By J. Trent Adams

	Using Blade Runner as a sole example might leave the impression that atmospherics is equivalent to dark, smoky sets. While these can be extremely useful techniques to convey a film's mood, not all films are about dark, oppressive subjects. In order to present a completely polar counter-example, take the films of Hal Hartley. In specific, Hartley's Simple Men presents a very stark universe; the characters are continually surrounded by empty, plain space. While the film's atmosphere is considerably more subtle, it is no less effective as it underlines the characters' social isolation.
	While the above examples are fiction films, there is no reason why a documentary can't express its point with the use of atmospherics. By paying close attention to the subject and how it is presented, a purely documentary film will be much more effective when the filmmaker uses all of the available tools. An extremely adroit use of the medium is Errol Morris's documentary about physicist Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time. Being unable to modify the facts, a documentary filmmaker must be extremely clever in how the film is shot, edited, and scored. Often working with a limited budget and shooting footage in less than controlled conditions, it is no wonder that few documentaries are able to create a compelling filmic experience. Morris, however, masterfully portrays the invalid Hawking, presenting him as a dynamic character in keeping with his ever-active mind. [ Back ] [ Next ] J. Trent Adams is visionary technologist working on a better digital tomorrow.

© J. Trent Adams