Mise-en-scene

What does mise-en-scene mean?Everything on the screen (in the frame)

What are the 6 key areas of mise-en-scene?

1. Colour 2. Costume3. Props4. Set/location5. Performance6. Lighting

Colour:How is colour used in the 3 below pictures?

The far right picture , Cinderella’s costume is white and shiny to show her innocence as well as purity. Quella’s costume is very affective because of the different contrast of colour , red to symbolise the puppy’s blood and her evil intentions , the split black and white hair colour to show her split personality. And lastly the mix of dark colours in the middle picture shows her malicious intent and also an evil power that she possesses.

Costume:What can we interpret from these costumes?

Mise-en-scene

Different costumes can show different things for the actors such as personality, identity and cultural code for different people. For example the left picture shows a group of low class council house dwellers, this can be shown by the way they wear their clothes and what clothes they wear for example pink velvet tracksuit bottoms.Whereas in the right picture they look very professional and presentable , clean shaven and with potentially expensive but not extravagant outerwear.

Props:Option 1 - You have to provide props for a tense police interview between two officers and one suspected murderer. Decide what props you would incorporate and how the actors should be directed to use them.Option 2 – You have to provide props for a romantic meal between two characters on their first date. Decide what props you would incorporate and how the actors should be directed to use them.

Props needed:Voice recorder, video camera, handcuffs , baton , gun , plain table w/chair , notepad.

How would actors be directed to use them: They should be used vigorously and with attitude as the scene is described as tense.

Location:Can be a purpose built set or a real location

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?

Mise-en-scene

High key lighting – ensures even light across the frame with little or no shadow – it has little dramatic effect, Low key lighting allows for a high contrast between light and dark within a frame with shadows often being used for dramatic effect. Ambient lighting is natural lighting. The lighting in the left picture is lower key because of the larger shadows/dark patches in the background therefore creating a tenser atmosphere. Whereas in the right picture they have used Ambient light which eliminates the tension that could be created by shadows.