Mise-en-scene Flashcards
Mise-en-scene
all of the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed
the setting and props, lighting, costumes and makeup, and figure behavior
Monochromatic Color Design
color design that emphasizes a narrow set of shades of a single color
Shallow Space
staging the action in relatively few planes of depth
the opposite of deep space
What is mise-en-scene?
the staging of events before the camera
the term derives from the French expression - “put before scene”
originally used in theatre
usually associated with the responsibilities of the film director
elements set before the camera can be intentionally or unintentionally placed
the aesthetic of mise-en-scene can range from the realistic, the aesthetically formal, to the fantastic
mise-en-scene equally applies to analogue or digitally created images
What are the five elements of mise-en-scene?
setting
costume and makeup
lighting
color
staging: character placement, movement, and performance
What is the place dimension of setting?
the places within a film’s story where the action occurs
can be real or imaginary
can be shot on location or on a sound stage
What is iconography?
as a visual medium, cinema can also define genres through conventional iconography
a genre’s iconography consists of recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film
What is the genre dimension of setting?
the recurrent locations associated with particular genres
elements of the iconography of genres
What is verisimilitude?
the degree of resemblance that an image possesses in relation to its real-world counterpart
legacy of the photographic medium
What is the compositing dimension of setting?
the combination of different elements derived from different sources into a single image
What are the different functions of costumes?
assists in the individuation of character; expressive of their traits
assists in the social categorization of character: gender, ethnicity, class
costumes can function as props
can also assist in cueing the historical setting of a film
can be motivated by seeking authenticity of attire
What are the functions of makeup?
can accentuate expressive dimension of an actor’s face and assist performance
can assist in ageing characters over the course of a film
controversially, can function as markers of ethnicity and race
What are the functions of color?
colors are often incorporated into sets, costumes, and props
can assist in the expression of the subjective state or mood of a scene
can also function as a motif
color can be saturated (the strength of the hue) or desaturated (contain white that makes the image appear washed out)
What is deep space?
an arrangement of mise-en-scene elements so that there is a considerable distance between the plane closest to the camera and the one farthest away
any or all of these planes may be in focus
also described as composition in depth
What are the functions of character placement and movement?
directs attention to the most narratively salient characters
expressive of character dynamics and character’s subjective states
