What is Mise en Scene — How Directors Like Kubrick Master the Elements of Visual Storytelling

StudioBinder

14 Sept 202010:13

Summary

TLDRThis script delves into the art of Mise-En Scene, a fundamental concept in filmmaking that encompasses all visual elements in a scene. It explains the difference between Mise-En Scene and Montage, highlighting the importance of storytelling through a single image. The video uses 'Citizen Kane' and 'The Shining' to illustrate how directors like Stanley Kubrick use mise en scene to convey power dynamics and create unsettling atmospheres. It challenges viewers to consider the mise en scene in their own projects, emphasizing the role of preparation and collaboration in achieving cinematic visions.

Takeaways

🎬 The director's role involves much more than just being on set; it begins with the pre-production phase of designing, arranging, and framing each shot.
🎥 Mise-En Scene is the essence of filmmaking, encompassing everything that is included in a scene and how it is presented.
🌐 Mise-En Scene is translated from French as 'placing on stage', and it is a foundational concept in both theater and film.
🤔 Andre Bazin, a French film critic, categorized filmmaking into two approaches: Mise-En Scene and Montage, with the former focusing on storytelling within a single image.
📹 In a Mise-En Scene approach, directors use elements like wide-angle and deep focus to convey power dynamics and allow the audience to interpret the scene at their own pace.
🎨 Traditional definitions of Mise-En Scene include everything visible in a shot, but sound design and music are also integral to the overall scene composition.
🔢 Mise-En Scene can be thought of as a math problem where each element contributes to the overall meaning of a shot, similar to how numbers contribute to a sum.
🌿 There are two main traditions in Mise-En Scene: Naturalistic, which aims for realism and familiarity, and Theatrical, which presents exaggerated and unique worlds.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 'The Shining' serves as an example of how Mise-En Scene can be used to create unsettling and visually storytelling shots, even in a single frame.
👶 The mise en scene in 'The Shining' uses high key lighting, toy vehicles, and a maze-like carpet to convey a sense of entrapment and vulnerability for the character Danny.
🎼 Sound design and music play a crucial role in Mise-En Scene by adding contrast and enhancing the emotional impact of a scene.
📚 Preparation is key in filmmaking, and tools like StudioBinder can assist in breaking down scripts, creating storyboards, and sharing the director's vision with the team.

Q & A

What does the term 'Mise-En Scene' mean in the context of filmmaking?
-Mise-En Scene, translated from French, means 'placing on stage'. It refers to the process of deciding what to include in a scene and where it should be placed, similar to theater. It encompasses all the elements that are visible within a frame, including set design, props, costumes, lighting, and composition.
How does Mise-En Scene differ from Montage in filmmaking?
-Mise-En Scene filmmakers focus on storytelling within a single image, concentrating on the arrangement and framing of each shot to convey meaning. In contrast, Montage filmmakers create meaning from the combination and juxtaposition of multiple images, often through editing.
What is the role of sound design and music in Mise-En Scene?
-Sound design and music are crucial pieces of the overall Mise-En Scene, as they can significantly influence the mood and emotional impact of a scene. They work in tandem with visual elements to create a cohesive and immersive experience for the audience.
Can you provide an example of Mise-En Scene from the film 'Citizen Kane'?
-In 'Citizen Kane', the infamous shot where Kane argues about the property's value uses a wide-angle and deep focus lens. This allows the audience to see each character and their performance, with the blocking, staging, and composition revealing power dynamics within the scene.
What are the two basic traditions in Mise-En Scene?
-The two basic traditions in Mise-En Scene are Naturalistic and Theatrical. Naturalistic Mise-En Scene aims for a realistic and familiar world, while Theatrical Mise-En Scene presents exaggerated and unusual worlds to draw attention and create a distinct atmosphere.
How does the film 'The Shining' utilize Mise-En Scene to create an unsettling atmosphere?
-In 'The Shining', director Stanley Kubrick uses Mise-En Scene elements such as production design with maze-like patterns, contrasting sound design, high-key lighting, and strategic blocking to create a sense of isolation and vulnerability for the character of Danny, contributing to an unsettling atmosphere.
What is the significance of the toy vehicles and carpet in the scene from 'The Shining'?
-The toy vehicles and carpet in 'The Shining' feature a maze pattern, which is a recurring theme in the film. This design element symbolizes the entrapment and confusion experienced by the character of Danny, enhancing the sense of unease in the scene.
How does the high angle and center framing of Danny in 'The Shining' contribute to the mise en scene?
-The high angle and center framing of Danny in 'The Shining' make him appear small and vulnerable, emphasizing his isolation. This compositional choice, combined with the deep depth of field and slow zoom out, adds to the overall unsettling mise en scene.
What is the challenge presented at the end of the script for filmmakers?
-The challenge for filmmakers is to take a single frame from their next project and consider the entire mise en scene. They should think about what they see, how it contributes to the perfect shot for that moment, and how each element will play its part in the overall storytelling.
Why is preparation important in filmmaking according to the script?
-Preparation is crucial in filmmaking because it involves breaking down the script into its elements, generating storyboards to visualize the scenes, and communicating the director's vision with department heads. This process ensures that the mise en scene is thoughtfully designed and effectively conveys the intended narrative.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Introduction to Mise-En Scene

This paragraph introduces the concept of Mise-En Scene, a fundamental aspect of filmmaking that involves the arrangement and design of each shot. It explains that directors' roles extend beyond the moment of filming, emphasizing the importance of Mise-En Scene in creating a visual narrative. The paragraph also highlights the distinction between Mise-En Scene and Montage, with the former focusing on storytelling within a single image and the latter creating meaning through the combination of multiple images. The iconic shot from 'Citizen Kane' is used as an example to illustrate the power dynamics conveyed through Mise-En Scene elements such as wide-angle, deep focus, blocking, and staging.

05:03

👻 Mise-En Scene in Horror: 'The Shining' Analysis

This paragraph delves into the application of Mise-En Scene in the horror genre, using 'The Shining' as a case study. It discusses how director Stanley Kubrick utilized various elements of Mise-En Scene, such as production design, sound design, cinematography, and blocking, to create a sense of unease and tension in a particular scene. The paragraph provides a detailed breakdown of the scene, pointing out the use of maze-like carpet patterns to symbolize entrapment, the contrast between high key lighting and the horror genre's expectation of darkness, and the high angle shot that frames the character Danny as isolated and vulnerable. The summary encourages filmmakers to consider the entire Mise-En Scene in a single frame and to think about how each element contributes to the overall narrative and atmosphere.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Mise-En Scene

Mise-En Scene, a French term meaning 'placing on stage,' is central to the video's theme as it encompasses all visual elements in a film that contribute to the storytelling. It is the essence of filmmaking, as every director engages with it, whether consciously or not. In the script, Mise-En Scene is illustrated through the example of 'Citizen Kane,' where the wide-angle and deep focus reveal character dynamics and power structures.

💡Director

A director is the creative leader responsible for the overall vision and execution of a film. The script mentions directors often seen on set, performing tasks such as pointing and making hand gestures, which are part of the Mise-En Scene process. The director's role begins long before the camera rolls and is integral to designing and arranging each shot.

💡Viewfinder

The viewfinder is the device directors use to frame and compose their shots. It is a key tool in the Mise-En Scene process, allowing the director to visualize and plan the arrangement of elements within the scene. The script implies its importance when discussing the director's tasks on set.

💡Montage

Montage is a filmmaking technique that creates meaning through the combination and juxtaposition of multiple images. It contrasts with Mise-En Scene, as described by Andre Bazin, where the latter focuses on storytelling within a single image. The script uses Montage to highlight the different approaches to filmmaking.

💡Naturalistic Mise-En Scene

Naturalistic Mise-En Scene aims to replicate the realism and familiarity of the real world within a film. It is characterized by settings and performances that are meant to be relatable and true to life. The script contrasts this with Theatrical Mise-En Scene, using the example of Tim Burton's expressionist style.

💡Theatrical Mise-En Scene

Theatrical Mise-En Scene presents exaggerated and non-realistic worlds, often used in films to create a sense of strangeness or uniqueness. The script mentions Tim Burton's work as an example, where exaggerated sets, costumes, and props draw attention and contribute to the film's overall aesthetic.

💡Sound Design

Sound design is the process of creating and manipulating audio elements in a film. Although traditionally not considered part of Mise-En Scene, the script points out that sound design and music can be crucial to the overall scene composition, affecting the audience's perception and emotional response.

💡Cinematography

Cinematography refers to the art of capturing images on film or digitally. It includes aspects like lighting, camera angles, and movement. In the script, cinematography is discussed in relation to 'The Shining,' where high key lighting and high angle shots contribute to the unsettling mise en scene.

💡Blocking

Blocking is the arrangement of actors and their movements within a scene. It is a critical part of Mise-En Scene, as it influences how a scene is perceived. The script uses 'The Shining' to illustrate how blocking can make a character appear isolated and vulnerable.

💡Production Design

Production design involves creating the visual environment for a film, including set design, props, and costumes. It is a key component of Mise-En Scene, as it helps establish the setting and atmosphere. The script mentions the maze-like carpet in 'The Shining' as an example of production design contributing to the film's theme.

💡Uninterrupted Take

An uninterrupted take is a continuous shot without cuts, allowing the audience to observe and interpret the scene at their own pace. The script refers to this technique in 'Citizen Kane' to demonstrate how it can reveal character dynamics and power structures without the influence of editing.

Highlights

Directors often point and make hand gestures on set to communicate the final arrangements of a shot.

The rolling camera is the final step in the design process known as Mise-En Scene.

Mise-En Scene is the essence of filmmaking and is utilized by every director, whether consciously or not.

Mise En Scene originates from the French theater term for placing elements on stage.

Andre Bazin, a French film critic, divided filmmaking into Mise En Scene and Montage approaches.

Montage filmmakers create meaning through the combination of images, while Mise En Scene filmmakers focus on single images.

In 'Citizen Kane', the wide-angle and deep focus reveal character dynamics and power structures.

Sound design and music are crucial to the overall Mise En Scene, contributing to the storytelling.

Mise En Scene can be understood as a math problem where elements combine to form the meaning of a shot.

Traditional definitions of Mise En Scene are expanded to include everything seen and heard in a film.

There are two Mise En Scene traditions: Naturalistic, aiming for realism, and Theatrical, featuring exaggerated elements.

Tim Burton's films exemplify Theatrical Mise En Scene with their expressionist style and exaggerated elements.

David Fincher's work demonstrates that Mise En Scene can be just as effective in grounded dramas as in stylized films.

In 'The Shining', Stanley Kubrick uses Mise En Scene to create unsettling shots that convey a sense of isolation and vulnerability.

The mise en scene in 'The Shining' includes elements like props, set design, sound design, and cinematography to enhance storytelling.

A single frame in a film can be analyzed for its mise en scene to understand how each element contributes to the narrative.

Preparation is key in filmmaking, including script breakdown, storyboarding, and sharing vision with the team.

StudioBinder is a tool designed to assist in the preparation and planning of mise en scene in film projects.

Upcoming content will explore the role of color in mise en scene and its impact in Stanley Kubrick's work.