Mise-en Scene

Origins Comes from the French term meaning “placed in a scene” or “onstage” Refers to those elements of a movie that are put in position before the filming actually begins and are employed in certain ways once it does Includes a films places and spaces, people and objects, lights and shadows

Theatrical Mise-en-Scene/Early Cinema Western theatrical tradition that began with early Greek theatre around 500 BC Continued to evolve through European medieval theatre, renaissance theatre, and nineteenth century theatre 1900-1912 Early cinema was dependent of natural light which limited scene selection Used five tableaux—brief scenes presented by set and actors as pictures of key dramatic moments

1900-1912: Early Cinema Theatrical directions was impacted by new developments such as mercury-vapor lamps and indoor lighting systems around 1906 that enabled studio shooting Painted sets and props started to become prominent 1930s-1960s Studio-era production introduced more modernized cinema Studio system—company controlling film production and distribution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSiyaqnZYs

1930s-1960s Studio-Era Production Introduced advances such as Art directors and production designers—influenced staging, props, and costume design 1940-1970 moved away from the studio to location shooting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGLBy2CdjI 1975-Present saw technology and computers creating special effects creating a new form of mise-en scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- 3ODe9mqoDE

Key Terms Setting—refers to a fictional or real place where the action and events of the film occur Realism—is the term most viewers use to describe the extent to which a movie creates a truthful picture of a society, person, or some other dimension Prop (short for property)—an object that functions as a part of the set or as a tool used by the actors

Key Terms: Performance—describes the actors use of language, physical expression, and gesture to bring a character to life and to communicate the important dimensions of that character to the audience Leading actors—2 or 3 actors who appear most often in a film—play central characters Character actors—recognizable actors associated with particular character types or minor parts

Key Terms: Supporting actors—play secondary characters in a film, serving as foils or companions to the central characters The importance of lighting Performative development—changes in a character described through an actors performance Blocking—arrangement and movement of actors in relation to each other within the single physical space of mise-en-scene