Comments | hearseeno: Visual Tropes and Call-Backs in Early Season 5 Episodes

hearseeno

Visual Tropes and Call-Backs in Early Season 5 Episodes

Sep 20, 2009 20:16

So, it seems that we've developed something of a visual vocabulary, images that can be called on as something of a short-hand to evoke parallels between characters and events and ongoing themes to support the narrative of The Show. Season 5 no less than any other season.

( Here are a few of my favorite things... )

Comments 25

ladylothwen September 21 2009, 01:13:16 UTC

I love these types of things. They're really facinating. I've noticed quite a few of these and some others that are probably listed somewhere on my hard drive.

However, you actually put them together and showed them side by side. You are awesome. Kudos.

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:40:50 UTC

Thanks lady. :) Glad you enjoyed.

yourlibrarian September 21 2009, 03:55:31 UTC

Great reminder about the bridge in 5.02 -- in fact the bridge metaphor is the only reason I can imagine it's in the episode at all.

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:41:47 UTC

the bridge metaphor is the only reason I can imagine it's in the episode at all.

*sporfle*

You keep fighting the good fight, YL. *g*

meiou_set September 21 2009, 04:29:33 UTC

Wonderful post! I appreciate the time that went into it and find it really insightful. I wanted to add that the season 2 opening (the one with the flame) also has the sound of a beating heart.

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:42:57 UTC

the season 2 opening (the one with the flame) also has the sound of a beating heart

Ah! Yes, someday I'll have to go back and rewatch the earlier seasons and see how the imagery evolved. Oh how I suffer for my obsession. ;)

meiou_set September 27 2009, 00:44:07 UTC

I know, sheer torture isn't it ;)

noirbabalon September 21 2009, 06:14:58 UTC

Oh the bridge...I looked at that and thought they did a really good job on blowing that bridge up and left it. I was too blown away by Castiel's confrontation with Dean. But of course the destruction is the mirror of the cracked distance between the two boys now. And as you rightly point out, just because they look like they can work as a team doesn't mean they trust that each has the others back. I love your thinky brain. :-)

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:44:30 UTC

I looked at that and thought they did a really good job on blowing that bridge up

I can't decide. Do you think it's CG or did they find a collapsed bridge somewhere?

I love your thinky brain.

D'awww. Thanks. :D

msdori September 21 2009, 07:43:21 UTC

OMG, THANK YOU.

I've been too busy with the red thing to pay much attention to these other motifs except to note that they're there, so I'm really happy to have some of them parsed for me.

I'll note there's also the fireplaces/demons motif, which I just now figured out because of the last few pics in the exorcism section. I mention this because it really freaked me out when the Sam/Ruby scene in IKWYDLS panned to the fireplace.

I've been looking at how red is used in the show since about "Faith" in season one, and I'd noticed the increase in blue and yellow but hadn't associated it with the angels. There was also a lot of green last season

NOTHING on this show is random. Everything in the background is part of the story. (for instance, the wallpaper in "Sex and Violence.")

What did you make of the "O Death" promo, where everything was black and white except for one highlighted color?

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:54:57 UTC

*g* I was going to point your way to spnematography, but I see you've found it.

NOTHING on this show is random.

I KNOW!!! Don't you want to corner the Production staff and pick their brains? I sometimes wonder if they surf the net, rubbing their hands together in anticipatory glee, wondering if we've picked up on all the little clues they're dropping our way.

If you're curious about color, you might want to start here: The Supernatural Color Wheel

hearseeno September 27 2009, 00:58:28 UTC

Oh! And the "O Death" promo:

Hmmm.. I think it was a very effective way of drawing the eye to certain key visual images. The promo was pretty full and the vignettes went by swiftly. So, having color in a field of black and white allowed the viewer to quickly alert to the most relevant visual details to help understand what was going on.

Other than that? Well, they definitely used the blue, red, yellow and green shades that have been part of the ongoing color choices over the years. So, no accident that.