Mise-en-Scène in Cinema

Overview

This lecture explains the concept of mise-en-scène in cinema, describing its elements, significance, and impact on film style and storytelling.

Mise-en-scène is a French term meaning "putting on stage," referring to everything visible within a film frame.
It includes set design, costumes, hair, make-up, color, framing, composition, and lighting.
Mise-en-scène creates the unified look and feel of a film, serving as its aesthetic context.

Auteur theory claims the director is the main author of a film, shaping its overall vision and unity.
Although filmmaking is collaborative, the director unifies the many elements of mise-en-scène.

Setting encompasses the designed physical environment where scenes occur, created to match the director’s vision.
The production designer is responsible for the overall aesthetic, especially the setting, set design, and set decoration.
Sets can be built on soundstages or real locations, often enhanced with CGI and green screen technology.
Set decoration involves all objects and details that make the setting feel real (props managed by a prop master).

Character design covers costumes, hair, and make-up, supporting both story and actor performance.
Costume, hair, and make-up should fit the story, period, and character, enabling actors to inhabit roles convincingly.

Lighting is both technical and artistic, shaping mood and meaning in a scene.
Key light, fill light, and back light are main sources; styles include low-key (high contrast, shadowy) and high-key (bright, low contrast) lighting.
Cinematographers design lighting to support the overall mise-en-scène.

Composition is the arrangement of people, objects, and settings within the film frame.
It includes both framing and movement, often employing the rule of thirds for balance.
Cinematographers design shots to direct attention and convey emotion.

Consistent mise-en-scène can identify the style of a filmmaker, genre, or national cinema movement.
Examples: Film noir (dark, gritty, urban), German Expressionism (surreal sets, low-key lighting), Italian Neorealism (realistic settings, naturalism), and French New Wave.

Mise-en-scène — the arrangement of everything visible in a film frame to create its overall look and feel.
Auteur theory — the idea that the director is the primary creative force in a film.
Production designer — leads the creative design of a film’s physical world.
Soundstage — a controlled indoor environment for shooting films.
CGI — computer-generated imagery used to augment or create settings.
Prop — an object used by actors or set dressing, managed by a prop master.
Key/fill/back light — main, secondary, and background lighting sources used in film lighting.
Low-key lighting — style with strong shadows and high contrast.
High-key lighting — style with even, bright lighting and low contrast.
Rule of thirds — compositional guideline dividing the frame for balance.
Film noir — cinematic style marked by dark visuals and themes.
German Expressionism — film style with surreal sets and dramatic lighting.
Italian Neorealism — film style emphasizing realism and everyday life.

Review examples of mise-en-scène in classic films (e.g. "Metropolis," "Bicycle Thieves," "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari").
Observe mise-en-scène elements in films or series for next class discussion.
Read the next assigned chapter on cinematography for deeper understanding of lighting and composition.