Part of MKC's coverage of the 3rd Korean Film Festival in Australia (previously published).
It’s easy to forget sometimes how rigid the rules can be concerning the technical aspects behind the making of a film. When done right, everything you see on screen (or hear) is exactly so for a reason. The rich tapestry of mise-en-scene (basically everything but the dialogue) captures our attention by cleverly drawing us to certain pieces of information. Through cinematography, sound, production design, costumes, and editing it seeks to tell us a story. It is the difference between a novel, in which we must imagine all these details, and a film, which seeks to show us a world conceived by its filmmakers.
If you take the time to consider what shots are used in a film, you can see (most of the time) a reason behind their selection. These little parcels of visual information tell part of the narrative. There are many choices a director or cinematographer can make when framing a shot and each of these decisions will affect how the story is told. An example of this is from what angle to frame a character: you can shoot from above, from below, or straight on. In Late Blossom, which features some exceptional photography, this choice is an important one. It says a lot about how the film views its characters, the majority of which are senior citizens.
