MISE EN SCENE

This term originally developed in relation to theatre and literally translates as ‘putting on the
stage’. For our purposes it refers to ‘placing within the shot’. A significant part of the meaning
produced by a film comes from the visual content – this is to a large extent how the story
is told. What a shot consists of is therefore crucially important. As James Monaco writes,
‘[b]ecause we read the shot, we are actively involved with it. The codes of mise en scene
are the tools with which the filmmaker alters and modifies our reading of the shot’ (1981, p.
148). The elements covered by mise en scene are: setting, props, costume, performance,
lighting and colour. But in addition to choosing what is to be included in a shot, someone
also has to decide how the elements are to be arranged. In other words, composition is also
central to mise en scene.

A director needs to make a number of decisions when deciding on shot content and arrangement. It needs to be recognized, however, that though the director is the person ultimately responsible for such matters, film conventions established over time can also play a large part in shaping mise en scene. Genre films tend to require particular elements, thus restricting the director’s freedom (see Chapters 9 and 10 on Authorship and Genre). We also need to be aware that while we may try to determine the meanings produced by a shot, it
is very likely that other spectators will interpret differently, especially when viewing from a different cultural perspective. In other words shots can be polysemic; they can have many meanings (see Chapters 3 and 12 on Cinema, Audiences and Society and on Meaning and Spectatorship).

Setting
The setting provides the space in which all the other elements of mise en scene are situated. The setting, like props and costume, sets up expectations for the viewer and can instantly produce meanings; it signifies certain things. This is especially the case with genre films (see Chapter 10 for more detail). A shot of a relatively barren landscape with
a small town consisting of wooden buildings including a saloon bar and sheriff’s office will immediately indicate a western. Setting can be provided by filming on location, in a setting that actually exists, or by set design where the location is built for the specific purpose of the film. Typically, films use both studio sets and location filming, but many of the films from the Hollywood studio system era were filmed entirely within the studio. By comparison Tilal’(1989) was filmed entirely on location around a small village in Burkina Faso in Africa.

Props
Props are the inanimate objects placed within the setting. They may remain static or may be used by the characters in the film. Props may simply serve to strengthen the effect of the setting by making the environment in which the action takes place visually more convincing. Los Angeles in 2019 as the setting for Blade Runner (1982) is made more convincing by the addition of hi-tech equipment, flying craft and futuristic gadgets. Props may also have a more active function. The phone that we see at the beginning of Scream (1996) is a prop that immediately plays a very active part in that it directly links the viewer and Casey to danger.

Costume
Costumes help create an actor’s character. They can place an actor within a particular historical period, indicate social class or lifestyle, and even determine what is possible and what is not. A space suit makes survival in space possible. A cowboy wearing a gun can survive a shoot-out. This example indicates that there can be an overlap between props and costume – at what point does the gun cease to be prop and become part of a costume? As with the previous two categories, costume can also help define the genre of a film.

P e r f o r m a n c e
What an actor does within a shot obviously contributes significantly to the meanings produced. The way an actor moves could indicate confidence, uncertainty, panic, friendliness. The actor’s facial expressions may show fear, anger, happiness, sadness. In additionto these examples of body language or non-verbal communication, and to the clear differences in the speech patterns of different actors, a performance may have a particular effect because of what the actor has previously done in other films. Actors may be identified with certain types of characters, and actors with celebrity status can bring connotations to a film that emanate not only from previous films but also from their lives outside the films (see Chapter 11 on Stars). When we see Madonna in a film, is it possible to ignore her previous roles and what we know of her personal life?

Lighting and Colour
Lighting illuminates the above-mentioned elements in a shot while itself also becoming an element within the shot. It has long been suggested that the human eye is drawn towards movement and towards the brightest area in a shot. A memorable shot from Citizen Kane (1941) illustrates the importance of movement and light. In the first flashback to Kane’s early life, we see his mother and Thatcher in the foreground discussing his future. In the distant background we see Kane playing with his sledge. Despite the close proximity and important dialogue of Mrs Kane and Thatcher, we can’t help but notice Kane in the distance because of the character’s movement and because he is framed by a window against a bright backdrop. Lighting is usually thought of in terms of high key (balanced) lighting and low key (chiaroscuro) lighting. High key lighting is usually used when a relatively normal, everyday scenario is being filmed – we generally attempt to illuminate the situations we typically find ourselves in. Illumination exposes detail and provides visual information. However, in many films a mellow and subdued atmosphere is called for if suspense and fear of the unknown are required. The latter is often achieved by providing a lack of visual information and by hiding detail; this can be obtained through low key lighting, lighting from one source so as to create shadows and strong contrasts. The Blair Witch Project (1999) provides an extreme example of the use of low key lighting as a method for creating fear. During the night-time scenes the only source of light is a torch or video camera light in the darkness surrounding the characters. Only being able to see a small part of the forest emphasizes how little the characters can see. When high key lighting is desired in a film, lighting from at least two sources is used. In reality at least three lights are usually employed (see Figure 6.1): a key light as the main source, a fill light to remove shadows, and a background light to create a sense of depth between the main subject and the background. A fourth light, a back light, may also be used, placed behind and facing towards them. It has the effect of highlighting the edges of a figure, usually the head. The key light is usually placed at approximately eye level; however, it can be placed above the actor as top lighting or below the actor as under lighting. Top lighting tends to enhance the actor’s features whereas under lighting distorts the features.

Colour has long been thought to affect mood; for instance, light green is believed to be a relaxing colour; red is a ‘restless’ colour. But as well as having a psychological effect, colours can also symbolize emotions and values, thus producing meanings in a text. White
and black have respectively been used to represent good and evil, red can symbolize passion, romance and anger. Blue can symbolize detachment, alienation and a lack of emotion: futuristic, dystopian films such as Blade Runner and RoboCop (1987) use blue light to a significant degree.

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