Summary
Summary FAM1000S Exam Notes : Mise-en-scéne; Cinematography; Sound; and Editing
- Institution
- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
All the theory reagrding film covered in fam1000s
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4 TechnicalComponents of Film
Language
, 1. Mise-En-Scène
General
Literal translation
Literal translation= “putting into the scene”
What it is
The things put in the shot
Things in the frame
o Can be something outside that is affecting the scene
o What thing out of the frame an actor is looking at
How it is done
Purposefully
o Someone has taken the time to create this perfect setting/mise en
scene
o Director stages the event for the camera
Uses our associations of things to communicate
o What we associate with certain props, colours…
Uses
Generally
Makes a reality more real
First way a director can communicate
Specifically
Create a specific atmosphere
o Romantic
o Erie
Create a period setting
o Tells what time in history and day it is taking place
Create effects
o An impression of realism
o Comic exaggeration
o Supernatural terror
o Understated beauty
,4 main components
1. Setting
What it is
The set or location
Includes Props
o Usually moveable
o Every day thing often given additional meaning
o Often seem insignificant, but in fact key components of a scene
How it is done
Two ways
o Constructed/Planned
Most extreme example=studio
o Already in existence/Accidental
Doesn’t make it more realistic either way
What it shows
Broad context of the space
o Where the film is taking place
Recognizable landmark
Table mountain
o When the film is taking place
What historical period
What time of day
Alludes to nationality and ethnicity
o Samurai movie
o Bollywood
Constructed vs. imaginary world
Genre
o Can also alert audience to hybridizing of genres
Colour
Produces powerful symbolic meanings
Great to create an atmosphere
Setting, costume and lighting work together to make the colour
2. Behaviour of figures
How the actor moves in the space
o Also called blocking
Usually applies to the actors
o But can also apply to
Animals
Robots
Inanimate objects
,3. Costume
Focus
Costume & makeup
How they relate to the setting
Contrast
o Colours
o Textures
Costume
Functions
Enhance reality
o Especially of historical representation
Creates proper mood
o Helps actors to get into character
o Can even be unseen costumes like underwear
Graphic quality
o Colour
o Texture
o Movements
Motivic role
o Dark sunglasses to shield a character from the world
Causal role
o One characters costume reveals something about him/her to
another character
o Gives away their intention and allows him/her to be outwitted
o Example
One character spots a hidden camera on another’s costume
Emphasize human figures
o Not allow background to dominate the shot
o Focuses attention on the characters
Acts as a prop
o Example= Charlie chapman’s cane
Developing costume
Change slowly throughout a film
Show the progression of a character
o Starts progressively wearing darker colours as he/she deteriorates
o Wears more formal clothing as he/she matures
Makeup
On next page
,Makeup
Functions
Enhance appearance of actors on screen
o Make more pretty
Reinforce the real
o Making characters look like historical figures
Emphasize the fantastical
o A wart on a witch’s face
Accentuate expressive qualities of an actors face
o Eyes
Eyeliner and mascara draw attention to eyes
Emphasize a glance in a certain direction
o Eyebrows
Usually shaped
Lengthened eyebrows= enlarged face
Shorter brows= more compact face
Rising curve= adds gaiety to the face
Sloping= sadness
Total avoidance of makeup
Allows tiny facial expression to be seen
Helps with close up shots
,4. Lighting
Functions
Simply illuminate the action, allowing us to see it
Guide attention to certain parts of the shot
o Emphasize a spot by making it relatively better lit
o Shadow can conceal detail
Build suspense
o Conceal certain detail with shadows
Articulate textures
o Curve of a face
o Grain of a piece of wood
Highlight
Patch of relative brightness on a surface
Gives idea of texture
o Highlight will gleam or sparkle off a smooth surface
o Rough surfaces diffuse highlights
Opposite of a shadow
Shadow
Attached shadows/shading
Shadow is cast by one aspect of an object
o Onto another aspect
o Of the same object
Happens when light fails to illuminate part of an object
o Because of the object’s shape
Example
o A person’s nose shading one of his/her cheeks
Cast shadows
Object casts a shadow onto another surface or object
When a body blocks out the light of something behind it
o Body=any physical object
Examples
o Prison bars making lined shadows
o The human form is seen against a wall
,4 features of lighting
1. Quality
o The relative intensity of the illumination
o Hard lighting
What it creates
Clearly defined shadows
Crisp textures
Soft edges
Where it occurs
Noon day sun
o Soft lighting
What it creates
A diffused illumination
Where it occurs
Overcast day
2. Direction
o Frontal lighting
Eliminates shadows
o Sidelighting/crosslighting
Sculpts characters features with shadows
o Backlighting
From behind the subject
Can be from many angles
High above, below, from the side
Creates a silhouette if used alone
Can also create contour
When combined with frontal light
o Underlighting
Distorts figures
Used to create dramatic horror effects
Can also just show natural light from a low source
Fireplace
o Top lighting
A spotlight shining down
Brings out line of cheekbones
o 3 point lighting
Has 3 lights shining from different directions
Key light
o Main light
o Usually
Brightest light
Frontal light
Fill light
o Usually side light
o Eliminates shadows created by key light
Backlight
o Gives depth/dimensionality
, 3. Source
o Not usually apparent source of light in the scene
Bedside light
o Natural light
4. Colour
o Warm light
o Cool light
High-key light VS. Low-key light
High-key light
Bright, even illumination
Graduated shadows
o Shadow areas transparent
o Lack of shadows
Suppressed by the lighting
Gentle/soft light
Low contrast
o Bright tone is almost even across the image
Reveals expression and detail within shadows
Considered happy
o Like a toothpaste commercial
Used in
o Drama
o Comedy
o Action films
o Films where a realistic representation of daily life is desired
Low-key light
Darker
o Controlling colour usually black
o Lots of dark areas
Deep, stark shadows
Hard light
Sharp contrast
o Between light and dark areas
Considered serious
o Conveys dramatic tense atmosphere
Used in
o Horror films
o Film noir
o Thrillers
Emphasize contour lines with highlights
Relies on shadows and atmospheric pools of light
Only one major light source is used
o Used with a little fill
Chiaroscuro effect
o Extreme patterns of light and shade
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