YEAR 2: MISE EN SCENE
There's no denying the importance of mise en scéne in filmmaking. Truly, it elevates film from just a record of movements and dialogue set to a sweeping score to an art form with depth, greater meaning, and purpose. In a translation from French to English, Mise en scéne means (quite literally):
As you are designing your own collaborative films, and as you are viewing your films of study this month, please complete the following for this blog discussion and exploration:
1. Read this article, including clicking the links within for the informational videos on mise en scéne: https://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/mise-en-scene-in-film-afk
2. Choose one of the following elements: Setting, Decor(Production Design), Lighting, Depth of Space, Costumes & Makeup. Then, comment on what you noticed with regards to that element in film for one of your assigned films in the screening schedule this month.
Finally, share your thoughts on the importance of "setting the stage" and being intentional in every frame of film. What is YOUR favorite film? How did mise en scéne create memorable moments for YOU? I look forward to reading your insights!
Landon Cozad
ReplyDeleteIn road to perdition, roughly 39 minutes and 50 seconds in, there's a scene where a man is leaving a house just after having shot a mother and son. The child in the foreground is silhouetted to show that he is hiding in the shadows, yet it is still backlit enough to make out his movements and panic. His breathing is heavy from the rise and fall of his chest.
This scene exemplifies this movie's use of lighting to create mood. The man leaving the building is being heavily side-lit, obscuring most of his face and making it difficult to read his expression. This can add to the building concern that the kid in the foreground is going to be noticed. In a more symbolic way, it can be argued that the child being fully silhouetted is meant to reflect how he is entirely in the dark about what is going on. The darkness of the scene adds to the dark air that was being built in a way that helps to add to the suspense.
While I do still find it a little bit exaggerative to make sure every single frame of film is important, I do believe that every scene and how it is set is highly important. If the scene mentioned above were lit while it were broad daylight, it wouldn't leave the same mystery as it does with it being at night time and the only light being the light from the door. While this isn't the portion of the scene I chose to focus on, the set design also lends itself very well to the scene. Everything from the leftmost thirds line outwards is complete shadow, the thirds line being where the child is. This helps to draw the viewers attention to where the child is, but due to the fact that he is silhouetted and out of focus it is easier to notice the man leaving the building. Said man isn't necessarily following any composition rules, which could be argued to be helping in building the suspenseful mood. There are little to no accents in the scene, just the wall and shadows. This further helps the viewer focus on the large shapes in the shadows, yet still brings the attention back to the man as he is performing the most movement and is the most lit character/object in the viewing field.
Certainly, not every director looks at every frame, but I can tell you, Conrad Hall and Sam Mendes are known for doing just that. I think because they started not as directors, but as photographers; the placement of everything is so significant to them.
DeleteIn 1917 costuming plays a major part in bringing the viewer into the film and staying within that suspension of disbelief that is expected of the viewer. As 1917 is a film about World War 1 the film has to be able to quickly, reasonably and believably take the viewer back in time so that the film can take place, and one of the most important parts of doing this is with costuming. 1917 keeps a consistent costume theme that feels like it was made back in the era it is representing, using accurate clothing to portray different sides of the war and different people in it. The use of costuming is also very helpful for both distinguishing characters and not distinguishing characters. As this is a war film not every character who appears on scene can be memorable and play an important role in the story, so using costumes that look very similar can allow the background characters to blend in with each other, keeping up the idea of an army of uniform soldiers. Costuming also works the other way around with slight variations in that standard uniform adding character in a very simple manner, while still keeping some idea of uniformity throughout the cast.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film right now is probably Monty Python and The Holy Grail, a movie that uses mise en scene in one of its most famous scenes incredibly well. In The Holy Grail there is a scene where the protagonists are arguing with a guard who is standing on top of a castle wall making fun on them. The main use of mise en scene is in every shot with the guard, where its very clear he is looking down on the protagonists, both literally and figuratively, making the scene feel more believable and more comedic for the viewer. This shot style also allows for a easier work load from a setting perspective as instead of using an actual castle you can instead use just a section made from other material to keep the idea the same while cutting down costs overall.
I agree with your observation on costumes! SO true. Costumes can make a character stand out, and when done authentically, can amplify the fact that the secondary characters are all alike - they blend in with each other, and in 1917, the scenery, as well.
DeleteWritten by Tatum Aguilar:
ReplyDeleteThe film Road to Perdition, directed by Sam Mendes, is a powerful film that explores many heavy topics and includes many prominent film elements that contribute to the feeling received by the audience. One element that particularly stood out to me was the natural lighting used in the film. Examples of this are seen throughout various scenes in the film under various contexts. For instance, in the beginning hour of the film, the audience observes an outdoor funeral where the mood of grief and despair can clearly be established. The lighting contributes to the mood because there is overcast in the sky that gives the scene a grey appearance rather than a bright and colorful one. This contributes to the mood of the scene because, here, the visuals clearly align with the context the audience is put in. Natural lighting is not only used to establish these kinds of negative moods, but positive ones, as well. This is seen in the final scenes when the main character, Michael Sullivan, and his son appear to receive a good ending where they can live together after their journey of being on the road. In this specific scene, the two characters are seen enjoying each other on a long walk on the beach towards the house. Here, natural lighting is used to display a feeling and mood of contentment and happiness with a bright, sunny sky giving lots of natural light that brightens the environment surrounding them in bright colors. Even in the following scene where Michael Sulliven is shot and killed, the lighting remains bright, natural, and clear. This establishes a feeling of hope for his son as he embarks on a new road of life without his father. The director could have chosen to make the sky dark and cloudy, however, Mendes left the natural lighting bright to signify that there is a profound feeling of hope within the story. The use of natural lighting by the director contributes to a clear establishment of mood in each of the various contexts mentioned, as well as many more throughout the film.
The intentional use of elements like this are crucial in filmmaking when creating a film that establishes a clear feeling within your audience. If the director had not set the stage the way they did and was not intentional with the elements they were using like lighting, the desired effect may not have been reached. For me, the elements used by the director in Road to Perdition made me feel sorrowful, but gave me a sense of hope for the future of the characters. This is a powerful tool used among directors in the film industry. Another film that utilizes mise en scene in a significant way is Titanic, directed by James Cameron. I highly enjoy this film, not only for the classic storyline but for the elements used in the cinematography of the director including, like in Road to Perdition, the use of lighting. If the director had not used the element of lighting the way he did in Titanic, it would not have been as impactful on the audience, myself included. These two films utilize mise-en-scene in such a powerful way that leaves the audience pondering over the beauty and heartbreak established, making them each one of the greatest films of all time.
SO agree. Sam Mendes is a master of using lighting to create mood, but he also a master at using it to contrast, as he does in this scene. I love his work. :)
DeleteAt about 01:00:36 (1 hour and 36 seconds in), there’s a scene in Road to Perdition
ReplyDeletewhere Michael is seen in front of candles at a church, which I counted to be about 14 in frame throughout most of that part. I took those 14 candles to symbolize the 6 weeks Michael and his son spent traveling together, and the two in the middle to symbolize them coming together at the end for Michael Sr.’s final moments filled with some relief that his son Michael Jr. wouldn’t follow his path. But besides that, though it is daytime it is quite dim in the church, so a lot of the light comes from the candles in low key lighting and diopter focus which helps to create, along with his expression, a sense of vengeance and mystery and marks the beginning of this travel is to get revenge on the one who killed his wife and young son.
Though it may seem tedious, it is pretty important to set the scene and being intentional
because then the message or feeling we’re supposed to be feeling from a scene gets altered when the scene is just thrown together. For example, had that scene had more lighting from the outside coming in, there would be less sense of a darker tone of vengeance or mystery that is his journey and him as a person.
-Danae Martinez
LOVE your observation about the candles! I had completely missed that. I agree. It is so important to be intentional. It sets apart the truly great films, and makes them ones that we can watch again and again, and realize new and amazing things/symbols/meanings. :) Great post!
DeleteAnders Sabo, Year 2
ReplyDelete"In 1917, lighting is one of the most consistent and realistic aspects of the film. In each shot, the movie relies heavily on natural light, without much added outside of what would make sense within the context of the film, may it be a campfire or a flashlight. Most scenes outside were shot with somewhat muted sunlight due to the reliance on overcast weather, and just imagine how long they'd have to wait to get the exact weather conditions they needed. Then, during the night scene, the only lighting used is the light from the large fire as well as occasional flares set off by the Germans, which really captures the anxiety and the danger of the situation.
My favorite film is, and always will be The Lego Movie, and much of that movie relies on its mise en scene since each set must be set up from scratch as a 3D environment. The most effective use of mise en scene is through not really the costuming, but overall movement of the characters, main and side. The animation was intentionally designed to mimic the stop-motion-like consistent movements of real Lego Minifigures and pieces, which created a stand-out experience when compared to other Lego media projects beforehand."
Christian Anderson, Year 1
ReplyDeleteIn the specific scene, 1:02:30, the depth of field is low to focus just on the telephone while blurring out all of the surroundings after Michael Jr’s aunt hung the phone up. This transitions to a greater depth of field once McGuire picks the phone back up. This adds a level of suspense to the film as we can see that there are people in the background, we know that someone is lurking in the shadows up above. And with the low depth of field it adds an element of suspense because we know someone is there but it doesnt let us focus on who it is which adds to the mystery and the unknown. I was noticing the use of depth of field particularly throughout the film because as a film student I was trying to note how as a scene progresses the focus of the camera changes rapidly which makes the viewer subconsciously follow where the camera focus tells them to.
It feels very important to be intentional with every scene for this same reason. One specific example from one of my favorite films, Rogue One, is one of the final scenes. The rebels have the Death Star plans but the door is stuck, the room is dark, and the score cuts silent so that all we can see is the fear, confusion and panic in the eyes of the soldiers and hear the breathing of Darth Vader. Everything about this scene is intentional from the darkness lit up by the red lightsaber, to the silhouette of Vader in the hall to the panic in the faces of the rebels knowing they're about to die but still saving the plans. The whole scene is set perfectly. Scenes like this are proof that setting the stage is absolutely critical to the film and help develop characters as well as set a tone for the viewer.
Andrew Martinez
ReplyDeleteI choose to focus on the film element of costumes and makeup with the movie: Road to Perdition. The costumes were very time accurate to the mobster western era the film was set in. Having the actors and extras were time-appropriate costumes that people during the mobster era would wear convinces the viewer that they are actually in that time with the characters. If costumes were not taken seriously as they were in this movie then the viewer would not be as engaged and feel like they are in the movie. The suits and trench coats were very appropriate because mobsters would hide their weapons in their coats and the suits showed their professionalism because mobsters were more organized than your typical killer. These mobsters were sophisticated and organized so they choose to keep their professionalism with the way they dressed. So the director intentionally made sure that throughout the whole movie with a professional way of organization of mobsters was kept to make the viewer know they are looking at the same era. I also wanted to point out the makeup or special effects makeup that was used for the character Harlen Maguire’s scars from his shoot-out with Mike contributed to how I perceived the character. After he got the scars from Mike shooting the glass that went into his face, I thought it was a constant reminder for Harlen that he failed his assassination of Mike. Harlen would look himself in the mirror and see that he failed which I believed fueled him to go to the beach house at the end of the movie to get his revenge on Mike. His scars also made the scene more intense and frightening to see if Michael would take the shot on Harlen. This subtle makeup detail gave more depth for this antagonist which was fascinating to see how little details in scenes can change your entire perception of a character altogether.
Andrew Martinez, cont.
ReplyDeleteThe importance of setting the stage is that it helps the viewer connect and emerge into the world you are trying to create. All mise en scene elements work together to achieve more attention from the audience and for the audience to feel like they could be in the film's world. If the stage isn’t accurate, the viewer could notice it and instead of enjoying the movie they will notice and critique it. That is why it is so important to have every element of a frame be intentional and work to help make your film authentic to its setting. Being intentional in every frame also allows the director to give hints to the audience about certain elements of the story like how a character always in shadow will become the villain for example. Subtle elements like that can make the film more interesting and more engaging for the audience to find these certain details to be amazed by them. Lastly, every frame must be checked so that there are no errors in continuity so that modern cellphones will not show up in a western cowboy movie. Having no mistakes in continuity and mistakes in your frames will ensure a more engaging film for your audience to enjoy. My current favorite film would be Joker (2019). Mise en scene created memorable moments for me because, during scenes like the bathroom scene, everything put in each frame from the purposely messed up hair and blood on his face showed what the character was feeling. The dirtiness of the restroom showed me how corrupt and terrible Gotham was for the protagonist to experience through suffering and pain. This made me connect more with the movie and made me appreciate how well the film was crafted to make multiple shots seem very beautiful to me. Another example would be when the Joker finally puts on his makeup and suit to dance on the stairs, the production design of choosing to film on the wet stairs made all the difference. Each quick dance and step from one stair down to another was like a triumphant moment for the character and we could see him unhinged that contrasts with his slow dancing in the bathroom scene. When a director truly cares to put in the effort to make sure every frame and everything put in a scene has meaning, is what I think separates good movies from great movies.
Wyatt Perez, Year 2
ReplyDelete1917 first off is an amazing film. I noticed war and struggle within the setting, lighting, and costuming. This film had it all. The sets were large and expansive and real. The lighting was natural and when there was fire or bombings the yellow light filled the space. The actors had their WW1 gear on and the wear and grime on the costumes as it went through, just magnificent.
Setting the stage is very important for storytelling, everything that is or isn’t in the scene gives context and background to the story. If something is out of place, someone will find it and expose you. I heard the story of a film being made and an entire scene had to be refilmed because the character had a zipper on his pants before zippers were technically invented so it had to be re-shot. My favorite film is between Wall-e and the Transformers movies. The details in the films are incredible. Wall-e specifically is a Pixar film so you know it has a ton of Pixar easter eggs, that level of mise en scene is important because, without it, there wouldn’t be anything new to find when you rewatch a film. I think that's one of the things that makes a good film, every time you rewatch it, you find something new.
Madeleine Emmons, Year 1
ReplyDeleteThe film Stagecoach impressed me with its ability to create a masterpiece with its limited digital resources in 1939. Before I watched the film, I honestly did not expect to enjoy it or be drawn in by the director, John Ford’s creativity and filming aspects. At the same time, I had never really been interested in watching western movies, however, Stagecoach and the other films included in this assignment, progressively changed my mind. I could not help but sit in awe of the brilliant camera angles, costumes, acting, and more. After watching this film, I am interested in watching others by John Ford, hoping they too are a sensation to view.
The following element that is represented in one of the films, is lighting. Although all three films incorporate lighting, Stagecoach stood out with its strategic use of natural light and shadows. Throughout the film, shadows follow each character, as they are shown on nearby walls or the person. By using the color choice of black and white for the film, the shadows were able to have a sharper and vibrant look, which easily drew the audience's attention. However, shadows would not be as distinct, if it was not for the lighting the film utilizes. The film, set in 1880, does not have the option to use electrical lighting, as it would take away from the aesthetics of the period. Therefore, the film used candle lighting and outdoor lighting to be able to capture the realistic options of the 1800s. For example, in the middle of the film, the men are playing cards at the table, with the scene only lit up with a candle in the center, which is a way to create some low-key lighting for the scene. The men are in the foreground when all of a sudden the audience is drawn to the background of the scene as they see a shadow of a door open, allowing additional lighting to the back of the scene. A figure then approaches through the door, the characters at the table unaware of her presence. Dallas comes out carrying a baby, which is an essential part of the film since it was never explicitly mentioned that Mrs. Mallory was pregnant, which brought shock to the audience. Natural lighting soon comes into play as the characters are traveling and the sun is the source of light. However, when the scene is shot at night, it was not possible to create a fully lightened shot, since there was not a main source of light to rely on. This confused me how the crew was able to accomplish the nighttime sequences, however with a little bit of research, I was able to discover that scenes that are supposed to take place at night, actually are shot during the day, with a blue filter placed on the camera. It intrigued me throughout this film, how lighting can influence the attention a viewer has towards a film and how the story is told at a riveting level.
Madeleine Emmons, part 2
ReplyDelete“Setting the stage” is a crucial aspect of any film, no matter what type. An intentional take on film allows for a complete story to be told, without leaving out any important details. Critics expect a stage of a film to be set perfectly according to the type of film. This allows them to decide where to place the film on a review, and influence others to see it. Intentionality in a film also impacts where the audience is drawn in. For instance, if there is a character with a crucial aspect behind them, the audience would most likely be focused on the object behind them, of which the character is not yet aware. This is a common way of “setting the stage” in a variety of films. One of my favorite films is A Quiet Place. When I saw this film for the first time, it was such a unique concept, and the director, John Krasinski, understood how to capture his audience. This film is often recognized by the suspenseful scene where the Abbott family attempts to save their son, Beau, yet is unsuccessful. The setting is in a forest, supposedly during fall due to the orange and yellow coloring of the trees. Costuming is fairly simple with winter coats and hiking clothing. For depth of space, the characters walk apart from each other, which creates distance between them. This also sets the tragic event of the loss of the Abbott family’s son, due to the increased depth of space between them.
Soleil Sanchez, Year 1
ReplyDeleteI watched the movie Stagecoach, I originally thought the movie would not be very good because it was an old Western movie, and I do not find old Western movies very interesting but I found the movie very interesting. The mise-en-scene that I chose for my blog post was at 14:03. I chose this specific scene because of the explosion of the story, and the element of setting. The movie took place in Arizona, however there was an establishing shot at 14:03. Setting is used at the beginning of a movie and during the exposition of the story, where all the characters are introduced. However, the most prominent aspect that stood out to me was the set of the shot. There were buildings in the background that had an extremely Western feel. I especially feel like it would have been particularly difficult to set everything up to have different stagecoaches pulled by horses, and make all the people seem completely natura. In this mise-en-scene there was a large depth of that field that really helped show the setting of the film, a town in Arizona, surrounded by lots of dirt and a mountain formation in the back. You can also see the use of costume, which would have been normal at the time, but seeing it in modern times helped the viewer seem like they were there in the scene. The women seemed to be dressed more classy in 1939. And additionally I found it interesting that the women and men were dressed in a lot of clothing, even though Arizona is actually really hot. Stagecoach’s cinematographer appeared to have worked outside so the lighting was ambient lighting from the day, so there was shadow however, the only promenet shadow that I saw in the mise-en-scene which seemed to be the shadows cast over the characters and the stagecoach, they are moving away from the shadows of the town and moving past the point of no return for their trip. Additionally, there was diegetic sound in the background, the horses hooves clattering, some voices in the back, and the wheel along the road.
Soleil Sanchez, part 2
ReplyDeleteIn Road to Perdition, the element that stood out the most to me was the use of lighting, there were various uses of shadows, and the scene that I watched in class was very symbolic in the movie because of the title and the allusions of supernatural elements. There was also a lot of conflict, though it wasn’t part of mise-en-scene elements, there was a lot of placement of people and the symbolization of the props and actions.
Lastly, I want to discuss the importance of ‘setting the stage’. Cinematographers are similar to photographers when it comes to filling empty space, except they need elaborate use of multiple angles in just one scene from a movie. Using the empty space is very important because everything in the movie had to be intentional. The use of shadows and lighting are intentional and have to be symbolic, cinematographers can use ambient lighting or they have to use special lights to get the lighting that they want. Placement of the cameras emphasize different types of shots and the messages they can convey. We also learned about how different camera angles can convey different emotions, high angles or low angles. Every second of the film is a photograph and each has to be intentional. My favorite film is Batman: The Dark Knight. I really loved the mise-en-scenes in the movie because there was always dark lighting and shadows, true to the name. But the ferry boat scene really conveyed a lot of emotions, switching angles and establishing shots to show the weight of their decisions.
Nyah Stufkosky, Year 1
ReplyDeleteThe movie I choose is Tombstone. Lighting is very prevalent in the scenes of Tombstone as it sets the tone for that scene. The story tends to go towards a darker path with themes of murder and a gang known as the Cowboys. Lighting is used to create emotions in the viewer. At times where the light is hight-key, we see things clearly and we know it’s important like in the shoot-out that O.K Corral. At other times, when it was low-key it caused a lot of suspense and tension.
Setting the stage is important because without it things could look out of place, things that don’t belong are there could be there and lighting wouldn’t make sense. And a ton of other problems could arise.
My favorite movie is Alice in Wonderland the animated movie version, Mise en Scene is found with the scene where Alice is saddened because she doesn’t know how to get back home. The scene has high-key lighting to show that she feels alone.
Jacob Tynan, Year 1
ReplyDeleteThe movie I choose is Tombstone. Lighting is very prevalent in the scenes of Tombstone as it sets the tone for that scene. The story tends to go towards a darker path with themes of murder and a gang known as the Cowboys. Lighting is used to create emotions in the viewer. At times where the light is hight-key, we see things clearly and we know it’s important like in the shoot-out that O.K Corral. At other times, when it was low-key it caused a lot of suspense and tension.
Setting the stage is important because without it things could look out of place, things that don’t belong are there could be there and lighting wouldn’t make sense. And a ton of other problems could arise.
My favorite movie is Alice in Wonderland the animated movie version, Mise en Scene is found with the scene where Alice is saddened because she doesn’t know how to get back home. The scene has high-key lighting to show that she feels alone.
Isaac Sainz, Year 1
ReplyDeleteI will be referring to Michael Sr. as Mike and Michael Jr. as Michael in an attempt to avoid confusion.
In Road to Perdition, at roughly 21 minutes and 22 seconds, we see a masterful use of lighting. In this scene, Mike and Connor are illuminated from the bottom up. This, mixed with the use of low-key lighting, gives the sense of being told a scary story as if someone was holding a flashlight under their face. At this point in the movie, Michael isn't sure if his father is Mafia or not, so hearing all of this unfold is like one big scary story coming to life.
Jumping to 21:57, we see a prominent use of low-key lighting and backlighting on Michael, so we can only see his silhouette. When I saw this scene, it made me think of that hollow feeling in your stomach when you're scared. When we can only see Michael's silhouette it gives us that sense of hollowness. We then hear the sound of Mike assembling his gun, which is the loudest diegetic sound we hear in the scene, along with Michael's breathing and the rain. This, coupled with the music drawing back gives us a sense of what Michael is thinking in this situation. Keep in mind we never see Mike put together the gun because Michael never sees him put together the gun. As Michael is trying to keep his breathing under control, he's piecing together what's happening in his mind. You can see his mind racing as his eyes dart from side to side.
Then at 39:55, we again see this theme of silhouettes. This time though, there is no light shining on Michael, symbolizing his loss of hope. Before, when we could still see certain aspects of his face, he had a little hope. Hope that his father wasn't a murderer, that this was all a big misunderstanding. But then he learns his father is a murderer, and the same man who accompanied said crime, is leaving his house with a gun. We can also see Connor standing in the doorway with the only source of light coming from the inside of the house. Using more backlighting with the light from the house, Connor follows our theme of silhouettes. Though this silhouette seems remorseful. He basically killed his sister and nephew.
At 1:43:37 is my favorite scene in the whole film. It takes place right after Mike finally finished his mission and kills Connor. As he comes back to his son, who isn't sure if his father is going to come back at all, the camera is set up so that we can see both Mike enter and Michael sitting on his bed. There is a wall dividing them, symbolizing their two separate worlds. The colors are all monochrome, but the scene isn't. There's not much of anything anywhere on the set here, just showing how little personal life they've had the entire movie. Once Mike enters we get our first "pop" of color. Even though it's black, it stands out against the very slight greenish theme of all the colors. Mike then crosses over into the world of his son, once this happens the lighting becomes brighter, the use of key lights is more prominent. Michael's face is completely lit in the light of day, symbolizing the joy of his father being back, knowing that this hell he's been living through for the past six weeks is over. But Mike's face is still shaded, symbolizing the permanent stain his crimes have left on his soul. It also feels like a pang of deep guilt for the life he's led up until now. This is also probably the first time he's had space in his head to process the death of his wife and son.
Carol Young, Year 2
ReplyDeleteFor me, I had to watch 1917, and one of my favorite scenes is where an enemy plane gets shot out of the sky, and we can see it go down and crash right into the building where Blake and Schofield were just standing. The plane is on fire and they chose to rescue the pilot.
This scene, makes excellent use of depth of space to show the distance between the planes and them and how quickly the falling plane crashes into the shack.The low angle shot really highlights the depth of the scene and the distance of the action.