ABSTRACT
Anamorphic lenses are designed to squeeze images along the x-axis, so that the entire film negative area or the active portion of a digital sensor can record an image that can be “de-squeezed” afterwards, either during projection or postproduction. Some filmmakers choose to purposely mount these lenses incorrectly, and use the abnormally slanted images to visualize a character’s extreme physical or psychological state, often in scenes where someone is under the effects of psychoactive drugs, intense physical pain, or under the influence of another character or entity. An interesting example of this technique can seen in Chris Columbus’ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , the second installment of the series based on the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. Set during Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, the story follows the chaos that erupts when it is discovered that someone has opened the “chamber of secrets”, freeing a monster with the power to petrify those with an “impure” bloodline.
