mise-en-scène

Mise-en-scène is a French phrase which means “the things in the scene.”¹

This phrase is a classic part of film theory which emphasizes the importance of all the things that go into any shot in a movie. That includes the location and scenery, the actors, the lighting, the motion, etc.

The idea is that every element that you put in front of the camera should have a bearing on the development of the story. In theory, the more “things in the scene” are relevant to or representative of the themes of the film, the more impactful the film will be.

You don’t have to be Steven Spielberg to take advantage of mise-en-scène.

Before posting or recording any piece of content, simply take a moment to ask yourself two questions:

• How many of the things in this post could point to the value I am trying to communicate?
• Is there any minor or background element that was overlooked which might accidentally be detracting from the overall effect?

1. If you are interested in cooking or baking, you may be familiar with a similar phrase, mise en place, or “everything in place,” which is used to describe the first step of collecting all your ingredients and tools in front of you before you begin. ↩︎

no McGuffins

In film theory, a McGuffin is a story element which drives the plot and is essential to the motivations of the characters, but which is insignificant to the audience.

Maps, treasures, ticking time bombs, glass slippers, magic rings—you get the idea.

The McGuffin is fictional, which means it can’t actually help or hurt the audience, so the audience doesn’t really care about it one way or the other. We only care how it affects the development of the characters and the plot.

Here’s the thing . . .

It can be tempting to create content about something that is very interesting and motivating to you, but if it is unattainable by the audience then it’s just a McGuffin.

McGuffins aren’t bad, per se, but they are a pretty clear sign that you’ve crossed over into the realm of entertainment rather than education or anything else you might be aiming for in your content.

Remember, if your content revolves around a McGuffin, it’s not actually the McGuffin which is the subject of interest, it’s you.

auteur theory

In film studies, there’s a concept known as auteur theory, which is the idea that the best film directors function in a similar way for their films as an author does for a book.

The auteur has the vision for the final product of the film and control over every aspect of the production to shape the final product to fit that vision.

Not every film is helmed by an auteur, but those that are bear the unique fingerprint and perspective of that person in every detail.

You are the auteur of your business.

Does your content bear the marks of the distinct vision and perspective that motivated you to go into business in the first place?