Mise-en-scene

 What is mise-en-scene? 

Mise-en-scene is everything that can be seen on screen in film and television. It is constructed of 5 elements, each of which playing their own different yet important roles in setting a scene, making a piece more or less realistic or conveying the ideas of the filmmaker. 

These 5 elements are:

  • Costume, hair and make-up
  • Facial expressions and body language (actor's performance)
  • Lighting and colour
  • Setting and props
  • Positioning of characters within frame.
 Setting/Props

Whilst the setting of a scene is essentially the background in a scene, along with the details of that background, it can play a great role in accomplishing many things within a scene. When a scene is occurring an area such as (for example) the bedroom of a character, the details in the setting and background can reveal a great deal regarding the characters habits, traits and personality. If we can see a wall covered in band posters, we know that the character enjoys music, the music genre they enjoy which can make deeper implications regarding their personality or their mindset. Details in the setting also suggest the time in history in which the events are taking place, it could be as simple as having a calendar in the background with the month and year in view or smaller details such as furniture and decor. 

Costume, Hair and Make-Up

A characters appearance created through the costume, hair and make-up can give key and instant indications regarding their personality, status and even their job. Similar to the setting, costume, hair and make-up also show when the piece is set and what culture or society it is referring to. Throughout the history of film, many cliches or stereotypes have been generated in regards to certain types of characters, for example- a vampire wearing a black cape. 

Facial Expressions and Body Language (Actor's Performance)

The facial expressions and body language of a character can indicate how are feeling or give an insight into their though process. It can show how character's react to a situation or other characters.

Lighting and Colour

Their is a variety of ways in which lighting and colour can affect a scene. Lighting can be used to reflect or imply a characters emotions- for example, having more yellow or white lighting filling a scene in which a character is happy and having a scene be darker with a blue coloured lighting in which the main emotion of the scene is sadness. 

Lighting can also highlight important characters; if the light focuses on one character, an audiences attention will natural be more on that character since they are more clearly visible. 

Positioning of Characters in Frame

One of the more simple, yet extremely useful elements of mise-en-scene, the positioning of characters within a frame can guide or manipulate on which characters the audience's attention lies. When a character is centre-frame, the focus is clearly drawn on them, when they are positioned more to the side of the frame, less attention is given to them and they can perhaps go almost unnoticed. One of the guiding rules on positioning within a frame is called the 'Rule of Thirds'; in which a 3 x 3 grid is used to determine where exactly a subject is to be positioned within a shot.



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