Filming Techniques: Primer

Primer is a very well made film given its extremely small budget. It is a sci fi movie. However, rather than relying on star performances or compelling special effects, the director uses a variety of smart tricks to keep the audience engaged. In particular, the conversation throughout the film is very unclear and fast. In addition, the film quality is a little hazy. This serves a purpose. The director is trying to confuse the audience and make them question what is going on?? This constant questioning keeps the audience engaged. If the film was more clear it might have been very boring. Also, the camera is often kept at unusual or awkward angles throughout the film. This is common is film making technique. However, here it seems to be taken to the extreme. Often the conversation is viewed at an angle or from afar. This filming technique leads the audience to interpret the character as confused or deep in thought. In this film, it's more so the later. The culmination of these filming techniques make the events throughout the film very unclear. For example, I was unsure what was the purpose of the man with the shotgun. What did he do? Also, what happened to the person who was following Aaron and Abe? Lack of clarity drives this film. This shows signs of a smart and witty director.