Western Production design

Mise-en-scene is basically every visual element that appears in front of the camera in a video. So consists of several elements, being production design one of them, which also is made up by other elements: sett design, costume, make up, lightning and props. I wont mention props as they are really important and it would be good to make a separate bloggpost. 

Sett design 

Set design is the creation of a physical environment in which the film will be developed. We will be shooting in location so we really don't have to bother a lot about this. But we do have to take care of one of the goals of set design which is planning the relationship of subjects towards their environment. As we want to have those common western shots in which a lonely character is contrasted to a big natural environment, we will have to use elements such as trees to enhace the size of the subject. This will be really important as we will be shooting on a really big hill and with the camera we have we wont be able to go for extremely long shots. 

Sett design is meant to also talk for the characters, most if it is a personal space like a house. Which shoud be decorated according to the characters personality and state of mind. As we are shooting outside what would be represented through set design, and actually scouting location is the characters situation. A lonely place where no one will see her trying to bury the sin she comitted. 

Lightning. 

Lightning has a simple definition, it is just how a subject and a source of light interact in a scene. Even if its simple it doesn't mean it isn't important. As lightning can, and more than can should be intentional. Because lightning is able to tell things that other elements of the mise-en-scene can't. They are really good in portraying feelings, and characters inner thoughts. As we will be using natural light, we won't be able to control this as much, but we will shoot in early ours of the morning. This with the idea of portraying that what its being done is meant to be hidden (main character is burying someone she killed). We'll get to location really early around 5, to be able to get several shots, that we already planned. We really need to overshoot in case of any problem. 

(more or less the type of light will be exposed to)

For the early time in the morning we would definitely going to need extra light. Expressions are important for story as our physcal elements of production design like sett design won't be able to portray the characters feelings. We will highly depend on acting which will be enhaced by light. It will be a little bit dark so for closer shots like medium or closeups we are gonna get a light tube or a source of portable light so we can manipulate light a little and show the acting. 

Shooting outside doesn't free us from respondabilities regarding mise-en-scene. It actually makes them a bigger challenge as the range oof control of them is smaller. But with the preparation exposed in this post we'll achieve our goals.

DeGuzman, Kyle. “Production Design in Film — How to Tell Stories Visually.” StudioBinder, 16 July 2023, www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-production-design-in-film/.

Deguzman, Kyle. “Set Design in Film — Process and Purpose Explained.” StudioBinder, 15 Oct. 2023, www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-set-design-in-film-definition/.