For these next few episodes, I’m going to focus on more production aspects of the show, rather than plot because it is a different angle that television critics take when appraising a show. Obviously, several plot lines continue to unfold, the biggest of which being between Jason and Lyla. Lyla attempts to get Jason back after being teased at school, while Jason flat out turns her down. It was a heart wrenching moment for fans of that romance, but I found it liberating for Jason. Now he can learn to be himself in the chair without worrying about Lyla all the time. The Julie Taylor/Matt Saracen romance continues to unfold. They are adorably awkward and very realistic, which is fun to watch. “Smash” finds a new romantic interest, which will be fun to see unfold over the next few episodes.
As for the production aspects, one of the biggest things that I’ve noticed watching throughout the season is the way that the show is shot. I mentioned briefly in one of my first posts about the use of the shaky camera. This is one element that the show is highly acclaimed for because of the realism that it portrays. While it is shot using this specific camera style, another way that they make the show look like a window into the character’s lives is the shooting of certain shots with items blocking the dominant characters. Several shots in this specific episode were taken through blinds, the window on Mrs. Taylor’s door in the Counseling Office, fences, and the window to Coach Taylor’s office. Some were shot in the reflection of a rearview mirror, while others had people walking in front of the conversation that the audience is supposed to be paying attention to. This style of shooting is really unique to this show and demands the attention of the viewer. I found myself having to pay even closer attention to specific moments because of this particular style of shooting so that I didn’t miss anything important.
When watching this show, be prepared to see a lot of faces and a lot of items out of focus. This show is a big fan of the close-up because they are trying to communicate the emotions of their characters to the audience. They want to make the audience see exactly how these characters feel no matter the situation. They show close-ups during practice sequences, dates, dinners, games, and most importantly conversations. When two characters are having a heart-to-heart or an argument about anything, there are close-ups. Most often in this show, there is only one character present in the frame at a time to emphasize whatever they in particular feel about what is going on. Because they use this shooting style, the show is very fast paced and there are a lot of quick cuts. To make these quick cuts look more realistic and give it that documentary feel, a lot of items are out of focus. Certain shots will start completely out of focus and get into focus as it goes forward. This is slightly hard on the eyes. It took me awhile to get used to watching this show and the quickness of everything. It is hard to see things go in and out of focus all the time and for the image to change so quickly. After getting used to it though, I can’t see the show being filmed any other way.
One production aspect of this show that I wouldn’t change is the way that it uses music. Music is never overbearing and always accentuates the scene. In this particular episode, there is music played during the conversation between Jason and Lyla. It is a very intense conversation with a lot of tears and the music just adds to the scene. There is just something about that moment and the music that made me want to tear even though I wasn’t a fan of the Jason/Lyla romance. This is typical of the music throughout the series. The music is very mellow and is not distracting at all. I find myself wanting to listen to the music from this show before I go to bed because it is so calming. They add popular music when necessary, but most often there is not music or it is intended to just be in the background. I love this.
The more and more I watch this show, the more intrigued I find myself. It is not just about the characters. Sure, they do their fair share of drawing my interest, but everything about the show keeps me watching.
