What You See Is What You Get... Maybe

Is a movie ever just a movie? Can we truly consume entertainment simply for the pleasure of its content, or is there always an underlying meaning whether we notice it or not? What happens when we are constantly being given messages beneath the surface, if we even choose to pay close enough attention? Reality can be a scary place if you actually think about it. The world of media is incessantly trying to think of new and improved ways to produce media that will appeal to the consumers. You may be able to run, but you will never be able to hide from media.

One topic we discussed this past week in COM103 was the realization of certain angles or styles that are used in media, specifically in cinematography. The director of the film, television show, or documentary makes thousand of stylistic choices that help to decide how the viewers will interpret the piece. Lighting, camera angles, and even background music are all essential to the viewing experience. Without each of these elements, the piece will fall flat, and the story will be lost.

A show that is particular popular in my age and gender demographic is Pretty Little Liars. In this murder mystery show (though it is oh so cute and teen-loved, as well), four best friends suffer the loss of their "leader," Alison, under very peculiar circumstances. Evidence points towards homicide, but even after the body is found, the police cannot seem to nail down a viable suspect. During this time, the four girls begin to receive frightening text messages from someone who calls him/herself "A." Throughout the show, these four friends search to find out the truth of just what happened to their best friend on that unforgettable night.

In the picture above, we see a one of the texts that the girls receive from "A." This scene is shot particularly well because it allows the viewer to not only see the reaction of the reader (the friends' faces are shown before this frame), but it also shows the viewer the message itself. This angle truly puts you in the shoes of the girl receiving the text, because it is angled as if you were reading it yourself. The story is really brought to life simply by the angle of the camera.

A more obvious effect used during the show is the use of background music to intensify a scene. Because the show is typically classified as a murder mystery, it is probable that you expected a lot of dramatic or even frightening sequences to take place-- You're absolutely correct in this assumption. There are many "jump" scenes in Pretty Little Liars, and almost each of these is characterized by climatic background music. The slow, eery music only adds to the sense of fear that is already building as the viewers watch the scene play out.

Pretty Little Liars has a genre; it has a theme; it has a story. Each different camera angle, every note of background music; it's all chosen to help fully encompass the feeling of the show. It is the director's job to fully engage the viewer. By the end of the first episode, viewers should be totally hooked and longing to see more. This ability to draw you in and engross you in the characters and the plot is what directors pride themselves on. It is their decisions that make us care. Without them, the stories that we all care so much about would be lost.