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 Film
2. a Romantic Comedy
3. 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
characters 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
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
F D
C
E
B
Lighting video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKLfPjniF
e8

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
BACK
LIGHT


Bringing it all together!
Now you try!