Mise-en-Scene Practical & Evaluation

This is a French term meaning: "in the scene or frame"

Their are 5 elements in Mise-en-Scene which are:

1. Settings and props 
2. Costume,hair and make-up
3. Facial expressions and body language
4. Lighting and colour
5. Positioning of characters and objects in the frame

Colour

Colour is used and can be used in films to express the emotions of characters and the effects of their or other people's actions within a film.

The use of colour in Mise-en-Scene was first used and seen in films such as Voyage a Travers L'impossible by the pioneer Georges Melies in 1904. The film was hand painted frame by frame.

The next time we see use of colour for Mise-en-Scene is in the introduction of two-strip technicolor using only the colours red and green for example this was used in the film The Mystery of the Wax museum 1933

Later on the first three strip technicolor was used. It was used in the film Becky sharp 1935 and has been in use for Mise-en-Scene.

From the 1930s to the 1940s black and white represented reality and colour represented fantasy and spectacle. Nowadays it's the opposite black and white are commonly used in films to do with fantasy and colour is used in most films nowadays as a default. A film which suggest this is the film The Wizard of Oz 1939.

Colour Denotation and Connotation is used in Mise-en-Scene to create mood within the subconscious mind. An example of Connotation would be the colour red representing anger, danger and blood etc.

Settings and Props

In settings and props, media and text takes place. The objects that we see and are used in the setting are called props. These are often used to help explain to the audience what the character they are watching is feeling and what they might be thinking.

Costume, Hair and Makeup

Costume, hair and makeup are a substantial component in creating an image within the audiences mind of what roles the characters are playing in the film such as being a Villain, a Hero or a Victim. They are the easiest way to express a character in the footage.

Facial expressions and body language

Facial expressions are a form of communication which help to emphasis what a person is thinking feeling and are going through. This is commonly used in films for Mise-en-Scene to express the states of the characters involved. This is a natural way of expressing our feelings so it helps when it's used deliberately to express feelings and emotions towards the people who are watching.

Positioning of Characters and Objects in the Frame 

The positioning of characters and objects in the frame is important as it emphasises the importance of an object or character during a crucial moment in the scene. Much like the other four elements in Mise-en-Scene it helps to convey and tell a message towards the audience and what current situation the film is in during that moment. This element is mostly used to focus on the character that it wants to focus on or to express the most important, powerful or weakest character.

Mise-en-Scene Exercise

We were asked to exercise Mise-en-Scene, so we grabbed a camera planned who did what emotions and actions to portray anger, fright, relaxation, and embarrassment. In our attempt I learnt that it wasn't all too easy to use facial expressions and body language to portray how a character was feeling or thinking. I also learnt that in improvement we could have also added music to add to the emotions we were trying to express through facial expressions and body language.