Understand the term mise-en-scène and its meaning.
Learn about various production departments encompassed by mise-en-scène and their roles.
Explore examples of each production element involved in mise-en-scène.
Definition & Origin
Mise-en-scène is a French term from theater, meaning to set, arrange, or place elements of a production.
Adapted by French film critics for cinema, describing the arrangement of everything seen by the camera.
Definition varies: includes set design, costuming, hair, makeup, lighting, actor's performance, choreography, and blocking.
Our class definition follows David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's: all elements filmed by the camera.
Production Departments
Costuming, Hair, and Makeup
Costume Designer: Head of costume department, manages creation and acquisition of costumes for all actors. Famous designers include Edith Head and Colleen Atwood.
Makeup and Hair: General makeup application, styling natural hair, applying wigs. Special effects makeup often overlaps with effects departments.
Narrative Example: Beyond the Lights - character transformation shown through changes in costume, makeup, and hair.
Production Design
Props: Managed by a prop master. Responsibilities include finding or creating props. Example: Leonardo DiCaprio’s character's ornate gun in The Quick and the Dead.
Set Design: Divided into constructed sets and finding pre-existing locations. Advantages of constructed sets include controlled lighting and weather conditions. Example: The Force Awakens.
Performance
Performance constructed with help from directors, teams for physical aspects, and casting department.
Casting Director: Selects actors through auditions or direct communication with actors' agents.
Blocking/Staging: Decisions on actor movements, coordinated with camera positioning.