Mise-en-scene is a French term used in film and theatre that literally means, “putting into the scene”. Since it is usually the director (metteur en scene) who has the power over what happens in the movie, one could say that the mise-en-scene is one of the ways in which the director exercises his “control over what appears in the film frame” (156). Some of the aspects of the mise-en-scene include: setting, lighting, costume, and generally all of the actions involved in the take. Some directors may allow their actors to improvise their performances (Altman, Sayles, Renoir) in order to allow more spontaneity. However, this spontaneity is also part of the director’s view of how the scene should go, and allowing improvisation does not lessen his/her control over the scene.
French entrepreneur George Méliés built the first film studios, in order to create atmospheres and settings for his films. Shooting in a studio gave him more (if not complete) control over every element of the frame. Among the first person narrative films ever made are science fiction and fantasy short films.
