Basic Film Techniques: Exhibit A

Subjective Camera:

Dick defines the concept of the subjective shot/camera, as the shot that “represents what the character sees”, later explaining that it “offers a one-sided take on reality”(Dick 56). In other words, the subjective shot is captured as though looking through the eyes and perspective of only one character, usually the main one. When the subjective shot is being used, the viewer is unable to see the physical form of the character it is being filmed through, since the shot is coming directly from their gaze alone. When used, it depicts the story from only one perspective, revealing only that character’s emotion, and standpoint. The movie that stands out to me the most when I think of this particular style of filming is Taken. When the young girl in the film is being captured, the camera shot quickly switches back and forth from subjective to objective, allowing the viewer to grasp a better understanding of the horrific emotion that Kim(the character in the scene) is going through at this time. In this particular clip, there is only a glimpse of the scene I am describing, but its’ easy to get the idea (starting about 30 seconds into the trailer).

The most unnerving part to me is when Kim is lying under the bed, only moments away from seizure. The camera holds the subjective shot for a few extra seconds, and lets the viewer feel as if he or she is actually with Kim under the bed awaiting for the capture. This technique serves its purpose impeccably in this scene. It draws the viewer in emotionally, and connects them to the character on a more personal level. Most commonly this technique is used in scary/horror films to make the reader feel as if he or she is a part of the drama. Here, it definitely succeeds.

American Montage:

Dick goes deeper into his discussion of the montage introducing the idea of the American montage where he explains “time is collapsed as shots blend together, wipe each other away or are superimposed on each other”(Dick 68). He says “a typical American montage might consist of calendar pages blowing away as one month yields to another, while headlines proclaiming the main events ot the time period are superimposed over the calendar pages”(Dick 68). From what I understand, the American montage is a director’s way of fast forwarding the timeline of the story so that the viewer remains informed and aware of the events that may have occurred during that stretch of time. A perfect example of the American montage is in The Lion King when Simba miraculously grows from a cub to a fully developed lion in just one scene (starting at about 2:50).

By using the technique of the American montage, the director is able to project this growth of Simba in a way that seems completely normal to the viewer. Although time is fast-forwarded significantly, the viewer feels as though they have missed nothing of importance. The director cuts out almost all of Simba’s childhood, but in this particular story, the information he chooses to cut out would have been completely irrelevant to the plot line, and is rightfully omitted. By using the technique of the American montage, the director cuts out useless information, and furthers the story, thus making room for more important details that are necessary for the plot. This specific American montage serves its’ purpose for the film’s story very accurately.

Contrast Cut:

In explaining the idea of a cut to the reader, Dick takes the time to describe a particular type called the contrast cut. He says, “in a contrast cut, the images replacing each other are dissimilar in nature (Dick 69). The contrast cut connects two completely irrelevant shots together in one scene, often jumping back and forth between the two. At the time, the two shots usually have no connection to one another in the mind of the viewer, although most commonly they eventually tie back together later in the film. The contrast cut seems to be used to highlight the differences of the two subjects being filmed, while forcing the viewer to crave a better understanding of their relation. One of the best contrast cuts that stuck out in my head was the one at the beginning of Knocked Up. The director first captures the outrageous lifestyle of one of the main characters Ben, and then does a dramatic contrast cut to the much more reserved, and average lifestyle of the other main character Alison(the actual cut takes place at 1:03).

These two characters have no relation what so ever from what the viewer understands, and the contrast cut serves its’ purpose justly by pushing the reader’s curiosity of their future connection. The contrast furthers the plot, interests the viewer, and starts a relationship between the two main characters of the film, thus acting exactly as the director intends.