Truman Show

Describe at least two production features that worked well in a text you have studied.

Explain how each feature helps the audience understand the text.

The Truman show directed by Peter Weir is a text through which the themes of free choice v’s manipulation and reality v’s illusion are examined. Peter Weir uses the production features of camera angle, camera shots and costume to demonstrate these themes.

Production features used by PW are camera angles and shots. Shots of Truman especially in the first half of the film are from unconventional angles and shot through oval/circular вЂ?masks’. For example when we see TB driving his car, he is shot at a low angle, and the shot is framed by a circle of black across which we see the radio dial. This gives the illusion that the camera is behind the radio, hidden from Truman. By filming Truman at these unusual angles Peter Weir conveys the idea that Truman is being filmed under surveillance. This is especially apparent when we juxtapose these scenes against those of the other вЂ?inhabitants’ of Seahaven who are filmed responding to the camera вЂ" eg; Meryl and her constant product placements (talking, looking and smiling directly at the camera). Shots of Meryl evidently aware of the camera provides a contrast to Truman and provokes the audience to think about choice and manipulation. It becomes clear that Truman is unaware of his situation; that he is the star of a 24/7 вЂ?reality’ TV show and is being filmed without choice.

Another feature used by Peter Weir is costume, specifically the clothes. The inhabitants of Seahaven wear bright, cheerful clothes with a вЂ?cartoon’ quality (reminiscent of 1950’s idealised America as depicted in many Norman Rockwell images). These clothes are starkly different from the clothes worn by the inhabitants of the вЂ?real’ world - eg: the busy bar scene in the вЂ?Truman themed pub’. Peter Weir uses costume to distinguish between reality and illusion, Truman’s world is undeniably an illusion, a contrived existence where we are reminded of Christof’s statement: “We accept the reality with which we are presented.” Truman does not question, and accepts the