Mise-en-scène is everything that you see (and sometimes what you do not see) in film, and it captures the primary ways in which directors manipulate sets, environments, and even people to tell their story through film, photography, and even theater. The main elements of mise-en-scène are lighting, setting, costumes, and staging/performance.

Lighting, obviously an important aspect of film, was surprising in how detailed and specific it is for each scene and each different work of art. Three-point lighting, which consists of a key light, fill lights, and back lights, is the most common format for properly lighting a set, but sets are also versatile, using more abstract lighting from the norm. Abstract lighting is interesting because it is unique to the story the director wants to tell; lighting alone can change the tone and meaning of a scene, and the importance of lighting emphasized in the textbook is clearly shown in Netflix’s original show, Stranger Things.

In Stranger Things, the importance of lighting is highlighted physically and in your face and is used the way that lighting is originally used. Stranger Things incorporates lighting into the plot because it uses it as a form of communication throughout the series; it serves as one of the strongest links between the real world and the Upside Down. Aside from the literal use of light, lighting is one of the most important aspects of determining which world the characters are in; the lighting associated with the Upside Down is red and dark, which is the complete opposite of the lighting for the real world. Even in the most recent season, the darkest settings and scenes are associated with Vecna. The difference is emphasized especially in Vecna’s origin story because he was born in the real world, but all the lighting surrounding him was dark, creating shadows on his face and depicting the evil personality he possesses.

This chapter was written on the concept of mise-en-scène and its importance to film, photography, and theater revealed how each of these minor details directors make that are shown in art serve such a big purpose in the artist bridging their world into their viewers’ world. The focus on lighting for this post is rooted in my new interest in film and photography. From what I have learned before reading this book and after, I believe that lighting is an extremely detailed art within art.