what is mise-en-scene

From: "Frank, Michael" <[email protected]>

in the never ending search for the ideal cinema studies textbook for
beginning students i've been reading ed sikov's film studies: an
introduction [2010] . . . the book begins, reasonably enough, with a
consideration of mise-en-scene, but sikov includes cinematography -
everything from camera angle and composition to camera motion - as part of
mise-en-scene

my own approach, which i've taken to be more or less mainstream, has been
to divide the visual track into three parts: mise-en-scene [what gets
placed before the camera, sometimes called the pre-filmic]; cinematography
[everything that the camera does to or with the mise-en-scene]; and montage
[everything that the filmmaker does with the film that comes out of the
camera]  . . . sikov's breakdown has the advantage of solving the problem
of how to classify lighting, which seems to hover between the first two
categories --  or perhaps, more accurately, to inhabit both of them . . .
still, i think there are clear advantages to using mise-en-scene to refer
to the specifically theatrical elements of a film, and treat the camera's
intrusion into that arena as conceptually separate

while there obviously is no "right" way of doing this taxonomy i was
surprised at sikov's approach, and wonder what others do in their classes
or in their thinking . . . any thoughts or suggestions very much appreciated

mike

 --