CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MEDIA PRODUCTS

Conducting critical analysis of media products based on the following elements:

 Mise-en-scene
 Camera shots, Angles, Movement
 Editing
 Sound

Mise-en-scene

So, what is a mise-en-scène? In English, it simply means ‘staging’, i.e., arrangement of actors,
scenery, and props in a theatrical production. In film analysis, the term denotes the contents of the
frame: lighting, production design, performers, composition, and costumes.

Composition

Bunch of scenes make a film and a bunch of shots make a scene. A shot is a
single, distinct unit that comprises of frame(s) that run for an uninterrupted period of time. Therefore,
composition is choosing the ingredients that make up a shot. The other crucial part of composition is
‘blocking’, i.e., movements displayed within a shot in relation to the camera. Both composition and
blocking are intricately connected with the other components that follow.

Production Design

Production or set design refers to the overall visual look of the frame or a film as
it appears on the screen. Take for instance, a film set in the 1970s and a frame that shows the
character’s living room. The production designer needs to find, adapt, and place things that match the
period.

Lighting

The third most vital component of mise-en-scène is lighting. Nothing conveys a

mood within a frame as precisely as lighting. High-key lighting denotes a brilliantly lit scene with minimal
shadow and dominant source of illumination. This is primarily used in Hollywood musicals among many
others. Low-key lighting features a high-contrast lighting pattern, i.e., a considerable contrast between
bright light and shadow. This type of lighting is usually seen in horror movies.

Costume Design

A film’s subject matter as well as a filmmaker’s vision leads to the choices

surrounding costume. For instance, in classic Hollywood, costumes played a pivotal role in constructing
the star persona. In classic gangster films, the life of excess and spectacle was achieved through the use
of costumes. Since costumes are signifiers of one’s status, power, and identity, it is essential to shape a
character’s look.
Camera Shots & Angles

1. Extreme Long shot

also used as an establishing shot within a film, the extreme long shot, is designed to show
the audience where the action is taking place. Furthermore, an extreme long shot can also
be used to demonstrate the scale of what is going on in a scene. This type of shot is often
used in war-type films, as they allow for a lot of the setting to be seen at once.

2. Long Shot
3. Medium Shot

This shot is known as the ‘sweet spot’ shot, as it allows for both the details of your subject
to be seen in addition to the surrounding setting the scene is taking place in. As a result,
using a medium shot can help the viewer depict the body language of the characters in the
film and how they are interacting with the environment around them.

4. Close-Up
 Most often used to evoke a characters reaction or emotional state being conveyed to the
audience or to reveal important information about objects or setting.

5. Extreme Close-Up

6. High Angle
7. Low Angle

8. Over the Shoulder

An over-the-shoulder is a shot in which the camera is placed just behind an “off screen”
actor so that their shoulder is in the frame while you capture the “on screen” actors
coverage. You can do this to orient your viewer, but an over-the-shoulder shot will also
suggest a connection or understanding between the characters in your scene.
 9. Two Shot

A two shot is a shot in which frames a view of two subjects. The subjects do not have to be
next to each other. Often used for romance, tension and action.

MISE EN SCENE EXAMPLES IN FILMS

1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

The sets, lighting, and cinematography came together to create a deranged, nightmarish
world. To design the eerie atmosphere in Caligari, director Wiene and his designers Reiman
and Rohrig filled the set with flat light and then painted the shadows directly onto the floors
 and walls. Therefore, this was one of earlier films to narrate a story through its perfectly
made-up environment.
2. Titanic (1997)

In the more recent times, James Cameron’s epic romance and disaster film is largely
memorable for its bewitching use of key mise-en-scène elements. The biggest challenge is
that it’s wholly set in a ship sailing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, deep
space is often used where even the far view of the ship is in clear focus. The use of lighting
and costumes conveys the difference in classes within the ship. In the latter half of the film,
particularly, low-key lighting is used to express the epic tragedy. It wasn’t the tragic love
story alone that made Titanic the success it was. The awe-inspiring visuals played an equal
role. Now, that’s the power of a meticulously-designed mise-en-scène.

3. Eternal sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Michel Gondry’s popular romantic film chronicles the pleasure and agony of love. It
contemplates on the nature of memory and our innate desire to avoid suffering. A surrealist
element is introduced into the narrative. The protagonist, to avoid the pain of his break-up,
opts to erase the memories of his ex-girlfriend. While the uncanny use of mise-en-scène is
apparent right from the opening scene, the exploration of the memory world is truly
astounding. The lighting and use of color play a vital role in conveying the mood throughout.
Even the costumes the characters wear provide significant visual cues. The film’s
inventive mise-en-scène lends emotional heft and resonance to the story.