By Rory Giddings

Mise-en-Scène

The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, which roughly translates to “everything put into the scene”. When applied to film/cinema, mise-en-scène refers to everything that appears before the camera and it’s arrangement. This includes sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting. Mise-en-scène also includes the positioning and movement of actors on the set, which is called blocking.

What does “mise-en-scène” actually mean?

The key areas of mise-en-scène are:

• Colour

• Costume

• Props

• Settings and Locations

• Performance/Acting

• Lighting

• Positioning/Blocking

Colour:

The use of colour is also highly significant as it resembles the type of character they are. For example, Cruella De Ville wears red and black clothing to signify her dark personality and fierce attitude. Maleficent’s green skin and dark clothing represents her evil persona and dark nature. Cinderella’s white dress represents her inner purity and creates a sense of innocence about her. Asides from this, colour can also give a scene a particular look, feel or mood. It can also be used for dramatic effect.

Costume:One of the most noticeable aspects of mise-en-scene is costume. Costume can include both makeup or wardrobe choices used to convey a character’s personality or status, and to signify these differences between characters. Costume is also an important part of signifying the era in which the film is set and displaying that particular era’s fashions. For example, in Brian De Palma’s 1983 classic ‘Scarface’ , Al Pacino wears contemporaneous clothing such as Hawaiian shirts and aviators to symbolise/capture the sun-soaked 80’s Miami atmosphere.

Furthermore, the changes in costume are essential in signifying the character Tony Montana’s transformation from a ragged Cuban refugee to a powerful drug kingpin. Before, he is dressed in cheap clothing such as tattered Hawaiian shirts and dirty clothes, but after working his way to the top, he is dressed elegantly in expensive suits and pricy clothing in order to symbolise the transformation into his lavish lifestyle.

Props:Props are objects used in film. Props can range entirely from differing objects such as books, cameras, telephones, computers, cigarettes, guns, etc. A prop is often connected with a particular character and can make the audience aware of further details of an individual's character traits. For example, a photography camera could indicate that a person is creative and has a specific focus on certain things in their life. Furthermore, props can show a character's professional field (e.g. notebook, stethoscope, etc.) such as Peter Parker who is a photographer for The Daily Bugle. Props can also reveal their personal hobbies and habits, so therefore particular props are often linked to particular characters.

Once this connection is established, props are sometimes shown in scenes before the character appears on screen. (The audience recognises the prop and therefore knows who will appear. This is sometimes done in thrillers/horrors as a way to build tension, drama, etc.)

Settings and Locations:

Settings and locations are a very important visual element of a film, as it creates the backdrop for where the film is unfolding. This aspect of mise-en-scene plays an extremely active role in film and can sometimes assume as much importance in the total film as the action, or events. For example, drama on scene may not even require actors if heavy rain, wildly lashing tree branches, or falling leaves, etc. contribute to the overall dramatic effect. Settings and locations are either built from scratch, or a great deal of time is sometimes spent on trying to find an appropriate location/setting that already exists, such as abandoned houses, castle ruins, woodlands, etc. (Whatever particular setting is required for a particular film.)

Performance/Acting:Acting is one of the most important elements of mise en scene. An actor or actresses performance can make or break a movie regardless of how engaging the story is or how good the editing is, etc. It is the actor’s duty to bring his or her character to life within the framework of the story. Their emotional input dictates how strongly the audience feels about the film. An actor must be completely aware of his or her character and be ready to portray their emotions and actions as if they were their own.

Two of the most common styles of performance in modern cinema are method and non-method acting. The method actor’s job is to become one with the character’s mannerisms, personality traits, upbringing, etc. Essentially, he or she must be that character to the point where they are no longer distinguishable. To achieve this, the actor will sometimes recall emotions or reactions from their own life and incorporate it into their performance. Non-method acting relies on a more obvious approach to get the director’s point across. They will overact and emphasise certain characteristics in an effort to dramatize and entertain.

Heath Ledger, in his award-winning portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) perfectly exemplified method acting as the audience truly believed that he was that character as there were no distinguishable features between him as an actor and him as the Joker.

Lighting:Lighting is a tool used by the director to convey meaning about a character or the narrative to the viewer. Lighting can be used to help define the setting of a scene or sometimes accentuate the behaviour of the characters in the film. When the director manipulates the quality of the lighting, he/she can control the impact of the setting or the character’s behaviour has on the viewer, and can also emphasize the main focus of the frame.

Low-key lighting is very effective as the fill light is at a very low level, causing the frame to be cast with large shadows. This causes stark contrasts between the darker and lighter parts of the framed image, and for much of the subject of the shot to be hidden behind in the shadows. This lighting style is most effective in film noir and gangster films, as a very dark and mysterious atmosphere is created from this obscuring light. It also tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer.

For example, in Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005) the majority of the film is in black & white and features a strong presence of low-key lighting. From this, the director can convey certain messages to the audience about the relationship between good and evil in his film. By eliminating the crisp edges of shadow and light, the director may suggest that distinguishing between good and bad people is not an easy task in the world presented in his film. The backdrop in the film is mostly gloomy and hidden in the shadows, while particular features on the characters are illuminated to make them stand out.

Positioning/Blocking:

Blocking refers to the positioning and movement of actors within the frame. The director can use positioning to draw the audiences attention to an important character or object. It can also be used to indicate certain relationships between people. For example, a shot of two characters that share an equal proportion of the frame, at equal heights and depths suggests to the audience a balanced relationship in which neither of the characters has power or advantage over the other, as they are both presented as equals within the frame.

By Rory Giddings ©