Mise-en-Scene

Mise-en-Scene means 'to put in the scene' in French. Anything the audience can see on the screen is part of it. Mise-en-Scene is generally made up of a few different things;

• Costume. This is what a character wears. It can have a big impact as costume can suggest to things that are otherwise not obvious. For example, if a character is dressed all in black it might mean that he is evil or dark. Costume can also help if you're trying to portray a specific era.
• Location. This is where the filming takes place. It isn't saying what type of place - e.g. a library - it is saying where, e.g. a city.
• Setting. Setting is the specific place - e.g. a school. Setting is very important as it can give clues towards the characters backgrounds, intentions, etc and change the atmosphere of a film. E.g. a graveyard setting would put the audience more on edge than a supermarket.
• Scenery. This is about making a setting look a certain way. E.g. putting fake spider webs in a corner of a room to make it look older.
• Props. Props are used in the set dressing and just generally add to a scene. E.g. having a knife left in room makes the audience wonder whether someone is going to get stabbed or if it is a red herring.
• Lighting. This is how light is used on the things in the shot, for example the characters. Lighting can be used to hide things, e.g. having dim lighting stops the audience seeing all the gore of a dead body but still lets them know the character is dead. Also, it can be used to focus on certain things. For example, chiaroscuro can be used to add eeriness if a character is using a torch in the middle of the night.
• Actors. Casting is very important. Not only do the actors have to have some talent, but they need to properly portray the character to make the audience feel the necessary emotions towards about said character. Also, good casting is key to make sure everyone turns up on time and works well together.
• Framing. Framing is about where the characters and props are within the setting. This is important because the audience need to be able to see exactly what you want them to. Also, framing can be used to make the audience work. E.g. if there is something peculiar in the frame, e.g. a gun, the audience will think about it and wonder whether it will have any relevance to anything or if it's a red herring.

Overall, Mise-en-Scene is very important. This is because it ensures the audience feel what you want them to feel and can make things easier to understand. However, there can be difficulty in making sure that the Mise-en-Scene is correct, which the article we were given went on to explain, but there are solutions. E.g. going to charity shops to get cheaper costumes.