Analysing Images

Introduction to Film Language

Mise-En-Scene

Mise-En-Scene

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

• …is made up of visual information in front of the camera

• …communicates essential information to the audience about setting (time & place) and characters

• …is made up of 5 elements: Can you guess what they are?

The 5 Elements of Mise en Scene

• Settings & Props

• Costume, Hair & Make Up

• Facial Expressions & Body Language

• Lighting & Colour

• Positioning of characters/objects within the frame

Each aspect of mise-en-scene creates meanings and communicates them

to the audience, influencing how we are feel at a certain point

Settings & Props• 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 exists

• Settings can manipulate an audience by building certain expectations and then taking a different turn

• TASK: What settings and props you would find in:1. a Science Fiction Film2. a Romantic Comedy3. a Horror Film

Costume, Hair & Make Up

• Tell us immediately whether the film is set in the present and what society/or culture it will centre around

• Act as an instant indicator to the audience of a character’s personality, status & job

• Certain costumes can signify certain individuals (e.g. black cloak of a vampire) or groups (e.g. policemen)

Facial Expressions & Body Language

• Facial Expressions provide a clear indicator of how someone is feeling

• If someone is smiling broadly, we assume they are happy but we may get a different feeling if this is accompanied by scary music

• Body Language may also indicate how a character feels towards another character or may reflect the state of their relationship

• TASK: What meanings/emotions do the following images convey:

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 3

Positioning of Characters & Objects within a frame

• Positioning within a frame can draw our attention to an important character/object

• A film-maker can use positioning to indicate relationships between people

• TASK: What does the positioning in the following images reveal about the characters/film:

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

IMAGE 3

IMAGE 4

Colour• Colour carries certain

connotations which may add meaning to a scene

• It can give a scene a particular look, feel or mood

• It may also be used for dramatic effect

How does MES convey period?

Lighting & Colour

Lighting & Colour can be used to achieve a variety of effects:

• To highlight important characters or objects within the frame

• To make characters look mysterious by shading sections of the face & body

• To reflect a characters mental state/hidden emotions

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mise-en-scene and lighting

• Remember that in media texts, lighting is just as important as any other element.

• Everything that you see has been carefully selected and chosen for a reason – to elict a certain response from the audience.

• Your job now is to determine what that effect is, and whether or not it had the desired effect.

• If the lighting for a shot is wrong, the shot will look dead, people can look washed out, and things become less clear.

• Consider the following types of lighting:

Realistic Lighting• used so that actors and sets are lit so naturally

that the audience do not notice the technology that has been used to simulate reality.

• Often used in romantic comedies and soap operas.

Types of Lighting

HIGH KEY LIGHTING

• More filler lights are used. Lighting is natural and realistic to our eyes

• Produces brightly lit sets or a sunny day (right)

Example: Rom-Coms

High-Key• Makes the shot look very bright overal with

small areas of shadow. • A bright, sunlit outdoor scene is high key.

Types of Lighting

LOW KEY LIGHTING

• Created by using only the key & back lights

• Produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas

• Deep, distinct shadows/silhouettes are formed

Example: Horror Films

Low-key• Makes the shot look dark

overall with few areas of highlight.

• There may be one section of the shot which is brightly lit while the rest is in deep shadow.

• Night shots or interiors are often low-key.

Expressive lighting• When the director uses light to set a mood or

tone for a scene – or even a ‘look’ to a whole film.

• Films like Sin City and The Dark Knight have expressive lighting designs.

What types of lighting are used in the following images:

A

FD

C

E

B

Lighting video

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKLfPjniFe8

For each image, answer the following questions:

What type of lighting is used in each image (High or Low Key)?

Where are the KEY LIGHTS, FILLER LIGHTS & BACK LIGHTS in each image?

What effects/meanings does the lighting suggest?

KEY LIGHT

FILLER LIGHTS

BACKLIGHT

Bringing it all together!

Now you try!