What is Mise en scène?
The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume – is called mise-en-scène, a French term that means “placing on stage” or “putting in the scene". The frame and camerawork are also considered part of the mise-en-scène of a movie. In cinema, placing on the stage really means placing on the screen, and the director is in charge of deciding what goes where, when, and how.
There are twos kind of element for mise-en-scène, Non specific and specific.
❏ Non specific to the cinema = also used in another arts (theater, danse…)
❏ Specific to the cinema = only used for the mise en scene of a movie.
Why is Mise-en-scène so important for students of film?
Through mise-en-scène, character and narrative development, themes, ideologies and aesthetics are conveyed to audiences through careful composition of the visual elements recorded by the camera.
Mise-en-scène is central to analysis work and pulls in understanding of narrative, values and themes. It aligns spectators’ interpretations and responses. Good understanding and analysis of mise-en-scène will result in effective creative practical outcomes.
The term ‘mise-en-scene’ is used to “signify the director’s control over what appears in the film frame” and covers such elements as setting, lighting, costume and the movement and actions of figures appearing within the film.
How does Mise-en-scène translate narrative story into visual look?
Mise-en-scene is compose of two things:
❏ Design (staging)- setting, props, lighting, actors (costume/makeup/hairstyle), & sound
❏ Composition (shot)- organization/balance relationship of all objects within the shot
Five Elements of Mise-en-scène
Each 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:
❏ Setting and Props
❏ Lighting and Color
❏ Costume, Hair, and Make-up
❏ Framing Kinesis/Blocking (Actors/Objects: movement, body language, facial gestures)
Who Determines Mise en Scène in Film Production?
The mise en scène of a theater or film production is a collaboration among dozens of professionals. It’s determined by the director with the help of the following:
Cinematographer
Production designer
Prop master
Location manager
Gaffer
Visual effects supervisor
Costume designer
Makeup artists
Hairdressers
But in many ways, mise en scène is not a production term. While the director and their crew are aware of the elements that contribute to a project’s mise en scène, the actual term is more often used in film studies and film criticism when discussing how or why a particular scene works.
Mise en Scène and the History of Film Criticism
In the 1950s, film critics and the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma began using the term mise en scène when reviewing movies. However, because there is no singular definition of mise en scène, its usage varies. André Bazin, a co-founder of Cahiers du Cinéma and an expert in Italian Neorealism, argued that as film technology became more advanced, editing became less important. He and his colleagues valued the components of mise en scène more than good editing, as mise en scène afforded directors more opportunities to be artistic.
Thus, directors began using long takes to leverage the impact of mis en scène.
A long take is a single continuous shot that lasts longer than the average shot without editing or cutting away. With the help of moving cameras, the audience can follow characters and see more of their world from different angles, all while staying in the moment. When done well, a long take accomplishes the goal of conveying mise en scène.
Famous Films With Memorable Mise en Scène
There are many examples of mise en scène in film. Some of the most famous and well-executed are:
Citizen Kane: During a flashback to Charles Kane’s childhood, director Orson Welles was deliberate with composition and depth of space. He placed Kane outside playing in the snow, visually between the adults debating his future.
Welles also employed deep focus—a term used to describe when everything in the frame is in focus at once—to guide the viewer’s attention.
The Graduate: Director Mike Nichols cleverly played with costuming as part of the film’s mis en scène. When we see Mrs. Robinson at the Taft Hotel, she’s wearing a fur animal-print coat, which reinforces her role as a predator.Amélie: Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet used production design to communicate traits about Amélie’s character. Her warm and whimsical bedroom establishes her in the audience’s mind as a positive, playful person.
Pay careful attention to the elements of mise en scène the next time you watch a movie. Every prop, angle, and texture was chosen deliberately to help better immerse you in the world of the story.
1. Settings and Props
❏ Setting
● Very rarely just backgrounds
● Used to influence an audience by building certain expectations
● Studio set OR on location
○ Studio sets have a high degree of control by the filmmaker
○ On location provides an authenticity or degree of realism
❏ Props
● Props- objects in the setting which play a part in the action rather than just
being in the background.
2. Lighting
Of course, lighting – an aspect of cinematography – is a key contributor to a film’s look and feel, too!
Is the lighting high-key, meaning low contrast?
Then you might be watching a romantic comedy or a musical, with few shadows and an invitingly even appearance.
Is the lighting low key, meaning high contrast?
Then chances are you’re in a more dramatic movie; say, a horror, thriller, or film noir.
“The chiaroscuro (Italian: bright-dark) technique, Moura elaborates, “long used by painters, is… often employed to unnerve the audience.”
The breathtaking lighting in Blade Runner 2049 is a prime example of how lighting can contribute to a film’s sense of place, character, and mood. “It was about trying to find Wallace’s character,” legendary cinematographer Roger .
3. Costume, hair and make-up
● Costumes
○ Can reveal a character’s personality, social status, or job
○ Gives a sense of time- present, past, or future
○ Clues us into the part the character will play
● Hair and make up
○ Early cinema used make up to highlight and exaggerate facial features since black and white film could not register detail very well.
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