Christine Jean-Baptiste
Film Analysis 2
Catfish
One of the best things on social media is that, we can become friends with people all over the world. We can look at their pictures, videos, hobbies and interact with them as often as we like as if were friends. In the movie Catfish, were able to follow Nev Schulman who’s a photographer who lives with his friend and brother. They follow and record Nev as he receives a painting of one of his pictures. Nev ends having a friendship with her which creates a friendship with the family which her mother Abby, her husband Vince and her sister Megan who he ends up really liking and having a relationship with. He continues the relationship[ with the family but discoveries things aren’t adding up so he travels to Michigan and find out what he perceived to be the truth wasn’t. In this movie it displayed Primacy effect, Needs, & Communication channels.
In the movie Nev receives a wonderful painting from Abby who is eight years old who painted a self-portrait of Nev from his Facebook account. Angela who is the mother had a lot interactions with Nev and presented her family to Nev as Ginuwine until it was time for Nev to meet the family he was confused because she lied about the people in the pictures. She painted herself and her family a certain way but was the complete opposite of Nev who perceived her and her family a certain way. In chapter three it states that primacy effect “is the tendency to emphasize the first impression over later impressions when forming a perception.” It also states that the “Asch studies illustrates that the first information we learn of someone tends to have a stronger effect on how we perceive that person than information we receive later.”
In the movie Angela displays a lot of relational needs which is mention in chapter one. Some of the needs that she displays are affection, companionship, affection, and the moment to herself where she can escape reality in the movie she mentions that she always wanted to become a professional dancer but somehow didn’t follow through. She seems regretful for that. She also shares that she married her husband who handicap boys who she helps take care of as well as her own kids.
Moreover, the movie shows another concept which is communication channels. The interaction with Angela and Nev was through telephone and social media, Facebook. People can perceive to be anything on social media as well as talking to someone on the phone. Their voice can sound attractive or a certain way until you meet them and it’s not that. I believe in the movie they had great sources of communication channels. Nev also sent her a postcard. He also went to Michigan with his brother and friend to finally communicate with her in Peron.
In conclusion we all perceive someone a certain way even though we may find out the hard truth on they are.