Mise-en-scène is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for film production, both in visual arts through storyboarding, visual theme, and cinematography, and in narrative storytelling through the direction.

What is considered mise en scene in film?It refers to everything placed on the stage or in front of the camera—including people. In other words, mise en scène is a catch-all for everything that contributes to the visual presentation and overall “look” of a production. When translated from French, it means “placing on stage.”

It is everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—composition, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting.