Mise-en-scene from French mettre – “to place, put” refers to the visual arrangement of items on screen BUT, mise-en-scene also takes into account how those items affect the atmosphere of the shot

Dominant (Focus of the shot) The thing the director wants you to see first on screen How is the shot arranged so that you look “where you are supposed to look”?

Subsidiary Contrasts Everything else on screen after the dominant (items in the background) Does any other visual material add a further level of information to the shot?

Camera Distance and Angle Distance of shot (long, medium, etc.) Camera angle (low, high, flat) How do the camera distance and angle influence your opinion of the objects on screen?

Composition The visual organization of all objects on screen (similar to elements of a good shot, but for a still image) Note horizon, placement, sizes, positions, etc. of objects.

Framing The tightening of the frame around an object (using lines, doorways, walls, other objects, etc) Framing can emphasize an object or make it appear threatened.

Character Placement The arrangement of characters on the screen (position, size, etc.)

Staging Position The characters’ reactions to the camera Is the character looking at the viewer? Looking away? How intimate is the viewer able to get with the character?

Density The amount of visual information on screen High density can symbolize chaos. Low density can symbolize calmness.

Depth The number of different distances at which objects are placed on screen

Lighting High light/Low light Source of the light High or low contrast lighting The use of light can affect your perception of the objects on screen.

Lens/Filter Lens – a covering of the camera to add effect to the visual Filter – a covering of the light source to add effect to the visual The lens or filter is used to alter the lighting or exposure of the shot.

Color Note the dominant color and any use of contrasting or symbolic colors

Form Either open or closedClosed form – objects on screen are not affected by their surroundings Open form – objects on screen ARE affected by their surroundings

Lines Horizontal lines – movement and fluidity Vertical lines – confined or stagnant feeling Diagonal (oblique) lines – tension

These visual principles, with appropriate modifications, can be applied to any visual analysis. Of course, while we are actually viewing a film, most of us don’t have the time or inclination to explore all elements of mise-en-scene in each shot. Nonetheless, by applying these principles to a still photo, we can train our eyes to “read” a movie image with more critical sophistication.