Introduction
“No ‘mise en scène’ has the right to be repeated, just as no two personalities are ever the same. As soon as a ‘mise en scène’ turns into a sign, a cliché, a concept (however original it may be), then the whole thing - characters, situation, psychology - become schematic and false.” Russian twentieth-century film director, and producer of the hit movie “Stalker,” Andrei Tarkovsky believed Mise en scene should never be repeated, because the arrangement of a film production has impact on its meaning, mood, or as he calls it “personalities,” that he believed should remain unique each time it is used. The translation of Mise en scene in English is, “the action of putting onto a stage,” and it denotes the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play. Mise en scene is an intentional arrangement of things such as setting, and film components for a particular purpose.
Purpose of Mise en Scene
Furthermore, the Mise en scene is used to convey meaning and mood, and develops a connection between film producers and directors, and their audience. According to an article published by Alecia Lutes, “What is Mise en Scene? A Guide to Impactful Visual Storytelling, www.backstage.com, ‘It’s how you tell the story by what you see and not what’s being said.’ In film analysis, the term means the overall effect of every element in front of the camera. Mise en scène brings those elements together for the audience and enhances the journey they go on as the story unfolds.”
Ingredients of Mise en Scene
Elements of Mise en Scene include, but are not limited to; a film’s setting, acting expressions, costume, hair and makeup, color, set design- décor and props, composition, and lighting.
Examining those characteristics of film can help viewers understand the messages communicated in films they watch, as well as the atmosphere surrounding the film. An example of Mise en Scene being utilized in the film industry can be seen frequently in the Avengers movie series, and especially in Avengers Endgame, its finale. The general message of Marvel’s Avengers series is portraying a powerful team of superheroes fighting against evil villains, who seek to take control of, or destroy, the world. The heroes usually result in vigorous, combative battles to end their enemy’s endeavors. The producers of this franchise take advantage of enhancement qualities such as a realistic, advanced CGI (Computer- generated Imagery), clear, crisp voiceovers, and sound effects to not only engage the audience, but to invoke strong emotions in the viewers, as well. Adding those features to the film creates excitement, intrigue, and widespread support for the heroes and their victories.
Why use Mise en Scene?
By observing the reactions from the audience as a response to the strategies- stated above- used by filmmakers alongside Marvel, it can be concluded that Mise en Scene bears significance in the film industry. Mise en Scene can use visual and audible features that can indicate to the audience a film’s creation purpose, and the genre. For example, horror movies are globally recognized for their use of unsettling, or abandoned imagery, alarming, heart-racing, and suspenseful music, gore, as well as sinister antagonists. Using commonly cast film elements of a genre can help producers to have a general guideline of the concept they desire to create, as well as it can serve as distinguishable traits the audience can view to identify the genre of film they are watching.
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This graphic organizer contains the elements of Mise en
Scene applied to the 2023 Korean-Drama, teen-romance “20th Century
Girl.”
REFLECTION
The diagram above displays characteristics from a film that I watched, that used Mise en Scene to cast a teen-romance, Korean-Drama. This analysis is from a presentation I have created for the purpose of analyzing key qualities of Mise en Scene and applying it to film, to observe the methods and arrangement of scenery that producers use to subtly, effectively portray a concept that is recognizable, relatable, and felt by the audience.
With the assistance of my personal laptop, and ones provided by the school, my group and I used tools and apps such as Google, YouTube, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint to produce our work. These apps are frequently used by my group, me included, and I affirm that our team can at least perform at an intermediate level or higher regarding technological appliances. To outline the elements of Mise en Scene, I used online forums and images from the internet to design and piece together this project.
Overall, this exercise has educated me on tools, and innovative approaches to consider when creating a movie with my team for this Media Studies class. I now realize that a film’s scenery such as the setting, props, and acting, have an influence on the audience’s mood, their peak of interest in a film, evaluation of genre, and the overall aura that a movie exudes. My goal is to emulate this skill when producing our team’s film.
Work Cited:
Images-
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https://asianwiki.com/images/b/be/20th_Century_Girl-engsubtrailer.jpg
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https://thesmartlocal.kr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/20th-Century-Girl-6.jpg
