Deconstruction of visual effects in 'True Detectives'

Deconstruction of visual effects in 'True Detectives'

By Connor Taylor

In True Detectives season one, they at many parts became very reliant on editing and visual effects in order to show the audience the perspective of one specific character (Rusten Cohle).

In episode 2 'Seeing Things' Rusten Cohle states earlier in the episode that he has nerve damage and receptor damage, plus any further issues from intense narcotic abuse. One of the first presentations of this that is clearly shown to the audience is when he is driving on a highway.

The use of the highway lights has been manipulated and making the lights blur more with flares on the 'lens' and then stretching the lights so that they leave a trail. This therefore visually is very effective in showing the audience the extent of his hallucinations and optical nerve damage.

Further through the episode 'Rust' has another hallucination were he sees a cluster of birds in the sky to fly and make a pattern in the air.

At this point his 'issues' are clearly represented to the audience when normality or reality is twisted by visual effects by making a pattern appear out of birds to again represent the idea of him interpreting reality differently. This also helps the audience to grasp his very unusual personality and method of thinking.

In this scene 'Rust' is in a maze like area then as he looks through the area he looks up at the ceiling and then the darker areas of the room begin to become even darker and then spread further through the room like is an amoral presence.

Then as the'darkness' almost engulfs the room a cyclone of light and dark appears in the room, again a imagination of Rust, however this visual technique is used with a more narrative purpose as later Rust says that he saw the 'other side' suggesting this is or may be when Rust meets his demise.

Overall I found that most of the bolder visual effects are used for a very strong and specific purpose and specific to one character in more drama related production, however in actions or scifi's it is practically mandatory in most situations.