“Forced perspective” may sound like a technical niche; in reality, however, it’s nothing but an optical illusion. You can say it works better because of its old-fashioned charm, but also because it saves a lot of moolah.That’s pretty much the idea that Peter Jackson applied during the making of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03). CGI was obviously used, and quite extensively so, but when it came to showing different sizes of the Middle-earth creatures, the makers chose to depend on camera placements and handmade props to create optical illusions rather than creating computer-generated imagery.The motive was obviously cost-cutting, but also because it didn’t compromise the quality. The trick works because our eyes believe what a camera shows us. We accept a visual as we see it, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a carefully arranged (manipulated) illusion. It eventually turned out to be one of the trilogy’s defining aspects.Here, we are going to break down the technicality, functionality, and sheer simplicity of this approach, and find out how it achieves the sense of physical reality through an optical illusion.What is Forced Perspective?DefinitionForced perspective is a practical cinematic technique that alters how the audience perceives sizes and distances within a shot. The key to achieving this effect is simple: visual cues, strategic camera placements regarding distance and angle, and controlled spacing. The end result is an object or a character appearing smaller, bigger, shorter, or taller than they actually are. In other words, this is an optical illusion built...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today