Mise-En-Scene

Learning Objective:
- To revise what mis-en-scene is, and to see how it is used effectively in music videos.

Mis-en-scene - everything we see on the screen.


Lighting

High Key Lighting:

• Minimal shadows
• Lights up the whole face
• Quick and easy to set up

Low Key Lighting:

• Opposite to high key lighting
• Dark tones are really dark
• Creates shadows
• Used for intense dramatic scenes
• Plays on dramatic mysterious intense emotions 
• Often used in action and drama based films
• Has a higher lighting ratio

Mis-en-scene - Comparison

How do the changes in mis-en-scene create two different meanings from this music video?

	Denotation (what we see)	Connotations (what we associate/think of)
Costume	Dirty White Dress	Death, after-life, underground
Color	Cold Colours – Blue, Grey	Cold, dark, creepy, night time
Lighting	Low-Key Lighting	Mysterious, death, darkness, unhappy, loneliness
Setting	Graveyard	Horror, Death, Zombie. Scary sinister character.
Hair/Make-Up	Scruffy hair, messy make-up	Fight, unclean
Props	Shovel, graveyard, stones	Digging someone or own grave, digging way out of grave

	Denotation (what we see)	Connotations (what we associate/think of)
Costume	A lot of jewellery	She is rich.
Color	Bright, shiny, silver, gold	She is rich.
Lighting	High-Key Lighting	Wealthy, clear, clarity
Setting	Bathtub, bathroom	Random, rich money fills the bath.
Hair/Make-Up	Styled, clean, perfect	Fame, takes care of herself
Props	Diamonds, money, jewellery	She is rich.

How does the mis-en-scene create meaning for the audience?
Answer using a P E E E paragraph

• P-Point - Taylor Swift's pop superstar celebrity image is promoted in her music video through media language.
• E-Evidence - (e.g. of costume, colour, lighting etc) For example, the costumes...
• E-Explain - This suggests...
• E-Expand - What else can you tell us about the video that backs up your point?

Taylor Swift's pop superstar celebrity image is promoted in her 'Look What You Made Me Do' music video through media language. In the music video we see different sides to Taylor's personality, we see this through different scenes that vary in costume, colour and lighting. For example in the zombie scene we see her wearing a dirty white dress which will connote to viewers of death, underground and the after-life with this she also detonates cold colour like blue and grey this will connote the dark creepy night time. In the zombie scene we also see media language of lighting which is low-key to connote mysterious, unhappy and loneliness to add to this she has scruffy hair with messy make-up this connotes she is unclean or had a fight. This scene also connotes to the scene where Taylor is standing in front of  a big T which also uses low key lighting with cold dark colours.

Learning Objective:
- To analyse the mis-en-scene of 'Uptown Funk'. Focusing on the connotations and how they create meaning for the audience?

Costume and Props Bright coloured suits (80's, 90's) Fashionable clothes - show wealth and taste Expensive car - wealth and fame Styled hair - takes care of himself	Lighting and Colour High-key lighting = upbeat mood, happiness, lively Bright colours (pink) Bright good energy
Performance Chilled body language Serious expressions Open body language	Setting In a street 80's, 90's style  Hair salon care - about how they look A club stylish - upbeat youth culture

Bruno Mars' pop superstar celebrity image is promoted in his 'Uptown Funk' music video through media language. In the music video we see different aspects of costume, props, lighting, colour, performance and setting. For example they are wearing bright coloured suits which connote to the 80's and 90's style we also see this media language in the setting which is also 80's and 90's style. The performance in the video is very chilled body language with serious expressions and open body language this connotes Bruno Mars' style of music. The lighting and colour however is very high-key which connotes an upbeat mood, happiness and likely it also shows bright colours like the pink jacket Bruno is wearing through the whole video this connotes a good energy and vibe. There is also fashionable clothes which connote wealth and good taste also with an expensive car this connotes his wealth and fame and his styled hair shows that he takes care of himself.

Learning Objective:
- To explore how camera is used to create meaning in music videos.
Explore - identify a range of camera shots and lyrics used in Uptown Funk
Enhance - Analyse why these shots, movements and angles are used in the video to create meaning.
Excel - Link camera to lighting,colour and mise-en-scene and how these elements of media language create meaning for the audience.

Shots:

• Mid
• Close-Up
• Extreme C/U
• Long Shot Extreme Long Shot
• Establishing 
• POV

Angle:

• High
• Low 
• Dutch

Movement:

• Pan
• Tilt
• Tracking
• Zoom (in/out)
• Handheld
• Focus-Pull

Shots

Shot Name: Long Shot.
Why Used?: To show the characters and the setting.
Why Used Here?: Shows off dance choreography & Bruno Mars as a featured artist (positioning).

Shot Name: Mid Shot.
Why Used?: To show both characters.
Why Used Here?: To show a conversation between the main singer (Beyonce) and another.

Shot Name: Close-Up
Why Used?: To show facial expression.
Why Used Here?: To show emotions.

Angles 

Shot Name: Low Angle
Why Used?: To show his power.
Why Used Here?: To show him on top.

Shot Name: High Angle
Why Used?: Making her seem less powerful.
Why Used Here?: To show her venerability.

Shot Name: Dutch Angle
Why Used?: To break from reality.
Why Used Here?: Makes it seem edgy to give the viewers a visual interest.

Learning Objective:
- To explore and analyse how mis-en-scene is used to create meaning in the video for If I Were a Boy.

Explore - Identify the 7 elements of mis-en-scene in the music video.
Enhance - Analyse the connotations of the mis-en-scene and how it create meaning for the audience.
Excel - Begin to make links and comparisons between the mise-en-scene for this video and Uptown Funk.

Lighting:

• High-key lighting
• Low-key lighting
• Back lighting
• Top lighting
• Under lighting
• Spotlight 
• High contrast
• Low contrast
• Shadows

Colour:

• Bright
• Dark
• Different colours have different meanings 
• Saturated
• Monocrome
• Un-saturated

Mis-en-scene: Lighting and Connotations

Low key lighting is used on Beyonce's character when she is looking down for a close up.
By using low key lighting here, Beyonce's face is half covered with shadows.
The lighting could suggest to the audience that here character is emotional.

In this part of the video Beyonce is shown in an close up.
Here the lighting has changed from hight key lighting to low key lighting.
In my opinion this part of the video is lit this way because is shows that she is starting to understand and have a realisation of what is going on.

Mis-en-scene: Costume
Identify one use of costume used effectively in the music video.

Describe the costume - Police uniform
Connotations? What does it tell us about the artist/ character? Why is she dressed like this at this point in the video?
That she is working at a job.  With a possible message that she is working a more male popular job as well as that she can work the same as her boyfriend and that he wouldn't treat her like he should.

How and why do the two music videos you have studied offer contrasting styles of lighting and colour? (4)

The music videos for Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk and Beyonce's If I Were a Boy have a very contrasting use of lighting and colour. For example Beyonce's If I Were a Boy uses low key lighting however on the other hand Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk uses high key lighting. The colour of Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk is very bright, vibrant and saturated where as Beyonce's If I Were a Boy uses dark and monocrome colours. The low key lighting in If I Were a Boy is used for when Beyonce's character is looking down for a close up. Where as the high key lighting in Uptown Funk creates a upbeat mood of happiness and energy. The colour and lighting of Uptown Funk and If I Were a Boy is very different as the tones of the songs are different therefore producers would match the music video to the tone of the song. So this makes them different to each other as Uptown Funk is upbeat but If I Were a Boy is more slow with it being less upbeat and positive.