Mise-en-scène

Mise-en-scène breaks down into fifteen separate elements all rolled together in every single shot
in a film. Those elements can be summarized as follows:

1. The dominant. Where is the eye attracted first? Why?

2. Lighting key. High key? Low key? High contrast? All of the above?
3. Shot & Camera Proxemics. What type of shot (LS. MS, CU)? How far away is the camera?
4. Angle. High, low, or eye-level? What effect does this have?
5. Color values. What is the dominant color? Are there contrasting foils? Color symbolism?
6. Lens/Filter/Film Stock. How do these distort or comment on the scene?
7. Subsidiary contrasts. What are the main eye-stops as taking in the dominant.
8. Density. How much visual information is packed into the image? Stark, moderate, or highly
detailed?
9. Composition. How is 2-dimensional space segmented and organized? Is there an underlying
design?
10. Form. Open or closed? Is the frame a window or a proscenium arch?
11. Framing. Tight or loose?
12. Depth. How many planes are in the image? Does the background or foreground comment on the
midground?
13. Character placement. Center? Top? Bottom? Edges? WHY?
14. Staging positions. Which way do the characters look vis-a-vis the camera?
15. Character proxemics. How much space is there between the characters? What does that mean?

Pick any shot from any film and break it down according to these 15 elements, each time
analyzing what effect the technique has on the meaning, mood, or characterization. This shows
that style is also content.