Mise-en-Scene Lesson 2

This lesson looks at the importance of Mise-en-scene in establishing a location or conveying information about a character.

For example during the opening of 'Fargo' the mise-en-scene establishes a cold, unforgiving environment and an isolated community. These themes are essential to the film and are returned to over and over again.

A filmmaker has a very short amount of time to establish these things and if they are unsuccessful they will lose their audience and they will no longer engage with the film promting a negative response.

Films that depict fantasy worlds or environments unfamiliar to audiences must inform the audience and also 'normalise' the scenatio quickly, in order for us to understand the film.

Star Wars

Star Wars is set in a distant universe and contains many different aliens, planets and cultures. The film also begin in the middle of a civil war.

George Lucas uses the opening sequence to visual establish the following:

There are two sides in the war. The empire are a technologically superior force (emphasised by the size of their ship) who aer gaining an upper hand in the war. The rebels are a smaller and technologically inferior force and are clearly the under dogs in the war. All of this information is conveyed throught the mise-en-scene of the ships.

This information is conveyed simply and effectivley with this shot:

Mise-en-Scene Lesson 2

Psycho-Analysis Handout