Juxtaposition In Mamet On Directing Film
The reading assignment “Mamet on Directing Film” focused on the idea that juxtaposition is the heart of creating a great film. It was explained how the juxtaposition between images is what drives the movie forward in the mind of the audience. It is important not to tell the audience what to think through narration, but rather show it on screen through series of cutting. One quote which I found particularly interesting was, “If you find that a point cannot be made without narration, it is virtually certain it is unimportant to the story (which is to say, to the audience).” I felt this to be true and a great guideline to follow in the pre-production process. I can think of a few of my own films in the past which relied far too heavily on narration.