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

Each aspect of mise-enscene creates meanings

and communicates them
to the audience,
influencing how we are
feel at a certain point

Facial Expressions & Body Language

Lighting & Colour
Positioning of characters/objects within the
frame

Settings & Props

Settings & Locations play an important part in filmmaking 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.
2.
3.

a Science Fiction Film

a Romantic Comedy
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?

PHY
A
R
TOG
A
M
CINE

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

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:
B

Lighting video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK
LfPjniFe8

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?

BACK
LIGHT
FILLER
LIGHTS

KEY LIGHT

Bringing it all together!

Now you try!