Mise En Scene

Mise En Scene Picture Analysis

Dominant

The dominant contrast can be created by any number of techniques. The size of an object may draw our attention to it. In black and white movies, the dominant contrast is generally achieved through a juxtaposition of lights and darks. In the color picture of mise en scene, the dominant is often achieved by having one color stand out from the others (Brian, 1976, 315). Placing one object in sharper focus than the rest of the shot can also create a dominant.

Lighting Key

High key lighting--features bright, even illumination and few conspicuous shadows. This lighting key is often used in musicals and comedies.

Low key lighting--features diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light. This lighting key is often used in mysteries and thrillers.

The lighting key in this shot is moderate (Brian, 1976, 315). The scene is not brightly lit, but there aren't a lot of shadows either. Also, there isn't a great contrast between lights and darks in the shot. Moderate lighting fits the genre, a character-based comedy/drama. It's not as bright as a light comedy, as dark as a thriller, or as dramatic as a tragedy or melodrama.

Shot and Camera Proxemics

Shots are defined by the amount of subject matter that's included within the frame. They can be divided into six basic categories:

Extreme long shot--taken from a great distance, showing much of the locale. If people are included in these shots, they usually appear as mere specks.

Long shot--corresponds to the space between the audience and the stage in a live theater. The long shots show the characters and some of the locale.

Full shot--range with just enough space to contain the human body in full.

Medium shot--shows the human figure from the knees or waist up.

Close-up--concentrates on a relatively small object and show very little if any locale (Bordwell, 2003, 33-55).

Camera Angle

There are five basic angles in the picture of mise en scene.

Bird's-eye view--the shot is photographed directly from above. This type of shot can be disorienting, and the people photographed seem insignificant.

High angle--this angle reduces the size of the objects photographed.

Eye-level shot--the clearest view of an object, but seldom intrinsically dramatic, because it tends to be the norm (Bordwell, 2003, 33-55).

Low angle--this angle increases high and a sense of verticality, heightening the importance of the object photographed.

Oblique angle--for this angle, the camera is tilted laterally, giving the image a slanted appearance.

Color Values

The use of color in this shot is symbolic. The scene is set in Seymour's kitchen. Seymour's apartment, like Seymour himself, is very drab (Bordwell, 2003, 33-55). Both the set and Seymour are dressed in browns. Enid, on the other hand, is dressed in bright blue. She is not only a contrasting foil for Seymour and the shot, but she will metaphorically add some "color" to his life.

Lens/Filter/Stock

Common lenses and stocks:

Telephoto lens--A lens that draws objects closer but also diminishes the illusion of depth.

Wide-angle lens--A lens that takes in a broad area and increases the illusion of depth but sometimes distorts the edges ...