CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mise en Scene
THE FRAME
 The frame is defined by the edge of the film or sensor
 Aspect ratio refers to how high the image is versus how wide
 Prior to the 1950s, movies were shot in a variety of aspect ratios,
with the most common being 1.33:1
 1950s introduced the widescreen format
 Until recently, most TV was filmed in 1.85:1
 Widescreen is now filmed in 2.35:1
FULL SCREEN
WIDESCREEN
RULE OF THIRDS
CENTER WEIGHTING
 Everyone, even formalists, use center weighting for
dominance in basic shots
THE EDGES = INSIGNIFICANCE
 The edges are viewed as insignificant, but directors often use
this space symbolically
 Shadows at the edges symbolize the unknown, danger
 Mysteries often use the edges for lurking figures
 Directors use the edges to place important objects
COMPOSITION AND DESIGN
 In Classical style, the composition of elements in a frame is
balanced
 Like the angle of the shot being straight, it comforts the eye
to see balanced composition
 Just like some shots require oblique angles, some shots are
intentionally composed in an unbalanced style to make the
viewer uncomfortable.
COMPOSITION AND DESIGN
COMPOSITION AND DESIGN
DOMINANT CONTRAST
 The eye can view up to eight major areas in a frame at a time,
generally in sequence.
 The director “directs” the viewer’s eye to particular area first
by using dominant contrast
 This is done in black and white by adding one element in
harsh contrast
 In color, by using a bold, generally primary color
DOMINANT CONTRAST
DOMINANT CONTRAST
SUBSIDIARY CONTRASTS
 After the dominant, where do we look next?
 The director gives you second place to look, often by size of
element or proximity to dominant element
SUBSIDIARY CONTRAST
WEIGHTING
 Objects have “weight” or significance based upon where on
screen it is
 In Western cinema in particular, most people go from left to
right in viewing a scene
 The upper part of the screen is “heavier” than the lower part
 Singular objects are “heavier” than clusters or groups
 Visual lines suggest movement and emotion
 The sharper the angle of the line of f the axis, the more
tension
WEIGHTING
TERRITORIAL SPACE
 Space communicates just as much as every other element of
film
 We are aware of how people close are in spacing to each
other… it can imply many things
 Closeness can imply relationships, can be imposing, can
suggest power
 Distance can imply weakness, detachment
TERRITORIAL SPACE
TIGHT VS LOOSE FRAMING
 Tightly framed can imply restraint.
 It is also used extensively in horror movies when something
bad is about to come from another angle
 Loosely framed can imply freedom, escape
TIGHT FRAMING
LOOSE FRAMING
PROXEMICS
 Proximity is part of space… There are four kinds
 Intimate
 Skin contact to 18 inches away
 Personal
 18 inches to four feet away
 Social
 Four feet to to twelve feet
 Public
 Beyond twelve feet
INTIMATE SPACE
PERSONAL SPACE
SOCIAL SPACE
PUBLIC SPACE
OPEN AND CLOSED FORMS
 Generally regarded as an art term, but useful in film analysis
 In general, realists use open forms, formalists use closed
forms
 Open form emphasizes informal, unobtrusive composition.
Often, it has no discernable structure and suggest
randomness
 Closed form emphasizes a more stylized design. Objects and
figures are more precisely placed and well -balanced
OPEN FORM
CLOSED FORM