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Episode 04: Composition and Design

The Language of Film explained

How shots are composed for film and what is put in them is sometimes called "mise-en-scène". The term comes from theatre and simply means the arrangement of the scene – lighting, setting, props, costumes and actors. To the list we can add some uniquely film elements: framing, focus and point-of-view.

Composition and design, then, is about everything the viewer can see in the frame. And, like camerawork, everything relates to telling the story.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • Arrangement
  • Lighting & Colour
  • Framing
  • How these elements are used to unfold the story