by applying these principles to a still photo, we can train our eyes to “read” a movie image with more critical sophistication.