Cars

Cars is a 2006 Disney Pixar film. This film is about racing and winning it all. Lightning McQueen is a rookie racer that tied for first place. While traveling to California for the dispute of the final race of the Piston Cup against The King and Chick Hicks, the famous Lightning McQueen accidentally damages the road of the small town Radiator Springs and is sentenced to repair it. He races against time to try to get the road fixed and get to California before the race begins.

In chapter 5 of our text, it talks about cinematic points of view. There is objective, subjective, indirect-subjective, and director's interpretive points of view. Generally, all four points of view can be used in every film to different degrees. The objective point of view is meant for the audience to watch the action taking place at a distance, and not to participate in it. It uses a static camera to give it this window effect. It concentrates on the actors and the action without giving attention to the camera. The subjective point of view gives us visual viewpoint and emotional intensity felt by a character participating in the action. In the film Cars, the subjective view point is present throughout the film, but mostly during the races. The indirect-subjective point of view brings us close to the action so that we feel involved. This time of view are the close ups in the film. The last point of view, the director's interpretive point of view, is where we are forced to react in a certain way to what we see. These are the slow motion close ups. In Cars, the director had a few of these during the race and at the end of the race when all three cars tied in first place.

In all films, there are specialized cinematic techniques used also talked about in chapter 5 of our text. Whether its dealing with handheld cameras, camera angles, the color, diffusion, and soft focus, special lenses, fast motion, or special lighting effects; it all helps in making the film more interesting. There are three different kinds of special lenses; wide-angle, telephoto, and fish-eye lens. A wide-angle lens makes an object in the background seem further away than it actually is. A telephoto lens does the opposite by making an object in the background seem closer than it actually is. A fish-eye lens bends both horizontal and vertical planes and distorts depth relationships. This time of lens is used to create a dream, fantasy, or intoxication. In the film Cars, a fish-eye lens is used while Lightning McQueen is sleeping in this semi on the way to California and dreaming about winning the race.

The film Cars is a great animated film not only for children, but adults too. It has so many special techniques that make the film seem more real than animated. At some points in the film during the races, it seems like you are a part of the action with all the different views the camera shows the audience. It also brings across a good message that life is about the journey, not the finish line.