Film aesthetics is the philosophy of the film, or the way that the subject of the film is shown in order to move its audience.
But today in cinema making every frame picture perfect has become the norm. This has led to an erosion of art that was raw, original, unfiltered, and pure. Back in the day, films were shot on the exquisite film roll. With digitalization, came democracy in the area of filmmaking and also it made this art form less expensive. However, it rendered itself to too much polished work. Looking spotless. Everything – actors, sets, hairstyles, bodies to locations, that is burnt on screen has lent itself to being smooth without blemishes, high definition, clean, neat and good-looking- basically a misrepresentation of the word Aesthetic, itself.
Why do we say that? Because Cinema has power and today what we see in Cinema be it the lives of characters, the ideas and philosophies of people is highly romanticized and that in turn is reflected in society. This aesthetic serves no purpose and has made everything so sterile and plastic. Cinema’s basic purpose is to tell a story that is honest, impacting lives by being relatable and by striking a chord with the audience- basically showing beauty in imperfections
The question that remains is how do we make things on screen look true and honest. Which encompass a thought provoking story, compelling characters, give a new perspective, and leave room for introspection.
1) Writing authentic Characters : Sketching your character outside of yourself. This is one of the main steps and defines “being true to its character”. Inspirations for a character can come from anywhere. However, adding personal likings, motives, and intentions could do more harm than good. A writer must place himself in the shoes, or rather the soul of the characters of the story. Knowing things like what would they eat, think, feel, what is their favourite colour, what annoys them, what are they allergic to would be a fun exercise to do when fleshing out a character. Seeing the world through their eyes, understanding their mindset and the background or place they come from is a very important step to build a strong character. Consciously chose to not do the “if I was the character” routine. Let them take their decisions, choose their course of action. Let them be intuitive. Spend time getting to know their attitudes, beliefs, behaviour, and values. A weak character sketch would always hide behind the visual narrative on the screen. Allow them to be reflective and be an active participant in their lives. Some great examples of character sketches are Will Hunting from the movie Goodwill Hunting, Mr.Fernandes from the movie The Lunchbox to name a few.
2) Work on the Ambience and Surroundings : the locations where the characters inhabit are an extension of who they are. The space they feel most belonged to. These are tangible cues to the character’s personality, their behavior, and who they are. A gangster character obviously cannot come from the safest neighborhood, he or she needs to have associations with locations that provide context to the underworld, to the filth and the ugliness of that world. As much as possible staying real to locations helps in adding nuances to the character and the film itself. Pulling the character out of their surroundings would pull them out of their own self. Keep them in their natural habitat. For example, life of an ordinary man, recently married, just beginning his career, living out of his parents’ house in a typical Tamil household would probably have mattresses on the floor, they have buckets and vessels drying out in the open in the quadrangle of the house etc. All of this adds value to who they are as people. It brings out the nuances in the film. A good example would be Piku. When Piku’s father wants to go back to Kolkata and not sell the ancestral house as even after years of living in Delhi, the city feels foreign to him. That he is most comfortable in the surrounding that he grew up in. Creating a sense of belonging or ties with the surrounding of the character allows the audience to associate feelings of abandonment and loss when the character is moved out of their surroundings, it helps them empathize with the character. This allows the character to negotiate with their past, and affects how they live now. Making it believable and immersive.
3) Production Design or Art Direction: The properties and costumes. The large sets or the compact embellishments. From colour palettes used to the choice of food. All of this is telling us a story. They are rich ingredients in the narrative. There is something amiss when this is not thought through, impeccably. A character in shows like Mr. Robot would not wear colourful clothes or have a beautiful cute house. He is peculiar, mysterious, has social anxiety and that must reflect in the art direction as well. By romanticizing how the character and the place that he lives in and by adding aspirational value to it, is an unfair bargain to the authenticity of the film. For example in STUDENT OF THE YEAR 1, Siddharth Malhotra is an ordinary teenager hailing from a low income group. He is the underdog in the story who is introduced with a hi-energy song, wearing Ray-ban aviators ( Rs 6000 plus) , sporting a Y-3 backpack (Rs 20000) and leading a very hi-fi lifestyle who we figure as the as the story unfolds doesn't have money for a science project. A good example for this would be the movie The Lunchbox, where the tokri that is used as means of communication is very specific to the background that the person comes from, and a very common thingamajiggy in India. The entire house, the kitchen, everything,, the way she sits in front of the washing machine on a stool is very common practice for a person living in that household. It makes them who they are.