films rely on the three-point lighting style, and its genre variations. Other films, for example documentaries and realist cinema, rely on natural light to create a
sense of authenticity. There are various styles of lighting that a cinematographer can use.
Lighting style is generally determined in consultation with the director and often the production designer, and depends on the setting, mood and character of the
story or the scene. According to Boggs and Petrie 2000, there are two terms
designate different intensities of lighting: a Low-key lighting puts most of the
set in shadow; just a few highlights define the subject. This type of lighting heightens suspense and creates a somber mood; thus, it is used in mystery and
horror films. b High-key lighting, in contrast, results in more light areas than
shadows, and subjects are seen in middle grays and highlights, with far less contrast. High key lighting is suitable for comic and light moods, such in a
musical.
10
Lighting also is used to create the illusion of depth and dimension, and to illuminate different contours and textures. Depth can be emphasized by back- and
side-lighting the actors to create highlights on prominent features and leave the background in shadow. Sometimes color gels are used over lights to enhance the
depth of a scene warm tones might be used to light the actors, while cooler colors might be used for the background lights, for example.
10
Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie, The Art of Watching Films, 5
th
ed U.S.A: Mayfield
Publishing Company, 2000, p. 102.
c. Costumes and Make-up
Costumes are part of the visual composition of each frame of film. Just as the elements of a painting work together to create a harmonious image, costumes
must work with the lighting and sets. Color, shape, line, and texture are all considered when designing costumes for a film. Color, one of the most important
elements in the designer’s tool kit, suggests the mood and atmosphere of a story. Warm reds produce a different effect from subdued blues, for example. Costumes
are also used to focus attention on the major actors and the important action in a scene. Costumes can change the shape of an actor’s body to reflect the period and
the personality of the character. Like costume designers, makeup artists are storytellers. Whether the script
requires actors to look beautiful or ragged, younger or older, or like monsters or other fantastic beings, makeup artists and hairstylists help audiences believe that
what they see on the film screen is real. Makeup artists and hairstylists do more than make actors look attractive. The filmmaker works to visualize the complete
character. Like costume designers, makeup artists try to reflect the time period, lifestyle, and social status and emotional or psychological changes of the
characters. Makeup artists and hairstylists use their skills to make sure that no matter how much time has passed, the actors’ appearance is consistent from shot
to shot.
d. Behavior of the Figure
The director may also control the behavior of various figures in the mise- en-scène. Here the word “figures” covers a wide range of possibilities, since the
figure may represent a person but could also be an animal, a robot, an object, or even a pure shape. An actor’s performance consists of visual elements
appearance, gestures, facial expression and sound voice, effects.
11
The ultimate goal of any actor should be to make us believe completely in the reality of the
character. If this goal to be achieved, actors must either develop or blessed with several talents.
12
2. Cinematography
In the book Film Art: An Introduction, Bordwell 1993 gave his explanation about cinematographic properties as:
Mise-en-scène is at bottom a theatrical notion: The filmmaker stages an event to be filmed. But a comprehensive account of cinema as an art
cannot stop with simply what is put in front of the camera. […] The filmmaker also controls what we will call the cinematographic qualities of
the shot—not only what is filmed but also how it is filmed. Cinematographic qualities involve three factors: 1 the photographic
aspects of the shot; 2 the framing of the shot; and 3 the duration of the shot.
13
When making a film, filmmaker will pay more attention to what will be filmed in order to deliver his or her message to the viewer. Since film is a series of
frame that is projected onto a screen, a visual element becomes important thing in making a film. To deliver the right message, filmmaker will control what is filmed
and how it is filmed. To control how an event is filmed, filmmaker uses cinematographic qualities which are divided into three factors: the photographic
aspects of the shot; the framing of the shot; and the duration of the shot. Those factors will be explained as follows:
11
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson 1993, op.cit. p. 158.
12
Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie 2005, op.cit. p. 269.
13
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson 1993, op.cit. p. 185.
