Mise-en-scene

What is mise-en-scene?
Mise-en-scene is the arrangement of everything we seen within a scene. They will display either a meaning, symbolize something or give hints to the audience. They will be anything from the following: props, décor, body language, setting and lighting. Many of these hints can be through connotations – things that are associated with or denotation – what is actually there.

Props and costumes are used to draw attention to someone’s personality, live style, age or even show a stereotype. They can be used to show a person’s job such as a surgeon wearing scrubs or a lawyer wearing a suit. This can suggest that they are hardworking, wealthy, caring. In addition to this, it can also show stereotypes by displaying a a teenager dressed in a chavy way implying they are rebellious and careless.

Décor is another main factor of mise-en-scene as it can make a huge difference on the type of character we see. For example when it comes looking at the interior of a house it can say a lot about a person and their personality. Things like artwork displayed around the house could suggest someone who is very cultural or creative. Furthermore, it can suggest wealth or lifestyle so a house which is tidy and luxurious could suggest someone who is hardworking and considerably rich or top of that they live a stress-free lifestyle without children. This compare to a messy and average looking house could suggest people who are working class and have a family but can give a welcoming view to an average family home which can relate to many people.

Body language can say a lot about a character. Appearance can make a difference so someone who would wear a lot of make up or extreme clothing for example Lady Gaga they can be seen as quite flamboyant and confident. The way a character moves can also suggest hints for example if a character is meant to be seen as sporty you would expect to want to see them running or doing some form of exercise showing this. Facial expression such as love, pain or fear is a main give away for how a character feels and will allow the audience to get a sense of these, and could in return make them sympathise or feel something towards them and connect with them. Lastly, vocal delivery can suggest what kind of person they are, for instance if they talk loudly and boldly implies confidence and outgoing compared to someone who talks quietly indicating they are shy and like to keep to themselves.

Settings and location not only help set the scene but can allow the audience to assume what could be happening in that area. When it comes to areas such as London it has different connotations. In areas such as Chelsea, people are expected to be quite posh, snobby and love in luxuries houses. However, in areas such as Hackney is considered to be quite a diverse culture which is known mainly for gangs and violence. This will have a big influence on the scene and what the audience will be expecting and help picture the character before meeting them. Furthermore, in some case especially soap operas such as Eastenders or Coronation Street the setting of the rows of terraced houses, pubs, parks and cobbled streets helps contribute to working class community.

Lighting can have a major influence on what is going to happen within a scene. This is because if the lighting is dark throughout most of the film we assume the film is a horror or that during a specific scene something bad, dangerous or thrilling is going to happen. Low key lighting can also suggest that there is a lot of negativity and sad news is coming. This compared to a high key setting gives of the image that it is a happy atmosphere and creates a positive mood.