Mise-en-scène

Wizard of Oz (1939)

Directed by Victor Fleming

Hollywood uses midgets and children. Bright colour. Crane shot, focuses on important objects such as the yellow brick road.

Set design is large-scale and detailed. A lot of effort was put into it.

Mise-en-scène

“Everything that appears on stage”, “Whatever appears in front of the camera”

(Literally “putting on stage”)

The mise-en-scène needs to be in place before filming can begin. That means set design, lighting, character movement, images, motifs.

Mise-en-scène can say a lot about the socio-historical and institutional context of a film.

Comes from the theatre world

For everything else we use the term mise-en-shot. It is the way the filmed events, mise-en-scène, are filmed. Literally “putting into shots,” shooting a film.

Mise-en-scène comparison

	Little Caesar	The Wizard of Oz
Lighting	Use of light and dark, emphasis on dark and shadow.	Super bright, brilliant colours.
Set design	Naturalistic. Simple, basic, objects or places from ordinary life.	Created by set designers, artificial backdrops
Costume	Typical gangster suits of 1930s
Images/motifs	Suits, hats, desk, gas station, cars,	Ruby slippers, yellow brick road, munchkins

Mise-en-shot

Mise-en-shot

 

	9 lives 2005 Rodrigo García	Jurassic Park 1993 Spielberg
Camera position	Straight, ground level	Above the characters, below them, from the inside of the box… the camera is ubiquitous.
Camera movement	Rotates slowly, moved quickly very suddenly (once)	Zooms in on things a lot. When it’s from the inside of the box it shows what the dinosaur sees (moves up and down a little) Not much movement, mostly
Shot scale	Low scale, mostly close-ups	Extremely close (mouth only) or medium-large (group of people). Chaotic
Length of shot	Always deep	Generally not very deep
Pace of editing	Still (no editing). 1 shot in 8min	Number  of shots: 43 in 2min 30s

In 9 lives, the camera moves slowly to give the feeling that nothing exciting is happening. There is a short scale and most of the shots are in corridors to give a claustrophobic feeling. The camera follows a single character, so we see things from her point of view, and it is one shot at ground level to show events realistically.

In Jurassic Park, the opposite is done. There are an incredible 43 shots in only 2 minutes 30. It’s almost like a compilation of photos from different angles with a soundtrack. Everything is fast and exciting.

Jurassic Park - Random Scene

Jurassic Park (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Random Scene

There are two ways to analyze a film: Internal and External.

Descriptive Stage

Establishing shot: There are two red cars with the JP logo driving across green fields with trees and a clear sky.

The cars both stop. Someone in one of the cars notices something. His jaw drops and he stands up. He nudges a woman, and she has the same reaction. They see a huge brachiosaur feeding on the trees. The scientists seem to react with wonder, but one man seems only to think about the money.

Analytical Stage

Think about:

-Camera angle

-Lighting / colour

-Sound / Diagetic

-Script

-Composition / Contrasts

-Close up / Long shot

-Editing / Chronology

Contrasts in colour between red and green. Vertical shots, deep depth of field. Non-diagetic sound (music): gives it a feeling of wonder.

Goes into a close up of one of the cars and we hear the sound of the car. Brings the viewer back to reality.  Car is red, colour of passion, blood and danger. Fills the space that used to be green, colour of nature. Note: red is a motif.

Zoom in to one of the characters, the one with a hat. He seems very surprised, takes of his glasses to see better. Increases the suspense because the viewer doesn’t know what he is looking at.

Films are like sources. We ask questions about it like we do in history.

Who made it?

It was directed by Steven Spielberg.

When?

Filming began in August 1992. Released on June 1993.

Why did (s)he make it?

Spielberg wanted to direct Schindler’s list, but Universal Studios told him that they would only let him make that film after directing Jurassic Park. Also, it was a good opportunity to make money.

Who is the intended audience?

Anyone older than 13 who wants to watch a fun film.

What is our engagement with the film?

 Most of the audience just enjoys the movie. It's fun, has an interesting plotline and realistic effects (outstanding when it came out). It also has a powerful message: don't mess with nature or nature will mess with you.

Who financed/produced the film?

Financed by Universal Pictures

Producers: Kathleen Kennedy

                 Gerald R. Molen

                 Steven Spielberg

Who really called the shots (was in control) in the film?

Steven Spielberg

What tradition is it in (genre)?

Action adventure science fiction thriller

How much money did it make – and consequences of this?

It made $914,691,118 out of a $63 million budget. Two sequels, a franchise and a lot of merchandising ensued.

Film Questionnaire

Film questionnaire

How would you define a good film?

A good film is entertaining, explores what can be done with the film medium, has an original idea behind it and pulls the viewer into the story.

If you like a film, do other people have the right to tell you you’re wrong?

No. Everyone knows better than anyone else what they like and what they don't.

How should people behave in the cinema?

It depends on the film. In serious films people should keep quiet and not disturb the rest of the audience. In horror films it would be okay to scream.

Is film an art form? Explain your answer.

Yes. It combines different art forms, like music, and is an art form in itself.

Who should get the final credit for a film, why?

If everyone worked just as hard as everyone else, then it should go to their group. The problem is that usually there is one person or a few people who really put their hearts into a film, so I think that final credit should the most committed and hardworking person.

How many different roles can you think of in the making of a film?

Director, editor, producer, scriptwriter, actor, actress, make-up, special effects, composer, sound mixer, costume designer and assistants.

Is there a function of film?

Yes. Film is important in society as entertainment, a work generator, education, guidance and artistic expression.

Why do people make films?

To entertain, to make money, to educate themselves, to seek guidance and to express themselves artistically.

Do film makers have a moral responsibility to their audiences?

To a certain point. I think that it depends on the message of the film: is it important enough to communicate despite the offensive material it may contain? Similar to the does-the-end-justify-the-means issue. Also, there are ratings to regulate what certain age groups watch.