MIS.EN.SCENE

FRENCH FOR STAGING.

These are visual elements placed in front of a camera before filming begins.

Elements composed of (to name a few)

.props.character blocking.lighting.

&

COLOR

The colors in a scene or throughout a film, have the ability to shape it, to give us insight into whats going on within the minds of our characters,

what their motives are or next move may be. The color red could be read by anyone as one of love or lust. Where color could also be used to foreshadow upcoming events, red blood could be used to give us clues into a murder or future death.

"Light is the paintbrush of a Cinematographer"

It organizes our gaze within the image by purposefully highlighting & lowlighting different aspects of the frame. Hard or Soft light can achieve different emotions, such as the feeling of "magic hour" in the above photograph.

Three Point Lighting combines the key, fill, & backlighting to blend naturally the distribution of a light in a scene. Where the Key light is the main source, bright with few contrasts. The Fill light can be used to balance out the key lighiting or emphasize other spaces or objects in a scene. And the Back light or edgelighting, illuminates a person from behind, giving a silhouetted glow.

Does anyone hear "Fight the Power!" when they see this image?

Props: Short for property; an object that functions as a part of the set or as a tool used by the actors.

These brass knuckles Radio Raheem used throughout the film Do The Right Thing, worked as a prop specifically placed throughout different scenes to visually clue us in to the stories underlying themes.

Character Blocking

is the arrangement of characters in relation to each other.

Are they touching?

Far a part?

High?

Low?

Does architecture impede placing between characters?

Are they blocking each other?

All of the these can, without verbally stating, tell us what sort of relationship the characters within a scene share.

The placement of each implies something to the viewer,

each angle and position are purposeful.

While the rest of these elements that make up Mis-en-scene (i.e. sets, settings, & costumes) tie into these mentioned above, each serves its specific and necessary purpose.

Sidenote: All of these photographs & video were uploaded via google images so copyright to them.