1. The Shot: Mise-en-Scene

2. Film’s Stylistic System Mise-en-Scene (“putting in the scene”) Cinematography (“writing in motion”) Editing (compiling shots) Sound (all auditory elements)

3. Verisimilitude Film, like all art forms, is a lie. That is, it is not the literal truth. It is not real. Mise-en-Scene is the element of stylistic form that seeks to create verisimilitude, or the appearance or semblance of reality, plausibility, or believability.

4. Elements of Mise-en-Scene 1.Setting 2.Figures 3.Props & Costumes 4.Light & Shadow 5.Color 6.Perspective Relations 7.Performance

5. 1. Film Setting Landscape Environment Spectacle Minute detail Directed attention

6. Landscape/Environment

7. Spectacle

8. Minute Detail/Directed Attention

9. 2. Figures in Film Figures in film have behavior and motivation. Examples:  Characters (people)  Animals  Machines  Some objects

10. Figures in Film

11. 3. Props & Costumes Objects & clothing aren’t necessarily props & costumes. An object becomes a prop when a figure interacts with it. An article of clothing becomes a costume when a figure wears it. A prop (or costume, for that matter) becomes a figure when it has behavior and motivation.

12. Objects vs. Props

13. Clothing vs. Costume

14. 4. Lighting: Type/Source Hard vs. soft light Key vs. fill light Light source  Natural  Artificial diegetic  Artificial nondiegetic

15. Hard Key vs. Soft Fill

16. Natural Light

17. Artificial Diegetic Light

18. Artificial Nondiegetic Light

19. 4. Lighting: Direction Frontal (flattens features) Sidelight (sculpts features) Backlight (creates silhouettes) Underlight (horror effect) Toplight (halo effect) Hairlight (specific toplight) Eyelight (tiny light for eye sparkle)

20. Frontlighting

21. Sidelighting

22. Backlighting

23. Underlighting

24. Toplighting

25. Hairlight

26. Eyelight

27. 4. Shadows Attached shadows (aka shading) – object/figure creates shadow on itself Cast shadows – object/figure casts shadow on something else Chiaroscuro – areas of extreme light and dark in a single shot Film noir – “Dark Film”

28. Attached Shadows

29. Cast Shadow

30. Chiaroscuro

31. Film Noir

32. 5. Color Descriptive – it looks like what it is Emotional – creates a feeling Symbolic – represents an idea Formal/structural – lines, areas of composition

33. Descriptive Color

34. Emotional Color

35. Symbolic Color

36. Structural Color

37. 6. Perspective Relations Size & Balance – create depth cues and emphasis Depth cues – clues as to distance Planes (overlapping) – a depth cue Size diminution – smaller = further away Linear perspective – parallel lines converge Aerial perspective – hazing of distant planes Shallow vs. deep-space composition – few planes vs. many planes in the shot

38. Overlapping Planes/Size Diminution

39. Linear Perspective

40. Aerial Perspective

41. Shallow-Space Composition

42. Deep-Space Composition

43. 7. Performance Blocking – general movement and placement of figures Choreography – specific/detailed movement of figures (dance, fights) Acting

44. 7. Performance: Acting Two aspects of an actor’s performance:  Visual elements (body, gesture)  Auditory elements (voice) Film acting vs. stage acting – largely a question of scale and spontaneity Acting Styles:  Realistic (aims for verisimilitude)  Stylized (stagey, fantastical)