Breaking the fourth wall
- Thread starter Amasov
- Start date
Seriously, all those cases in TOS cited where people look "at" the camera are no such thing. Looking at the camera means directing your gaze right into the lens, which almost never happened on the show, except where the shot was supposed to be from the point of view of an in-universe camera (Kirk recording his final orders, Admiral Komack, etc.), or when the camera represented the point of view of a character, like the crazed Chekov POV from The Tholian Web where Spock kinda looks directly at the camera because he's looking at Chekov represented by the camera.
If an actor is looking even a fraction of an inch off to the side of the lens, they're not looking at the camera per se, just as is someone looking past your ear isn't looking at you.
McCoy looks camera right.
Spock almost looks in the lens (he's still looking a fraction of a degree camera right).
Admiral looks at the lens.
Breaking the forth wall means acknowledging the words outside the reality of the show, be it the audience or that the show is a show.
If an actor is looking even a fraction of an inch off to the side of the lens, they're not looking at the camera per se, just as is someone looking past your ear isn't looking at you.
McCoy looks camera right.
Spock almost looks in the lens (he's still looking a fraction of a degree camera right).
Admiral looks at the lens.
Breaking the forth wall means acknowledging the words outside the reality of the show, be it the audience or that the show is a show.
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At least McCoy didn't have a running vocal commentary over the episode referring to Rick, T.C. and Robin Masters. That might have gotten annoying fast.
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