Blog #5

For my final blog post, I chose a photo from one of my favorite short films: Anima by Paul Thomas Anderson and Thom Yorke. This still image from the film is one of the most beautiful moments, in my opinion. The dancers/actors are all on a sloping ground, making their way upwards from the bottom. The camera angle is shifted so that it looks surreal and otherworldly as they lean forward, defying gravity as they move in a rhythmic manner. The light in this image highlights the industrial, monotonous tone of the film. The people, all dressed in grey and lined up in a row, represent the dull, repetitive aspects of working in a city. The light shining through them in this photo creates long, drawn out shadows. It almost makes them appear as if they are a city skyline, putting the solo figure, Thom Yorke, in complete contrast. The shadows of the bodies make an architecture in which the lone figure can stand out against. Much like the film, this image shows York breaking free of the boring, repetitive, almost zombie-like motions of everyone around him and struggling to figure out his purpose. Without the lighting design in this moment, the message would not be communicated as clearly.