Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene

Today’s lesson consisted of the study of Mise en Scene. This French terminology roughly translates to 'Whats in the Scene'. As the translation suggests we spent the hour discussing the ways in which various decisions can impact the scene in question. We were told how their are 5 basic categories which can be manipulated in order to give effect to the viewer. These included:

Settings and props

Costumes, hair and makeup

Facial expression and body language

Lighting and colour

Positioning of character

When all of these features are collated a scene is effectively created, although when not collaborated correctly, the results can be disastrous. If these factors aren’t to match, it is evident that the viewer will lose interest and subsequently zone out. We discovered this after passing around a piece of paper in groups and each scribing one of the elements of Mise En Scene. We recieved a scene which consequently didn’t make sense. Following on we analysed a scene from Skyfall, James Bonds most recent outing. We discussed the effectiveness of Iconology, the act of using famous landmarks or objects which are primarily related to a given area.