Mis-en-scene refers to everything that appears before the camera, including setting, subjects, and composition. Setting establishes the location and can imply genre. Costumes and subjects like characters reveal information about them. Composition arranges lighting and subjects. Cinematography involves technical elements like camera shots and lighting. Common shots include close-ups, medium shots, and long shots. Angles like low angles can make a subject appear powerful while Dutch angles suggest disruption. Lighting uses key, fill, and back lights to illuminate a scene. Together, these film techniques visually convey information to the audience without words.

1. Film Techniques
MIS-EN-SCENE & CINEMATOGRAPHY

2. Mis-en-Scene
 French word that's pronounced (meez-an-sen)
 Originally a theatre term meaning ‘staging’
 In film terms it means 'Everything put before the camera'
 Mis-en-scene includes -
 SETTING
 SUBJECTS
 COMPOSITION

3. SETTING
SETTING is where the filmed action occurs.
This can be on a SET(constructed place for
filming ).
It can also be on LOCATION – a real place
where filming takes place.

4. SETTING – where filmed action
occurs
ON SET – Hogwart’s Hall ON LOCATION -Australia

5. SETTING
SETTING can be used to imply a time and
place or to reveal or enhance
style, character, mood and or meaning.
The setting can instantly take you, the viewer,
to a new but recognisable place.

6. SETTING
Setting can establish the ‘genre' or type
of a film.
See if you can tell what these next film
genres are and why?

7. Mis-en-scene
SETTING
What genre is this?
Western
Film: Blazing Saddles
What genre is this
Science Fiction
Film: 2001 A Space Odyssey
What genre is this?
Fantasy
Film: Legend

8. SETTING
To show a state of mind
We can see in the flection
ballet bars, her hair in a
bun and outfit tells us she
is a ballerina. On closer
inspection her reflection is
staring right at her.
Mentally and emotionally
She is at odds with herself.
Film: Black Swan

9. Mis – en – scene
SUBJECTS
In fictional film the subjects are usually the characters.
In some films a place, like a city, can also be a subject.
To show character we need to look at actors and their
performance and costume.

10. Costume
Costume can tell you a lot about the charter straight away. What do the
costumes below tell you? Who are they? What time period are we in?

11. Costume – change in character
At the start of Grease, The character Sandy wears pastel colours and
safe clothing like cardigans and her hair is kept straight and tidy. At the
end of Grease Sandy shocks her friend with a change of image. We
then see her smoking a cigarette and wearing darker colours and
heavier make up and her hair is bigger and curlier.

12. Costume
Again, Sandy is wearing pastel colours and her hair tied back neatly and
is dancing beside Danny without touching. This changes in the second
picture.

13. Mis – en – scene
COMPOSITION – The uses of space
Composition refers to how lighting and
subjects are arranged in relation to each
other and to the sides of the frame.

14. CINEMATOGRAPHY
Generally cinematography is the more technical side of film making
like lens types and camera type. However it frequently overlaps with
mis-en-scene.
 LIGHTING
 THE CAMERA
 Movement
 Angles
 Shots

15. Lighting
3 Point Lighting
Uses three lights to light
an object. The lights are
called:
Key light
Fill Light
Back Light

16. Lighting
Key Light
This is the main light. It is
usually the strongest and
has the most influence
on the look of the scene.
It is placed to one side
of the camera/subject
so that this side is well lit
and the other side has
some shadow.

17. Lighting
Fill Light
This is the secondary light
and is placed on the
opposite side of the key
light. It is used to fill the
shadows created by the
key. The fill will usually be
softer and less bright than
the key. To achieve this,
you could move the light
further away. You might
also want to set the fill
light to more of a flood
than the key.

18. Lighting
Back Light
The back light is placed
behind the subject and lights
it from the rear. Rather than
providing direct lighting (like
the key and fill), its purpose is
to provide definition and
subtle highlights around the
subject's outlines. This helps
separate the subject from
the background and
provide a three-dimensional
look.

19. Three point lighting example
Film – American Beauty

20. Lighting
High Key
Illumination for a shot.
High-key lighting (with
everything evenly and
brightly lit, with a
minimum of shadows) is
often used in musicals
and comedies.
Here are examples of
high-key lighting in The
Wizard of Oz.

21. Lighting
Low Key
The lighting is used in this
example of Edward
Scissorhands to create
the feeling of loneliness
and isolation after he has
been removed from his
home.
Low Key lighting is used is
a lot in mystery's, thriller
and film noir.

22. Camera Shots - The Close Up
A shot that keeps only the face in full frame. This shot is meant to give us an
insight into the characters emotional state.
Here we can see that Tony Stark aka Iron Man is wounded but looks
determined. We can see he is trying to call Pepper Potts. There is red lighting
around him to signal danger. This is obviously a tense moment.
The example: The Avengers

23. Camera Shots – Close ups
Medium Close up Extreme Close up

24. Camera Shots – Long Shot
A shot the depicts an entire character from head to foot.
Example – Pirates of the Caribbean.

25. Camera Shots- Medium Shot
Probably one of the most common shots used in film. It is closer than a
long shot but further away than a close up. It is usually from the waist
up but can be anywhere from the knees upwards.
Example – The Hunger Games.

26. Camera Shots – Low Angle Shot
The low angle shot is when the camera is low and tilted up at an angle. This
shot creates a sense of power. The viewer is looking up at the subject. Many
superhero films have this shot to make the character look big and powerful
and to show strength.
Example – Batman: The Dark Knight.

27. Camera Shots – High Angle Shot
The High Angle Shot is the opposite of the low angle shot. It is pointed down at
our subject. This shot shows the character is weak or at a disadvantage .
Example – Thor

28. Camera Shots – Dutch Angle
The Dutch angle – also known as the Dutch tilt. Is a shot where the camera is
tilted in either direction. It is used to show a disruption to normal routine or
confusion. Below Thor has just woken up in hospital after being hit by a car
AGAIN and on a different planet. He wakes up confused
Example – Thor

29. Mis-en-scene & Cinematography
Conclusion
 We have seen then that everything you see on screen, when you watch a film, is
meant to be there. It has a purpose.
 There are many types of camera shot, camera angle and camera movement.
 Costume and setting can work together to show time and place.
 That all the different parts of mis-en-scene put together tell a story much quicker than if
they had to be explained verbally.
 Next time you watch a film try pausing it anywhere and think about what the director is
trying to tell you without using spoken words.