Mise-en-scene

High Key lighting is the use of a Fill light placed above what is being lit. This creates a brightness and softness to the scene or a glamorous or angelic appearance to a character as it does not create may shadows upon a scene or character and will make a subject look more youthful as few shadows will appear upon their face defining aging features. 

The word mise-en-scene is french and translated means "placing on stage"and refers to what is in front of the camera and where what is on the camera is placed. This includes; props, characters, sets, lighting, and costume and includes the actors movement and placement. It is used when a director means to create a certain impression of what is happening or of the characters without the use of dialogue, so the audience will know without it really ever being said.

1. Settings & props

Setting and what is within that location is important in setting a certain scene and mood the audience can pick up on and can also reflect the personality of the character. For example in the film Psycho we see the parlor within Bates Motel where Norman Bates takes Marion to dine with him. In this room upon the walls are dead birds of prey giving the audience a sense of what Normans character is like. It signifies him as himself perhaps a bird of prey, a bird of prey kills as does Norman Bates. Most people also get a sense of discomfort and will find the hanging of dead birds upon walls as decor to be creepy. The audience creates this impression of Norman Bates character being odd and a hunter, a man who kills. The stuffed birds give the audience a hint of Normans other personality.

2. Lighting and colour

Lighting can be used in various ways to create a different effect upon how the character or setting will appear. The position and what lighting is used can make the audience view the scene in a different way and create a certain impression. Most popularly used is a Three-Point lighting in which Key, Fill and Back lighting are used in most scenes as just a normal visual as to how the lighting would be, without manipulating it too much. 

High Key lighting is used usually upon a scene or person to create a glamorous perhaps even angelic feel. High Key lighting uses a Fill light upon what is being lit to create few shadows and upon a person would create a youthful look as few shadows will appear upon the characters face. Upon a scene High Key light makes a bright and softness to a scene. 

Low Key lighting is useful in horror films as it is often used to create a feeling of tense, thrill and fear within the audience. Low Key lighting creates many shadows and a huge contrast between light and dark. The darkness can make antagonists and characters obscure creating fear in the audience. 

Colour is also very useful in changing how we view a scene. Within Wizard of Oz colour is used to represent a fantasy world Dorothy finds herself in and the use of black and white within her life at home to show the dullness of her life at home in contrast to this exciting new world she dreams about. 

3. Costume, hair and make-up

A very noticable aspect of the mise-en-scene is costume including both the makeup and outfit of the subject. Costume gives us an idea of the characters personality and to signify differences between characters and change in costume can be of great significance to what has or is going to happen or a change in the characters personality or status. Costume can be chosen either very stereotypically or to contrast the persons character. Costumes and make up can be stereotyped by the genre and the position of the character. For example within the western genre you would be most likely to find a man wearing a cowboy hat, waistcoat and boots. A villain would often be found to be wearing dark clothing and heroes found in capes and spandex. 

Left to right: Loki (Villian) & Thor ( Hero)

4. Performance (Facial expression, Body language)

Performance is important within any film regardless of how interesting the story is and the actors performance as their character can decide how the audience will then perceive that character. Facial expression and body language usually give us an idea of how that character is feeling. Performance is usually individualized for that character and gives that character unique movements and the actor will give the character their own movements and expressions. 

5. Positioning of characters and objects within the frame

Directors can use positioning in various ways in the mise-en-scene to create a variety of effects. 

Characters that are placed in foregrounds of scenes are usually attached some sort of significance to, as they are placed within the foreground for a reason or will be then introduced to you. Characters you see placed far apart from eachother, with one on one end of the scene and the other placed on the other end we see a distance between these two characters whereas if we see people who are quite close to eachother we see that this could indicate a relationship of some sorts between these two people. 

Moving bodies or objects placed in backgrounds grasp our attention, so the positioning of characters and objects within the background that are moving are usually supposed to catch our attention.

Denotation - Literal description of an idea, object or concept

Connotation - What we associate with an idea, object or concept