Mise en Scène the staging of a scene where the action unfolds the overall look and feel of a movie the sum of everything the audience sees, hears, & experiences

Four Basic Elements of Mise en Scène: Setting Actors (and their performance) Lighting Composition

Setting (where the action unfolds) Can be: general or specific, real or imaginary sets, on location, CGI All are creative and $ challenges

Setting Visual and spatial attributes of setting Inside/outside, bright/dark, open/closed eg: open spaces can be limitless (Red River, Sound of Music) or show dread (Castaway Open Water) Contextual use of setting: qualities of what’s included Cultural meaning, insight into characters Function of setting estb. time and place, themes, ideas, create mood

Actors* Casting Acting style Actor placement (type-casting, A-listers) Acting style (impersonation, personification, method, character actors) Actor placement Props, costume, and make-up

Lighting Illuminates set /actors; used to create mood and effects Three attributes of light: Quality (soft/hard) Placement (direction the light hits subject) Contrast (high/low) Looking at Movies (ch 6, 10min)

Lighting: Quality Hard: small light source positioned close to the subject Unflattering (deep shadows, shows imperfections) Soft: large light source that is diffused/scattered over a bigger area or reflected off a surface before it gets to the subject Minimizes details, actors look more attractive http://www.photomatters.org/hard-light-soft-light

… Lighting: Quality Available light (natural) Can be hard or soft, depending on time of day/season/location

Lighting: Placement (direction of light) Lighting in front of subject creates flat effect washes out details, shadows only behind Lighting from either side of subject creates a sculpted effect 3-dimentional with volume/texture Lighting from behind separates subject from background

…Lighting: Placement Three-Point Lighting Diagram: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/ Video: http://vimeo.com/25449708

Lighting: Contrast one of most important factors in estb. mood Depends on the relative intensity of key light to fill light (lighting ratio) High-key lighting (fairly equal key light to fill light ratio) Eliminates most shadows, most details washed out Creates hopeful mood (comedies, musicals)

…Lighting: Contrast Natural-key lighting (‘normal’ light) Key-light is more intense than the fill (cannot eliminate every shadow)

…Lighting: Contrast Low-key lighting (high key light ratio to fill light) Fill light cannot eliminate shadows – lots of shadows and high contrast Somber and forbidding mood (crime drama, film noir, gothic horror) Counter –intuitive: higher ratio of key to fill is a low-key light set up

High-Key Lighting Brighter picture, fewer shadows = upbeat, hopeful mood Key light with lots of fill light

Low-Key Lighting Lots of shadows, high contrast = somber, forbidding Key light with very little fill light

Composition visual arrangement of objects, actors, and space in the frame Balance and symmetry: Essentially a two-dimensional space Horizontal (left to right) and vertical (top to bottom) Rule of Thirds (video) Balanced composition: equal dist. of bright/dark areas, colors, objects, figures (classical Hollywood) Unbalanced – leads viewers to a particular direction Lack of equilibrium

…Composition Lines

… Composition Framing: Open/loose framing: open space around subject freedom or isolation Closed/tight framing - lack of space around subject Sense of constriction or intimacy

… Composition Foreground/background focus Use of light and dark Color Can highlight significance of object/subject Use of light and dark Chiaroscuro Color Color palette to go with movie – appropriate to mood Cool, warm Colors in sets, props, costumes May function as motif

… Composition … Color Highly Saturated: Saturation (strength of hue) and desaturation (colors are less pure, contain more white than saturated colors) Highly Saturated:

Desaturated:

David Fincher

The Godfather