Ep. 7: Head room, Lead room, No room
- Thelma Annan
- Apr 8, 2016
- 4 min read
In all media, aesthetics are utilized in a particular fashion to move a storyline along and convey the emotions of a particular character/scene. American production typically adheres to the “rule of thirds”— framing characters in strategic screen sections, sometimes in close proximity to the screen edge to represent distress, foreshadow trouble, etc. This is not entirely the case with the Grand Hotel. The concept of headroom (vertical space between the top of a character’s head and the frame) and lead room (horizontal space in front of the subject to signify direction) seem to be an American standard. In the Grand Hotel, characters are always at the frame’s edge that portions of their bodies and the tops of their heads are constantly cut off. Initially I thought this was simply a formatting issue, but throughout the course of the episode, I realized that this seems to be a conscious decision.
It seems that the Grand Hotel does not fully acknowledge framing in the same respect that American shows do, utilizing the “rule of thirds” only for particular moments. The show exhibits clever instances of framing that would directly contradict with the storyline and action. This was most noticeable between Eugenia and Mercedes and again with Alfredo and Sofia. After finding Javier and Mercedes in bed together the day before, a now calm Eugenia decides to reconcile with her sister. When Eugenia first enters her sister’s room, she is screen center. Inching closer to the screen edge, this foreshadows her growing anger both internally (with her emotions) and physically (as she walks towards her sister). The camera is then on Mercedes, as she turns to her right smiling at Eugenia who is completely out of frame. From the bottom right we see Eugenia’s hand affectionately touching Mercedes juxtaposing her next course of action (pushing her out the Hotel window to her death). I really did like the choice in creativity for this scene. Rather than directly show Eugenia walking up to push Mercedes, the scene built to this moment— actually causing me to shriek out loud in surprise/horror.
Another great instance of camera framing involves Sofia and Alfredo. While Sofia is visibly and vocally upset over Diego’s betrayal, she is standing further away from the frame edge then Alfredo. While she paces back and forth, he is sitting on a luxurious couch reading, but his body is touching the screen’s edge. When she asks him "How can you remain so calm?" Alfredo simply responds: “We have to be patient and wait for him to make a mistake.” While to the average viewer, this could signify that Alfredo does not seem to care about the Diego incident, his frame to character position contradicts his calm demeanor, exposing his active brain working out a scheme to get revenge.
How the Grand Hotel chooses to disregard standard framing and the “rule of thirds” can be found in their camera placement versus character movement. In most cases the camera is stationary— the characters walk to or from it, intentionally positioning themselves to fit the camera, rather than the other way around. For example, when Alicia and Ignacio awkwardly walking down the hallway toward the camera, reminiscing about their childhood together. It was most noticeable to me when Javier is sitting, facing the camera with his back to the door that Dona Teresa enters. Upon entering with extreme anger (accompanied by the most dramatic slap I have ever seen on television, that also gave the first real instance of the show being a stereotypical telenovela), she automatically does an awkward stand in front of the camera, rather than the camera repositioning itself to match her entrance and body position.
Another production difference I noticed were over the shoulder sequences. These were placed further away from the body, in an attempt to see more of the background rather than just the opposing character. I did like how the camera would subtly inch closer to the characters faces during conversations to add to the catty interactions between Detective Ayala and Dona Teresa. However, I still find some of the close-ups to be a bit, too close up. It made me uncomfortable at some moments. This decision could be related to the actual cultural proximities Europeans with one another that we do not have in America. The term “personal space” is something that is very sensitive in our culture. We instantly become alert and uncomfortable when someone invades our “personal bubble” or “boundaries.” In Europe this is not exactly the case. In fact, the concept of personal space does not seem to apply, as Europeans interact on a closer physical level. This may have to do with geographical space and cultural differences, but I can see how that cultural reality could influence the show’s production.
Overall issues of framing within the show, only slightly bother me. Because I grew up with a media background, I am more inclined to point out these differences and acknowledge what affect they have on me as a viewer. Because I have grown up in a position and culture that wants to be aware and “in the know” of all things, we are reluctant to admit that we cannot truly see everything all at once. Perhaps Grand Hotel is picking up on that issue, and contributing to the realistic limits of a person’s gaze. Perhaps the storyline is much more important to the series than whether or not I can see every strand of Julio’s perfectly coiffed hair in every scene. My thinking is that the director and production teams made a conscious decision to direct/edit the show this way, as a means to exaggerate on-screen tension and lessen the distinction between being an outside viewer and being an actual participant of the Grand Hotel.