The Others Filming Techniques

The movie titled ‘The Others’ written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar is a thriller produced in the year 2001. Grace who is the mother of two photosensitive children Anne and Nicholas live in a manor on the island of Jersey. After the employment of three servants, Grace starts experiencing unnatural and bizarre occurrences. The use of specific camera angles, lighting and sound assist the natural fear reactions that occur within an individual to create suspense in the film.

One technique that Amenabar uses quite effectively is lighting. The setting of the whole movie is based around darkness because of the children being photosensitive; also the darkness creates doubt for the viewers for the logical reason of darkness being naturally scary. The lack of lighting is constant through a majority of the film, which creates unease in the audience especially when the characters become more and more apprehensive about the intruders in the house. The poor lighting throughout the film makes the audience anxious especially when Grace introduces the servants to her children and the curtains must be closed. This makes the viewer fear about the children as the music stops it makes the audience feel uncertain and anxious to meet the children. Furthermore the light is used in reverse usually light being good and the darkness being evil. The director has ingeniously alternated the two light and dark meanings of what is expected in a thriller film and filmed it in reverse the darkness meaning safety and the light meaning uncertainty. The lack of light also has a psychological meaning of encasement from the outside world.

In addition Alejandro Amenabar uses a variety of camera angle techniques to produce suspense within the viewers of the film. In the junk room scene certain camera angles and background music collaborates effectively to produce a natural fear reaction from the bizarre events taking place. When the realisation strikes Grace that she suspects intruders upstairs a...