Now that I have made it through the first unit of this course, I have taught myself to over analyze just about everything in movies. From lighting to camera angles, music to different camera movements, this class has officially turn me into a monster when it comes to watching movies.
It's not just movies I've noticed. While watching The OC, beginning to end, I caught myself noticing small details about how things are arranged or placed in certain film sequences. Just to catch you up on this overly dramatic show…Ryan (Ben McKenzie) is taken in by the Cohen family. Before taking him in, they lived a very simple life. This new addition to their family encouraged new drama to surface itself. Cocaine, big parties, alcoholics, rocky pasts, affairs, sex scandals, etc. are just a few conflicts that arise in this awesome show. It, no doubt, keeps me on the edge of my seat every time I watch. One thing i have noticed though is the music in this show is perfectly placed. When there is a romantic first kiss, or a very classy first date dip in a pool, the music is always there with the a sound that suits the emotion in the scene.
Another interesting thing I picked up on was the amount of close ups that are used in this show. Close ups are often used to show a very detailed shot of a persons face and how they are reacting to certain things. When Summer (Rachel Bilson) leaves her boyfriend Zack at the airport right before their flight to Italy, the close up of Zack's face did make me almost shed a tear. As actors, it's in their job description to be a convincing train wreck in times like this but it seemed like real life to me.The use of all of these film techniques really makes this more then just a "bubble-gum-for-the-mind" show. It adds depth to a potentially boring story of four rich kids growing up in Orange County....Oh who am I kidding. This show is so full of drama it pulled me right in the first time I saw it. With my new knowledge, I've discovered a new way to watch this awesome show and really appreciate it more then others might.
