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Essay #1 (Required)
The analysis of film techniques do not limit one’s viewing pleasure of a film, but rather enables it, and allows the viewer to fully understand the complexity of what is being shown before them. Cinematic techniques are present in every film, and the more that you understand about the processes through which they are used, the more enjoyable a film can become. Cinematic elements such as cinematography, editing, and mise-en-scene are used together to create filmic meaning and offer a better understanding of a film when fully comprehended. While realizing this, it is also important to understand that everything on the screen of a film is placed there on purpose in order to fully paint a picture for the viewing audience. This proves that many if not all aspects of film analysis posses meaning behind them, and directors chose to utilize these tools to create a work of art. Two of the most important film techniques are mise-en-scene and cinematography, which encompass what we see when we watch a movie directly.
Mise-en-scene is a term that describes what is in the scene of a film: all of the props, costumes, scenery and setting. While many directors will film on location for certain settings, it is important to realize that no matter where the scene occurs; the mise-en-scene is always carefully thought through and planned out. It has one of the most direct affects on how a film is perceived, and helps deliver the message of a scene; what the director wants the audience to understand about a particular scene. It also refers to the composition of the shot: such as framing, lighting, set design, and even the characters and the movement of said characters. All of these elements contribute to how a film is perceived. In “Do the Right Thing,” directed by Spike Lee, Lee uses mise-en-scene to pack as much meaning into every scene as possible. Instrumental props become filled with cultural meanings and metaphorical ideologies. Throughout the film the character Smiley holds up photographs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in order to urge people to fight racism both violently and nonviolently. The character Buggin’ Out is constantly dressed in clothes exaggerating his African pride, and photos of famous Italians in Sal’s pizzeria ignite the deep racial tension between the film’s characters. In addition to costumes and props, Spike Lee uses high contrasted lighting of harsh glaring streets and highlighted interior spaces that emphasizes the different shades of skin colors of the characters within. The entire film is shot in a high contrasted wash that almost makes the scorching heat of Brooklyn in the summer palpable. Blocking is also utilized within “Do the Right Thing,” to explore the relationships between characters. Whenever tension is building the characters tend to move in closer together, while onlookers are framed in the back of the shots. In the final scene, in which fighting erupts in the pizzeria, tensions erupt as bodies seem to pile on top of each other and spill out onto the street as the entire neighborhood gathers to witness. The mise-en-scene encompasses almost everything we see on the screen, and directors use it to guide our train of thought. In Stephen Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” the opening scene of Schindler’s hotel room and the careful selection of which aspects we see within it tell us much about a character that has yet to be introduced. The camera slowly moves around his dimly lit hotel room showing us shots of music being played, cigarettes, suits, carefully hidden money, and finally a Nazi pin. Once we are introduced to Schindler we understand that these things describe who he is, what his tastes are, and how smart or frugal he is with money. Being the first scene of the movie, the mise-en-scene slowly introduces us to aspects that will continue throughout, and allows the director to guide the viewers’ train of thought. Mise-en-scene is used to create meaning within a film and to insight emotions for a specific purpose. The mise en scene is almost everything on the screen, but in order to reach its full effect it must work in conjuncture with cinematography.
Cinematography is the art of camera movement, or motion-picture photography, which describes the movement of the camera capturing the mise-en-scene. It is composed of different shots and the angles/movement of the shots being captured. It is present in every film and can creatively cause the viewer to feel different emotions. For example, in Quentin Tarintino’s “Pulp Fiction,” cinematography is used to describe relationships between characters. In the film’s first scene in a restaurant in which an everyday conversation between two people turns to robbery, the cinematography directly reflects what is occurring within the conversation. When it starts out, every-day banter is matched by objective, medium shot of a guy and his girlfriend sitting at a table in a diner. The camera position doesn’t change at all until there is mention of a bank robbery. Once this occurs, the camera starts switching to subjective and over the shoulder shots as the conversation becomes more interesting. As soon as the every-day banter resumes, so too does the objective medium shot until the conversations turns back to robbery. As the guy convinces the girl to rob the diner, the conversation is concluded by a close up of a passionate kiss followed by a close up of a gun slamming the table. The scene ends with the camera objectively looking up at the two robbers as they grab everyone’s attention. With the camera placed lower than the characters, and pointed up at them, it places them in a position of power and describes the relationship the director wants them to have with the audience. Cinematography is used to show emotion and describe character relationships. The way a camera is angled, moved, or zoomed can directly affect the perception the audience has to what is being shown before them.
Both mise-en-scene and cinematography are used together to create filmic meaning, and any film that is created possesses some kind of filmic meaning. Cinematography and mise-en-scene should be referred to as tools and techniques for creating a work of art.
The analysis of film techniques do not limit one’s viewing pleasure of a film, but rather enables it, and allows the viewer to fully understand the complexity of what is being shown before them. Cinematic techniques are present in every film, and the more that you understand about the processes through which they are used, the more enjoyable a film can become. Cinematic elements such as cinematography, editing, and mise-en-scene are used together to create filmic meaning and offer a better understanding of a film when fully comprehended. While realizing this, it is also important to understand that everything on the screen of a film is placed there on purpose in order to fully paint a picture for the viewing audience. This proves that many if not all aspects of film analysis posses meaning behind them, and directors chose to utilize these tools to create a work of art. Two of the most important film techniques are mise-en-scene and cinematography, which encompass what we see when we watch a movie directly.
Mise-en-scene is a term that describes what is in the scene of a film: all of the props, costumes, scenery and setting. While many directors will film on location for certain settings, it is important to realize that no matter where the scene occurs; the mise-en-scene is always carefully thought through and planned out. It has one of the most direct affects on how a film is perceived, and helps deliver the message of a scene; what the director wants the audience to understand about a particular scene. It also refers to the composition of the shot: such as framing, lighting, set design, and even the characters and the movement of said characters. All of these elements contribute to how a film is perceived. In “Do the Right Thing,” directed by Spike Lee, Lee uses mise-en-scene to pack as much meaning into every scene as possible. Instrumental props become filled with cultural meanings and metaphorical ideologies. Throughout the film the character Smiley holds up photographs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in order to urge people to fight racism both violently and nonviolently. The character Buggin’ Out is constantly dressed in clothes exaggerating his African pride, and photos of famous Italians in Sal’s pizzeria ignite the deep racial tension between the film’s characters. In addition to costumes and props, Spike Lee uses high contrasted lighting of harsh glaring streets and highlighted interior spaces that emphasizes the different shades of skin colors of the characters within. The entire film is shot in a high contrasted wash that almost makes the scorching heat of Brooklyn in the summer palpable. Blocking is also utilized within “Do the Right Thing,” to explore the relationships between characters. Whenever tension is building the characters tend to move in closer together, while onlookers are framed in the back of the shots. In the final scene, in which fighting erupts in the pizzeria, tensions erupt as bodies seem to pile on top of each other and spill out onto the street as the entire neighborhood gathers to witness. The mise-en-scene encompasses almost everything we see on the screen, and directors use it to guide our train of thought. In Stephen Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” the opening scene of Schindler’s hotel room and the careful selection of which aspects we see within it tell us much about a character that has yet to be introduced. The camera slowly moves around his dimly lit hotel room showing us shots of music being played, cigarettes, suits, carefully hidden money, and finally a Nazi pin. Once we are introduced to Schindler we understand that these things describe who he is, what his tastes are, and how smart or frugal he is with money. Being the first scene of the movie, the mise-en-scene slowly introduces us to aspects that will continue throughout, and allows the director to guide the viewers’ train of thought. Mise-en-scene is used to create meaning within a film and to insight emotions for a specific purpose. The mise en scene is almost everything on the screen, but in order to reach its full effect it must work in conjuncture with cinematography.
Cinematography is the art of camera movement, or motion-picture photography, which describes the movement of the camera capturing the mise-en-scene. It is composed of different shots and the angles/movement of the shots being captured. It is present in every film and can creatively cause the viewer to feel different emotions. For example, in Quentin Tarintino’s “Pulp Fiction,” cinematography is used to describe relationships between characters. In the film’s first scene in a restaurant in which an everyday conversation between two people turns to robbery, the cinematography directly reflects what is occurring within the conversation. When it starts out, every-day banter is matched by objective, medium shot of a guy and his girlfriend sitting at a table in a diner. The camera position doesn’t change at all until there is mention of a bank robbery. Once this occurs, the camera starts switching to subjective and over the shoulder shots as the conversation becomes more interesting. As soon as the every-day banter resumes, so too does the objective medium shot until the conversations turns back to robbery. As the guy convinces the girl to rob the diner, the conversation is concluded by a close up of a passionate kiss followed by a close up of a gun slamming the table. The scene ends with the camera objectively looking up at the two robbers as they grab everyone’s attention. With the camera placed lower than the characters, and pointed up at them, it places them in a position of power and describes the relationship the director wants them to have with the audience. Cinematography is used to show emotion and describe character relationships. The way a camera is angled, moved, or zoomed can directly affect the perception the audience has to what is being shown before them.
Both mise-en-scene and cinematography are used together to create filmic meaning, and any film that is created possesses some kind of filmic meaning. Cinematography and mise-en-scene should be referred to as tools and techniques for creating a work of art.