Importance of Mise-en-scène

During the production of my Foundation Portfolio mise-en-scène played a significant part in creating a relationship between my protagonist and her surroundings. Therefore, I conducted research into mise-en-scène; elements of colour theory and composition. However, at this stage I want to learn more about the elements of lighting, costumes and props as I have already developed an understanding of complimentary and analogous colours, as well as the rule of thirds and ways of creating a natural image.

The lighting of the set:

Three-point lighting - traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions: key light, fill light and backlight.

The key light is known as the primary and brightest light source in a lighting setup. This lighting can create both a high-key or a low-key image depending on its position and the supplemental lights used. Overall, this light creates the mood of a scene; by providing dimension and depth to the subject's face through shadows.

The fill light, on the other hand, mirrors the key light on the opposite side of the camera. This lighting brings out more details by filling in the shadows created - it isn't always a light, instead it can be a reflector, a wall or anything that bounces back light onto the subject.

The backlight, also known as the rim light, shines on a subject from behind - which provides a sense of depth by helping define and highlight a subject's features and outlines.

I believe this method for illuminating a subject is significant as it creates a dynamic and creative image, aiding how a subject is conveyed and allowing cinematographers to have more control over shadows. Therefore, I will conduct a preliminary exercise to experiment with this lighting technique and understand its importance in the production of my short film.

Costumes:

Costumes, being an important aspect of a film's production, reflect a character's individuality. In cinema, whether a character dresses flashy, muted, or anywhere in between, effects how the audience sees them both emotionally and intellectually.

Therefore, through the usage of costumes, a film is able to:

• Establish a character by providing the audience with basic information - such as age, gender and economic, as well as social background - and revealing a character's personality along with the circumstances they find themselves in.

• Convey the context of a scene by revealing the time period and geographical setting through styles according to certain decades and cultural clothing or references to various climates.

• Support the style of a production by conveying a natural or postmodern approach to a film through articles of clothing being realistic - recreating everyday life - or grand and colourful - revealing a more unconventional theme.

I believe that costumes are extremely important in depicting a character and their personality, especially in short films as there is very limited time to introduce a character in their truest form. Therefore, I will make use of costumes which will encode signs in certain contexts - for example, as soon as I reveal the adult version of my protagonist, she will be wearing neutral colours to depict a lack of a strong sense of identity.

Props filling the set or locale:

This aspect of the mise-en-scène is known to refer to the set design of a film - which is everything the audience sees within a particular scene. These details are significant as they help build the location and provide more context to the story being presented. However, most importantly the props and overall set design allow the audience to immerse themselves in the world of the film.

The Great Gatsby (2013), for example, accurately portrays the 1920s and the various personalities of the characters, along with their status. 

In short films, I think props are significant as they reveal information which otherwise would have to have been incorporated in the storyline. Therefore, this saves time and promotes the audience to pay close attention to the details - which makes the use of set design appealing to me and my narrative.