Week 4: mise-en-scene log
This week we learn about mise-en-scene, which means the things like actors, lighting, decorations, props, and costumes are arranged in the way that a director want the audience to see in the farming of the film. Also The frame and camera work are also considered part of the mise-en-scène of a movie. All elements of mise-en-scene have to be put in the right place as everything in the film is analysed and gives a understandable/ purpose for the element. Placing on the stage really means placing on the screen, and the director is in charge of deciding what goes where, when, and how; this is because the director is the person who know how the film need to look as he/she has come up with the idea. How ever the director does not walk around saying to change the some of the elements of mise-en-scene,even if many professionals are involved in the creation of the set, the director is the one who oversees the entire mise-en-scene with all it different elements; but during the stages of pre-production, the director or his AD looks over to determine the look and feeling intended in the film, with the set designers, prop masters, location managers, costume designers, and scenic artists to determine the look and feel intended.
The set design means the décor of the the set, or how it’s dressed, comprising mainly of the furniture, props, and the set itself. Instead of just placing objects randomly, the director must be savvy to fathom how the elements may bear significance in a deeper level, while emphasizing themes, creating meanings, and provoking thoughts at the same time. One of the film elements that is really powerful to evoke emotions, is lighting; must be manipulated by the director to accommodate his/her desires for the movie. The two broad types of lighting approaches are: low-key lighting and high-key lighting. High key-lighting is usually used in romance and musical films; low key-lighting provides even lighting pattern and avoiding dark areas in the frame. Everything looks bright with little to no shadow at all. Low-key lighting has little dramatic effect itself; this is usually seen in horror and thriller films to give it more character and also to build up the audiences tension. For the audience to understand the characters better, costume is really important as it is to dress an actor accordingly to the type of character they are; e.g. nurse wear scrubs, lawyers wear suits, British student wear uniform, american student wear whatever (depending on the character). And lastly, another most important thing in the mise-en-scene is the location, as for every film and genre there need to be the right location that will match up with the plot and the narrative. e.g. if there was a teen drama film and the location of the film was mostly set in a office and a church; then you and the audience will be confused as that location/ setting does not match up with the plot.
