Media Techniques - Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene

The meaning of mise-en-scene is basically a theatre term which refers to what is on stage/screen e.g props, locations, costumes, facial expression, scenery. 

Production Design: 

This is the finished look of the film that shows the setting and visual style of the story. 

Production design also includes the designing of sets, the choice of location, the choice of props etc. This makes sure that the scenery and setting is right, appropriate and suitable for the film. 

Costume, Hair & Make-up:

This part can be an instant indicator to us about a characters personality status or job. You can already tell what kind of character it is, the location, society, time in history. 

Props:

Props are the objects that are used on set by the actors. These are distinctly separate from bigger pieces of furniture or decor which are only on set to form a realistic background of the set. Some props can have special significance in the scene or contribute to important parts of the film. 

Lighting:

Lighting is an important element in creating atmosphere in a film. The sheer volume of light and the direction of the light affects the shot immensely. For example, the lighting in the shot is used mainly to indicate what time of day it is. 

Key Lighting: this is the basic form of lighting and is usually directed onto the main character.

Fill Lighting: this lighting can be added to soften the effect of shadows in the shot, hiding them essentially. 

Back Lighting: This is used to create a silhouette and this hardens the effect of shadows. This creates a sense of doom or terror and is often used in horror movies. 

Colour Design:

Colour is on of the most important element in the scene because it affects the way the scene looks overall. Colour can be anything from symbolic to suggestive. Colour differences can be used to suggests brightness or happiness or anything. It also can affect emotions like feeling happy or making the audience feel sad. The can also be used to make a statement in a scene about the character, setting etc.