Been Replaying Skyrim For The Thousandth Time Which Made Me Want To Draw The Thieves Guild, Plus Some

caleb widogast icons!

Okay I gotta talk about the Kuleshov Effect for a minute because I see a lot of people talking about how Silco and Vi were looking at each other on the bridge and it's got me scratching at the walls.

The Kuleshov Effect is a film editing effect. It is a mental phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation.

In other words, the way a movie or show is edited influences the way you think or feel about it. This kind of subtle manipulation is very powerful and is used throughout film and television to guide the audience's emotional journey and can be used to influence characterization and plot just by putting things in the right order. When people talk about "unintentional implications from the writers" I have noticed several times that the cause of the unintentional implication actually being the editing, not the writing.

On the bridge just before the opening credits of episode 8, we have two perspectives: Vi's perspective and Silco's perspective. Rather than show what Vi's doing in one long sequence, and then switch to Silco's perspective in one long sequence, the editors break these sequences into smaller shots and inter-cut them.

The most common use of intercutting like this is when shooting dialogue: cut to one character, cut to the other. Because of this, to our minds, this sequence looks like they are having a silent conversation, but they aren't. They can't even see each other.

Silco can't see beyond the smog, flood lights, and oncoming parade of enforcers, and it's safe to assume Vi can't see past these obstacles either. They have no way or reason of knowing the other is observing the bridge.

So, now that we know they can't see each other, let's look at what happens if we reorder the clips so these are two distinct sequences rather than one long one.

The sequences on their own are not staged the way a conversation would be staged, because both characters are in the centers of their respective frames.

Vi is looking at the bridge where her childhood friend was about to fight her sister so she could get away. The last thing that happened on the bridge that she knows of is another bomb going off, just one. She doesn't know if Ekko or Jinx are still alive. Maybe she's wondering if she should have stayed instead of leaving Jinx again.

Silco is panicked and caught off guard by his own reaction. He has a moment of emotional vulnerability while his back is turned to his employees and while the enforcers are still too far away to see what's happening on his face. He steels himself before standing up, and faces down the enforcers before walking away.

So, why edit this scene this way? If they can't see each other, why make it look like they can? Specifically because they wanted these characters to have an emotional exchange, but can't, because they are physically too far apart. Vi and Silco only get two scenes together and they only talk directly to each other once. This helps fill in a hole where we want these two to interact, but plot-wise it makes no sense for them to be able to. The editors change the entire meaning of both of these sequences if the emotions on their faces are a conversation.

What I like about this is that it gives you two options for how to interpret this, and both can be true at the same time. You can look at each sequence on its own, and you can look at it the way the editors were manipulating you into seeing it. I do love what they've done here, and I think it's important when analyzing media to know what tools and techniques the creators have used to tell their story and be able to deconstruct their little tricks to inform your interpretation.

Anyway thank you @sweetestsixshooter for reminding me I wanted to write this down lmao

this has empire siblings energy

Caleb has a home he’s always running away from. Molly carries his home with him everywhere he goes. Caleb can’t forget and Molly can’t remember. They both woke up very recently in an unfamiliar place and they’re both still getting their bearings. Caleb takes a great amount of care to keep himself as hidden as possible. Molly takes the same amount of care to keep himself visible. It’s hard not to be scared of them, but they’re not scared of each other. And they’re fire- and ice-coded? I’m going to throw up. 

I mean. Yeah he ugly as hell in vanilla game. But he's a sweetheart so I like to imagine him a bit differently you know?

Wait you guys are actually attracted to Brynjolf? I thought it was a joke

I'm a woman but I feel like it's not very straight of me to have a crush on bdg??

i’ve finally completed my magnum opus: brian david gilbert say so edit

What is this hand to waist ratio.

He could wrap them around my throat twice with fingers that size.

trying to explain the Zero Escape series plot to someone who has never played the games

Becoming a Nightingale

Karliah: We need new Nightingales

Karliah: Please come to Nightingale Hall

Karliah: Take this Nightingale armour

Karliah: Okay so now you're becoming a Nightingale-

Brynjolf: What, I'm becoming a Nightingale?? This came out of NOWHERE!