Personal Touch

Camcorders can bring a personal touch to a movie. It can make images seem like a family home video. By using handheld shots and other segments without a tripod, a feeling of intimacy surfaces. The viewer can experience the story through the eyes of the character. In these types of films, events are just happening sort of without purpose. You are simply watching what’s going on without much direction or logic. Anyone can use a canon digital video camcorder to record special moments, but sometimes a movie can make the ordinary seem interesting. A family portrait type of movie focuses more on characters and less on plot.

I think of Pieces of April as a good example. The film stars Patricia Clarkson & Katie Holmes. It’s really an ensemble piece though. It all takes place on Thanksgiving day. Katie Holmes’ character lives in New York and decides to cook the big dinner herself for her family. Clarkson plays her mom who has cancer. The movie was shot on digital video. It looks like a portrait of a real family done with just a Canon Elura 100 or something. The director let the actors improvise much of the movie. It’s about the meaning of family and how not everything turns out to be perfect. The entire day is filled with obstacles for the main character. She even resorts to asking to borrow oven time from other people. It has a sort of open ended climax. It’s just about that particular day and that’s it.

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