Initial research into some basic mise-en-scene that was produced to help classmates with with final exam.

1. Mise-En-Scene

2. The movement of the
camera and lens can
also be used within
mise-en-scene, in a
similar way. For
example, the classic
first scene from Jaws
in which the camera
zooms out whilst
tracking forward, to
distort the background
of the image while the
character remains the
same size within the
shot. This is used
Camera Shots, angles and movement can be used as part metaphorically
of mise-en-scene in a few ways. Different shots can be because the beach is
used metaphorically within the scene, such as a high angle being attacked by the
or birds eye shots being used to make the character seem shark, ‘distorted’, while
smaller or as a religious reference such as God looking people remain
down on them, or a low angle shot with the opposite affect unaware and continue
of the character seeming larger and of more authority. normally.

3. Props
• Props within a shot can play a big
part in what a demographic views
of the person with it, or the Within The Street extract
scenario it is in. In a similar way to that we watched, a shot
took place of the chocolate
a characters costume, if the éclair prop just after she
character was to be using an had gone upstairs to cheat
intricately designed cane or walking on her husband with the
stick you would assume that both man who had fixed the
they are quite posh or well off, they water leak from the sink,
and when they return they
may be old or have some sort of share it together. This is
problem with walking and that it used for both continuity and
may be from a different time period to help signify their
depending on the rest of the indulgence, and as they are
setting. both from middle/lower
classes, it helps with this
because they would not
usually have the treat.

4. Costume
• Costume will often be used to help
demographics get an idea of the
characters class, sexuality, age,
race, time period or in some cases
gender. This can be done easily
because people have ideologies that
link different clothing to all of these With this example it can
aspects automatically, but it isn’t also be enhanced by
necessarily correct. For example a setting, i.e. if the
man wearing camp clothing and character were in a dark
make-up or a woman with short hair alley etc.
and tattoos would be seen as ‘gay’.
Or a young person with a hood might
be seen as a potentially violent
character.

5. • As a demographic, people will
always be looking to judge or
understand a lot of the key Character
characters within a scene, almost
subconsciously. Therefore the way
that characters acts may have to be
very specific in order for the viewers
to fully understand this character, or
not understand if the idea is for
them to be mysterious. For
example, a character may be •Another example
manipulative and therefore their would be something as
actions can show so through the simple as showing a
way they talk to others and the way less confident
that the other character reacts to character not
this. conversing with a lot of
other characters and in
their body language,
which will be
immediately picked up
by the majority of the
audience.

6. • As with the Characters, costume and
Setting props, the setting of a scene is also used
to enhance the demographics
understanding of the scene, i.e. if it were
set in a castle or mansion then you would
assume that they are rich and depending
on which of these it is and the style of it,
what time period it is set in. As well as
helping the viewer understand, it can also
mean more toward understanding the
character deeper, if they were to be
spending a lot of their shots in the same
location away from others you may say
that he is very desolate and keeps
themselves to themselves.

7. • Sounds is used within a scene to enhance
Sound
the mood of it, almost always soft music
for slower/longer scenes of emotion, and
faster, high tempo music for a chase or
action sequence. This is not always true,
and when a scene uses opposing music
than what would be assumed to fit the
scene, it is known as contrapuntal sound,
an example would be from ‘9’ where they
are playing ‘(somewhere) over the
rainbow’ diagetically within the scene to
celebrate a victory, and then they are
attacked again with the music still playing
in the background.

8. Lighting
• ‘The intensity, direction, and quality of lighting have a profound
effect on the way an image is perceived. Light (and shade) can
emphasise texture, shape, distance, mood, time of day or
night, season, glamour; it affects the way colours are rendered,
both in terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on
particular elements of the composition.’
For example dark colours will resemble
darker and more mysterious characters as
it is simply perceived this way. Not being
able to see all of a person through lighting
intrigues an audience into wanting to know
more about the character. While lighter
and brighter ones will have the opposite
affect.

9. • The narrative of a film or TV show
is sometimes considered to be
Narrative slightly apart from mise-en-scene
because the narrative itself is the
way in which the story is told on
The narrative of a piece of media is closely screen while mise-en-scene goes
related to the plot itself, and how it is more in depth into every aspect of
depicted through screenplay throughout. the shot itself.
There are a few different ways that this can
be done; Simply showing the plot from start
to finish the way it happens
(chronologically), through starting the TV
End Opening
show or film later on in the plot and
unfolding throughout, or through different
methods such as repeating a single event Solution
and showing a different result or outcome
from each. All will have a different affect on
the larger demographic, whether it is Build Up
intrigue or suspense. Problem

10. • Within Mise-en-scene, editing can
play a slight part into making the
scene. Editing has to be ‘seamless’,
so it is a very precise art of making
Editing
editing work with the scene.
Continuity Editing: Is when, within a
scene, the shots will blend together and
use techniques such as the 180 degree
rule, establishing shots and shot reverse
shot. An example of this would be within
a conversation, using both shot reverse
shot and 180 degree rule. More complex
examples might include if somebody was
Discontinuity Editing: This is essentially to mention a characters name within a
the opposite of continuity editing, scene and then cuts to a shot of that
deliberately working against the scene. character.
The viewer’s expectation of continuity can
be violated by such methods as changing
image size between shots, changing
direction or changing frames before the
viewers has time to take in what is
happening within the scene.

11. Constructional
• Constructional
representation is the idea
that representation is a
mixture of many things;
The thing itself, The
opinions of the people
representing that
subject/item, The reaction
of the individual that views
the thing/subject and the
context that it has within
the larger society that it is
taking place in.

12. Reflective
• Reflective representation is when the media
represents something, taking the true meaning
and attempting to create a replica of it within the
viewer/readers mind within the audience - like a
reflection, hence the name.
• A lot of people will naturally assume that the
news is an accurate representation of what is
going on. However it doesn’t take much thought
to realise that the news often manipulates
information to keep viewers interested with the
subject and to give the audience part of their
personal opinion of it.
• A major example would be that in America, a lot
of the news on the war in Iraq perceives it as
being very worth the losses made, however in
England it isn’t as strong and is often a shy
subject within news, which creates a very
different opinion of the war with the public.

13. Intentional
• Intentional representation is essentially the
opposite of reflective, this time the most
important person is the one doing the
representing.
• They present their own view of the thing they are
representing using words or images to show this
how they mean it to. This is known as the
preferred reading, the meaning that producers of
texts would like the audience to receive.

14. Different Ideologies
• An ideology is what the greater community
naturally assume about a race, religion, gender
or sexuality. For example, if a Muslim was sat on
a train with a rucksack on, some people would
naturally assume and be wary that they are a
terrorist.
• This can sometimes be from the representation
that is produced from the news or from television
programmes/movies. I.e. representing that
‘hoodies’ are all bad etc.