Mise-en-Scene

Mise-en-Scene

Mise-en-Scene: • refers to the staging of a scene • it is the overall look/feel of a scene (or even an entire movie)• it is the arrangement of everything that appears before the

camera

Mise-en-Scene is composed of two things:1. Design (staging)- setting, props, lighting, actors (costume/makeup/hairstyle), & sound2. Composition (shot)- organization/balance relationship of all objects within the shot

Five Elements of Mise-en-SceneEach aspect of Mise-en-scene contributes to the meaning of a film and sends signals to the audience about how we are supposed to feel at a given point. Mise-en-scene consists of the following:1. Setting and Props2. Lighting and Color3. Costume, Hair, and Make-up4. Framing5. Kinesis/Blocking (Actors/Objects: movement, body language,

facial gestures)

1. Setting and Props

2. Lighting, Color, and the Familiar Image

Lighting• Lighting is used to convey Character, Narrative, and Mood

Lighting for Character

Lighting as Narrative

Lighting as Narrative

High Key Lighting (Mood)

Setting & Expressionism (5:30)• ..\Text - Looking at Movies\Looking at the Movies Disc1\Settin

g and Expressionism.mp4

Familiar Image• Familiar Image: the repetition of/ similar feel of image, sound,

character, etc, throughout the film• Lighting and the Familiar Image (7:30):..\Text - Looking at Movies\Looking at the Movies Disc1\Lighting and Familiar Image The Night of the Hunter.mp4

Familiar Image Jaws (image and sound)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX3bN5YeiQs

3. Costume, Hair, Make-Up

Watch

Top 10 Makeup Transformations of All Time (9:41):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-LSCfhbN_g

4. Framing

Composing the Frame (8:00)• ..\Text - Looking at Movies\Looking at the Movies Disc1\Comp

osing the Frame.mp4

Balance of FrameBalance of Frame= order that signifies comfort and safety

1. Rule of ThirdsA. Top, Middle, BottomB. Left, Middle, Right

http://www.frankwbaker.com/setting4.htm

Balanced

Balance

Unbalanced Frame

Unbalanced/Breaking the rule of thirds: • the objects on the screen are not evenly balanced or spaced

out within the frame.• creates stress or adds a feeling of danger.

Unbalanced

Unbalanced

Unbalanced

Dutch Angle/Unbalanced

Deep Space Composition

• Foreground• Middle-Ground• Background

Fore/Middle/Back

Rule of Thirds/Balanced Deep Space Composition

Framing

There are many factors that influence the way the eye moves around a photo, including the use of line, texture, color, selective focus and negative space. But the shape of the frame is a major factor.

Square vs. Rectangle

Square Frame(4:3): A square is a perfectly balanced shape. Each side is equal in length. Using the square format encourages the eye to move around the frame in a circle. Rectangular Frame (16:9) The eye is encouraged to move from side to side (in the landscape format) or up and down (in the portrait format).

Rectangular Frame

Square Frame

Rectangular Frame

Square Frame

Negative Space• Empty or unfilled space in the Mise-en-Scene, often acting as a

foil to the more detailed elements in a shot.• Many times used to depict the direction the actor or scene will

move toward.

In Halloween, John Carpenter removes all of the look room, the area in front of a character that they typically will look into. He has Curtis jammed all the way onto the left hand side of the screen with all the negative space behind her, so we know that whatever's coming, is coming from behind her.

In Star Wars, Look Skywalker is looking out, across the desert, all that look room tells us that he's looking into the future.

Negative Space

Onscreen and Off-screen Space

Onscreen Space: the space found within the screen/stillOff-screen Space: the implied space and figures found outside of the screen/still

On and Off Screen Space

5. Kinesis (& Blocking)

KINESIS:1. Movement of objects and characters within the frame2. Apparent movement of the frame itself3. Use of music within an otherwise still scene

BLOCKING:Director’s planning of positions and movements of the actors, objects, and camera within a scene.

Kinesis in Film/Blocking

Blocking/Scene Analysis: Citizen Kane (1941) (2:30)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yuR_HjCLcw

Blocking and Kinesis: Robin Williams (6:00)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8lQKLjmoWI