I was given the suggestion to look at film to provide me with some references for creating atmosphere and composition. What I found in my research was that I was drawn to the visuals of films featuring voyeurism.
I did some basic tonal studies of composition, and then I looked closer at some of the movies that really interested me. The Tenant, Rear Window, One Hour Photo, and others.
Roman Polanski’s The Tenant is one that stood out to me in particular. As well as having compelling visuals, the plays of the camera to tell the story of voyeurism and madness gave me a lot of ideas about the sort of images I want to work towards. One moment I found especially compelling is during the protagonist’s nightmare when he seemed to shrink as he approached the window. I interpreted this visual of a small figure looking up at a large window a visual metaphor for an obtrusive gaze. It sort of reminded me of the towering stained glass windows in churches; like the eyes of God looking down on the parishioner.
As well as looking at films I also looked into film theory to read more about the ideas behind certain cinematic decisions. One of the most useful resources I found was Film Theory and Criticism. Laura Mulvey’s essay on visual pleasure gave me a lot of ideas about the direction I want to take my project. She talks about the male gaze and Freud’s concept of scopophilia.
Her ideas really compelled me to look more into the concept of scopophilia and voyeurism. I feel that this is the right direction for my project and a topic that I am especially interested in.
alicia hempsted 