LITERATURE AND FILM

Mise en Scène Analysis (see Giannetti, page 93-4)

According to Giannetti, Understanding Movies, a mise en scène analysis of any given shot in a film should consider the following 15 elements:

 

1. Dominant--Where is our eye attracted first? Why?
   
   
2. Lighting Key--Is the lighting high or low key? High contrast? A combination?
   
   
3. Shot and camera proxemics--What type of shot? Camera distance?
   
   
4. Angle--Low? High? Oblique? Neutral?
   
   
5. Color values--What colors or hues are dominant? What is the color symbolism?
   
   
6. Lens/filter/stock--Are these used to distort or comment on the scene?
   
   
7. Subsidiary contrasts--What are the main eye-stops after the dominant?
   
   
8. Density--How much visual information is there? What is the texture?
   
   
9. Composition--How is the screen space segmented and organized?
   
   
10. Form--Open or closed? Window view or proscenium arch?
    
    
11. Framing--Tight or loose? Do the characters have room to move?
    
    
12. Depth--How many planes of depth are utilized? How do they interrelate?
    
    
13. Character placement--What part of the frame do the characters occupy?
    
    
14. Staging positions--How are they positioned in relation to the camera?
    
    
15. Character proxemics--How are they positioned in relation to each other?