Cinematic Points of View

1. Rhetorical Analysis of Media Cinematic Points of View

2. Pay Attention! When viewing a film, pay attention to not only what you see but also how it is being shown and why it is being shown that way…

3. Cinematic Points of View (POV) The different ways the movie camera sees the subjectwhich is taking place before it. Not to be confused with literary points of view (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, etc.)

4. Our Essential Questions:Cinematic POV • From what position and through what kind of eyes does the camera see the action? • What effect do the position of the camera and its particular ways of seeing the action have on our response to the action? • How is our response affected by changes in point of view? (We expect the filmmaker to take us from one vantage point to another.)

5. Watch for the changing POV and how you are affected by them… 2010 – Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

6. Objective Point of View • Objective= Observer • Considered to be the window an audience can look through from the outside to watch the events in the film • The audience only watches and doesn’t participate • The audience is an impersonal observer • A static (non-moving) camera is used

7. Cinematic Point of View Spectrum • Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in the film’s action High Mid Low Objective

8. Subjective Point of View • Provides the audience with the visual viewpoint and emotional intensity felt by a character participating in the action • This allows for the audience’s direct involvement, thus literally forcing the audience to become the characters and experience their emotions. • Generally, this viewpoint is created using a moving camera.

9. Cinematic Point of View Spectrum • Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in the film’s action High Mid Low Objective Subjective

10. Let’s see an example of Subjective POV… 1978 – John Carpenter (Escape from New York, The Thing)

11. Indirect-Subjective Point of View • Doesn’t provide a participant’s point of view, but does bring the audience close to the action so that they feel involved and the visual experience is intense. • The audience knows they aren’t the character, but they feel with the character. • Example: A face contorted in pain makes the audience feel pain.

12. Quentin Tarrantino’sKill Bill (2003-04) does this effectively…

13. Cinematic Point of View Spectrum • Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in the film’s action High Mid Low Subjective Indirect-Subjective Objective

14. Let’s see an example ofIndirect-Subjective POV… • 1998 – Steven Spielberg (Jaws, ET, Indiana Jones, Lincoln… and EVERYTHING ELSE!)

15. Director’s Interpretive • Allows the director to manipulate the audience in subtle (or not-so-subtle) ways • The filmmaker chooses not only what to show but also how the audience will see it by using special angles, lenses, motions, etc. • The audience is aware that the director wants them to see the action in some unusual way. • Forces the audience to see a particular detail

16. And Kill Bill again from a different POV…

17. Cinematic Point of View Spectrum • Based on the amount of audience closeness to/ participation in the film’s action Plus one other: Director’s Interpretative High Mid Low Subjective Indirect-Subjective Objective

18. Let’s see an example ofDirector’s Interpretive POV… 2004 - Zach Braff (um, Scrubs?)

19. Can you identify the changing POV in the next clip? 2001 – Rob Cohen (xXx, Alex Cross)