Session Aims

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Understand the concept of ‘Mise en scene’

• Apply the concept to a film extract

Definition: Mise En Scene

• A French term meaning what is put into a scene or frame

• Visual information in front of the camera

• Communicates essential information to the audience

• Made up of 3 key elements

The Key Elements of Mise en Scene

• Settings (Locations)

• Props • Costume, Hair & Make Up

Settings

• Settings & Locations play an important part in film-making and are not just ‘backgrounds’

• Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time is spent to find a setting which already exist.

• Settings can manipulate an audience by building certain expectations

• Props help us to work out characters – their roles, attitudes etc and need to fit in with the Location (esp time period)

Props

• A prop is classified as any object that is in a scene that a character could use (ie not just part of the scenery

• The type of prop can tell us a lot about a character and their personality. How the prop is used can also tell the audience a lot

• Look at the colour, material, shape and use of the prop to help understand what the director is trying to say

Costume, Hair & Make Up

• Costume, Hair & Make Up act as an instant indicator to us of a character’s personality, status & job

• It tells us immediately whether the film is set in the

present and what society/or culture it will centre around

• Certain costumes can signify certain individuals (i.e. black cloak of a vampire, Spidey’s Spiderman suit)

Mise en Scene

The use of setting, costumes

and props in LOTR

The Three Races

• Hobbits and The Shire

• Ocrs, Goblins, Uruk Hai and Isengard

• Elves and Rivendell

• What do the locations, costumes and props associated with these races tell us about them, their personalities, attitudes to the world etc.

Questions to ask - Setting

• What do the buildings look like?

• What are they made out of?

• How do the building fit into the landscape?

• What colours are dominant?

• What shapes dominant – are things curved. Straight, rough, sharp, soft etc?

• Are the buildings decorated, if so how?

• Have certain building be structured or arrange to highlight different character or features?

Questions to Ask - Costume • What colours are the costumes? • What types of fabrics are they made out of? • How are they tailored? • How are the costumes decorated? • How do the costumes reflect the movement of

the characters • How much are they wearing? • What lines do the costumes make – flowing lines,

straight lines, sharp lines etc • Have costumes been used to make some

characters stand out from other, or make them all look united?

Questions to Ask - Props

• What props do they have?

• What are the props made out of?

• How might the props have been made?

• What shapes dominant – are things curved, straight, rough, sharp, soft, highly decorated etc?

• How are the props used?

• What colours dominant?

• What is the function/purpose of the props?

Summary Task

• Choose two of the ‘societies’ looked at today (Hobbits/Elves/Baddies) and explain what their society is like and how is this communicated through the use of setting, props and costume. – What is their society like, what is important to

them

– What is their life like

– What is their attitude to the world/each other/ other societies

– Age of society

– What do they value/not value etc