"WE ACCEPT THE REALITY OF THE WORLD WITH WHICH WE ARE PRESENTED"
Cinematic Tecniques
Truman is often shown using a medium angle through a mirror. This is the only time he makes direct eye contact with the camera. This could be to show the viewer that even Truman's reflection is being manipulated for the sake of the show.
The whole film is shot with angles that are often too close up or strangely placed. This is to mimic the idea that the cameras are hidden in weird places in order to film Truman wherever he goes.
The daily routine of Truman that is utterly mundane and monotonous is satirized with a motif of non diegetic sound. Every time Truman makes his way to work, the classical music plays to let the viewer know how repetitive his life is.
Often the viewer is represented with camera shots with shadowed outside edges to appear as if through a tube. This low key lighting effect is to give the viewer the impression that they are supposed to be aware of the apparent cameras. It also makes it appear that these camera are almost like security cameras. With these same camera angles there is often diegetic sounds of the camera zooming in and out of panning to show Truman. These sound are usually not able to be heard in the movie but the viewer needs to understand that Truman is being filmed in order to understand the plot.
Throughout the film, scenes art often filmed at a medium, eye level shot in order for some of the characters to make direct eye contact into the camera. This is generally avoided in film because it makes the movie seem fake because it alerts the viewers that the actors are aware of the camera's presence. In The Truman Show this effect is used to show the viewer that everyone besides Truman himself is aware of the cameras and the fallacies of Truman's world.
When Truman is showed at his office, the camera appears to be hidden behind books and folders. With this medium angle the viewer is able to understand that these cameras are supposed to be hidden from Truman.
During the flashback of death there appears to be water on the lens of the camera. This scene is shot at a low angle in order to show the water on the camera. Usually movies do not want to show anything obscuring the lens because then the viewer knows there is in fact a camera present and the authenticity depletes.
Truman's wife Meryl is always filmed at an angle that looks up at her. This displays her in a position of power because she looks larger than she is in reality. Meryl manipulates and controls Truman so this makes sense.
Sylvia is always displayed in high key lighting in order to depict her as honest because she is the only one to tell Truman the truth. In the last scene of the film, Truman is displayed in high key lighting because Truman is finally being told the truth. His life is being exposed for the lie that it is so it is so it is important that the viewer can recognize that Truman can fully see the wall that marks the end of Truman's world as he knows it.
Christof is always in low key lighting because he is deceitful for he is the one who weaved Truman's life of lives.
Just as the character's on the Truman Show are shown from a medium angle, so is the audience watching the show. The medium shot is used to give the impression that the camera is inside of the television in which they are all looking into hungrily, just as the character's look into the cameras. This parallels the actors with the audience.
When Truman is missing the moon becomes a spotlight searching for him. This high key lighting represents the power of those who control Truman.
When Christof 'cues the sun' in order to more efficiently find Truman there is a harsh unnatural contrast between high and low key lighting. The displays to the viewer how fake and easily manipulated Truman's world really is.
Truman begins looking at the camera towards the end of the film because he begins to become aware that he is being watched. This is shown through a series of medium angles.
When Truman reaches the wall at the end of his world, there is a close up on his hand in high key lighting as he touches the truth for the first time.
In the final scene Christof for the first time talks to Truman directly, but Christof makes it appear as if he is God. This is ironic because as far as Truman knows, Christof is his God because Christof played God when he created the Truman show. Christof is once again shot at a low angle looking up at Christof in order to depict Christof's position of power. Christof himself however is shot at a medium, eye level angle to show the audience how human he is. Christof himself is a christ figure as he is referred several times as the creator. It also becomes clear that his name choice was no coincidence given its similarities to the word christ.