Asking a person ‘what makes a film “good”?’ will give you an array of answers depending on the person you ask. These could range from good cinematography, editing, acting, sound or even the message and values within the film. 

Other people will base their opinions, not by any of these elements, but the feelings they experience when or after watching the film. For example, did the film make them feel tense? Bored? Excited? However, the underlying reason for these feelings occurring is when all the elements, both micro and macro, come together to tell an entertaining and impactful story that resonates with the viewer in one way or another. 

For me, if a film is too confusing and not easy to keep track of then I quickly determine I don’t like it. This is down to the editing, if the sequence isn’t smooth and the pace is too quick, it can become too hard to follow. I love a film that makes me feel immersed into its world. This effect heavily relies on the sounds used in the film as it captures all the viewers senses.

One of my favourite films is The Silence of the Lambs. This film has a perfect mix of micro elements along with macro elements like the genre, theme, and style. The Silence of the Lambs is a horror film fixating on dark topics such as murder. So, for some, these themes wouldn’t interest them, whereas for me, I love the tension that can be created. The Silence of the Lambs was the first “scary movie” to win an Academy Award and swept the 5 major categories: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.  Every scene in the film means something, every piece of dialogue is building to something, and every character has its purpose. The director, Jonathan Demme, perfectly orchestrated the film to constantly be building the tension till the very end with no dips. 

Another film I really enjoy is Fantastic Mr Fox, which goes in a completely different direction to The Silence of the Lambs. Wes Anderson cleverly constructed a beautiful film regarding cinematography and the message of the film. Taking a simple children’s story and portraying it in a way that can reach all types of audiences.  The film uses unique sound effects and music and the use of comedy throughout works very well as its kept simple. The warm colour tones and symmetry used within every scene, along with the editing keeping a perfect pace throughout, allows an extremely heart-warming feeling to be portrayed. 

In conclusion, there is no simple answer to “What makes a film ‘good’?” and its predominantly based on the viewers opinions and how deeply they think about the individual elements used. However, the micro and macro elements contribute massively to how people feel whether they realise it or not. 

IB FILM YR 12 BLOG POSTING CHECKLIST

1. Summer Task (What makes a good film? )
2. Activity 1 Induction slides :Connecting the IB Learner Profile to Film Studies
3. Activity 2 Induction slides: Categorising Film.
4. Activity 3 Induction Slides : Identify a Formula for Box Office Hits
5. Mise en Scene “Chaotic vs Anally Tidy” Examples.
6. Mise en scene definition
7. Mise en Scene Choose a Film which you think demonstrates “excellent use of Mise en Scene” and explain why. (Remember to illustrate your ideas with still images from the film!)
8. Bladerunner First Response Task on the Blog 26/9/22
9. Bladerunner Essay 500 words on how Mise en scene is used to create meaning through an analysis of a single scene ( email direct to Ms Magowan) 30/9/22
10. Cinematography definition 7/10/22
11. Cinematography tasks 1- 5 7/10/22
12. Cinematography Essay 500-700 words: How does Kubrick use Cinematography to create meaning in The Shining? ( email direct to Ms Magowan) 14/10/22
13. Definition of editing 12/10/22
14. Miller and the Sweep storyboarding task 17/10/22
15. J and L Cut examples 7/11/22
16. Match Cut examples 7/11/22
17. Editing essay 500 words on how Editing is used to create meaning through an analysis of final scene of Whiplash e ( email direct to Ms Magowan) 14/11/22
18. Upload Joker edit 4/11/22
19. Review and reflect on Joker project BLOG POST 7/11/22
20. PRACTICAL TASK: Complete and Upload Shore Sound Editing Task 26/11/22
21. Complete sound tasks on Sound Lesson PP and post on blog 28/11/22
22. ESSAY: Explain how sound is used as a narrative device in Dunkirk (Nolan, 2017).​ 500-600 word essay sent to Ms Magowan via e mail on WORD. 28/11/22
23. Make a folder in your M drive called “IB FILM ASSESSMENTS + YOUR NAME” & then place your mini essays + your completed (add students reflection comments) feedback sheets in there. 30/11/22
24. Upload your Auteur Presentation Slides to the Blog as a PDF ready for marking after you have made your presentation to the class on the 9th of January. 12/1/23
25. Cinema Going in Jersey Activities 16/1/23
26. Complete and Upload all Story of Film Questions 31/1/23
27. Upload your section of Birth of Hollywood Slides to the Blog as a PDF ready for marking after you have made your presentation to the class on the 26th of January. 31/1/23
28. Upload Citizen Kane Tasks to the Blog 10/2/23
29. Upload “You’re Fired” Kane inspired cinematography task to Stream and share with Miss Frederick for marking. 10/2/23
30. Upload all German Expressionism Tasks to the blog by 17/3/23
31. Upload the Caligari inspired task to Stream and share with Miss Frederick for marking. 17/3/23
32. E mail the Caligari essay to Ms Magowan : Explain the ways in which the film’s use of Mise en Scene, Cinematography and Editing may be regarded  as innovative. (400-500 WORDS – sent to teacher as word doc.) 20/3/23
33. Gerasimov Task Deadline :  FRIDAY 31ST MARCH
34. Montage Essay Task:​ Watch Part 6 ” Extermination” M:\Radio\Departments\Media\Students\IB FILM SEQUENCES “How does the film use classic Soviet Montage Techniques to tell the worker’s story? ​400 words  referenced and sent by e mail. DEADLINE FRIDAY 31ST March
35. Soviet Constructivist Blog Posting 21/3/23
36. Finalised Research Question Comparative Study 7/5/23
37. First draft 1600 word essay for Comparative Study 26/5/23
38. French New Wave Blog Posting 2/6/23
39. French New Wave Essay : Q. In what way did Marker consciously challenge the established conventions of storytelling with La Jetee?​(300 words e mailed to me- refer to specific scenes from “La Jetee” in your response to evidence your points. 5/6/23
40. French New Wave film sequence: Create a film sequence between 30 seconds and 1 minute long which is influenced by the stylistic approach of the film makers of the French New Wave. 5/6/23
41. Finish changes to script 17/6/23
42. Digitise voice recording Comparative Study 24/6/23
43. Complete first draft and source list 1/7/23
44. Final upload deadline for Comparative 21/7/23

In ‘The Godfather’, mise-en-scene is sometimes used to express the impact of a certain scene on the overall narrative of the movie. For example, in this scene, the godfather is shot by a rival gang member. The birds eye view shot highlights the movie’s setting in New York (classic New York sidewalk and drain), this reinforces the affect in which the Godfather getting shot will have on the streets of New York. The visceral imagery of the fresh oranges spilt over the street floor may reflect the disruption in order/ formality that the shooting may cause for the Corleone family.


In this scene, Coppola uses mise-en-scene to develop the characterisation of all the characters involved, however, most importantly the Godfather. The lighting within this scene is quite dim, casting shadows over much of the room. This causes the characters to come across as sombre and serious, as the lighting also offers an almost judging and suspicious undertone. The furniture used within this scene demonstrates the opulent lifestyle in which the Godfather lives. In addition, the placement of the characters within this scene insights into the workings of the Corleone family; the Godfather is placed in the centre of the screen, highlighting his importance above the others. He is also the only character facing the camera, furthering the idea that he has the most power over that scene. Lastly, the costumes used within this scene (extremely smart suits) adds to the sombre tone, with an almost complete lack of colour except for the Godfather’s rose attached to the lapel of his suit. This rose may connotate love and passion for his family, above his dark personality (or black suit).

Mise en Scene is presented in The Matrix through the pale-green lighting through out the whole movie, triggering an uncomfortable mood in the audience and eerie atmosphere. In the slow-motion bullet fight scene, mise en scene is used with how Neo’s costume is presented. The black suit and glasses give a sense of control and confidence in the character’s way of handling the situation while the camera’s focus on the bullets highlights the danger while his posture implies how much security he has over the situation. The background being almost empty makes the audience focus on Neo and the bullets and makes them stand out instead of focusing on other objects around the room. Neo’s presence in this scene also gives a sense of power due to his calm personality and approach while handling this situation.

One film that I believe features excellent techniques and Mise-en-scene is Joker.

One method the director used throughout the film was low-key and Chiaroscuro lighting in scenes. Doing this creates a dark environment and adds to the character’s personality. The film also uses dark blues and reds to convey the emotion of sadness and anger, which the character significantly represents.

This film also uses long shots throughout the whole film. However, they were used at the beginning to show the audience how lonely and isolated The Joker is. While at the end of the film, they had long shots to show the audience the number of people supporting him and the crimes that he has committed.

Another way that the director used Mise-en-scene to convey emotion is through costume and makeup. The use of the Joker’s costume (a suit) gave a sense of false hope that he is sane and well put together. However, his clown makeup gives a sense of lost childhood and immature nature.

Another forte that the director did well was the use of props. One of the most wildly used props was the help of a mask. This was to show the audience how The Joker was hiding behind a mask for most of his life and that now the mask has become who he is.

The last thing that the director did was help the actor portray emotion through facial expressions. Using his fingers to create a fake smile effectively shows the audience how he does not know how to feel emotions and makes the audience feel very uncomfortable.

Using all of these micro and macro elements, the director was able to successfully create a memorable character and a beautiful aesthetic movie.