Mise-en-scene or "How it Looks"

If you are anything like me, you view a movie to be entertained. Escape from the pressures of the outside world in the form of a movie is a very common way to pass an hour or two, and in some extreme  cases a few hours. Like most people I rarely thought of composition, framing, juxtapositioning, lighting or well, anything for that matter. The purpose for this blog is to show you a complete amateur's view of some of it all.

I've chosen some still shots from various movies to illustrate my points. Lets start with the basic "Rule of Thirds." Picture if you will a common "Tic-Tac-Toe" grid. A simple square divided into 9 equal parts. The 3 squares across top are the top third, the 3 across the center are the middle third and of course the bottom 3 comprise the bottom third. Same goes for the left,center and right. Simple enough, right?  The shots below illustrate this composition concept.

In this still from "Stranger Than Paradise" we have a great example of the "rule of thirds." Our two characters are in the foreground on the left and right of the shot. There are background set items, although they are mundane background props that do not draw the viewers attention other than to set the stage. Our characters are interacting with one another across the center third of the shot without drawing attention completely off of themselves. It's almost as if you expect something to appear between them other than the conversation they are having.



This still shot, also from the movie "Stranger Than Paradise" deals with a few more elements of the "rule of thirds." Our three characters are in the foreground, each occupying a third of the shot; left, right and center, respectively. The fact that no one main character occupies more or less space indicates they share equal importance in the shot. Not so with the background character located in the left middle third of the frame. Although he appears to be observing our main characters, his position in the shot combined with him being slightly out of focus leads the viewer to believe he is not a relevant character.

Along with the left, right and middle of a frame (or shot) you have the top, middle and bottom. Because films are 2-dimensional (usually, but we'll see how 3-D plays into the equation as it becomes more popular) one of the ways directors express depth is positioning people and things in the foreground or the background. Importance or relevance is not always the deciding factor in placement. In the scene from "Dead Man" above our characters are once again in the left and right thirds of the shot, but more importantly they are in the center of the frame. All else around them is out of focus, bring the viewer to realize that the conversation being had is of central importance to the story.

Having dealt with the "rule of thirds", lets move on to symetrical balance. Balance is exactly what it would seem to be: an equal spreading of composition that is pleasing to the eye and does not leave the viewer in undo anticipation of events to come. In the frame below from "Mystery Train" we see an example of balance. Our characters frame the shot on the left and right thirds with their heads in the center of the shot indicating that they are of importantance, while at the same time their line of sight leads us to upper third of the shot showing us they are both intently concentrating on the skyline.



Perhaps the best example I've found of symetrical balance is the frame above from "Down With the Law".  Note that are two characters are front and center in the shot, interacting face to face. What strikes me is the background. Note that they are standing at a fork in the road, indicating they are faced with a choice. If you look closely down each path before them they appear nearly identical- long straight roads lined with tall trees- indicating that regardless of the choice they might make, it's all the same. Almost as if the director is telling you that no matter what you do, your path is pre-determined.

The next concept we will explore is eye, or lead room. In the shot below from "Limits of Control" we see a clear example of "eye room" or "lead room". The character is clearing moving from left to right, showing motion or "lead room" and at the same time showing "eye room" or the concept that the characters eyes are in the top third of the shot, creating the aesthetically pleasing "head room."



The concept of compositional stress, or imbalance is demonstrated in the shot below again from " Limits of Control". Our character is seated in the left side of the frame and is concentrating on his beverage. The table opposite him is vacant and nothing in this individual frame indicates that there will be anyone or anything to fill the void, leaving the viewer anxious. The shot is unbalanced, which is probably exactly what the director wanted.



Lastly, we will look at Deep Space Composition. A shot has achieved deep space composition when 2 or more of the elements shown are emphasized in either the foreground, middle ground and background. In this frame from "Stranger Than Paradise" we see an example of deep space composition. Two of the characters are prominent in the foreground, while the third character is slightly back in the middle ground. The background is dominated by the stark white snow covered area. The shot itself conveys that the two characters in the foreground are somehow either closer to eachother than they are with the third, or if you are the suspiscious type of person- perhaps a conspiracy is afoot. It's all in how you look at it.