'Boyhood' and 'Filming'

What's so interesting about the whole concept of 'Boyhood' is the idea of it being filmed over the course of 13 consecutive years, watching one little actor grow up and become a bigger part of the world, something we all experience. This gimmick is what makes 'Boyhood' as a movie so connectable to the audience, as we have all experienced this constant idea of growing up and making a name for ourselves in the great ocean that is planet Earth. 'Boyhood' takes this concept to a whole other level, utilizing separate camera angles and shots throughout the progression of our main protagonist's life.

When Mason is a little kid, the vast majority of camera angles being used are along the lines of high shots. Because Mason is a younger child growing up in a larger world, the angles being used are meant to depict his size relative to the rest of the world. One of the clearest examples is the scene in which Mason and his sister, Samantha, are starting out the window, watching Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke argue outside on the porch. From the high angle, the relative impact of the kids is minimal, and because they're so much smaller than the other characters being depicted, it gives off the metaphorical meaning of insignificance that the children feel.

When Mason is around middle school age, we get a lot more full-body shots as we start to understand his physical development. The most significant scene and shot we get in this stage of Mason's life is when he's riding his bike home in the back alley of his hometown, with his soon-to-be middle school love interest. This is one of the larger examples in the film of longer shot, as we see Mason and his 'girlfriend' for almost a full 2 minutes while they're going down the alleyway. Because we see his full body, not only does it connect with us to see his physical development, but we are given a deeper metaphorical viewpoint into Mason and how his conscious and psychology is slowly developing.

Then, we get to high school, eventually freshman year of college. At this point, we no longer have any high shot, no longer any high angles that are meant to have us see Mason in any sort of insignificant light. As a result, we get a lot more close up shots; as Mason has matured, so has his ability to think abstractly and see the world in a completely different light. Therefore, we get many more views of Mason starting abstract into space, or communicating with his girlfriend, Sheena, or simply being with and sharing a beer with his father. We see a lot more of the close-up mental state of Mason, and this variance in shot type is what makes the whole psychological development so easy to follow.

Overall, it's very interesting to see the progression of angles and shot types over the length of the film. We go from seeing Mason as this insignificant little kid in a bigger world to being a more philosophical, free-thinking male who knows what's good for him. We are exposed to this over the 13 year period of filming that gives us the insight into the growth and development of a young child. and really outlines the true concept of 'Boyhood.'