Do you see what I see?
Being behind the scenes of student production brings awareness to the term “Perspective.” As humans, we all know by now that people see things differently even if they are viewing the same thing. There are a thousand and one ways to process and interpret a scene. We especially see this in films and often wonder if we are comprehending the scenes correctly. Some movie producers intentionally leave so much room for the mind to imagine multiple outcomes that the viewers may never truly know which is the correct way or if there is a correct way to interpret the film. For example, the well-known film “Fight Club” had us all thinking that Tyler Durden was a real person when in all actuality it was the narrator with Dissociative Identity disorder.
The history of Film goes back hundreds of years. The filming equipment was much heavier and so the filmmakers were limited with mobility and special shots. They mainly used a 2nd/3rd person POV, and color tv was not available until the 40s/50s. As time progressed and resources evolved, we start to see a huge shift in perspectives in camera shots and story narratives. Fast forward to the present time and now we have drones! We also have cranes and special trailers built just for driving scenes. Camera guys are getting extra creative and this is resulting in amazing perspective shots. The best part of being behind the scenes in student production is the equipment we get to use to portray the best perspective possible!
Disney paved the way for new perspective!
Walt Disney has accumulated mass amounts of money from their early movies. Now Walt Disney has the newest most-advanced equipment along with the professional editors to show for it. Disney went from early Mickey Mouse short cartoons to Marvel Comic Films. People from all over the world show up in masses to see the beautifully constructed masterpieces. As you can see in the timeline below, Walt Disney has created hits since the ’30s and’40s. They even had the first character animation movie with live actors included. This was legendary at that time! Disney continues to dominate the film-making field and few studios can compete. Many filmmakers were inspired significantly by Disney. One of the keys to their success is their ability to present a variety of different perspectives camera-wise and narrative-wise.
Why is perspective so important in production?
Being a production major who is currently directing and producing films, I am learning many shooting techniques. Perspective seems to be my favorite part of the process so far. I have begun dabbling into the different shots that can pull an audience into the story. With the available resources, I practice shooting a variety of different angles to portray a specific mood or theme.
All types of camera shots have a psychological meaning behind them. Say I want the subject to appear powerful, I film from a low point and angle the camera view upwards. If I want to create a spooky film where a perspective is of a 1st person point-of-view (POV). I can add a special effect where it looks as though the camera is blinking its eyes open slowly. Then in the next shot, a blurry shadowy figure slowly appears standing there with a knife pointed directly at the camera lens. A unique perspective is a genius tool that filmmakers can use to their advantage. We have seen many filmmakers use this exact example and it really makes the audience feel as though it is real, and they personally connect to the film.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelby Bercegeay
Student Author - Spring 2021
I am a Digital Media Production Major. I am skilled in Adobe Audition, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe After Effects. I enjoy graphic design and creating my own music with Ableton Live Push. I am a local DJ who also does videography and audio recording. I enjoy doing live sports broadcasts. I am a fast learner and I enjoy learning new skills.
