Mise-en-scène can refer to the setting of a play, movie, etc., or it can refer to the physical or social setting in which something real occurs or develops.

// The mise-en-scène is spare, comprising only a table and two chairs under a low-hanging light.

// We fell in love with the blue skies and gorgeous architecture that form the mise-en-scène of this southern European city.

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“The mise-en-scène is sumptuous, with rich colors and intricate production and costume design filling the widescreen frames with visual splendor.” — Kat Sachs, The Chicago Reader, 21 Mar. 2024

In French, mise en scène literally means “the action of putting onto the stage.” The term originated in stage drama, where it refers to the way actors and scenery props are arranged; as its usage expanded into other narrative arts, its meaning shifted. In film production, mise-en-scène refers to all of the elements that comprise a single shot; that includes, but is not limited to, the actors, setting, props, costumes, and lighting. (The director of a play or film is sometimes called the metteur en scène—literally, “one who puts on the stage.”) In general use, mise-en-scène can refer simply to one’s environment or milieu, as in “we spent our vacation enjoying the mise-en-scène of the Tuscan countryside.”