In sense, our whole semester is dedicated to decoupage. It could be valuable then to investigate the meaning of the following terms: mise en scene / montage.
You may like to: Consider their relationship to decoupage; Consider the precision/vagueness of their respective definitions; Consider the various meanings accorded them by different thinkers (of different nationalities), and at different points in cinema history; Consider the notion that one may have supremacy over the other(s); Consider their actual relevance to filmmaking practice, or to an individual filmmaker.
Mise en scene.
Unlike découpage, a term surrounded by little academic writing or discussion, mise en scene is one of the most widely talked about and celebrated elements of cinema all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of words have probably been written about the power of mise en scene, and its role carefully dissected in every good film by film critics and academics alike. Perhaps this is because it is something that everyone watching a film can immediately notice because it’s physically there. The abstract nature of decoupage makes it harder to pin down.
The literal meaning of ‘mise en scene’ in French is “to put into the scene” – so the term is universally accepted to describe everything that a director chooses to place in his frame. The different elements of mise en scene in film – setting, lighting, costume and makeup, staging etc. – are all borrowed from its origin in theatre art. Obviously, the power of mise en scene on both narrative and visual aesthetic is immense. It is what makes up the virtual filmic world. David Bordwell mentions in his book ‘Film Art’ that it constructs a basis for space and time. The director can make choices on whether a setting is real or surreal, or whether a piece of information is consciously or subconsciously placed into the viewer’s mind. There are many approaches to be made with each small element of mise en scene. The fact that there is so many things to consider and that it takes an entire team of people to construct a single frame gives a good reason as to why it’s so extensively talked about. On the other hand, the limited and conflicting discussion on what decoupage really includes makes it harder to study.
Little has been written about the relationship between decoupage and mise en scene, which is probably due to the fact that mise en scene in my (limited) understanding is generally considered to have supremacy over editing in mainstream cinema. However I think their relevance to filmmaking practice is equal – you can’t have one without the other. My initial thought is that if decoupage is the process of building a scene in order to make it flow, then mise en scene is the building blocks itself that makes up the initial material for construction. The details within mise en scene provide the raw information and meaning, and then decoupage is used to shape this meaning into a specific context.
Mise en scene can be aesthetically impressive, but the elements within it are shared with many other forms of art. It takes decoupage to arrange the mise en scene in each shot in a way that is uniquely cinematic.
