The Grand Undefined Term : A Study In Mise-en-Scène

Abstract: This thesis seeks to explore and document the complex relationship between mise-en-scène and editing. The main goal was to determine whether or not editing could be used to influence the mise-en-scène of a film, and if so, in what ways. To achieve this, two surveys and a practical experiment in mise-en-scène was carried out. The first survey measured which definition of mise-en-scène was more common and what the general opinion of contemporary editors was on whether an editor can influence the mise-en-scène of a film. It also took in suggestions of different methods by which an editor could influence mise-en-scène. Based on the methods that were suggested, a single scene of a short film (original material supplied by ACE) was cut in four different versions: an original cut and three alternatives, in which methods suggested in the survey were used to actively influence its mise-en-scène. A second survey was sent out determine the success of the experiment. The result was overwhelmingly in support for the notion that the mise-en-scène had been successfully influenced by ways of editing. The conclusion was that editing can and does influence mise-en-scène. It was concluded that there is a number of methods for doing so – but that further, more specialized research is required to map their exact and individual effectiveness.