“The early bird gathers no moss; the rolling stone catches the worm!” Once Truman’s stone started rolling, it caught a lot more than just a worm. In fact, it caught the attention of the whole world. Ever since he was born, Truman Burbank has been the star of a revolutionary TV series, titled The Truman Show. Not until he was in his early adulthood, however, did he realize how fake everyone was around him. This movie is about Truman’s breaking away of the material life, and his search for the real world. This message is achieved through the use of video production skills including camera effects, audio effects, and dynamic characters.
The director of this movie uses various camera effects and settings to help the viewers understand the plot. The camera display is the first technique used by the director. This effect refers to the shape that the visuals are displayed in. For example, when we are seeing things through Truman’s eyes, the camera turns into two little circles, to show that the view is from Truman’s standpoint. Also, if there are borders around the visual, then it is inferred that the video being presented is from a TV screen. This helps us realize that there are hidden cameras everywhere, and that people are actually watching what Truman is doing. Another camera effect that the director uses is the dolly and the zoom. The dolly is used to help follow Truman around through his adventures. It is used perfectly in the scene where Truman is chasing around his neighborhood road in circles. The zoom key is used on the scene where Truman is in the sailboat, and it is important because it helps the viewers find him. Another key video effect that the director uses is a dynamic background. Dynamic backgrounds are used to grasp the viewers attention, and that’s just what it did in the movie. The stormy background during Truman’s sailing adventure helps instill a sense of fear in the viewers. Also, the bright white background of the wall with the staircase helps create a heavenly feeling. All of these video effects do a great job of helping the viewers understand what they are seeing, and helping them gain interest.
Audio effects are another method used in The Truman Show to help portray the emotions of the movie. Music choice was a major key that was utilized by the director. The soundtrack was selected to accompany given scenes in the movie. An example of this is the frightening music being played in the storm scene, which helps create fear and make the audience nervous. Also, the overly-bubbly music at the beginning of the movie hints that Truman’s life is kind of a joke, and way too materialistic. Audio transitions are the second effect used by the director that helps everything run smoothly. Sudden changes in the music shows the quick change in emotion that Truman experiences, once he realizes that something is not right in his life. This is seen when his “father” walks by him near his office. He is very happy, and then suddenly becomes frustrated and frantic, after they take his dad away. Another transition that is used is the fading in and out of certain songs. This helps the audio sound a lot more professional, and helps the movie move along quicker. The final audio effect that is used is the change in volume. If other audio is going on too, such as dialogue or conversations, then the volume of music is turned down accordingly. When the volume is on loudly, it raises a sense of concern in the audience and they wonder what is going to happen next. The audio selection and effects used by the director in this movie grasp the viewers’ emotions, and help us learn more about the characters.
The director chose the actors to represent each character for a reason. Dynamic characters are a necessity in any interesting story, and they are what made The Truman Show such a profound movie. The first character we get to know, and the main character in the show, is Truman. The audience is already in love with Truman, after the first scene, because they see how sincerely happy he is all the time. However, as the plot develops, his emotions begin to change. As Truman’s emotions change, so does the audience’s emotion. The viewer’s attachment to Truman shows what a dynamic character he is. The audience becomes entranced in his struggle. Another dynamic character is Truman’s wife, Meryl. Meryl’s extreme happiness helps clue the viewer that she is very fake. She even begins the movie by promoting some sort of product. It’s clear that her and Truman do not have a solid relationship, because Meryl is unable to connect with Truman on any personal level. The viewer almost sees her as some sort of robot, because of all of her fake emotions. She is a dynamic character because she fits the position of actor-wife so well. Possibly the most dynamic character is the director of the TV show, Christof. Christof is a nutcase. We can tell from the beginning of the movie that he’s very crazy, and his whole idea of a super-reality show makes him even weirder. Although he is perceived as a “revolutionary” and a “genius,” the viewer hates him. They are able to see how bad he truly is, and what an awful thing he is doing to Truman. He is very dynamic, because he is the villain, which is necessary in every story. The characters used in the Truman show do a great job of portraying the movie’s message, and grabbing the listeners’ attention.
The video effects, audio effects, and use of dynamic characters all make The Truman Show the great movie that it is. The rolling stone, Truman, is drawn crazy by all of the people he is surrounded by and the overly-materialistic, and fake, life that he lives. We become very sympathetic, and emotionally-attached, to Truman’s struggle, which shows what a powerful story it is. This movie really makes you grateful for having a REAL life.
