As Douglas and Harnden write about in their piece, point of
view is a critical aspect of filming today. Point of view often takes a weird,
confusing piece and turns it into a piece that is smart and savvy. There are
many different ways of doing this, however.
The most common viewpoint is that of the audience “looking
in” on an ongoing story. It is not eye catching or glamorous, but it gets the
job done. And for a lot of shows, it is the best way to capture the vibe that
the director is going for.
Another point of view is first person, or the point of view
of the main character. This allows the viewer to see the action in the same way
that the character does. In turn, the viewer often has more sympathy and
connection to the main character, even if they are a little more ragged, rough,
or tough on luck.
Some shows mix points of view. The Office for example is an interesting case study. Although the
show is shot in third person, the presence of the camera is well known to the
characters. Characters often make gestures towards the camera and have funny
side interviews about the actions of other characters.
Another show that uses different points of view
strategically is the Netflix series House
of Cards. Although the series is shot in third person, the main character,
Frank Underwood, often turns to the camera and starts talking to it out of the
blue. Often times this marks a turning point in the episode as well. Either
way, it is extremely engaging.
Finally some shows leave you guessing what point of view is
being shot completely. In Family Guy
the viewer is often left wondering just that when they see interaction between
baby Stewie and his mother Lois. Stewie often talks about killing Lois, yet the
viewer can never tell if Lois can hear what Stewie is saying. Sometimes it
seems that she can yet other times the viewer feels like she cannot. It
certainly adds a level of intrigue.
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