Mise-En-Scene

Mise-en-Scène is visually what is in front of the audience. It is everything that is visually added to the scene. There are five different elements that make up the Mise-en-Scène.

Costume, Hair and Make up: These can be used in order to give the audience an idea of the personality of the character as well his class. For an example Freddie Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street's appearance suggests that his personality is evil, as his face is burnt and disfigured and he has knives coming out of his cloves. They also give us an indication of the time period the film is supposed to be set in. This especially applies to costume. An example of this would be Chinatown which was released 1976, the costume in this film helps the audience identify that the film is set in the 1930s as it is typical of the clothing at the time.

Facial Expressions and Body Language: These provide the audience with a better understanding of the emotional state of the characters. Without sound or context facial expressions can be misleading as a smile does not necessarily suggest happiness. An example of this would be the character of Jack Torrance in 'The Shining' who despite his psychotic thoughts and depression is often depicted smiling. Body Language is also used in order to depict the emotional state of a character. Physicality can also be used in order to express a characters opinion or feelings towards another character.

Settings and Props: The setting of a movie is important in indicating the social, historical and cultural content of the movie. Settings can be used to attract audiences as they are often the most aesthetically pleasing thing about the movie. For an example the set in Avatar which was created by CGI. Props can also be used in order to make settings more realistic.

Positioning of Objects or Characters within a frame: Directors often specifically place certain objects or characters in order to either draw or take away attention from a character or object. It can also be used in order to show the peoples feelings towards each other.

Colour: Colour is very vital towards to add meaning and texture to the scenes. It is can also be used for resemblance. An example of this would be Curley's wife in Of Mice and Men who is show wearing a lot of red, the colour that best resembles sex, passion and violence.