9/20/18 Blog Post

Today in class, we continued our work on the Mise-En-Scene Elements power point. Each group picked one still from a movie and used it to analyze the twelve different elements of film. We started working on this power point on Tuesday and used today's class time to discuss with our group to define the remaining elements.
Mise-En-Scene is French terminology for "the placement in a scene". The elements of Mise-En-Scene are important to know because we will be using them to analyze films throughout the year in this class.

Here are the elements of Mise-en-Scene:

• Building blocks of an individual image
• The dominant feature (what grabs your eye)-- size, color, focus
• The lighting key -- high key, low key, high contrast
• Shot angle -- birds eye view, high angle, eye-level shot, low angle, oblique angle
• Color values -- dominant, subsidiary, symbolism
• Subsidiary feature
• Screen density -- stark, moderate, or highly detailed?
• Composition -- horizontal, vertical, diagonal
• Depth of field -- deep focus, shallow, focus
• Character placement --top, bottom, sides
• Shot framing -- tight or loose
• Diegetic audio or non-diegetic audio

One slide was dedicated to each element and the groups used the same image for each element. We had to create our own definition in our groups for each element and then find what features were used to create these effects. Some of the features were more difficult than others, especially since a lot of them are similar and relate to the "dominant feature".

These elements are helpful for anyone who watches movies often. There are many little details that effect the shot and subliminally reveal things about the characters. The angle of the camera can make characters look important or unimportant based on where they're placed in the shot. Further, the composition and density of shots can emphasize something about a certain scene in a film. Even though it is not explicitly said, the camera tells a story within itself by focusing on different elements in the shot. Knowing the elements of Mise-en-Scene helps viewers recognize important details while watching movies.