Mise-En-SceneWhat Makes A Film Work

What is Mise-En-Scene?

• Mise-En-Scene is the arrangement of just about everything that appears in the scene/framing of a film; actors, lighting, décor, costumes, props, etc. Although many are involved within the process of its creation, it is entirely up to the director who oversees the entire mise-en-scene and all of its elements. It is also the director who has a final say on both pre- and post-production of the film.

Setting• Realism – the time and place of the setting is

often revealed to the audience• Symbolism – is conveyed through the use of

setting via using props and such to present a symbol that active viewers can deduce from.

• Atmosphere – this is when the desired mood is conveyed and reinforced towards the audience.

Costumes• Costumes are important parts of a film as they can affect the

interpretations of the audience of the characters. The costume used in Alice in Wonderland (2011) used for the mad hatter clearly reflected on his character, making him look rugged and crazy, which is what the direction and actor was trying to convey. Costumes are integral to portray a certain period of time the certain film is set in.

Lighting• High-Key Lighting: this type of lighting is often used in

romantic comedies and musicals. It encompasses an even lighting pattern and avoids the use of dark areas within the frame. Everything is bright, with usually only a little to no shadow at all. This type of lighting has little to no dramatic effect at all, and is often for scenes that lacks tension.

• Low-Key Lighting: this type of lighting is often used for horror or thriller films. Low-Key lighting accentuates the form of an object via using a strong contrast between light and darkness. It is often used to unnerve the audiences.

Example of high-key lighting: As you can see the scene is evenly lit throughout; we can see that there are little to no

dark spots within the scenes to accentuate its simplicity.

An example of Low-Key lighting is within the film Casablanca (1942) this very contrasting, as you can see both dark and bring areas are of equality in the frame. As we can see on Humphrey

Bogart’s face, there is a difference within the lighting as there is darkness in the left, contrasting with the light in the right. This could tell us something about his character being in the neutral

when it comes to the decision of good and evil.

Plot• Linear Plotting – this is when directions use the

affiliation of real life within a film, where events could occur at the same order as real life.

• Time Manipulation – when time is highly manipulated within a film, such as the use of flashbacks and nightmares scenes, e.g. X-Men: Wolverine.

• Suspense – when the audience is hinted that something dramatic will happen within the scene, thus creating a build up as they watch the film.

Plot Part II• Climax and Resolution – this is when the equilibrium is

disrupted, where the main character does everything they can to fix the issue and return to the peace of the equilibrium.

• Sting In the Tail – this is when the ending is a complete surprise, one that is highly unexpected. E.g. Drag Me To Hell

• Open Ending – there is no reassurance as to what happens to the character afterwards, thus the audience is left to think of how the ending goes. A classic example is The Truman Show.