Nuance is film may be majorly down to reestablishing the timely order of a films progression - it’s as if now we almost expect directors to have hired the younger versions of their prized actors and actresses so that we can see their past in action. This may also indeed be something that film has borrowed from TV, which I consider as I ponder about the days of watching New Girl, and almost jumping out of my seat when we got to see the main characters childhoods in action. Perhaps it was such a shock in a series like that because the main characters were so established and rigid in their personalities and their present storylines and circumstances at the time of filming were somewhat unmoving. It is a shift that I definitely appreciate because it allows us to connect better with the characters and track their life progressions but it still appears to be something…a tactic that is a bit alien or foreign to cinematic film. The best examples I can think of utilising this technique, from the top of my head, mainly include examples from movies where the characters are older children/pre-adult teenagers. A bit like Sex Education, Diary of a Whimpy Kid and It are brilliant examples of the audience getting to know the main characters more through delving deep into their childhood experiences and possible traumas. But why does it tend to stop there? I know we can’t go back and change the classical development of films, the type that liked to film long shots at night like in Pretty Woman, where we are solely reliant on the characters recollection of their younger years to get an insight…Or even in 17 Again where we are simply transported back to the actors younger years in a cinematic bus where the age and time distinctions are profoundly marked by change in voice, costume and amounts of hair frizz; whilst still knowing that the character has gone and is going through different stages in life.
It could be that we have a hard time believing that we can picture it ourselves, like in ways similar to the supposed minds of the characters who receive insight of characters old time stories. This is a point that could relay to the shift from paperback books to digital copies or reduction in reading levels all together. Or it could be that we simply no longer formulate such a harsh distinction between cinematic film and TV series. There was once a time when both created crucial class divisions in their own respects and then competed against each other all the same. Yet, now we have sites such as Netflix, Disney + and Amazon Prime, etc.; where we can view everything in one place from the comfort of the same environment all day should we so wish and be able to do. And on the whole, many tend to do this a lot so it could be a collective assent? It definitely requires more investigation and is worthy of such quests into understanding so I hoped it sparked an interest in your own mind, reflected something you have witnessed or inspired you to look out for these features of TV and film as the years and decades develop. The future of TV, film and media more generally, is very bright and these discussions really broaden our knowledge whilst simultaneously allowing us to remember the classics…We will talk about this some more but for now, I hope I held onto your attention
-From K xx
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