MIS EN SCENE IN OPENING

SEQUENCES OF FILM

• Lighting

• Colour balance

• Costume and props

• Make up and hair

• Set design

• Acting- realism

LIGHTING

The reason for which lights are necessary in filmmaking is that film, and to an even greater

extent video, does not respond to light the same way our eyes do. Specifically, film and video see

things in a much more contrast way. In other words, they cannot cope with the lighting contrast

of real life: if you shoot a scene without artificial lights, either the shadows will go completely

black or the highlights will go completely white. All of this means that if you want a scene to look

natural, ironically the only way to do that is to have enough light to make film see the scene the

way our eyes see the scene.

You should light your film or video shot by shot. This means that when you relocate the

camera to shoot a different angle, the lights must be moved as well to ensure the subject is always

lit correctly. This is partly why films take so long to shoot

COLOUR BALANCE

One area of growing interest to filmmakers is color temperature and white balance.

Digital Filmmakers are starting to realize that in video productions the devil is in the details.

Footage is often uninspiring and doesn’t lives up to the filmmaker’s expectations. They seek

the stylistic qualities of the “film look” but they don’t know what to do to achieve that level

of cinematic professionalism.

Proper image control plays a large part in professional looking footage and white

balance plays a large part in image control. Therefore the purpose of this exclusive

Lights Film School blog post is to discuss the importance of white balance and inform

independent filmmakers how to change this setting to enhance the look of their final

product.

COSTUME AND PROPS

Movie props often go a long way towards conveying the time and place of the narrative. By using

props corresponding to a particular period in history--such as a flintlock pistol in Colonial America or a

bowl of grapes in Ancient Rome--that history comes alive more readily. Similarly, science fiction films

make their far future settings more believable with props representing pieces of high technology. Fantasy

films--even those set in the modern world--do much the same, bringing their magic to life with props that

represent magical swords or necklaces.

Costumes are similarly defined as outfits worn by the actors while they are in character. They can

include jewellery and props such as belts or knapsacks in addition to proper clothing. In strictest terms,

costumes help convey a sense of character--what this person might wear in day-to-day life--and actors

often help pick out costumes that they feel best reflect that character. Costume designers must not only

find the right costumes, but they also must often age or alter them to fit into a certain scene.

MAKE UP AND HAIR

Makeup is broadly defined as anything applied to the actor's face or skin to

achieve a certain look. All actors wear makeup in front of the camera, though it is

often very subtle and designed simply to help them look their best. Some types of

makeup are used to convey specific features about the character (for example, the

prosthetic nose worn by Nicole Kidman when she played Virginia Woolf in the

movie "The Hours"). In its most extreme form, makeup can be used to convey

traumatic wounds or even transform an actor into an alien or inhuman creature.

SET DESIGN

A designer looks at the details searching for evidence through research to

produce conceptual ideas that’s best toward supporting the content and values

with visual elements. The subject of, “How do we generate creative ideas?” is a

very legitimate question. The most consuming part of expanding our horizons

toward scenic concepts is much more than witnessing creativity, and creative

people. It starts with us opening our mind to the possibilities. To have an

attitude toward learning, seeking, and engaging in creativity and to be willing to

be adventurous, inquisitive and curious.

ACTING -REALISM In film history, realism has designated two

distinct modes of filmmaking and two

approaches to the cinematographic image. In

the first instance, cinematic realism refers to

the verisimilitude of a film to the believability

of its characters and events. This realism is

most evident in the classical Hollywood

cinema. The second instance of cinematic

realism takes as its starting point the camera's

mechanical reproduction of reality, and often

ends up challenging the rules of Hollywood

movie making.