Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene

Production Design
The overall look of a film that illustrates the setting and visual style of the story. Includes the design of the sets, location choice and supervision of props. Production design brings the world around the characters to life by setting the atmosphere of where the story takes place. For example, The Great Gatsby takes place among upper class, wealthy individuals in 1920's America, so in order to make this as realistic as possible, the film takes place regularly in houses belonging to wealthy people or parties hosted by upper class people.



Location/Setting
Setting creates both a sense of place and a mood and it may also reflect a character’s emotional state of mind.  It can be entirely fabricated within a studio – either as an authentic re-construction of reality or as a whimsical fiction – but it may also be found and filmed on-location. Settings can manipulate an audience by building certain expectations and then taking a different turn. Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time is spent to find a setting which already exists.

Studio
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production company.

Set Design
Theatre sets should suggest the style and tone of the whole production and offer creative possibilities for the movement and grouping of actors whilst creating a mood and atmosphere and giving clues as to the specific time of the action. The set may also need to be designed so the backstage areas used by the actors and stage crew are kept out of sight from the audience. Set designers have to really consider the placement of characters to make sure placements will make sense and will be possible. Set designers also need to focus on figuring out everything that may be needed, based on the dialogue in the script.

Costume and Makeup
Costume, hair and makeup act as an instant indicator to us of a character's personality, status, job and even the time frame of the film (era e.g. 1950s or time of day.) It tells us immediately whether the film is set in the present and what society or culture it will centre around. Certain costumes can even signify certain individuals, for example, a black cloak of a vampire, Spiderman's spidey suit, or a wealthy business man in a suit.) Makeup can especially be an important aspect in movies. Special FX makeup is a key element in horror films and action films, for example, creating wounds on soldiers in war or on the face of a zombie in a horror film. Makeup can also simply help to carry across the personality of a character.









Properties (props)
A property (prop) is an item used on screen/stage to help to enhance a performance. It can make a scene feel more authentic or help actors to play their role more adequately.
Props are often the only indicator of what decade or cultural movement that a story is set in. As well as helping the audience to understand the narrative, a prop can also help the actors get a feel for their role. Today, films rely heavily on shooting in front of green screens which make it extremely hard for actors to get into their role, and props can help them to do that. Film characters also become instantly recognisable through their props - think Indiana Jones's hat and bullwhip. These two props serve as an extension of this character's personality. 

 


Colour Design
These days, colour is an integral part of film and it has incredible power over how we perceive the film and characters. How we use different colours has a dramatic impact on how we subconsciously relate to the characters. For example, in Breaking Bad, it shows Walt, a character just starting to do bad things, slowly being consumed by evil, and by removing his red shirt and revealing a darker one, we see the progression of his character. 




Lighting

Available
In film, available light refers to any source of light that isn't explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally (eg. sun, moon, lightning) 

Artificial
Artificial light includes artificial sources of light such as lamps and light fixtures. When you're using natural light, there comes to a point where you'll want more light, a different light or more control of the light for creative purposes, and this is where artificial light steps in.

Key
The key light is the first and usually most important light that a photographer/cinematographer will use in lighting set up. The purpose of the key light is to highlight the form and dimension of the subject.

Fill
Fill light is a supplementary light used in photography or filming that doesn't change the character of the main light and is used chiefly to lighten shadows.

Back
Back light is the process of illuminating the subject from the back. In other words, the lighting instrument and the viewer face each other with the subject in between. This creates a glowing effect on the edges of the subject, while other areas are darker. 


Set
A construction or arrangement of walls, scenery and props designed for the convenient lighting and shooting of scenes.

Practical
A prop light seen in the shot which can be operated by the talent; sometimes doctored to control brightness, colour or coverage.

Sound Analysis

Sound Analysis🎥

Diegetic sound-

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world, for example; the voices of characters, sound made by objects in the story or music represented as coming from instruments in the story. Diegetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound. 

Non diegetic sound-

Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action, for example; narrator's commentary, sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect, and mood music. Non diegetic sound is represented as coming from the source outside story space. Another term for non diegetic sound is commentary sound. The distinction between diegetic sound or non diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play diegetic and non diegetic sound conventions can be used to create ambiguity or to surprise the audience.

Synchronous sound-

Synchronous sound is sound that is matched to certain movements occurring in the scene e.g when footsteps correspond to feet walking. Synchronous sound can be recorded on a tape or magnetic film. Synchronous sound effects are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen. Such sounds are included so as to provide an appropriate emotional nuance, and they may also add to the realism of the film. They also help to create a particular atmosphere. For example; The "click" of a door being opened may simply serve to convince the audience that the imagine portrayed is real, and the audience may only subconsciously note the expected sound. However, if the "clicl" of an opening door is part of an ominous action such as a burglary, the sound mixer may call attention to the "click" with an increase in volume; this helps to engage the audience in a moment of suspense.

Asynchronous sound-

Asynchronous sound is sound that is not synchronised. The sound is not in sync with the action on screen - both in terms of timing and atmosphere. It is essentially any noise whose origin you can't see (e.g. a gunshot in the dark that almost hits a villain, a train whistle offscreen signifying that a train is near etc.)

Sound effects-

Sound effects or (audio effects) are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasise artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music or other media. Common uses of sound effects could be the sound of a gunshot, or a car crash, which add impact and enhance the atmosphere within the scene.

Sound motif-

A sound associated with a character or a place. This could be the humming of machinery associated with a factory or the threatening buzzing of a power station or clicks, whirrs and beeps in a computer lab. A character might have a particular musical figure that plays when they appear or when they sort out a problem. James Bond films have four related motifs in the theme tune, each indicating a narrative turning point (e.g. the start or the resolution of a chase sequence).

Sound bridge-

A sound bridge is a type of sound editing that occurs when sound carries over a visual transition in a film. This type of editing provides a common transition in the continuity editing style because of the way in which it connects the mood, as suggested by the music, throughout multiple scenes.

Dialogue-

Dialogue within film is simply the conversation between two persons or the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction. It poses as a literary composition in the form of a conversation between two people. Sometimes this is re-recorded in a studio with the actors attempting to lip-sync to the footage (this is Foley recording).

Voiceover-

Voiceover (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice - that is not part of the narrative (non diegetic) - is used in radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre or other presentations. The voiceover is read from a script and may be spoken by someone who appears elsewhere in the production or by a specialist voice talent. It is usually pre-recorded and placed over the top of a film or video and commonly used in documentaries or news reports to explain information. Voiceover is used in video games and on-hold messages, as well as for announcements and information at events and tourist destinations. It may also be read live for events such as award shows.

Mode of Address-

Mode of address covers the manner in which the narrative comes across to the audience, including the style of language used by the character or narrator. If characters of an educated class are represented, the mode of address will involve higher register language than characters of a lower class. The mode of address might cover the accent or dialect used by characters of a particular regional identity. Mode of address would also cover the way in which a commentator or narrator speaks directly to the audience and how the text speaks to the audience and involves them. 


Direct Address-
When a narrator or character speaks directly to the audience, not to characters within the diegesis. This technique breaks verisimilitude because it acknowledges the presence of the audience. Words such as I,you,we,they etc are used commonly here. This example is taken from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

Sound mixing-

The process during the post-production stage of a film or a television program in which the collection of recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels along with adjusting the many attributes of the sounds such as the source signals' level.

Sound perspective-

The sound perspective is the distance and position of the audio, creating realism in the sense of space within the film.

For example, a film can depict a person from far away, walking towards the camera. The sound perspective needs to be altered through this short distance, and gradually increase the volume as the actor gets closer into the shot. Moreover, a film can depict a character walking into a room and closing the door. As the camera remains outside of the room, the character’s voice inside sounds muted and faint. However, as the door opens, the sound changes to become bolder, stronger. 

This change in sound perspective generates a greater perception of realism in creating space in film, and is dictated by the volume, timbre, pitch, echo, which are all balanced out in conjunction with the rest of the sounds in the narrative of the plot. This audio perspective allows the audience a greater sense of who is within the shot, and where in relation to the given space these characters are.

Sound tracks-

A soundtrack, also written sound track, can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the synchronized recorded sound. Commonly, soundtracks will generally consist of pre-existing songs that have been selected to appear in a film (e.g. The Hunger Games Soundtrack), where the music selected hasn't been written specifically for the film.

Score-

A film score (also sometimes called background score, background music, movie soundtrack, film music or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. This is common is musical films such as Grease, High School Musical, Hairspray or Frozen, because the music that appears in these movies is originally written for the film, rather than pre-existing. 

Incidental music-

Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical.  Incidental music is often "background" music, and is intended to add atmosphere to the action. It may take the form of something as simple as a low, ominous tone suggesting an impending startling event or to enhance the depiction of a story-advancing sequence. It may also include pieces such as overtures, music played during scene changes, or at the end of an act, immediately preceding an interlude, as was customary with several nineteenth-century plays. It may also be required in plays that have musicians performing on-stage. This example is taken from Wayne's World in the scene where the four men sing and dance to Bohemian Rhapsody in the car.

Themes and stings- 

Themes are music that always accompanies this particular programme or even a particular character, and suits its mood or themes. Stings are short bursts of music. They were originally used in TV and Radio to bump together different sections and chapters of a show.

Example of a theme; Grey's Anatomy Intro

Ambient sound-

Ambient sound means the background sounds which represent in a scene or location. Common ambient sounds include wing, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic etc. Ambient sounds are incredibly important in film work in order to create a realistic atmosphere which will enhance the film.

Editing and Representation

Editing and Representation🎥

What is meant by transition of image and sound?

A transition is the cross-over from one shot to the next. (they are like the punctuation in a printed text) Common types of transition are cut, fade, dissolve and wipe.

Why is editing so important?

Editors tend to work beyond the cutting- through previews, premieres, re-releases; sometimes they are even reengaged for television adaptations and reconstruction's years later. Unfortunately, film editors (like sound editors, who are even more constrained by last-minute demands) face short budgets, short schedules, and short tempers. Despite these limitations, editors are uniformly devoted to their primary responsibility: to make real the directors vision. This duty involves speaking up when they feel the director is too close to the film to see its flaws. Enter the editor as "objective eye." The editors essentially make the movie what it is. Without editing, the movie would be much longer than necessary and would bore people very quickly due to the lack of effects and suspense.

Definitions of types of cuts…

Shot/Reverse shot- 

A shot is anything recorded by the camera, from a particular position, between pressing the start and stop buttons. Shots may be shortened in the editing process. In the finished film, any continuous action between transitions can be called a shot. This example is taken from Star Wars.

Eyeline Match-

An eyeline match is a film editing technique commonly associated with continuity editing. Eyeline refers to the path of the looking eye and is similar to the shot reverse shot. It is based on the audience wanting to view what the character on screen is viewing, the camera starts on the character looking at something that the audience cannot see. The camera then cuts to the object they are looking at. An example of this is in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, the main character is confined to his apartment and often looks out of the rear window and so eyeline matches are frequently used to show the focus of his gaze’s outside. This video shows how an eyeline match is shot, as well as an example from The Shining.

Graphic Match-

The term graphic match is one of the many editing techniques used to continuously transition two successive shots. A graphic match creates a cut between two shots that juxtapose their graphically similar images. This example is taken from Come On Rangers.

Action Match-

Cutting on action or matching on action refers to film editing and video editing techniques where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. A common example is a man walking up to a door and reaching for the knob.

Jump Cut-

A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

Crosscutting-

Cross-cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations. In a cross-cut, the camera will cut away from one action to another action, which can suggest the simultaneity of these two actions but this is not always the case. This example is taken from Edward Scissorhands.

Parallel Editing-

Parallel editing (cross cutting) is the technique of alternating two or more scenes that often happen simultaneously but in different locations. If the scenes are simultaneous, they occasionally culminate in a single place, where the relevant parties confront each other. This example is taken from Fargo.

Cutaway-

A shot briefly interrupting one action, to provide a glimpse of something else.

Insert-

In film, an insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot. Inserts cover action already covered in the master shot, but emphasize a different aspect of that action due to the different framing.

Dissolve-

A transition between two shots, where one shot appears to ‘melt’ into the next, often used to denote the passage of time or to signify a dream sequence.

Cut-

This is the simplest form of joining two shots, where the end of one shot is followed immediately by the beginning of the next, with no break or transition (see our editing section)

Fade-in, Fade-out-

In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a dissolve is a gradual transition from one image to another. The terms fade-out (also called fade to black) and fade-in are used to describe a transition to and from a blank image.

Wipe-

A wipe is a type of film transition where one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to another or with a special shape.

Superimposition-

In graphics, superimposition is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to the overall image effect, but also sometimes to conceal something (such as when a different face is superimposedover the original face in a photograph).

Long take, Short take-

In filmmaking, a long take is a shot lasting much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general. Significant camera movement and elaborate blocking are often elements in long takes, but not necessarily so. Short takes are the opposite, being short scenes that are sometimes no more than 5 or 10 seconds long, which leave an impact on the audience. Many examples of short takes are listed on this link - http://www.amc.com/talk/2005/06/top-40-short-ta

Slow motion- 

Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slowmo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It is used to make a greater impact or shock on the audience in a certain event within a scene. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. Typically this style is achieved when each film frame is captured at a rate much faster than it will be played back. This first example is taken from Inception and the second is from X-Men Days Of Future Past.

Ellipsis and Expansion of time-

From the film glossary: the shortening of the plot duration of a film achieved by deliberately omitting intervals or sections of the narrative story or action; an ellipsis is marked by an editing transition (a fade,dissolve, wipe, jump cut, or change of scene) to omit a period or gap of time from the film's narrative.

Post Production-

This includes tasks such as the editing of raw footage to cut scenes, insert transition effects, working with voice and sound actors, and dubbing, to name a few of the many pre-production tasks. Post-production is the third and final step in filmcreation. It follows the pre-production and production phases.

Visual Effects-

In filmmaking, visual effects (abbreviated VFX) are the processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot. Visual effects could include the use of a green screen (shown in the examples below). This video example is taken from The Amazing Spiderman 2 and these picture examples are taken from The Avengers, Grey's Anatomy and Alice In Wonderland.