What is realism, really?

Chapter Summary

This chapter discusses realism and the techniques mediamakers apply to appeal to viewers’ assumptions of realism. Each person has a different level of knowledge when watching or listening to media and mediamakers try to encourage us to believe their media convey the truth through a combination of different techniques. Conveying realism can vary depending on if the goal is to produce a dramatic look or documentary look.  The first look has smooth transitions with actors reciting their scripts, while the latter can appear more choppy to add the effect of filming as the events are occuring. They can utilize certain techniques, like apparent spontaneity or interpretive frame, which help an audience recognize media as being more realistic and capable of occuring in the real world. Viewers have assumptions of plausibility and consistency that alert them when something occurs in a movie that would never happen in real life or break the rules established in the story’s setting. Small details, like displaying “based on a true story” at the beginning of a movie, automatically give viewers confidence that the events taking place in the movie or show must have occurred similarly in real life. They do not know what is dramatized and what is not, so they accept that everything will generally stick to the original story. As improvements have been made in the media making process, film and television has elevated its ability to convey realism to an audience, whether it stems from improved acting methods or production technology. 

Example

    I was able to better understand the difference between a documentary look and a dramatic look when I connected the concept to how different mediamakers have approached retelling the story of Ted Bundy. On Netflix, there is a documentary series as well as a movie centered around Ted Bundy and his crimes. The documentary series uses tapes of his confession as well as old interviews with Ted Bundy to explain exactly what happened with factual evidence. There are also current interviews to piece together the information given to us through archaic footage.  The movie creates a storyline from the perspective of Ted Bundy’s girlfriend, and the two main characters are played by well-known actors, Lily Collins and Zac Efron. This movie was inspired by true events, which led me to trust the information I learned from the series more than the movie. All of the events in the movie lined up with the documentary series, but I primarily trusted the series since it was based on factual evidence and not a script.

Connection Between the Chapter and Example

    The documentary series portrays a documentary look, meaning that it makes the viewers feel as if they are experiencing the events themselves. The movie portrays a dramatic look, which aims to make viewers interested in the characters’ lives without being aware of the filmmaking process. When considering realism, both use different techniques to avoid breaking the realism a viewer feels. The series relies on an interpretive frame and verbal spontaneity to show that the people being interviewed are real and unscripted.  Since it is categorized as a documentary, it adds authority to the information that is provided. This explains why I am more hesitant to believe every aspect of the movie instead of the information given in the series. The movie also uses an interpretive frame by advertising that the movie is “inspired by true events,” which aims to influence viewers to believe that all of the events are true. This technique is combined with the use of a script and talented actors, which creates powerful scenes. This leads to an emotional connection to the characters. It does not add more realism to all of the events filmed since it relies on a script that could be altered or changed more so than in a documentary series.