Since ive been hanging around here learning more about film making more than the average guy should know. Ive learned about DOF, Lighting, Sound, Rigging and a ton more, Its to the point where I cant sit down and enjoy a movie like I used to, I always end up picking the movie apart in scenes, effects, segways and just all together breaking it down to the miniscule elements, to the point that I have to watch a movie twice now to get the plot! I've become a reverse engineering maniac disecting directors actions and cinematographers methods, then I think about how I could do it better, by the time my slow brain engages with an answer I end up missing all the little moments that are important to making a movie enjoyable. A 2 hour movie just became a 4 four hour event.

Thats my way of saying: Thanks :)
John

John,
You're in good, albeit somewhat miserable, company. But wait, it gets worse. If you've not already done so just wait unti you actually shoot and edit a dramatic piece. This is what really did it for my wife (who helped me with a film) and me. We now share your critical eye and movie watching for us has become less fantasy entertainment and more spectator sport. (She has a particularly keen eye for continuity gaffes.)

Sorry. Watching a movie will never be the same for you.

The odd thing is that I don't have this at all. I've always been
pretty "submerged" into a film and this still happens. It's even
so worse that sometimes I'm putting in a DVD to watch a certain
scene for lighting for example. When I'm watching that scene
and it's done I already forgot that I was not just watching it. I
have to go back (sometimes several times) to actually see it.

So basically at least the first viewing for me usually drags me into
the movie. Only on repeat viewings do I start looking for how
things were done and thinking about what I'm seeing (technically)

For a few years, while studying at filmschool, I was becoming like that in a rather compulsive way...
I was scared to be transformed on the bitter old critic-teacher that has never been able to make a movie, or that doesn´t like anything done after 1960...
Someday I heard a few fellow students talking about some movie.. and when I realized I could become like that, I then snapped out of it...
I have a mental switch I change from "critique-learn" to "Just Enjoy". (It works better on Movie Theatres... DVD´s slow motion and Directors comments are too tempting, but I don´t use those until I´ve seen the first pass nonstop).

I mean, is good to watch and learn, and dissect... it´s good to critique (positively), but If I can´t enjoy a movie for what it is then I´m missing what got me here in the first place.

It happened to me also when I started playing guitar in a Rock Band many years ago... When I heard any song I was only able to listen to riffs, and solos, and what fx they used, etc... Luckily I snapped out of it... The good thing is that after that, I was composing much better music, not just fot the guitar but for the whole band´s sound in general.

I find that when I'm getting like that, I go see a really brainless movie. For example, I've been shooting a short film, and it's making me unable to enjoy watching other films. So what did I do? I just went and saw that Eurotrip movie.

It was actually surprisingly good. Most importantly, it allowed me to stop taking myself so seriously for a little while.

I find that occasionally going to see a silly movie in the theater helps me quite a bit.

Remember the scene in "Cast Away" where Tom Hanks climbs to the highest peak and then spins around and surveys the whole island? After seeing how that was created...put together piece by piece... I almost wore out my remote control hitting the rewind/play buttons.

Maybe we should start a support group... "Film Dissectors Anonymous."

I've never been like that eiter. I can always submerge myself into what's showing to watch it as everyone else. I've always been afraid of what you talk about but I as Fredrico have an on and off switch so I always leave it att off the first time I watch a flick. If I liked the flick I rewatch it a few days later with my switch set to on...

The fact that I know how the scene was made does not make me less impressed about it or it in some way spoils it for me. I can even watch my own piece and disregard that I've made it and just follows what happends like any other person would.

Intresting thread though!

.....Maybe we should start a support group... "Film Dissectors Anonymous."

John, I think FDA already exists.....oh no, wait, that's Food And Drug Abomination...never mind :-)

but food and drugs go great with movies!

Yes, fatty foods and lots of Lipitor

I find I get this a lot as well.. first it was framing and composition, then editing, now lighting. On the whole it usually enriches my experience of the movie, but there's the odd time where I get caught up in watching the technical details and miss an imporant line/scene.

This just made me think of an idea for the most self-reflexive film ever: emotional scene with high production values where the dialogue goes something like this:

LUCY
But Jack, what lies outside?

JACK
It's obvious, Lucy, can't you see?! Two HMIs pushing through the windowblinds! I can understand you not noticing the small kicker behind you, but the key light is shining right on your face!

LUCY
Oh, Jack, you look so lovely with those eyelights.. Jump cut to us making love!

This is hilarous...I also have the on and off switch!

Does anyone else connect a "feeling" to a movie you saw when you were a kid? Just knowing I'm about to watch Indiana Jones or Star Wars gives me the willies - when I hear John Williams music it strikes a chord. (John Williams is the greatest movie composer of all time - period.) I'm always picking apart movies, but some I can intentionally "shut off" the techie side and enjoy the show...with popcorn!

Movies are the only art form besides music that makes me "feel" something.

Murph

I definitely have the thing where music and movies touch me
the most. I'm not sure if I have something from when I was a
kid. I gradually got "into" movies. It wasn't a one defining moment.
Although I was quite hooked on Star Trek The Next Generation
when it was first on TV here.

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher C. Murphy : This is hilarous...I also have the on and off switch!

Does anyone else connect a "feeling" to a movie you saw when you were a kid? Just knowing I'm about to watch Indiana Jones or Star Wars gives me the willies - when I hear John Williams music it strikes a chord. (John Williams is the greatest movie composer of all time - period.) I'm always picking apart movies, but some I can intentionally "shut off" the techie side and enjoy the show...with popcorn!

Movies are the only art form besides music that makes me "feel" something.

Murph -->>>

Yes! Once again we agree!

My mom took me to see JAWS at the Drive-in when I was 6 years old. Wow! And Raiders I saw when in the theatre and was like "Wow!". As studios as I am when watching a film, I can study and enjoy the films!

I've never had it so bad that I couldn't enjoy a movie because I was always analyzing it. That's because I always look at the story first and everything else second.

I can always get into a movie if the filmmaking doesn't standout as horrible.

Don't watch "Blackwoods" or "Bloody Sunday". These two movies I've tried to watch recently and they were so bad...handheld through the whole thing. Didn't these shooters learn to use a tripod!

It's just to much to ask the audience to go along with crappy technical stuff. I really believe that unmotived camera moves are WAY to common now. It's ok for an effect, but as a style for a whole movie? I can't do it...it gives me a headache!

Anyone else have any "don't see it" movies??

Murph

Murph,

Of course that's simply a style decision rather than incompetence on the part of the camera operators. I tend to like the handheld shots for certain applications. "Behind Enemy Lines" was one film that included some great handheld footage IMHO.

I agree! Behind Enemy Lines had some nice handheld work. Good movie. The DVD is a great one as well! I own it!

Owen is the man.