Alignment 

the different ways that the filmmaker can align us or manipulate our emotional responses

Alignment is the process of identification with something or someone. The way spectators are encouraged through macro and micro features to relate to characters emotions as well as adopt their points of view. The emotional impact of a film frequently depends on spectator alignment with central characters


Micro alignment                                                                      Macro alignment

Costume, hair and make up;  Mia Wallace outfit.                  Narrative: we may get the perspective                                                                                                       from a back story of the protagonist
 alignment with Mia due to similarities between the
 spectator and the character
                                       
Sound; the music that is played over head may                    
  attract a certain audience

MIRCO:
Cinematography; a CU positions the spectator closer to the character. Alternatively, a wide shot or MLS will put distance between the character and the spectator
Sound; certain sounds/music are used to highlight and guide our responses
Themes/Content; depending on the subject matter of the film we can be easily manipulated if the issues portrayed resonate within us on a personal level; death of a loved one / cultural or social issues

Most films will attempt to align the spectator with a specific character or group of characters
A filmmaker can align us with a character emotionally or culturally we are more willing to adopt a preferred reading of a film take on the meaning intended by the producer
If we are aligned our emotions can be easily manipulated and we are more likely to experience an AUDIENCE response rather an individual SPECTATOR response

Most films and filmmakers will encourage an audience response - a shared emotional response that is initially intense but quickly fade. A filmmaker can do this by...

• use existing genre convention 
• the under dog story 
• sympathetic characters and situations 
• place characters in realistic scenario the more common the scenario the better 
• a mix of mood through music, light, etc and realistic emotions 
• play on audience fears and phobias 
• builds expectation and eventually meet that expectation (a happy ending ) 

Allegiance pertains to the moral evaluation of the characters by the spectator. Is another form of identification with a character based on a wide range of external factors such as attitudes towards:

• class
• race
• nation
• age
• ethnicity 
• gender 

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