For as long as I can remember, movie nights have been a staple in my household. Our best nights are spent lying way too close to the TV, surrounded by warm blankets and the smell of pizza. It’s something that, regardless of school and work and the general things in life that usually get in the way of spending time with one another, we’ve managed to hold onto. I think it’s the comfort and connection that I get from time spent together, arguing over whose turn it was to pick the movie, that pushed me to want to become a filmmaker, having this dream of being able to create that feeling for other people.
As a first-time director, I really only ever perceived movies from the viewpoint of an audience member. While writing, I could pinpoint those key moments when the audience should feel something, but identifying and executing are two very different things. It took practice to realize the things beside dialogue that convey emotions: lighting and sound. Lighting includes, of course, making sure that everything can be seen visually, but it’s also used to affect the mood of a scene. Imagine yourself surrounded by dim lights that cast shadows on your surroundings. The uncertainty of what could be hidden in the darkness would make most feel tense and nervous. On the flip side, bright warm lighting typically brings out feelings of comfort or safety. Sounds go hand in hand with lighting to affect the tone of a scene. Low rumbles and creaking floorboards are go-tos in horror movies, while heavy piano notes are usually paired with serious dramas. The same can be said for the absence of sound in the form of long, drawn-out silence.
If you were to watch older movies from 50 or 60 years ago to newer ones, you’ll see some key differences. Aside from the obvious fashion choices, language, and the subject of their humor, you might notice a difference in how things are portrayed on screen. There’s a film making style known as intensified continuity that’s used to amplify the emotional impact of certain scenes, which is associated with more modern films. It involves using fast-paced editing styles, quick cuts, specific camera movements, and extreme close-ups as a way for directors to achieve this.
If you’re a fan of action movies, then you’re probably familiar with these techniques. Take any Marvel movie for example. They typically use these stylistic choices in fight sequences to imitate the high energy of the scene. Personally, horror and thriller have always been my favorite genres and they use the idea of intensified continuity in slightly different ways. Focusing less on dialogue and more on creating that suspenseful atmosphere through handheld camera movements that move naturally with the characters. Both of these uses place the audience in the same moment as the characters, making them an active participant in what they’re seeing.
Understanding these practices has made creating my first short film easier when it came to planning out how shots would look and throughout the extensive editing process. All films have two ways of telling a story: through the choices made by characters in what they do or say, and in the technical choices made with lights, sounds, and colors. Even if you don’t plan on being a filmmaker someday, it’s interesting to be able to identify how these style choices that sometimes fade into the background play with your emotions and while affecting your movie watching experience.
