Mise-en-scene Flashcards
What is included in mise-en-scene?
Setting Props Costume Hair Make up Lighting Colour Positioning of objects Facial expressions Body language
What does lighting do in a scene?
Help to create the mood or atmosphere
How can a director use lighting?
Put people or objects in darkness to obscure them and surprise an audience
(E.g. IT)
Put objects into the light to show that they are significant
Key Light
Brightest light
Used to light up the entire scene or most important part
Back Light
Designed to help stop the Key Light appearing fake
Helps cut out any obvious harsh brightness
Filler Light
Helps to soften shadows
Often 1+ is used
Under lighting
When key light is placed below characters or objects
Top Lighting
When the key light is placed above Characters or objects
Highlights features
Back Lighting
When the key light is placed behind the subject
Low key (hard) lighting
Lighting is more towards the GREY or DARKER side
Shadows
Key light is less bright
High key (soft) lighting
Scene is evenly lit and bright
Allows audience to see all clearly with no dark spots
How is colour used
Warm/cold
What does the positioning of objects / people tell an audience?
Describes where
Shows effect of this on audience
Tells us about where people/props are and the world in which the movie takes place
Facial Expressions
Portrays emotion
Body Language
Portrays emotion
Creates mood / idea of character for audience
3 Act Structure
Set Up
A confrontation
Resolution
Todorov’s Narrative Theory
Equilibrium Disruption Recognition Attempt to repair New Equilibrium
Stylistic code
Everything you can see and hear in a media product
What is included in stylistic code?
Mise en scene
Lighting
Sound
Camera / editing
Establishing shot
Long distance
Sets scene
General impression
Long Shot
Shows whole human body
Head to toe
Mid shot
Shows torso / lower body
Normally for dialogue scene
Close up
Shows very little background
Whole face, just the face
Magnifies Object
Extreme close up
Magnifies behind human eye
Artificial shot
Used for dramatic effects
E.g. mouth, eyes
Birds eye view
Directly above the action
High Angle
Above action, looking down
Eye level
At level of action
Low Angle
Camera is below the action looking up
Pace
Changing speed of footage
Rhythm
Assembling shots according to a rhythm
Continuity
Combining shots accurately
Cuts
Cutting scenes
Fades
Fading out of a scene
Transitions
One scene to another
Dialogue
Any human speech
Types of narrative
Linear Non-linear Circular Episodic Multi stranded Single stranded
Audio:
Aural Landscape
Combining dialogue, sounds and music to make a cinematic environment
Voiceover
Dialogue used as narration or talking to a user / player
Idents
Identifiable audio track
To help audience identify a media product
Jingles
Short, catchy “sound bite”
To reinforce a product, brand or station
Interviews
Questions and answers
Phone In
Inclusions of tv shows or radio shows / podcasts
For user interaction
Film soundtrack
All songs or music included in a film
Incidental music
Used in a film or play as background music to dialogue or audio of main scene
Purposes of digital audio
Create mood Create ambience Create rhythm Reinforce image (PLEONASTIC) Contradict image (CONTRAPUNTAL) To persuade Character identity Identify an era
How does audio create a mood?
Reinforces an emotional setting within a scene
How does audio create ambience?
Creates an atmosphere
How does audio create rhythm?
Conveys a meaning / emotion
How does audio reinforce an image?
PLEONASTIC
Compliments images of setting, scene or a character
Compliments and reinforces message or tone of scene
How can audio contradict an image?
CONTRAPUNTAL
Does not suit an image or atmosphere
E.g. happy music for scary scene or a deadly chase
How can audio persuade?
To convince the audience
E.g. charity adverts use sad music
How can audio aid character identification?
Audio associated with a particular character tells the audience
How can audio help to identify a specific era?
Style of music can identify with a period in time
E.g. classical waltz = usually not modern historical music
