I can’t stop looking at that microwave… ok, I’ve gotta talk about the film thing in this scene. A thing most people notice but may not know the terms for.
So most media have this attention logic called “Affinity and Contrast”. In film, it usually means either, Affinity: a sameness of editing, vs Contrast: a difference in editing. They’re both used to create an ebb and flow and to create and relax tension/attention, as well as to keep the audience interest.
Or, it means what’s happening up there^
Affinity: Blending in to the background Contrast: Popping out from the background
Affinity is often used to make a character seem invisible or to associate them with the background somehow. Like reflecting the sun on them during the sunset to associate them being part of the sun rising. Contrast is generally done to keep eye trace and to keep the characters or important things a part from the background. Both can be used for technical or narrative reasons, but there should always be some reason for either.
This is a “rule” in pretty much every visual medium in existence. A technical example is why the video game Mega Man is easy to follow and play, and why Mighty No9 is not (on the most basic literacy level, there are a myriad of other reasons why Mighty No9 is a user experience nightmare). A story example is Schindler’s List, or anything where a wall flower character’s colors just blend right into the background to make them unnoticeable.
Now… the above scene has a bright white microwave contrasted heavily against a dark wall and cabinetry. From that contrast, we have Dean, shaded lightly, and still contrasted against the background. Sam, on the other hand, blends right in. He has “affinity” with the background.
If I remember correctly, Dean just shoved a fairy into that microwave. That microwave is where the fairy was, it’s the most related to her. The next most related, and “touched by” a fairy in the scene is Dean. He had first hand experience with her. She bopped him in the face no less. Sam however, has not encountered a fairy at all yet. He’s only hearing this information second hand. He’s also soulless, but since I can’t remember the ep well enough, I don’t have a direct relation to that here.
Clap your hands if you believe, indeed. I love traceable associations. I don’t have a lot of time at the moment, but it could be interesting to see how traceable the “touch of fairies” is in the the ep. Sam keeps his outfit throughout, but Dean and other characters change or appear wearing very light or dark clothing during the ep.
If anything, SPN sure understands shot density.
*Tink wades in with Dean-is-bi meta*
I love how there is such a blatant CONTRAST between Dean being consistently associated with queer characters/metaphors (fairies, queer discussion, servicing Oberon, Obeyron = queer in GoT) and Sam solidly and consistently heterosexual (hippie chick + waitress) in this episode.
I love how much your visual meta fits will all this 🙂
Aw, you guys.
Always this brilliance on every level. *rakes it close* *clutches to chest*
The “with nipples” gesture will never not make me crack up.
I tried to read this meta and scrolled back up like 12 times to watch him do it.
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