Blog Entry #2

Question #1.)
In our book, Nichols writes, "An attentive viewer must also be familiar with the repertoire of choices a director faces to recognize her decisions as choices rather than as simply the product of the camera's mechanical ability to record images." What do you think Nichols is trying to say in this statement? What are your thoughts?

Answer:
I think Nichols is saying that viewers, whom generally have no idea of the amount of work or different techniques a director can use, need to realize that how a movie is edited is how it was meant to be, and not just the product of a low budget. This could be the case as in films such as Napoleon Dynamite or Juno. Both of these films generally are thought to be poorly filmed and edited. But did viewers ever take the time to think that maybe they where meant to be filmed and edited in such a way, to give the film a more real life feeling to the viewer. This gives a director the ability to make the viewer believe something even before the movie has finished. Such as the case with the hero and villain of a movie. I think its really interesting but at the same time crazy how just the quality of a movie or the angle and lighting of a shot can influence the viewers view of the movie. The reason I find this so interesting, is because as a viewer of different movies, I take these things for granted. I generally don't sit down to watch a movie and break down each shot into why they took those shots that particular way. I also don't pay attention to how that influences me. I watched more of the movie Rubber and think that is what the guy at the beginning of the movie is getting at. He keeps naming of things and states why are these done this way? For no particular reason. I know that there is a reason, but i believe he is trying to point out that this is what viewers tend to subconsciously do when watching a movie. They sit and watch a  movie and might think to themselves, why is it sunny at one moment or something else, and we just sit and accept that there is no reason for it, even when there is an underlying message.