Editing Mise-en-scène

{{Short description|Visual and design aspects of a theatre production}}
'''{{lang|fr|italic=unset|Mise-en-scène}}''' ({{IPA|fr|miz ɑ̃ sɛn|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-mise en scène.wav}}; {{langx|en|"placing on stage"}} or "what is put into the scene") is the [[stage design]] and arrangement of actors in scenes for a [[theatre]] or [[film]] production,<ref>{{cite web |title=mise-en-scène |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mise-en-scene |website=merriam-webster.com |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> both in the [[visual arts]] through [[storyboarding]], visual themes, and [[cinematography]] and in [[narrative]]-[[storytelling]] through [[film director|directions]]. The term is also commonly used to refer to single scenes that are representative of a film.  

{{lang|fr|Mise-en-scène}} has been called [[film criticism]]'s "grand [[Floating signifier|undefined term]]".<ref>{{cite book|first=Brian |last=Henderson|chapter=The Long Take|title=Movies and Methods: An Anthology|editor-first=Bill |editor-last=Nichols |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |year=1976 |page=315}}</ref> It has been criticized for its focus on the dramatic design aspects rather than the [[Plot (narrative)|plot]] itself, as those who utilize {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} tend to look at what is "put before the camera" rather than the story.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Corrigan |first1=Timothy |title=A short guide to writing about film. |date=2015 |publisher=Pearson Education |location=Boston |oclc=1137242678 |isbn=9781292078113 |edition=9th}}</ref> The use of {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} is significant as it allows the director to convey messages to the viewer through what is placed in the scene, not just the content of the scene. {{lang|fr|italic=unset|Mise-en-scène}} allows the director to not only convey their message but also implement their aesthetic; as such, each director has their own unique {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}. {{lang|fr|Mise-en-scène}} refers to everything in front of the camera, including the [[Scenic design|set design]], lighting, and actors, and the ultimate way that this influences how the scene comes together for the audience.

==Definition in film studies==
[[File:CABINET DES DR CALIGARI 01.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The distinctive {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} of ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari]]'' (Germany, 1920) features jagged architecture.]]
When applied to the cinema, {{lang|fr|mise-en-scène}} refers to everything that appears before the [[camera]]—the [[Set construction|sets]], [[Theatrical properties|props]], costumes, actors, and even the lighting.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Bordwell, David |url=https://archive.org/details/filmartintro00bord |title=Film Art: An Introduction, 7th ed. |author2=Thompson, Kristin |publisher=McGraw–Hill |year=2003 |isbn=0-07-248455-1 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}</ref> These elements help to express a film's vision by generating a sense of time and space, as well as setting a mood. {{lang|fr|italic=unset|Mise-en-scène}} can be used to suggest a character's state of mind, whether that be happy with bright colors, or sad with darker colors.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite book |last1=Barsam |first1=Richard Meran |title=Looking at movies: an introduction to film |last2=Monahan |first2=Dave |date=28 September 2012 |publisher=Norton |isbn=978-0-393-91302-6 |edition=4th |location=New York}}</ref> 

{{lang|fr|italic=unset|Mise-en-scène}} also includes the composition, which consists of the positioning and movement of actors, as well as objects, in the shot, as overseen by the [[Theatre director|director]] and [[production designer]].<ref name="ReferenceA" /> The director (who controls props, costumes, lighting and sound) all have input on the {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}; they work together to make sure it fits the film well before production begins.<ref name="Pramaggiore" /> The production designer is generally responsible for the look of the movie, and thus leads the various departments in charge of individual sets, locations, props, and costumes, among other things.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> [[André Bazin]], a French [[film critic]] and [[film theorist]], describes the {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} [[aesthetic]] as emphasizing choreographed movement within the scene rather than through editing.<ref name="Pramaggiore" />

{{lang|fr|Mise-en-scène}}, as a term, is also sometimes used by [[screenwriters]] to refer to the descriptive paragraphs between the dialog used in shot [[Blocking (stage)|blocking]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Edgar-Hunt |first1=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jv-GsqMLs2UC&pg=PT71 |title=Basics Film-Making: Screenwriting |last2=Marland |first2=John |last3=Richards |first3=James O. |publisher=AVA Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-2-940373-89-5 |edition=1st |location=Lausanne |pages=71}}</ref>

==Key aspects==

===Set design===
[[File:Constant Puyo- Mise en scène.jpg|thumb|''Mise en scène'' by [[Constant Puyo]]]]
An important element of {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} is [[Scenic design|set design]]—the setting of a scene and the objects (props) visible in a scene.<ref>{{cite web |title=Set Design and Locations |url=https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610287/Set%20Design%20and%20Locations |work=film110 |publisher=PBworks |access-date=25 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102122441/https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610287/Set%20Design%20and%20Locations |archive-date=2 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Set design can be used to amplify character emotion or to set the mood, which effects the physical, social, psychological, emotional, economic, and cultural significance in the film. Set design often influences many themes or parts of a film.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

{{lang|fr|italic=unset|Mise-en-scène}} can also affect the decision whether to shoot [[Location shooting|on location]] or set. Shooting on a set is more commonly done than shooting on location for reasons of cost efficiency and simplicity, on a set, you can create the entire background and arrange the props within it. On the other hand, if shooting on location the natural background must be considered—if there is a boulder, barn, or field in the background it must either be worked around or integrated.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

===Lighting===
The intensity, direction, and quality of [[Cinematography#Lighting|lighting]] can influence an audience's understanding of characters, actions, themes, and mood.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lighting |url=https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610256/Lighting |work=film101 |publisher=PBworks |access-date=25 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102112002/https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610256/Lighting |archive-date=2 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Pramaggiore"/> Light (and shade) can emphasize texture, shape, distance, mood, time of day, season, and glamour; it affects the way colors are rendered, both in terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on particular elements of the composition. Highlights, for example, call attention to shapes and textures, while shadows often conceal things, creating a sense of mystery or fear.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> For this reason, lighting must be thoroughly planned to ensure its desired effect on an audience. [[Cinematographer]]s are a large part of this process, as they coordinate the camera and lighting crews.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> Lighting is the last factor of {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} that ties together texture, setting, and characters; it directs each scene, directing the viewers' gaze and attention.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Space===
The use of [[space]] also affects the {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} of a film.<ref>{{cite web|title=Part 2: Mise-en-scene|url=http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/mise-en-scene.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021224164504/http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/mise-en-scene.htm |archive-date=2002-12-24  |work=Film Studies Program|publisher=Yale University|access-date=25 August 2012}}</ref> The depth, proximity, size, and proportions of places and objects can be manipulated through lighting, set design, and camera placement and lenses—effectively determining the mood and relationships between elements. Space is the most overlooked component of {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}, yet the use of space determines whether the screen is too compact or too empty for the themes, characters' emotions, or major events. For example, an empty space may represent peace and an empty mind.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} 

===Composition===
[[Composition (visual arts)|Composition]] is the organization of objects, actors and space within the frame, often by use of balance and symmetry<ref name="Pramaggiore" /> for the distribution of light, color, objects and figures in a shot. Composition also includes the intentional use of misalignment, often to emphasize certain portions of the screen and distract the viewers from the background. This works because audiences are more inclined to pay attention to something off balance, out of place, or abnormal. Through these {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}, directors carefully compose the frame to control the narrative and induce viewers to pay attention to certain characters or points of interest in a scene.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Costume===
[[Costume design]] refers to all the clothes that characters wear. By using particular colors or designs, narrative cinema uses costumes to make clear distinctions between characters or to signify a particular character.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fourie |first=Pieter J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OLiS7_vqB2EC&pg=PA462 |title=Media Studies Volume 2: Content, Audiences and Production |publisher=Juta and Company |year=2004 |isbn=0-7021-5656-6 |location=Lansdowne, SA |pages=462–463}}</ref> While costume design is a subtle component of {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}, it is an important one, with an Oscar awarded annually for the best costume design. Designers often use specific colors to enhance emotions, whether that be red to draw attention or using light versus dark colors. Often, costume designs are used to attract the attention of the audience, communicate details of a character's personality to the audience, and help actors transform into believable characters.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Makeup and hairstyles===
While [[Cosmetics|makeup]] and [[Hairstyle|hairstyles]] can be included in costumes and design, they are often viewed separately as they can take hours to apply daily. Actors may wake up hours before shooting begins to get makeup applied, sometimes including prosthetics or even full-body makeup. Makeup and hairstyles establish periods, reveal character traits, and signal changes within a character.<ref name="Pramaggiore">{{cite book|last1=Pramaggiore|first1=Maria |first2= Tom |last2=Wallis|title=Film: A Critical Introduction|year=2005|publisher=Laurence King Publishing|location=London|isbn=0205433480|url=https://archive.org/details/filmcriticalintr0000pram|url-access=registration}}</ref>

===Acting===
There is enormous historical and cultural variation in performance styles in the cinema. In the early years of cinema, stage acting was difficult to differentiate from film acting, as most film actors had previously been stage actors and therefore knew no other method of acting.<ref name="Pramaggiore" />  Eventually, the melodramatic styles of [[Nineteenth-century theatre|19th-century theatre]] gave way, in Western cinema, to a relatively naturalistic style. This more naturalistic style of acting is largely influenced by [[Konstantin Stanislavski]]'s theory of [[method acting]], which involves the actor fully immersing themselves in their character.<ref name="Pramaggiore" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Acting |url=https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610144/Acting |work=film101 |publisher=PBworks |access-date=25 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204819/https://film110.pbworks.com/w/page/12610144/Acting |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The art of acting uses movement, gesture, and intonation to realize a character for the stage, motion picture, or television. The acting, setting, themes, and other factors must align to fit the {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Film===
The film medium itself affects the {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}}. The [[film stock]] may be [[black-and-white]] or color, fine-grain or grainy.<ref name="kawin">{{cite book|last=Kawin|first=Bruce|title=How Movies Work|year=1992|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley and Los Angeles|isbn=0-520-07696-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/howmovieswork00kawi/page/88 88]|url=https://archive.org/details/howmovieswork00kawi|url-access=registration|quote=mise en scene blocking.}}</ref> Likewise, different [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratios]] yield different ways of looking at the world and the expressive meaning of the film.<ref name="Sikov">{{cite book|last=Sikov|first=Ed|title=Film Studies: An Introduction|year=2010|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-231-51989-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zbCK8ETCWzwC&q=aspect+ratio+mise+en+scene&pg=PA43}}</ref>{{rp|42–44}}

===Actor blocking===
{{Main|Blocking (stage)}}
The terms 'blocking' and 'blocks' were both used as early as 1961. In theatre, blocking is the precise staging of actors to facilitate the performance of a play, [[ballet]], [[film]] or [[opera]]; it is a set of instructions incorporated by the director to ensure the appropriate {{lang|fr|italic=unset|mise-en-scène}} of the film. In contemporary theatre, the director usually determines blocking during the rehearsal, telling actors where they should stand for the proper dramatic effect, ensure sight lines for the audience and work with the lighting design of the scene.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==See also==
* [[Choreography]]
* [[Montage (filmmaking)|Montage]]
* [[Filmmaking technique of Luis Buñuel]]

{{Theatre}}
{{Narrative}} 

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last1=Bordwell |first1=David |last2=Thompson |first2=Kristin |date=2010 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |edition=9th |location=New York |author-mask1=David Bordwell |author-mask2=Kristin Thompson |chapter=The Shot: Mise-en-Scène|title=Film Art: An Introduction
|pages=175–228|isbn=978-0-07-122057-6}}
* {{Citation |last=Martin |first=Adrian |title=Mise en scène and film style: from classical Hollywood to new media art |date=2014 |series=Palgrave close readings in film and television |edition=1st |place=Houndmills New York, New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-137-26994-2 |author-mask=Adrian Martin}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Mise-en-scène.ogg|date=2019-7-26}}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |title=Mise-en-scène |encyclopedia=encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mise-en-scene |access-date=2023-09-27}}
* {{cite web|website=[[The Straight Dope]]|url=http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/343/what-do-artsy-film-critics-mean-by-mise-en-scene |title=What do artsy film critics mean by mise-en-scene?|date=22 August 1980 }}
* {{cite web|last=Michael |first=Hall| url=http://shohawk.com/mise-en-scene/ |title=Mise-en-scène Explained |date=27 August 2016 }}
* {{cite web|website=[[Yale University]] Film Analysis Site |url=http://filmanalysis.yale.edu| title=mise-en-scene}}
* {{cite web|website=[[Indy Mogul]] 4 Minute Film School |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325175406/http://www.indymogul.com/episode/FS_20080321 |url=http://www.indymogul.com/episode/FS_20080321|archive-date=2008-03-25|title=Mise en Scene}}
* {{Cite web |title=Costume design: designing character |url=https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/teachersguide-costumedesign-2015.pdf}}
* {{cite web|title=What Is Mise En Scène in Film: Definition and Examples|website=StudioBinder |date=13 April 2018 |url=http://www.studiobinder.com/blog/mise-en-scene/}}
* {{cite web|last=Dang| first=Tammy|title=Film Techniques: Lighting|website=Matrix Education |date=10 June 2020 |url=https://www.matrix.edu.au/film-techniques-lighting/}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mise en scene}}
[[Category:Lighting]]
[[Category:Concepts in film theory]]