This past weekend I was thinking about something which should not be apparent, but will add a lot to the amount you will enjoy a movie: the techniques used to make a movie. I have never studied film (although I watch a lot of them) and I am not planning to start a study either, but I wondered:
Do you think knowing a lot about the techniques used for making movies can make you enjoy a movie less, because you might be focussing on it instead of the movie?
So let’s say you know a lot about cameras and camera moves, wouldn’t you constantly look at what is being done and realise you are watching someone operating a camera instead on focussing on what matters, a compelling story. I personally do not focus too much on them and think if I would I would need to watch movies at least twice and realistically I’d rather watch another movie instead of seeing something twice.
That’s an interesting question. I guess I’ve never thought about a certain technique used to make a film. I get distracted by some of the protocol certain characters follow in movies when I know it wouldn’t fly. Or I get distracted by error in continuity, but I never thought of it from that perspective. Interesting! I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks.
Yeah, when something doesn’t seem right it can take you out of it. Interested in other opinions as well 🙂
I don’t focus on technique … but bad costuming, inaccurate historical background … any kind of factual errors just stop me dead. In Independence Day, when Jeff Goldblum is uploading a virus to kill the invading aliens, I asked the immediate world when he last charged his laptop. Because he’d been using that laptop for days and never plugged it in once. It disconnected me from the movie. Stuff like that annoys me. Cars from the wrong decade parked on the street, inventions from the wrong century.
Garry gets aggravated by 1950s clothing in movies supposedly set in the 1890s. I get pissed off by Indians riding horseback using saddles and stirrups … and cowboys who post to a trot. And pictures of Boston that are obviously New York.
You thought about the laptop battery? I was thinking more about how the hell would you connect it to an alien ship 🙂
I never pay too much attention to clothing, but can imagine that if you have an eye for it.
Yeah, that too. Like, don’t the aliens have — you know, a firewall? I mean really! I just figured forget about the firewall. By that time, his battery was stone cold DEAD. If not, I want that battery!
As for the clothing — we were watching a Fred Astaire movie last night. Edward Everett Horton was wearing an OVERCOAT, HAT AND SCARF on the deck of a ship. The girls around him were in BATHING SUITS. Not hard to notice that! No need for an eye … just a brain 🙂
Well, you know people walk around with their sunglasses on when it is dark, so maybe he just wanted to be stylish 😉
I guess unless I’m specifically looking for certain camera moves/techniques, I just detach myself from thinking about how a film is made. I’ve worked on a lot of short films and stuff, so I don’t know why I don’t think about it more, but I guess I just focus on the finished product in front of me!
It is good that you can do that, but it was something I wondered about.
I studied film making for three years – and hope to study it for another two more years – but a film has never been ruined because I’ve been concentrating on the camera angles.
If a film is good, you forget all about the technique and the camera moves. You get engaged in the film and the story. If it’s not good, at least I can get some enjoyment by dissecting it.
The one area I do find myself paying too much attention to is the script. Because I know how films are structured, I think ahead and try to predict where a film will go. For good films, this isn’t a problem.
However, I have found myself disappointed when a bad film doesn’t quite do justice to everything that comes before it. Often I have planned a film that is better, using the same elements.
Think it is very interesting to hear from someone who is really studying it. As for trying to predict what happens, I always do that and some movies are bad in hiding it (RIPD is a very recent example which comes to mind). It is good that you are able to see the potential even if the end result isn’t good.
No, knowing the technique does not distract me from enjoying the film. Like Marilyn, poor set design and costuming would cause problems.
I can imagine it can do that. Thanks for your thoughts Victor!
I am fascinated with the one camera extended shot sequence. I know they did it in Gravity. The opening scene was like 13 minutes with one camera and another memorable one was in the beginning of the original 12 Angry Men. Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese do it a lot.
They do usually stand out and are amazing to watch, especially knowing that everything needed to go perfect.
I’m not studying film in anyway, so i never really know about camera techniques.. but i often noticed if a film use specific technique that elevate the film for me, when i recognized the technique usually i become more aware if similar technique is used on another film but fail to bring the same result.
So.. yeah XD It only becomes a problem if i found it annoying (sometimes not knowing the technique can still annoy me if its not used properly)
Yeah, I had that when someone once pointed out lens flares, something I never noticed…once you know it, it really stands out 🙂
Personally, I don’t think so. I think knowing technicalities might give you a different appreciation of film in general. But I don’t think it detracts from your enjoyment of it. Maybe! I’m not full of technical film knowledge!
Yeah, that seems the general idea looking at other comments 🙂