ABSTRACT
Lenses in the “normal” range are generally believed to approximate human vision and are fairly neutral in terms of distortion. Because of this, filmmakers rely on them when they want to avoid overtly changing perspective, rate of movement, and the look of facial features. The visual style of a film should also be developed taking into account the optical characteristics of whichever lens is selected as normal, from the way it may distort perspective and facial features, to its effect on movement within the frame. A filmmaker who has mastered a unique look by routinely redefining what is considered normal is director Terry Gilliam, who developed a signature visual style using almost exclusively wide-angle lenses. Combined with canted angle shots, close-ups that overtly distort facial features, and wide shots with deep depths of field, Gilliam’s style is also famous for its visually dense, detailed mise en scène and art direction as well as an affinity for surreal stories and characters.
