On the Scene, Take the Shot, End the Sequence

This is an essay I wrote that really seems to explain my life as a film student very well. It was too long to be a blog entry, so I thought this would be the best place for it. Enjoy.

Can you identify exposition? How about a denouement? Or perhaps you know the difference between a shot, scene, and a sequence? Do you have your own meaning for getting a grip? Is the first thing you think of when you hear “dolly” something other than a little girl’s toy? Or do you appreciate the differences between long shots, close-ups, and extreme close-ups? Face it, friend, you’re a film geek.

Not that that’s specifically a bad thing. Many, many, many people attend films, buy DVDs, attend the local movie theater, and spend hours at home watching films on TV. It’s one of the most well-recognized and interesting forms of storytelling and artful expression, as well as being the vehicle for some of the best known fictional characters of all time, from the Ghostbusters to Neo of the Matrix, and from Jason Bourne and James Bond to Indiana Jones. Movies are a big part of the lives of people throughout the world, but film geeks are the ones who take that enjoyment a step further, and actually go out of their way to figure out how films work, and dedicate their lives’ work to creating the media that they’re so familiar with.

One of the first things that you’ll notice when you get talking with film geeks (or, if you prefer, filmmakers), is that many of them have seen more than their fair share of films, and many of them have seen the same films not only once, but upwards of five times each. This is not only because they simply love watching movies in general, but also because there are many subtle details to pick up each time that you watch a well-made film. (I know, myself, there are some films that I’ve personally watched over twenty times, many times just by my lonesome, because non-film friends don’t seem to appreciate the multiple showings of The Man Who Would Be King, or even the sixth viewing of Casino Royale.)

Most aspiring filmmakers watch films completely differently than the average viewer. While an audience may not know what they’re in for, a filmmaker will look for clues. From the music, to the lighting, to the symbolism of the shots, each and every scene in a film is another piece to the film’s overall puzzle. Where an audience may simply be looking for snappy dialogue, or breathtaking special effects, the filmmaker’s trained eye will be more focused on the specific lighting during a scene, or the unique camera positioning, or the symbolism of a certain prop or costume.

More often than not, a filmmaker will know instinctively what will happen in a film, regardless of the fact that it might be his first viewing of the movie. I can tell you from experience, that it is a very rare occasion indeed when I am surprised by the twists that a film takes. After watching well over 1000 films, I have a pretty good grasp on the formulas that stories have, and how these formulas are generally applied, regardless of whatever “setting” the story might be taking place in. I remember, the very first time watching Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, knowing instinctively each upcoming scene, and verbally “calling the shots” as I was sitting there in the movie theater with my friends. (Unfortunately, the only ones who seem to appreciate this behavior are fellow filmmakers, so you’ve really got to be careful how loud you are.) I had the same experience more recently with Rush Hour 3, Hairspray, and The Notebook. It doesn’t diminish the appreciation of the films, mind you, but in fact, enriches the experience because you’re able to better understand the “magic” behind the making of these mystical stories that play out on the silver screen.

Filmmakers are notorious for their rather interesting dialogue, and strange vocabulary. Where most might come out of a movie saying “that was such a great movie”, or even “that movie sucked”, an aspiring filmmaker will unconsciously begin to tell you why. Why was the scene where the coach had to face up to the referee important? Why was in necessary that the shot of the strange statue be repeatedly shown, but also skewed as the time past? Why is it important that the main character was back-lit but otherwise in shadows in the final scene, while the villain was lit with softer light and given a halo effect? Why did the main character have to die? For those “in the know”, these discussions are interesting, intriguing, and are absolutely essential to the enjoyment of a film. But to those on the outside of such a circle, the conversations are complicated, unnecessary, and seemingly too obsessive over relatively trivial matters, when it’s just as easy to say that the movie was either “good” or “bad” depending on if the audience liked it or not.

Like most any sub-culture, filmmakers can be a little obsessive. There are as many different kinds of emphasis in a filmmaker’s mind as there are different films, from those more focused on the action-oriented styles of directors like Michael Bay or Doug Limon, the romantic stylings of John Bailey or Lazlo Kovacs, or even the mind-twisting themes of the Wachowski Brothers. Every filmmaker will have his favorites, and will obviously enjoy certain films over others. Because of this, they can become a little defensive when one of their favorite films isn’t considered “worthy” for discussion.

Movies make up a filmmaker’s life, and the study of them make up his work. They take over his thoughts, his dreams, his ideas, and even permeate into his relationships. Many filmmakers, especially writers and directors, will carry small notebooks with them to jot down ideas for dialogue, scenes, or even full stories that come without warning into their minds. Every part of their life, it seems, can be used as inspiration for a film. We’ve all seen the stereotypical “visualization” of a shot by a film geek when he puts his fingers up as a rectangle to “frame” the shot. These kinds of actions are pretty normal in this world of movie magic.

So whether you’re on the outside looking through the darkened glass, trying to understand what the big difference is between soft and hard lighting, or if you’re a guy on the inside wondering why your friends just don’t understand the reason for necessary exposition, you can learn to appreciate the strange, widely appreciated but usually misunderstood world of the filmmakers.