Watching a movie
- Thread starter Intergage
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I like VFX, editing and camera work (Of any kind) so I laid back on my bed, turned on The Book of Eli again and tried to watch the movie / enjoy it (As I do love the movie) but the only thing I could do was watch how it was made, trying to figure out effects, etc as I said in an earlier post.
I guess I just have to watch myself more and more and try and train myself in turning off the film critic in me. Looks like it's going to be hard.
I guess I just have to watch myself more and more and try and train myself in turning off the film critic in me. Looks like it's going to be hard.
The first time I watch a movie, I watch it as a whole. My mind is still thinking about the visual effects, dialogues, references, camera setups, etc. but only in the background.
If I feel that the movie should get an in-depth look, I might watch it again, and again. Maybe leave it in the background as I go around doing other things at home. I find mysef to catch little details about it when I'm not paying full attention to the movie.
If I feel that the movie should get an in-depth look, I might watch it again, and again. Maybe leave it in the background as I go around doing other things at home. I find mysef to catch little details about it when I'm not paying full attention to the movie.
If I get to watch a movie with my buddy John (on his BluRay projector screen!) who is a fanatic when it comes to lighting & camera, we will hit pause when we want to study a shot and analyze the heck out of it; from lighting to set design to color to camera position, etc. Look at what they did with the walls. Check out the windows. Did you catch the background here? Watch what they cut to. I think there was a screening of Seven that took us almost 4 hours to get through. So much fun. Movie nerds unite!
And then there's the slo-mo playback to deconstruct all the fancy editing.
And then there's the slo-mo playback to deconstruct all the fancy editing.
Yep, I do this too. First shot of a movie generally I'll say "Yep, this was shot on film." or "Yep, this was shot digitally." And then I'll notice things like flares and oval bokeh telling me something was shot with anamorphic lenses. I'll notice the 180 rule, and how it gets complicated with more people. Music, acting, writing, plot, wide angle distortion. I notice it all, and it can be frustrating at times. But if a film is good enough, generally I'll be able to switch off and just enjoy it. Only then upon repeat viewings will I tear it apart.
I am more this way at home than in the theater. As was said earlier in the thread, it's only really bad acting or writing that will bug me in the theater. Or gratuitous CGI. Unless something is particularly cool; then I'll spend plenty of the rest of the film thinking about it. Like a shot in The Green Hornet that keeps splitting off into multiple cameras. The movie itself is hardly great, but that one shot in particular got me thinking.
I am more this way at home than in the theater. As was said earlier in the thread, it's only really bad acting or writing that will bug me in the theater. Or gratuitous CGI. Unless something is particularly cool; then I'll spend plenty of the rest of the film thinking about it. Like a shot in The Green Hornet that keeps splitting off into multiple cameras. The movie itself is hardly great, but that one shot in particular got me thinking.
I do not have this problem.
If something is truly outstanding, in one way or another, then I notice it. But that doesn't ruin my experience, or take me out of the movie. On the contrary, it sucks me in, even further.
I had the great pleasure of watching "Jurassic Park" on the big screen, a couple weeks ago. I spent probably half of the movie in awe of simple things like placement and movement of camera (stuff I didn't notice when I was 13, but now I do, because I'm a filmmaker), and I had the time of my life.
You might think I was only able to do this because I've seen "Jurassic Park" a million times. However, in semi-recent-memory, I recall having a similar experience when I saw "Children of Men", for the first time. Didn't ruin my experience. Didn't pull me out of the story. Loved every minute of it.
Also, I notice stuff that is outrageously horrible. And, of course that takes me out of the movie.
But stuff in the middle, stuff that's good but not particularly excellent, I'm just a regular patron of cinema; I just follow the story.
If something is truly outstanding, in one way or another, then I notice it. But that doesn't ruin my experience, or take me out of the movie. On the contrary, it sucks me in, even further.
I had the great pleasure of watching "Jurassic Park" on the big screen, a couple weeks ago. I spent probably half of the movie in awe of simple things like placement and movement of camera (stuff I didn't notice when I was 13, but now I do, because I'm a filmmaker), and I had the time of my life.
You might think I was only able to do this because I've seen "Jurassic Park" a million times. However, in semi-recent-memory, I recall having a similar experience when I saw "Children of Men", for the first time. Didn't ruin my experience. Didn't pull me out of the story. Loved every minute of it.
Also, I notice stuff that is outrageously horrible. And, of course that takes me out of the movie.
But stuff in the middle, stuff that's good but not particularly excellent, I'm just a regular patron of cinema; I just follow the story.