This week, we began to look at the techniques of continuity editing as developed by Edwin Porter and D.W. Griffith, including the match cut, cross cut and analytical editing. Along with continuity editing, aspects of mise-en-scene (the elements/figures placed before the camera to be photographed) play a significant role in the viewer's comprehension of the film story.
1) From your reading in Film Art (Chapter 4), identify and briefly describe the four aspects of mise-en-scene in the following clips:
The Baby's Meal (Lumiere Brothers, 1895)
The Cook in Trouble (George Melies, 1904)
2) Exercise: 180-degree rule (screen direction)
The 180-degree rule states that when filming, the camera must remain on one side of the 180-degree line (axis of action) in order to maintain consistent left-right relations from shot to shot.
In this brief clip from Frank Capra's Meet John Doe (1941), locate the axis of action and provide a brief explanation as to how you've determined its position.
1) From your reading in Film Art (Chapter 4), identify and briefly describe the four aspects of mise-en-scene in the following clips:
The Baby's Meal (Lumiere Brothers, 1895)
The Cook in Trouble (George Melies, 1904)
2) Exercise: 180-degree rule (screen direction)
The 180-degree rule states that when filming, the camera must remain on one side of the 180-degree line (axis of action) in order to maintain consistent left-right relations from shot to shot.
In this brief clip from Frank Capra's Meet John Doe (1941), locate the axis of action and provide a brief explanation as to how you've determined its position.
23 comments:
Mise-en-scene consists of four main aspects: setting, costumes and make-up, lighting, and staging.
In The Baby’s Meal, the setting seems to be a backyard veranda with good weather, which seems to be actually taken outside without any backdrops. This setting gives the viewer the sense of calm and collectedness as if they were viewing their own family. The costumes seem to be very appropriate for 1895, and the use of make-up, in my opinion, can’t be seen, making the scene seem all the more real. The lighting is well done without any major cast shadows on the table or faces. The staging of the shot is a medium shot, only showing us from the waist up on the characters all sitting at the lunch table.
In The Cook in Trouble, the setting is a kitchen with backdrops, but with 3-D props of stoves and half of a wine barrel. This setting gives a less realistic interpretation than the previous, decreasing the realism of the shot. The costumes are coordinated with the setting, showing cook and servant outfits. As for make-up, the two cooks seem like twins with identical beards which probably were put on them, and the boy has what seems to be white paste on his face. The staging is a long tableau shot, showing the center stage perspective with the entire bodies of the characters in the kitchen.
In the clip, I believe the bald man in the black suit is standing on the axis of action. We never see any shots from behind him, showing that the camera never passes that invisible wall. When the man in the hat leaves, there is a shot of all of the men, as well as the shot from behind the man’s back on the phone when the woman enters. There is always a consistent screen direction, and all of the relative positions of the men stay the same with the different camera angle shots in the same 180 degree section.
Dan Gorchynsky
TA: Caroline Kastelic
“The Baby’s Meal” is film aiming to capture a “slice of real life”, thus its mise-en-scene is appropriately of realistic nature. The real life setting and soft lighting follow suit with the piece’s natural feel. Furthermore, the dress, other props, and makeup (if any) are true to the time period and give the feel of a relaxed home environment. The characters are acting as they would be expected in a normal family routine; no unbelievable or inappropriate exaggerations or actions are made. Another important aspect to note is part of the staging; camera placement. Though the camera is static, it gives the voyeuristic impression that the viewer is joining them for dinner and peering into their lives.
“The Cook in Trouble” on the other hand has a very different sense of mise-en-scene. The clearly staged set (with fake props) and lighting make the piece seem very theatrical. The costumes are more elaborate and flamboyant and the facial hair and makeup are obviously added. Furthermore, the characters seem to be making overly exaggerated expressions. Though many of these aspects hinder the realism, the mise-en-scene flows and is executed in a way appropriate for the piece. In that way, realism isn’t as important as intention. Furthermore, the placement of the camera offers the view of a spectator in a theater. The staging of characters, the choice for an indoor studio set for enhanced director control, and camera placement offer a clear intent to emulate a theatrical performance.
(I apologize for any confusion in this paragraph, I didn’t catch the characters' names) The axis of action in “Meet John Doe” begins between the man on the phone and the man that leaves the room for the majority of the clip, and then transfers to the man on the phone to the woman when she enters the room. I was able to determine this quite easily. In the beginning and throughout the clip there are a number of establishing shots that show the entire room. Also, emphasis is put on the man on the phone, because he does the most talking. As the camera switches between the man on the phone to whomever he’s talking to, it follows 180* rule; maintaining a left right orientation between characters.This orientation remains fixed with the man on the phone the entire time. Furthermore, the axis couldn’t be placed anywhere else due to the fact that the only other man in the room does no talking at all.
[Garrett Katerzynske]
[Kastelic]
Setting, costume and makeup, lighting and staging are the four components that sum up the nature of mise-en-scene, or “putting into the scene.”
In “The Baby’s Meal” the setting appears to be some sort of mealtime in the backyard or porch of the on-screen family during the daytime. The costumes seen in the clip are relative to 1895 and are gender, as well as age appropriate. The man wears a vest over a button down shirt, the mother wears a dress and the baby wears a small and fluffy article of clothing. The makeup in the scene is non-specific and unnoticeable. As from this clip, the Lumiere Brothers are not attempting to shed extreme emphasis on any of the character’s faces, as it is a medium shot. The lighting establishes that it is in fact daytime outside and allows the audience to see the faces of the characters clearly. Once again, nothing fancy is done in this sense, as there is no emphasis placed anywhere, nor is there any distortion by shadows. The staging is basic as well, placing the three characters directly in front of the camera, balanced evenly within the frame of the camera and displaying them at a medium distance.
“The Cook in Trouble” appears to us within a staged kitchen, very theatre-like and far less realistic. The background consists of hanging drops with painted images of pots, pans and a fire beneath a cauldron. The costumes of the characters match the kitchen setting, wearing white chefs outfits and proudly wearing the classic white hat atop their heads. The lighting succeeds in spreading enough light on the set for the audience to clearly see and understand where they are and who they’re looking at. The makeup probably consists of the beards the men are wearing, most likely fake and the staging takes the form of a tableau/long/establishing shot, showing the audience all the characters and their surroundings at once.
In the scene from “Meet Jon Doe” the axis of action lies at the closest edge of the desk to the camera. Three people consistently stand around the desk’s four sides. The telephone man stands to our right, the shorter plump man directly in front and the man with the bow tie/woman to the left while the camera occupies fourth side. All that appears in front of the camera's edge is the semicircle in which the camera looks into. The scene remains consistent throughout, always displaying the telephone man more to the right of the frame, the plump man in the middle and the bowtie man/woman to the left side.
In the Lumiere Brothers image, the mise-en-scene entails very genuine and realistic qualities. The setting for instance, simply appears to be a traditional backyard with a genuine house in the back round. The clothing, and style of the characters looks appropriate for the late 1800’s. Also, these characters seem to be humans simply acting as they would everyday, and not actors at all. In addition, it does not appear as if the characters in the image are wearing any sort of makeup. The lighting, another functions of mise-en-scene, also seems to be natural and unaffected but human methods.
The Melies image, on the other hand, appears more theatrical than the Lumiere image. The setting appears completely fabricated, including the fake fire, painted on background, and artificial stoves. The actors appear to display over-flamboyant reactions to their surroundings, especially seen by the sitting character in the middle. The make-up present seems to over exaggerate the human face and all facial hair appears to be fake. The lighting seems controlled and attempting to bring out the characters on the screen.
Meet John Doe displays a relatively obvious axis of action. Throughout the majority of the piece the axis seems to cut across the center of the room where the men are standing, the desk is a good reference point in fact. This holds true throughout the clip, even as the camera cuts to different people or pans in different directions. The only questionable moment is when the woman walks in and begins to talk to the man in the dark suit. It appears as if the camera could create a new axis for only a brief moment between the man and woman, however, even if this moment does create a new axis, it is quickly changed back to the original. This was fairly easy to witness as the scene was set up in a very linear fashion, with all of the characters at the center of the room and positioned in a right to left standing formation.
Mitchell Keller
TA: Caroline Kastelic
The idea of Mise-en-scene that was mentioned in our reading tells us that it is made up from four main aspects: setting, costumes and make-up, lighting, and staging. These four parts can help us easy identify what may be going on in the given scene.
In the shot from “The Baby’s Meal” the setting seems to be in a backyard or outdoor café of some sort. The use of make-up doesn’t seem apparent, and the costumes seem appropriate for their time period (late 1800s). The lighting seems to be well done, as there are no invading shadows in the shot, and the framing of the shot is that of a medium shot.
“The Cook in Trouble” is set up much differently. Most of what is in the background is a backdrop or a kitchen, but there are a few 3D elements to make it seem a bit more realistic. The use of fake beards seems to be here, unless the two men actually have the exact same beard. The costumes are appropriate to the setting, cook hats and white clothes. Lighting here is well done once again; it seems that this performance is taking place on a stage, so lights are coming from in front of, and above the action. The framing reminds me of the old tableau shot. If that isn’t the case then I would just classify this shot as a long shot.
The axis of action in the clip from “Meet John Doe” would have to be the man in the black suit standing near the door. Throughout this short clip we see many different angles of nearly all parts of the room, but never does that camera shoot from behind this man.
Jason Edwards
TA: Caroline Kastelic
The four aspects of mise-en-scene- setting, costumes and makeup, lighting, and staging- allow a director to have complete control over what is shown in the frame of his movie screen. Setting is all-important because “the drama on the screen” needs to be able to exist “without actors” (Bordwell and Thompson, 115). In other words, the setting is just as (or perhaps more) important to the feeling of a film than the presence of the actors themselves. The setting in the clips from movies made by the Lumiere Brothers and George Melies is detailed, which is important to make the scene feel realistic. The foreground in “The Baby’s Meal” is dominated by a dinner spread that isn’t overly clean, appearing realistic and normal. The background setting in “The Cook in Trouble” has a staircase, so if an important character were to enter, he would be emphasized because of the setting.
Costumes and makeup also play a significant role in the mise-en-scene of a film. The costumes in “The Baby’s Meal” are realistic and speak of the social role of the family. The costumes in “The Cook in Trouble” are predominately white, which help them stand out from the darker background, which is an obviously intentional wardrobe.
Lighting is the third aspect of the mise-en-scene of a film clip. The lighting in “The Baby’s Meal” comes from over top of the family, creating the illusion that they may be eating outside on a sunny day. The background is lit but they’re faces are the main focus nevertheless. In “The Cook in Trouble,” the entire scene is lit up. Every aspect of the room is visible to the viewer, but because of this lighting mixed with the bright costumes which reflect the light, the people still stand out from the lit background.
Lastly, staging is vital in making a scene appear realistic and intentional. Viewers can see the facial expressions of the people in “The Baby’s Meal” to gain insight into the actors’ emotions, but in “The Cook in Trouble,” the people are too far away to get a good view at their small facial movements. The actors are spread out, giving them more space to physically act (but not over-act, like in theatre) so the viewer can still get an idea of the mood.
The axis of action in Frank Capra’s “Meet John Doe” lies right on the edge of the desk. The desk is a center point for the “action” in the clip- men talking on one side, a man on the phone on the other side, and eventually a woman coming in the door which is on the far wall from the desk. The camera shows the circle of men (and eventually the woman as well) talking. Consistently, the man on the phone is to the right of the camera and the other actors remain generally in their locations- the man with the hat is at the left (and is eventually replaced by the woman to the left), and the man with the dark suit remains in the middle of the axis of action. Even when the camera shows only the man talking on the phone it keeps him a little off-center (a little right) in the frame.
Bryn Unger
The mise-en-scene (the setting, lighting, costumes, staging, and make-up) for the first screen shot is pretty noticeable. In "baby's meal” the setting appears as nice family sitting down in a southern like atmosphere enjoying their meal. The costumes seem appropriate for the time a little over the top but still classy in their own way. The lighting seems very easy to point out since they are sitting outside and you seem them perfectly it's probably during the day at some time. The staging is an example of an appropriate medium shot to help the viewer feel as if they were there eating along side them.
In "the cook in trouble" the staging is what I noticed first. The use of a long shot here better helps the viewer not only see the cook’s actions but also anyone else who appears in the kitchen. The setting is pretty obvious that it’s a kitchen with stoves cooking in the background and people wearing chef's hats (which could also lend it's self in the costume part of mise-en-scene). There seems to be a normal lighting set-up nothing over the top or noticeable.
In the clip "Meet John Doe" the axis appears to be at the closest edge of the desk in the middle of the shot. This seemed evident as establishing shot is set behind it and that even with the close-ups in the clip the camera never completely goes around the entire side of the desk.
Shane Connolly
TA: Caroline Kastelic
One of the first things that a viewer notices in a film is the setting and this greatly affects how they view the film they are watching. In the Lumiere Brothers’ “The Baby's Meal” the setting is natural and suggests that what the viewer is seeing was not staged or coordinated. In contrast, the setting of “The Cook in Trouble” by George Melies is a painted backdrop with a few exaggerated, unrealistic looking props that serve to constantly remind the viewer that what they are watching is as real as the set that they are seeing it on.
The characters in Melies film are wearing costumes that fit with the scene and makeup so the viewer can distinguish their facial expressions. In “The Baby’s Meal” however, the family is wearing what is assumable their everyday clothes and no distinguishable, all keeping with the idea that the viewer is watching a natural event. The lighting is also natural like the setting and costumes in “The Baby’s Meal” while in “The Cook in Trouble” there seems to be hard, frontal lighting as there are no shadows cast by the characters and all details are sharp in the scene.
To complete the natural mise-en-scene of “The Baby’s Meal”, the Lumiere Brothers let the family interact how they would normally. In Melies film, the characters seem to be exaggerated gestures and expressions. This is seen by the women second from the left who has an almost unnatural expression and fits with the unnatural setting, lighting, and costumes.
In Frank Capra's “Meet John Doe” the axis of action is clearly established in the beginning between the man on the phone and the door. This can be determined by the opening shots, which always have the man on the phone on the left of the screen and the door on the right. The camera does move over this mans left shoulder to show the lady entering the room but does not cross over to the other side but instead creates a new axis of action between him and the women.
FOR THE POST ABOVE
By Lanae Smith
TA Caroline Kastelic
In the screen shot of “The Baby's Meal” (Lumiere Brothers, 1895), you can tell some basic things about the mise-en-scene of the scene easily. The setting is very real, with all of the glasses and dishes on the table looking authentic as well as the house and bushes in the background adding to this. The costumes seem very generic and here doesn’t seem to be much make up (if any), adding to the authenticity of the scene. The lighting seems very natural, as the scene is set outdoors. The family is sitting along one side of the table in “The Baby‘s Meal“, helping make it seem as if the parents are trying to be a family by sitting together.
In the screen shot of “The Cook in Trouble” (George Melies, 1904), you can tell that the scene is much different than the one described above. The setting is very fake, with painted backgrounds and even fake ovens, fires, and meat hanging in the background. The costumes of the four characters seem very stereotypical of what you would expect a cook to be wearing, making it seem more theatrical than real. The lighting of the scene is very good, making it seem forced and not authentic. “The Cook in Trouble” was probably filmed indoors, in a studio where lights are readily available. The placement of all of the characters in this scene is forced, since it has everyone looking out to the ‘audience’ or at the camera. This is also a very theatrical effect used to connect the viewers with the characters in a non-realistic way.
In the short clip from Frank Capra's Meet John Doe (1941), the axis of action is quickly determined as being through the two characters initially talking to one another. The camera never crosses this line, even though it gets very close a few times. The camera stays on the side of the line opposite the man who has no lines in the scene. This helps the viewer stay spatially aware of the scene as they watch it.
Mark Scholbrock
TA: Caroline Kastelic
The four main components of mise-en-scene are the setting, the costume and make-up, lighting, and the staging of the shot. Using these four components helps “transcend normal concepts of reality,” into the film that is being made.
In The Baby's Meal the setting is a dinner or some other type place where a meal is being eating in it looks like a backyard of a house. This setting gives you the idea of a nice family dinner in the backyard of the family home. Costumes in this scene portrays the time and date of the scene and the style of clothing that people would were in this time period of 1895. The use of make-up is not a very big determining factor in this scene and is not visible. The staging of the shot it is a good medium shot only showing the upper half of the body.
In The Cook in Trouble the setting appears to be in a kitchen with a painted background scene but also including some actual props such as the pots. The costumes in the scene there appears to be two chefs that are wearing the same thing and have the same type of beard. For the other two characters they appear to be helpers in the kitchen. Make-up in this scene the only thing that appears to be present is the identical beards on the chefs. The staging in this shot it appears to be a long shot showing everything and entire body shots in the scene.
The axis of action in this scene it appears to be the edge of the desk. It is this because the camera view will never go past it portraying the characters on the same side of shot as they were before.
In the first image, The Baby’s Meal, The Lumiere brothers use a variety of mise-en-scene. The bright daylight lighting gives the feel of a happy afternoon lunch. Because the setting is outside on a sunny day, the image also gives off a pleasant vibe. The parents are placed on either side of the baby, creating a comforting and safe feeling in the photo. The fancy wardrobe allows the viewer to assume that the family is well-off. The table utensils and other objects also suggest that it belongs to a wealthy family.
In the second image, The Cook in Trouble, all characters are in view allowing the viewer to switch focuses from one emphasis to the next. The lighting is bright and cheerful just as the first image. The stage is painted whimsically which suggests unserious tone in the scene. The same is true for the costumes, specifically the beards, which also presents a comical feel.
In the clip from Meet John Doe the axis of action is located from the door through the man on the phone. The camera never travels to the opposite side of this line and only once or twice films on the line by showing the back of the man’s head.
Alison Korth
Caroline Kastelic
The setting in "The Baby's Meal" is outside, and in apparently sunny weather, which suggests an atmosphere of tranquility. Both the man and the woman (husband and wife I think) are dressed up a bit and the baby is wearing typical clothes. Either high key lighting, or simply natural light is used, since there is little contrast in the colors. Most importantly (at least for this scene) is the performance. Its purpose is realism, and almost no stylization is used. The parents are simply feeding their baby, as the title implies.
"The Cook in Trouble" was shot in a stage-like setting. The kitchen background is well lit and serves almost as another character. We see two chef costumes, which aren't very realistic - rather they aim to fulfill a stereotype of clothing that one would think a chef would wear. The lighting is somewhere in the middle, but shifted towards low-key illumination, presumably in order to place emphasis on the two cooks. The performances seem exaggerated, giving the scene a "theater" type atmosphere, but we cannot be certain. As Bordwell and Thompson point out, acting that seems exaggerated in the present may have appeared realistic in its original era.
The axis of action in "Meet John Doe" lies from the bald man with the telephone to the door through which the woman enters. The axis is not used in the entire shot, although it is not really broken. We cross the axis when the woman enters the room, but since this is done in one continuous shot, the 180 degree rule is not broken.
Eric Grycan
TA: Caroline
The lighting in The Baby's Meal seems to be pretty bright. It looks as if it is a nice day out and the sun is shining on the family. The viewer can easily make out everything going on in the image. The setting is hard to tell, as the picture is mostly a close-up of the people in the image, but it appears as though they are sitting on a patio of some sort outside of a house. Their clothing indicates that they live in an earlier time period. The man in the picture looks happy feeding the baby, who really has no expression, while the woman seems focused on eating.
The lighting in The Cook's In Trouble isn't that bright, just a usual room lighting. The setting is in a kitchen and appears to be animated possibly. Their outfits consist mostly of chef wear. The characters are slightly too far to predict their behaviors, but it looks like they are all smiling except the one girl screaming.
The axis of action in the clip from Meet John Doe seems to be on the man in suit and hat to begin with, then switches over to the man on the phone, and then mainly sticks with the woman that enters the room later on.
Derek Reilly
Mise-en-scene's four aspect are setting, costume/make-up, lighting, & staging/acting. The staging in the two photos is interesting. The two contrast in many ways. In "The Baby's Meal" we see everybody in the middle of the frame/close together. Just the opposite is true in "The Cook In Trouble". Everybody is on the edges of the frame. Another thing to note is that while everybody is the same distance away in "The Baby's Meal" the cook in "The Cook In Trouble" is standing farther away. The lighting looks alike in both. Both settings suggest a home-like feels while there tends to be no costuming in "The Baby's Meal". "The Cook In trouble" makes use of some great chef outfits that help the audience understand their occupation.
The axis of action in "Meet John Doe" is very simple to figure out. The line would be crossed if the camera was filming anywhere on the sides facing the wall of the 2 guys that are standing. No shots are taken from those angles because they will break the illusion. you are seeing the wall that is in back of the viewer and the opposite side of the character's faces.
Kyle Arpke
Kastelic
The reading in Film Art describes the four aspects of mise-en-scene as costume, setting, lighting, and the behavior of the figures present themselves. In the first clip the for aspects of mise-en-scene are portrayed as follows. The costumes seem to be from the late 1800s, the setting looks like a real set with the table, and the house in the background along with the bush. The lighting looks as if the family is sitting in the shadow of the house with the bush in the back the only object receiving direct light. The last aspect shown in this clip is the family sitting down for a meal. The four aspects of mise-en-scene in the second clip shows the setting as being a painted set, giving of the illusion that the scene is taking place in the kitchen. The costume, shows two cooks and what looks to be helpers, dressed in late 1800s era clothing. The lighting in this clip looks as if it is direct light, giving off the illusion that the kitchen is brightly lit. The last aspect is what the actors are portraying, and in this scene it shows a cook with his hand in a hot pot, and 3 others sitting around the table making conversation and peeling potatoes. The axis of action in the video clip is exactly in front of the two men when they are talking. The camera never moves more than 90 degrees to the left, or more than 90 degrees to the right.
Nick Stoehr
group 806
The four aspects of mise-en-scene contain the setting, costume and makeup, lighting, and staging.
In The Baby’s Meal the scene takes place outside, at a table, possibly on the porch of the house in the background. There are trees and other plants in the distance that you can also see. The costumes in this scene stand out against the nature setting. The women’s striped dress stands in sharp contrast to the leaves behind her. The baby’s white shirt also stands out against the dark wood of the chair. The lighting is bright, which gives the scene a cheerful and warm feel. The staging is realistic and unprepared, most likely due to the clip being a shot of real life.
In The Cook in Trouble the scene takes place in a kitchen with a painted backdrop and props. The costumes are fitting to the scene, showing the men in typical cook clothes and hats. The lighting seems to light up the whole set, illuminating everything. The staging with the cook at the stove is typical and realistic but the expression of the person sitting in the middle by the bin looks exaggerated which takes away from the realism of the scene.
In the clip of Meet John Doe the axis of action is the edge of the desk closest to the camera. The characters are never shot from the other side of the desk and remain in relatively the same spot the entire clip except for the first man to leave and when the women walks in and sits down.
Tanisha Richter
Caroline Kastelic
The first thing you notice about the mise-en-scene in “The Baby’s Meal” is the realism. There are no obvious props or painted backdrops, only a house, some trees and the people and table. The costumes and staging also add to the realism, with everything seeming to be as it would be on any normal day. The scene uses what looks to be natural lighting. This scene looks less like a movie and more like a family picture.
“The Cook in Trouble,” on the other hand, looks just about as staged as a film can be. The setting and props are all obviously fake, from the stoves to the painted backdrop. The actors also seem to be using big, over the top gestures, and the costumes aren’t too convincing. This looks more like a filmed play than an actual film.
The axis of action in the “Meet John Doe” clip looks like it basically runs right through the guy in the hat and the bald guy in the light colored suit (based on their positions at the beginning of the scene). The camera never passes this line, although it goes pretty much right on top of it when the woman walks in.
William Ingebretsen
In the clip "The Baby's Meal", the setting seems to take place outside a house, possibly at an outdoor eating area. Trees fill in the space around the house so that it doesn't look bare. The actors themselves are wearing what I'm assuming to be normal attire for the time period. The lighting seems to be focused on the table area around the family to highlight what is taking place. For the staging, the baby is placed in the middle of the frame because it is the feature in the film, the movie is called "The Baby's Meal".
In the clip "The Cook in Trouble", the setting is less realistic. It looks to be on a set that has been painted to look like a kitchen of some sort. The costumes in the scene are more theatrical as well. There is probably a spotlight upon the the actors sitting at the table. The actors expressions in the scene seem to be over exaggerated a little bit.
The axis of action in the scene from "meet John Doe" is right at the end of the desk. The camera never passes over this line.
Sara Nesbitt
Caroline Kastelic
In The Baby's meal the Mise-en-scene is pretty realistic. The props looks pretty real, the costumes look pretty realistic for the people of the time. The lighting used made it seem like a pretty happy family meal and the actors gave a pretty realistic performance for the people of the time.
The second movie The Cook In Trouble was a lot less realistic. instead of having real props they used a fake painted on background. The costumes were relatively accurate but a little over the top. The actors also acted pretty over the top and they makeup and beards were pretty unbelievable.
in the clip the axis is centered right in front of the table. it doesn't really turn to far left bast the door or bast the phone on the left side of the disk. The camera never goes to the other side of the characters.
Andrew Page
1
The first aspect of mise-en-scen I noticed in “The Baby's Meal” is the setting, this scene takes place at an outdoor table. Behind the table and figures, the viewer can see the exterior of a house, and large backyard plants, this scene was most likely filmed on location.
Because this was filmed outdoors the lighting is very natural coming from over the figures heads.
In the top right corner, on the plants and on the womans hair, there are highlights the figures are setting in some sort of moderate shade.
The viewer would most likely see the three figures as some sort of loving family. Whats harder to know is if the man and woman, are the baby's parents, or if they are the grandparents.
The last aspect of mise-en-scen I noticed is the costume. By the looks of the man and woman these folks are some what well off. I can't tell if the baby is a boy or a girl because the outfit it is in is sort of gender neutral.
The setting in “The Cook in Trouble” is pretty clear, they are supposed to be in a kitchen. Be it a pretend kitchen on stage with painted back drops and props. The setting is larger then life and cartoony
this aids the comical nature of the film.
The lighting appears to be stage lighting because lack of shadows and the brightness of the figures.
The figures are tense and very animated. Their costumes tell who they are: two cooks, one old lady, and some guy.
2
The axis of action is on the farthest side of the desk away from the camera. The biggest clue is the bald man in the darkest suit standing at the far end of the desk the viewer only sees him from a strait on angle, the camera moves on every other figure.
Andrew Page
TA Caroline Kastelic
In The Baby's Meal by the Lumiere Brothers the setting is a backyard probably out on a patio. This shot seems to be in its natural surroundings as well. It looks like it could be mid-day considering how much natural lighting is being used. The film was made in 1895 and the costumes look like they were average everyday clothes for this time period. They look like they could be an upscale family. Since the shot is only showing from the waist up from all three characters this would be considered a medium shot.
In The Cook in Trouble by George Melies the setting is an old style kitchen and the use of backdrops is definitely being used. The stoves and the stairs look as if they are real props added onto the backdrop. The lighting in this shot is not natural opposed to the previous shot. The costumes and make-up match the scene of it being a kitchen. There is much more make-up being used in this shot than the previous shots, with the use of purposely matching beards on the two cooks and white powder on the cheek of the boy. I'm also not quite sure but it looks as if the "women" in the center is actually a man with makeup. They used a long shot for this scene, showing the entire stage and the entire bodies of the actors.
Comparing the two shots The Baby's meal has a much more realistic mise-en-scene where The Cook in Trouble has a much more unrealistic feeling to it.
In the scene Meet John Doe by Frank Capra the man in the black suit is the axis of action. I think this because during the clip we see plenty of different angles and shots, but none of them go behind the man.
^for above
Amber Blanchard
TA:Caroline Kastelic
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