Mise en scène Short Film Project
Name:_____________
Mise-en-scène is an expression used to describe
the design aspects of a theatre or film production,
which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling
a story"—both in visually artful ways through
storyboarding, cinematography and stage design,
and in poetically artful ways through direction.
When applied to the cinema, mise-en-scène refers to
everything that appears before the camera and its
arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors,
costumes, sounds, and lighting.
The “mise-en-scène”, along with the cinematography
and editing of a film, influence the verisimilitude of a
film in the eyes of its viewers
The distinctive mise-en-scène of The Cabinet of Dr.
Caligari (1920) features stark lighting and jagged
architecture.
STEP ONE: RESEARCH the key aspects on the attached sheet about Mise-en-scène.
STEP TWO: SELECT a theme (lyric/poetry) for your Short 3 minute
Mise-en-scène film. Your final film should be no longer then 3
minutes in length (including credits) and follow the key aspects of
Mise-en-scène.
STEP THREE: STORYBOARD
your short film incorporating the
Mise-en-scène Requirements.
APPROPRIATE IMAGERY: All
themes/footage should meet
appropriate Catholic school
expectations.
Nosferatu (1922)
Mise-en-scène
Requirements:
1) Maximum length: 3
minutes total
2) Black and White
3) No Sound
4) Follow the key aspects
(on attached sheet)
STEP FOUR: SHOOT your
footage based on your approved
storyboard by the teacher and
save files as AVI format.
STEP FIVE: EDIT your footage using Adobe Premiere 6.5.
REMEMBER your finished should be no longer then 3 minutes in
length. (including credits)
STEP SIX: REFLECT: Answer the following questions using the
elements and principles of design and hand them in with your
completed work for evaluation.
1. What part of your finished project did you find most successful
and why?
2. What part of your finished project did you find least successful
and why?
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Germany, 1920)
3. If you had to do this project, what part would you change or
improve on and why?
Mise-en-scène: Key Aspects
Set Design
An important element of "putting in the scene" is set design—the
setting of a scene and the objects (props) visible in a scene. Set
design can be used to amplify character emotion or the dominant
mood, which has physical, social, psychological, emotional,
economic and cultural significance in film. One of the most important
decisions made by the Production designer and director is deciding
whether to shoot on location or on set. The main distinction between
the two is that décor and props must be taken into consideration
when shooting on set. Shooting on set has, however, been proven to
be much more cost effective, therefore, more popular than shooting
on location.
Lighting
The intensity, direction, and quality of lighting can influence an
audience’s understanding of characters, actions, themes and mood.
Light (and shade) can emphasize texture, shape, distance, mood,
time of day or night, season, glamour; it affects the way colors are
rendered, both in terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on
particular elements of the composition. Highlights, for example, call
attention to shapes and textures, while shadows often conceal
things, creating a sense of mystery or fear. For this reason, lighting
must be thoroughly planned in advance to ensure its desired effect
on an audience. Cinematographers are a large part of this process,
as they coordinate the camera and the lighting.
Space
The representation of space affects the reading of a film. Depth,
proximity, size and proportions of the places and objects in a film can
be manipulated through camera placement and lenses, lighting, set
design, effectively determining mood or relationships between
elements in the story world.
Mise en scène by Constant Puyo
Composition
The organization of objects, actors and space within the frame. One
of the most important concepts with the regard to the composition of
a film is maintaining a balance of symmetry. This refers to having an
equal distribution of light, colour, and objects and/or figures in a shot.
Unbalanced composition can be used to emphasize certain elements
of a film that the director wishes to be given particular attention to.
This tool works because audiences are more inclined to pay attention
to something off balance, as it may seem abnormal.
Costume
Costume simply refers to the clothes that characters wear. Using
certain colors or designs, costumes in narrative cinema are used to
signify characters or to make clear distinctions between characters.
Makeup and hair styles
Establish time period, reveal character traits and signal changes in
character.
Acting
There is enormous historical and cultural variation in performance
styles in the cinema. In the early years of cinema, stage acting and
film acting were difficult to differentiate, as most film actors had
previously been stage actors and therefore knew no other method of
acting.[5] Eventually, early melodramatic styles, clearly indebted to
the 19th century theater, gave way in Western cinema to a relatively
naturalistic style. This more naturalistic style of acting is largely
influenced by Constantin Stanislavski’s theory of method acting,
which involves the actor fully immersing themselves in their
character.
Filmstock
The choice of black & white or color, fine-grain or grainy.
Aspect ratio.
The relation of the width of the rectangular image to its height. Each
aspect ratio yields a different way of looking at the world and is basic
to the expressive meaning of the film.
Character Placement
Where the director place the character depend on the importance of
the role.
Mise en scène Short Film Title:_________________________ Name:____________
A) Research Questions:
1. What does Mise en scène mean? (1)
2. What are the nine key aspects of Mise en scène? (9)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
B) Mise-en-scène used in my work and how they support my intended visual message:
1)
2)
3)
C) Reflect on your finished work by answering the following questions:
1. What part of your finished project did you find most successful and why?
2. What part of your finished project did you find least successful and why?
3. If you had to do this project, what part would you change or improve on and why?
Mise-en-scène Project : Storyboard Evaluation
Achievement
Criteria
Thinking/
Inquiry
Concept & Meaning:
Film Short:
Mise-en-scène
Knowledge/
Understanding
Level 0
Incomplete
.
0
Incomplete
.
0
Storyboard Design
Process:
Develop and apply a
variety of
approaches to
communicate ideas
and solve problems
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects &
Techniques
Incomplete
.
0
Demonstration of
Design and Creation
Processes and
following
procedures:
Storyboard Design:
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects &
Techniques
Work does
not meet
assignmen
t
expectations
for this
category of
assessment.
Incomplete
.
0
Level 2
Concept is
unclear and/or
weak. Meaning or
ideas conveyed
are not on par
with student’s
grade level.
0.25
Concept is clear
and valid.
Meaning or ideas
conveyed are on
par with student’s
grade level.
0.50 - 0.75
Concept is clear
and strong.
Meaning or ideas
conveyed are
above
expectations for
student’s grade
level.
1
Limited
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
0.25-0.50
Concept is
slightly unclear
and/or weak.
Meaning or ideas
conveyed are
below
expectations for
student’s grade
level.
0.25 – 0.50
Some
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
0.5-1
Considerable
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
1.0-1.75
Superior
demonstration of
understanding the
design process.
2
Limited
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques
while composing
storyboard.
Some
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing
storyboard.
Considerable
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing
storyboard.
Superior
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing
storyboard.
0.5-1
1.0-1.75
Considerable
demonstration of
the design and
creation
processes and
following
procedures;
Transfers
concepts, skills,
and procedures
to image(s) with
considerable
Limited
demonstration of
the design and
creation processes
and following
procedures;
Transfers concepts,
skills, and
procedures to
image(s) with
limited
effectiveness.
5
Some
demonstration of
the design and
creation processes
and following
procedures;
Transfers concepts,
skills, and
procedures to
image(s) with
moderate
effectiveness.
6-6.5
Communication
Clarity of concept:
Theme
Clarity of concepts:
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects &
Techniques
Incomplete
.
0
Incomplete
.
0
Work
demonstrates a
limited degree of
clarity.
0.25-0.50
Work demonstrates
some degree of
clarity.
0.5-1
Work
demonstrates a
limited degree of
clarity in concepts
of Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
0.25-0.50
Work demonstrates
some degree of
clarity in concepts
of Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
0.5-1
Level 3
Level 4
Level 1
0.25-0.50
Application/
Creation
Name:______________
/1
/2
/2
2
Superior
demonstration of the
design and creation
processes and
following procedures;
Transfers concepts,
skills, and
procedures to
image(s) with a high
degree of
effectiveness.
/10
8-10
effectiveness.
7-7.5
Work demonstrates
considerable
degree of clarity.
1.0-1.75
Work demonstrates
considerable
degree of clarity in
concepts of Miseen-scène: aspects
& techniques.
1.0-1.75
Work demonstrates a
high degree of clarity.
2
Work demonstrates a
high degree of clarity
in concepts of Miseen-scène: aspects &
techniques.
2
/2
/2
/19
Mise-en-scène Project: Final & Reflective Questions Evaluation Name:___________
Achievement
Criteria
Knowledge/
Understanding
Design Process:
Develop and apply a
variety of approaches
to communicate ideas
and solve problems
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects & Techniques
Media Arts Journal:
Project
Questions:
Reflective
Level 0
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Incompl
ete.
0
Limited
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
0.25-0.50
Some
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
0.5-1
Considerable
demonstration of
understanding
the design
process.
1.0-1.75
Superior
demonstration of
understanding the
design process.
2
Incompl
ete.
0
Limited
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing final
film.
0.25-0.50
Some
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing final
film.
0.5-1
Considerable
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing final
film.
1.0-1.75
Incompl
ete.
0
Application/
Creation
Demonstration of the
Design and Creation
Processes and
following procedures:
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects & Techniques
Communication
Clarity of concept:
Theme
Clarity of concepts:
Mise-en-scène:
Aspects & Techniques
Work
does not
meet
assignm
ent
expectat
ions for
this
category
of
assessm
ent.
Incompl
ete.
0
Incompl
ete.
0
Incompl
ete.
0
Superior
demonstration of
understanding of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques while
composing final
film.
2
/2
/2
/2
Poor, yes/no
answers/limited
incomplete.
0.25
Limited
demonstration of
the design and
creation
processes and
following
procedures;
Transfers
concepts, skills,
and procedures
to image(s) with
limited
effectiveness.
5
Work
demonstrates a
limited degree of
clarity.
0.25-0.50
Work
demonstrates a
limited degree of
clarity in
concepts of Miseen-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
0.25-0.50
Somewhat
coherent and
somewhat
complete.
0.5-1
Some
demonstration of
the design and
creation
processes and
following
procedures;
Transfers
concepts, skills,
and procedures
to image(s) with
moderate
effectiveness.
Clear and
substantial
answers.
1.0-1.75
Considerable
demonstration of
the design and
creation
processes and
following
procedures;
Transfers
concepts, skills,
and procedures
to image(s) with
considerable
effectiveness.
Superior and
insightful answers.
2
Superior
demonstration of
the design and
creation processes
and following
procedures;
Transfers
concepts, skills,
and procedures to
image(s) with a
high degree of
effectiveness.
/10
8-10
6-6.5
7-7.5
Work
demonstrates
some degree of
clarity.
0.5-1
Work
demonstrates
considerable
degree of clarity.
1.0-1.75
Work
demonstrates a
high degree of
clarity.
2
Work
demonstrates
considerable
degree of clarity
in concepts of
Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
1.0-1.75
Work
demonstrates a
high degree of
clarity in concepts
of Mise-en-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
2
Work
demonstrates
some degree of
clarity in
concepts of Miseen-scène:
aspects &
techniques.
0.5-1
/2
/2
/20
A1. The Creative Process: apply the creative process to create media art works, individually and/or collaboratively;
A1.1 use a variety of strategies (e.g., brainstorming, concept webs, mind maps, advisory/production team discussions, research using a variety of
sources) to investigate increasingly complex creative challenges and to generate and organize innovative ideas, individually and/or collaboratively,
for addressing these challenges
A1.2 develop detailed plans, individually and/or collaboratively, that address a variety of creative challenges, including increasingly complex
challenges (e.g., reflect on and filter their ideas to select a feasible one as the basis for their plan; use storyboards, thumbnail sketches, production
notes), and assess and refine their plans on the basis of feedback and reflection
A1.3 produce and refine media art works, including increasingly complex art works, using research, exploration, input, and reflection (e.g.,
research audio/visual codes and alternative media; extend their skills by experimenting with new tools and practising unfamiliar techniques; reflect
on feedback from their teacher, peers, and others, and modify their preliminary work as appropriate on the basis of this feedback)
A1.5 create a detailed record of their use of the creative process in the production and presentation of a media art work, using a tracking tool
compatible with the medium/media used in that work (e.g., a sketchbook showing modifications to the design of their installation; a video of the
development of a performance art piece), and use this record to determine, through reflection, how effectively they applied the creative process
A2. The Principles of Media Arts: design and produce media art works, applying the principles of media arts and using various elements from contributing arts
(dance, drama, music, visual arts);
A2.1 investigate and analyse how media artists use the principle of hybridization, and apply that principle and at least one other principle in the
design and production of media art works that incorporate elements from contributing arts
A2.3 investigate and analyse how media artists use the principle of duration, and apply that principle and at least one other principle in the design
and production of media art works that incorporate elements from contributing arts
A2.4 investigate and analyse how media artists use the principle of point of view, and apply that principle and at least one other principle in the
design and production of media art works that incorporate elements from contributing arts
A3. Using Technologies, Tools, and Techniques: apply traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques to produce and present media art works
for a variety of audiences and purposes.
A3.1 explore a wide range of increasingly complex traditional and emerging technologies, tools, and techniques, and use them to produce highly
effective media art works
A3.2 create and present media art works that are highly appropriate for a variety of specific audiences and venues
A3.3 communicate their purpose and artistic intention when creating and presenting media art works, using a variety of approaches, tools,
technologies, and techniques in an increasingly skilful and personalized way
B1. The Critical Analysis Process: demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by using it to monitor the creative process, and by
examining, interpreting, assessing, and reflecting on media art works;
B1.2 use the critical analysis process, including the process of deconstruction, to analyse and evaluate different types of media art works
B2. Identity and Values: demonstrate an understanding of how media art works reflect personal and cultural identity, and affect personal, cultural, and
community values and their awareness of those values;
B2.2 analyse, on the basis of investigation, the ability of media art works to express and promote cultural identities
C1. Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of, and use correct terminology when referring to, elements, principles, and other concepts relating to media
arts;
C1.1 explain the stages of the creative and critical analysis process with reference to media art works, and explain and use correctly and
appropriately a broad range of terms related to the conventions, concepts, principles, and elements of media arts when creating or analysing
media art works
C1.2 analyse, on the basis of research, how elements from contributing arts are applied through the principles of media arts
C2. Contexts and Influences: demonstrate an understanding of the sociocultural and historical contexts of media arts;
C3. Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of responsible practices associated with producing, presenting, and experiencing media art works.
C3.4 identify a broad range of positive character traits associated with media arts production, and exhibit these traits consistently in both their
independent work and their interactions with others (e.g., show initiative at the outset of creative production processes; demonstrate cooperation
and responsible leadership in a team environment; show respect for their tools and work environment and for the opinions of others)