Look deep into someone's eyes.
What do you see?
Their intentions?
Their nature?
Their soul?
This certainly seems to be the case in Dan Gilroy's "Nightcrawler."
When you show the viewer the eyes of a character,
you build empathy.
Conversely, if you hide the eyes of a character,
you eliminate their humanity.
Gilroy crafted one of the great characters in cinema.
Lou Bloom.
A hungry coyote
stalking his prey through the desert landscape.
We're going to use StudioBinder`s production software
to analyze how Dan Gilroy used the eyes of Lou Bloom
to help tell his story.
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Director Dan Gilroy
worried that once the viewer realized Lou was a psychopath,
they`d write him off.
"We always wanted to keep a connection
between the audience and Jake's character.
We never wanted to make a moral decision.
"Oh, he's a sociopath, always a psychopath."
We were always looking for the humanity in the character
and it's something we worked very hard on."
So he crafted his script and visuals
to curb the viewer`s suspicions.
Gilroy knows that when you show the eyes of a character,
you build empathy within the viewer.
"A proper frame not only draws the eye into a picture
but keeps it there longer,
dissolving the barrier between the subject in the outside of the frame."
Showing a character's eyes relies on three elements.
Shot Selection, Lighting, and Presentation.
Let's look at a scene.
"I think being clear with your objectives
is more important than trying to present your ideas
in a non-confrontational manner."
In this example, Lou chats with Nina,
the news producer played by Rene Russo.
"-Where get all that? -I study a lot online.
- Yeah, like what?
- All sorts of things, actually.
I'm on my computer all day."
They make small talk, until we arrive here.
We don't truly see Lou`s eyes in the scene, until this moment.
"Last year, I took an online business course, for example,
and I learned that you have to have a business plan
before starting a business.
That why you pursue something
is equally as important as what you pursue."
The lines in this scene gradually moved closer to Lou`s heart
and in turn, we gradually get closer to his eyes.
"The question was, what do I love to do?"
The lighting is studio lighting.
Gilroy never cuts away from Lou`s well-lit and hopeful eyes.
He doesn't want to hide anything.
"So, they suggested making a list of your strengths and weaknesses.
What am I good at?
What am I not good at?
Maybe I want to strengthen and develop knowledge about the things I'm already good at.
Maybe I want to strengthen my weaknesses."
And the presentation he leaves to his actor.
The lines of dialogue and the visuals humanize him.
"I recently remade my list.
And I'm thinking the television news might just be something I love.
As well as something I happen to be good at.
On TV, it looks so real."
Let's look at another one.
"TV news, what happened?"
How does Gilroy use shot selection,
lighting and presentation in this scene?
"We approach it sort of symbolically
as he's an animal and we're filming a wildlife documentary.
So cinematically, we tried to capture the physical beauty
with wide-angle lenses and a great depth of field.
Gilroy has Lou framed in a medium shot.
And the lighting while naturally dark
is not cast on Lou in a particularly ominous fashion.
For presentation,
Gilroy uses his score.
The inspirational music isn't here to support Lou`s crime,
but rather his passion for his work.
Lou feels a sense of profound affirmation
that he would do anything for his career.
The viewer doesn't have to agree with the characters actions or morals.
They just need to gain a better understanding of the character.
The various themes of "Nightcrawler"
are supported by the visual battles between night and day.
Moral and immoral.
And this contrasting imagery paints a complete picture.
We see Lou during his highs
and his lows.
And what we gain is a complete character.
To recap,
when considering how to frame the eyes of a character
keep in mind.
Shot selection.
Lighing.
And Presentation.
What are your favorite examples of a director using the character's eyes
to help tell the story?
Tell us in the comments.
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Because as Lou Bloom knows.
"Rick, they've done studies
and they found that in any system that relies on cooperation
these experts have identified communication,
as the number one single key to success.
You know a fear stands for
but false evidence appearing real.