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Glite Dictionary
mise en scene

mise en scene

8.8
The way things like the background, objects, and lights are arranged in a film or play to create a mood
  • noun
  • /miːz ɑːn ˈsɛn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mise en scène
  • The director carefully planned the mise en scene to evoke a sense of nostalgia in the film.

Examples

  • In the play, the mise en scene included ornate props that enhanced the historical setting.

  • - Crazy probably didn't want it distracting from his mise en scene.

    Confession (2020)

  • The team's focus on the mise en scene transformed the simple script into a visually stunning production.

Synonyms

set
vsmise en scene
416 6.0

The scenery and objects used on a stage or film

covers the broader visual arrangement and mood not only object placement
setting
vsmise en scene
19 3.0

The scenery and props arranged to show a place in a play or film

stresses overall look and emotional tone beyond mere representation of place
staging
vsmise en scene
10 4.3

Presenting a play with choices about sets, lights, and actors

emphasizes visual composition and atmosphere rather than the whole process
stage set
vsmise en scene
3 3.6

The background and objects on a stage that show where and when a play happens

highlights visual design and feel rather than just the arranged items
stage setting
vsmise en scene
1 3.6

The arrangement of background and objects on a stage to show where the story happens

focuses on the whole visual look and mood beyond just location

Antonyms

chaos
438 3.1

A situation with no order where people are confused and cannot act normally

How Elaborate

lavish hotel
1 3.4
mise en scene
  • Specialized
8.8

Surface Forms

mise en scene singular
mise en scenes plural

Morphology

mise + en + scene

The phrase is a French borrowing (mise en scène) whose literal parts correspond to 'placement/in' + 'scene', so if a learner actually knew the meanings of 'mise' (placement) and 'en' (in) the overall sense 'the arranging/placement of a scene' is derivable. However, the key constituents are not English words and the term is specialized film/theatre jargon, so it will not be immediately predictable or familiar to a typical B1 learner who only knows English vocabulary.

Etymology

Mise en scene comes from French and literally means 'putting on stage', with mise like 'putting' and scene like 'stage'. It paints the image of arranging actors, props and scenery to create a mood, so today it means 'the look and feel of a scene'.