Essay Sample on How Films Use Mise En Scene & Cinematography: A Micro-Feature Analysis

Introduction

Many films use Mise En Scene and Cinematography as the main microfilm features. Mise en Scene involves the arrangement of everything that appears within a frame, i.e., the lighting actor, props, as well as the costumes. Besides, the frame and even the camerawork are taken to be part of a movie's mise-en-scene. On the other hand, the art of cinematography incorporates the composition of the shots, including the camera movement, lighting as well as other factors. To illustrate the micro-features above, the film of the Lion King, which was acted in 2019 by the American animated musical film, will be used in the paper.

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To begin with, there are various aspects of cinematography that has been depicted in the film. For instance, the busy shots of the African buffalo stampede as well as the barren landscape are seen in the film scene. The changes help in the generation of the various emotional responses of the audience. In the scene, there are shots of the African landscape, which is desolate. With the use of cinematography together with Mise En Scene and sound, the empty landscape has been enhanced since the situation's immensity is shown as the shots widen. This can be used as a symbol of danger as it gives more emphasis on the aspect of solitude. Thus it can foreshadow the film's forthcoming events.

For instance, in the scene of the wide shot of empty land which is flooded with the buffalo during the stampede. The shots are seen to be almost similar but reveal a contrast between the two since they portray one extreme to the other and are mainly used in showing the stampede as well as the barren land. This subjects the audience to loneliness as a result of how wide it is. The angle also aids in making the audience feel distant from the happening of events, but they can feel as if they are more involved with the chaos by filling the scene. In the scene, a ground shot so the stampede is seen. The shots mainly get filled with the buffalo as well as the ground's dirt. This immediately subjects people into the situation leaving the audience on their seat edges. It makes the audiences feel more scared and also concerned since it is a stressful situation.

Also, the other aspect of cinematography is seen by the active composition of the exposures, which are seen to be more intricate, which relates to striking the effects of the silhouettes as well as the most dramatic lighting, which has been used in the movie. According to Goodykoontz and Jacobs (213), this kind of dramatic lighting gives a chance to the audience to be able to view many of the scenes as well as the intended purpose of the movie's direction. Thus, to be specific, the film's cinematography appeals increases the movie's application of real events. On the case where stampede was seen by Simba heading towards his direction, then that is when the cinematography aspect was widely seen since the cameras are zoomed into the face of Simba while blurring out the film's background with the focus on the front of Simba.

Lighting in The Lion King film is depicted to cover most of the movie's occurrences from the first instance where the film's director employs fundamental scripts for shooting with the mere assumption that the scenes within the film are there with an ideal point of view and he establishes the position of the said masterpiece having classic shots There are numerous advantages to the style of lighting utilized in the various scenes, for example, the splendid hues help to hold the consideration of the intended interest group, which in this instance are the youngsters. Moreover, the various sorts of lighting can help pass on feelings of the film. Various authors have found out some of the best staging actions, which allows the scenes' focusing to be encompassed and also to be structured more appropriately (Eagan, 32). The film's directors have a high sense of creativity and have developed the movie more amazingly.

Another case is seen by the scar, which is often in the dark. When he is on the mountain's top, the light from his face is blocked by the face of the mountain with the formation of the shadows around his face making him have a sharper and also physical appearance, which are common for the evil characters within the media. The technique of lighting helps in the creation of three-dimensional depth. Therefore the scar is seen to be a bad character that they are meant to connect on the deeper as well as the emotional level. Thus the lighting aspect is set up intentionally to make the shadows stronger structures and also harsh lines.

In the film of the lion king, the other aspect of mise-en-scene has been employed, which is what is usually in the frame in certain shots. In one shot, Mufasa is seen having Simba in his mouth. Besides, they are also seen to be involved in Buffalo's actions. Running a sweeping motion, Mufasa is depicted sweeping from the left to the right while dodging the buffalo hoping to protect himself, including his child. He begins at the top of the frame. Through this aspect, it is seen that he is indeed a powerful character, which makes t to be somehow more strict and authoritative. He is somehow looking into the camera, giving a chance to the audience to have a connection with him. To show the situation's pace as well as the immensity, there is a dust around him, which involves the audience immediately in the scene.

Before Mufasa falls to his death, there is seen a scar which is placed at an angle of around 45 degrees. Therefore, this entails that the audience has no chance of making eye contact with him, meaning that they have no chance of connecting with him on a more intimate level. Through this case of mise-en-scene, a feeling of evilness is immediately created with the audience.

In the film, the mentioned mise en scenes work together since the audience is empowered for the active view of the events within the film as though it was a reality. Hence, the video is brought to life by the lighting, which made the movie look like an artistic piece of art and a creative masterpiece. There was the variation of the light concerning the type of the scene which was being shot (Eagan, 32). However, most of the parts in the movie, for instance, other animations were done in lighting of the high key so that bright light would be over everything without contrast to limit the view of any shadow. The target audience in the Lion King is children, and hence without the crucial high lighting, it would be difficult to catch their attention to seeing the film. The lighting utilized in the Lion King fit the enlivened melodic classification very well, as it was brilliant and vivid for the target group of kids. Musicals regularly are less genuine and depend on lighting systems to carry the film to "life."

Conclusion

In conclusion, the two features, i.e., Mise-Enscene and Cinematography, have been depicted to play an essential role in the way in which the film creates emotional responses with the individual as well as the audience as a whole due to the ideologies. The aspect of Cinematography is used as the positioning of the audience and also involving them in action and hence forces them into the situation. Mise En Scene, on the other hand, is used to reveal to the audience every happening of the events and also create tension visually by placing some of the things in the frame. The Lion King film allows the development of realistic situations by the audience due to the perfect lighting as well as the drugging of the happenings throughout the movie. Besides, the light, as depicted in the film as a source of life to the people in the film and hence makes the scenes more realistic. Finally, the use of the sound effects, images, and the camera's landscaping and scenery makes the film to communicate successfully its primary information as well as all other activities encompassing the film.

Works Cited

Crittenden, R.T. "Film and Video Editing" (2nd Edition). Florence, KY, USA: Routledge (2008).

Eagan, D. S. "America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry." New York, NY, USA: Continuum International Publishing. (2013)

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs. Film: From watching to see (2nd Ed.) [Electronic version] (2014).