ABSTRACT
Diegetic camera films combine the two directions taken by the earliest films: using elements of both documentary and fictional narratives and merging them into a distinctive contemporary media form. Arguably, they could be considered more interactive and immersive than the recent spate of films made utilizing 3D technologies. The camera’s presence is emphasised in order to highlight to the viewer that they are watching a construction. Diegetic camera films are also engaging because their aesthetics encourage the viewer to search the frame quickly and carefully. The viewer is active in imagining off-screen space, imagining where the camera is, in whose hands it is held, and often even the emotional state and activity of the camera operator. The opening scenes of diegetic camera films must prime the spectator for the experience of seeing the majority of the film from one character’s POV.
