Stills From Pan’s Labyrinth
Film Techniques
Mise en scene
• Mise en scene refers to the placement of visual elements
on the screen
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Shot
Angle
Lighting
Color, filter
The dominant
Placement of characters within the frame
Framing
Proxemic patterns
Staging positions
Composition
Depth
Shots
• Shot – indicated by how much of an object or
an actor’s body is visible within the camera
frame
– Extreme long shot, establishing shot – objects,
people seen at a great distance – setting, distance
– Long shot – distance from viewer to stage in a
stage play
– Full shot – the actor’s body fills the frame
• Medium shot – the actor can be seen from the
knees or waist up – common shot, dialogue
• Close-up – the actor’s face or a small object
fills the frame; nothing else can be seen –
emotion, important detail
• Extreme close-up – only a small part of the
actor’s face (e.g. eye, mouth) or an object can
be seen – intense emotion, important detail
• Deep-focus shot – long shot showing objects
at close, medium, and long range in focus
simultaneously – viewer’s eye is drawn into
the scene
Long Shot
Full Shot
Medium Shot
Close Up
Deep Focus Shot
Deep Focus
Angles
• Angles are determined by the position of the
camera in relation to the object being
photographed
– Bird’s-eye view – Scene is photographed from
directly overhead, disorienting – may make people
shown seem small, unimportant
– High angle – Makes the subject seem
unimportant, small – may give a the viewer a
sense of power
• Eye level – Most common angle, not very
dramatic – seldom used to convey emotion or
important information about a character
• Low angle – makes object, character seem more
important and powerful – makes viewer feel
fearful, insecure
• Extreme low angle – invokes fear, discomfort in
viewer
• Oblique angle – disorienting -- may show
character’s point of view, indicating disorientation
or drunkenness
Bird’s Eye View
High Angle
Eye Level
Low Angle
Extreme Low Angle
Lighting, Color, Filters
• Lighting key = lighting style
– High key – bright, even lighting – happiness, joy
– Low key – dark, shadowy – mystery, suspense, drama, the
unknown – evokes fear
– High contrast – combination of dark and bright light
– Lighting keys can be combined in a single shot
• Colors
– Warm (red, orange, yellow) – stimulation, action, excitement
– Cool (blue, green) – calm, aloof, distant
– Some colors have symbolic importance (e.g. red)
• Filters can be used to emphasize a particular color, may
have emotional or symbolic impact
Low Key
High Contrast
The Dominant
• The object in the frame to which the viewer’s
eye is first drawn
– May be indicated by size or color
– Often of great (sometimes symbolic) importance
Placement of Characters or Objects
within a Frame
• Dominant characters, more important characters
occupy more space
• Top = powerful, dominant
• Bottom = powerless, weak, less important
• Left and right sides of = placing characters here
suggests their insignificance or may be used to suggest
danger , the unknown (We do not know what is beyond
the edge of the frame.)
• Most important object may be placed beyond the
edges of the frame – especially if associated with
mystery or death
• Framing – The amount of space of within the
frame has symbolic meaning
– Tight frame – close-up shots, crowded shots = lack
of freedom
– Loose frame = freedom
Proxemic Patterns
• Proxemic patterns = the relationship of
characters within a given space
– The greater the distance between the camera and
the character, the greater the sense of emotional
“distance.”
– The smaller the distance between the camera and
the character, the greater the sense of emotional
involvement.
– The distance between characters also implies their
emotional relationship.
Staging Position
• Character’s position in relation to the camera
– Full front (facing camera) – great emotional
involvement of viewer with actor
– Quarter turn (slightly turned away from camera) –
most popular position – intimacy yet less emotional
involvement
– Profile (looking off frame) – Character is unaware of
being observed
– Three-quarter turn (only a small portion of the face is
visible) – Character is unfriendly, antisocial
– Back to camera – lack of involvement, mystery
Composition
• Composition refers to the way in which the visual
elements of a frame are arranged or put together.
Frames in films are often arranged the way that
paintings are arranged.
• Lines may be used to direct the viewer’s eye.
– Diagonal lines convey a sense of movement, tension
– Lines may point to most important element in the
scene
• Recurrent patterns, shapes
Depth
• Films are usually arranged on three planes:
– Foreground – Objects in the foreground usually
provide important information about a scene or the
film, foreshadowing
– Midground
– Background
• Use of three planes give film a sense of depth.
• Placement of objects, characters on different
planes changes the meaning of objects,
characters
Foreground
Foreground
Background
All three planes are of importance