Abstract:
Subjective camera is a technique usually employed for special effect and to
visually emphasize a story point. By definition, subjective camera refers to the camera’s
point of view taking the place of a character. Few films have attempted to use subjective
camera to show the film through the eyes of the protagonist and they typically have not
been well received. The reason involves the psychology of empathy and why we connect
to characters in situations we have never found ourselves in. The audience must connect
with the protagonist on some level to become engaged in the story. Using exclusively
subjective camera for the protagonist does not lend itself to audience engagement.
In this project, I look at how subjective camera technique affects audience
perception of the characters, especially of who occupies the protagonist role. To do this, I
created three films with the same story, shot in three perspectives. First, I shot the story
objectively, which is the standard way of shooting in which the camera is an omniscient
third party observer. Second, I shot from the subjective point-of-view of Zoe Spicer, the
objective protagonist. Third, I shot from the subjective point-of-view of the objective
antagonist, Sam Lowe. Within these three perspectives, I look at the perception of the
protagonist and which character seems to be driving the action based on the perspective.
