What if there were a way to step inside a fictional world that has always been out of reach?
Tucked into a corner on the second floor of an Industry City studio in Sunset Park, Mise en Scènt can transport you into any scene from your favorite movie. From the ultimate Y2K sleepover with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to braving teenage sex and death at Camp Miasma to finding out whether Edward Cullen’s skin really does sparkle, this female-founded candle studio is dedicated to bringing the films you love to life and helping you live out your main-character dreams.
Tickets cost $48 and include a candle, themed stickers and jewels to decorate the tin, as well as a curated scent menu. Workshops last 90 minutes to two hours, and the film plays on a big screen throughout for attendees to watch and discuss.
None of this would happen without the person behind it all: Greer Temnick. The 32-year-old fell in love with storytelling while earning a master’s degree in modern and contemporary literature in Scotland, then went on to co-found a digital marketing agency. There, she worked with perfumeries, skincare brands and luxury goods companies, which introduced her to the world of scent.
A film fanatic herself, she began hosting events with friends to see whether pairing movies with candle-making could become more than a passion project.
“The best way to describe it is a curated scent menu experience where you get to adult craft,” Temnick said. “When people already come really passionate about one of their favorite things, it’s impossible not to have a good time.”
Greer Temnick, founder of Mise en Scènt, brings her love of film and fragrance together through the Brooklyn candle studio.Photo by Isabella Appell
Intention shapes every part of Temnick’s planning: which movies offer the “smelliest” options, which snacks suit each film’s world and which themes excite different audiences most. She tries to build each event around a shared love of a topic, hoping that common ground makes people comfortable enough to come alone.
She starts with the film’s most memorable scenes, then layers in scents that nod to the story. The scent menu for the studio’s “Twilight” class, for instance, included Bella’s Lullaby, with notes of piano wood, cherry blossom and vanilla; Jacob Black, with palo santo, saffron and sandalwood; and The Volturi, named for the saga’s most powerful vampire coven, with blood orange, anise and absinthe.
The first half of each session is spent meeting everyone, picking out snacks and drinks and looking through the scent menu. To make the candle, Temnick provides a wick, hot wax, which she pours for attendees, fragrance oils to use on their own or blend together, and a small gray tin. As the candle sets, attendees can watch the film, chat with one another and help themselves to popcorn, movie candy, wine and nonalcoholic drinks.
The point of these events isn’t just to watch the films, she said, but to have a place where people can talk about them, something different from sitting in a dark theater. Seeing people swap Letterboxd usernames before they leave is one of her favorite parts.
“Anytime someone reaches out to me, it just feels so validating,” Temnick said.
Attendees make movie-inspired candles during a Mise en Scènt workshop at Industry City, where film screenings are paired with hands-on crafting.Photo by Isabella Appell
Hridee Patel, 28, found Mise en Scènt through an Instagram ad. As a movie lover who turns to crafts to unwind from her full-time job, she said coming to the event felt meant to be. Crafting may be having a moment, Patel said, but it never really went away. People just need to go out and try it.
“It’s a great entry-level event to get into hobbies,” Patel said. “I think people need to get out there, experience some art and come get your hands dirty.”
Although some classes, like “Twilight” and Y2K, skew female, Temnick said most draw a mixed crowd, including those themed around “Twin Peaks” and “The X-Files.” Candles are often seen as feminine because they’re considered a luxury, she said, and adding movies to the mix breaks down that boundary and makes men comfortable buying them, too.
Mise en Scènt aims to host 10 events a month, split between recurring themes and new ones. Beyond its workshops, the studio regularly partners with film festivals, movie theaters and bookstores to bring its original candles to the public. Candle sales, online and through partners, remain its main source of revenue, and those partnerships put the brand in places candles don’t usually show up.
Past partners include the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, California; the Music Box Theatre in Chicago; and the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Whether it’s for a new release or an anniversary, like the boiled potato candle made with Focus Features for “Pride & Prejudice,” Temnick said she hopes the candles serve as an extension of the movie for both the people who made it and the people who watch it. It’s another way to live in that world, she said.
Mise en Scènt’s “Twilight” workshop featured scents inspired by characters and elements from the vampire saga, including Bella’s Lullaby, Jacob Black and The Volturi.Photo by Isabella Appell 
From left, Julia Kushani, Hridee Patel and Erica Chase attend a movie-inspired candle-making workshop at Mise en Scènt in Industry City.
Erica Chase, 31, was new to New York from Florida and looking to make friends when she came across Mise en Scènt on Instagram. She came alone, as did Julia, 28, who sat across the table from Chase and Patel. Julia said the workshops combine two of her hobbies while giving her a place to meet like-minded people.
The table agreed that the space Temnick curates works for longtime fans of the film and first-time viewers alike. From the cardboard cutout of Edward at the entrance to the “Twilight” stickers decorating each tin, the room is full of creative touches.
Mise en Scènt also hosts private events and birthday parties and takes custom candle orders, with care put into every product that leaves the studio. From Marie Antoinette-themed cakes by local bakers to apple bonbons for the “Twilight” class, Temnick builds an experience that goes beyond the screen. Taste and scent go hand in hand, she said, but the two are rarely experienced together while watching a film, so connecting them is one of her main goals.
The monthly schedule is posted on the Mise en Scènt website and Instagram. Crafters, movie lovers and everyone in between can email Temnick at hello@miseenscent.com with questions about candles, private events and more.
“I’m just having the time of my life,” Temnick said. “Providing a space where people can just comfortably talk about movies in a celebratory way — it’s so special.”