Alternative Thinking

After our discussion in COM 103 on Monday, my views of movie media drastically changed. I was really brought to realize just how much effort and intentional design goes into creating a film. Angles. Lighting. Weather. Every seemingly minuscule detail is actually used to convey a very specific, purposeful message to the viewers. By using certain angles and filming techniques, the director is able to subconsciously plant an idea in your head. You are only seeing what they want you to see. 

So then the question becomes, what do they want you to see? Well, I recently went and saw "The Roommate" with a couple of friends. While watching this film, I became acutely aware of how important each and every angle is. In one scene in particular, the assumed crazy roommate is supposedly lurking in the bathroom, while another girl is in the shower. Rather than just filming the girl in the shower, or the girl who is sneaking around the bathroom, the camera pans from several angles across the bathroom. This technique brings a lot of added suspense to the scene. 

Lighting is also a very important element when making a film. Darker lighting could suggest an underlying evil, sadness, or even death; whereas brighter lighting could point to hope, joy, or ultimate freedom or salvation. When I was watching "The Roommate," I noticed that darker lighting was especially used in scenes of deception or evil. Whenever the (crazy) roommate was causing trouble, the lighting was dark as if to suggest the mischief.

One more scene that particularly caught my attention in this film was the library scene. The angles as well as the lighting in this scene were both very instrumental in creating a very specific vibe. As the roommate is stalking her roommate's boyfriend, the camera shifts back and forth between his face and hers. This creates a massive amount of suspense because you absolutely cannot wait to see if Stephen (the boyfriend) will notice her staring at him! Not only that, but the lighting is very dull and creepy, which only adds to the mood.

As you can see, there are many different ways to shape what viewers are truly seeing when they watch a movie. Through camera angles, lighting, and various other techniques, directors are virtually able to control exactly what the viewers perceive. It no longer becomes a matter of what you're seeing, it becomes a matter of why.