Mise-en-scène (French: [mi.z‿ɑ̃.sɛn]; English: "placing on stage" or "what is put into the scene") is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in visual arts through storyboarding, visual theme, and cinematography, and in narrative storytelling through direction. The term is also commonly used to refer to single scenes that are representative of a film. Mise-en-scène has been called film criticism's "grand undefined term." It has been criticized for its focus on the theatrical or dramatic design aspects rather than the plot itself, as those who utilize mise-en-scène tend to look at what is "put before the camera," rather than the story. The use of mise-en-scène is significant as it allows the director to convey messages to the viewer through what is placed in the scene, not just the content of the scene.