The creation of art is able to convey both meaning and the values its creator holds. Highlighting what they want to stand out — a scene, interaction, directorial close up of an actress' facial expression, detail to a colour or specific instance, aesthetics to build up an ambience or atmosphere, etc. — is simply means to transfer an idea or feeling. By equality, they also do the opposite. They dismiss with a flick of their wrist (intentional) or batting of an eyelash (subconsciously). The ideas and details not included are those they deem without value. Creative mediums allow an extensive space all with their own idiosyncrasies, techniques, limitlessness and limitations to bring forth one's intentions into existence. So although there are many instances where directors do exclude details they deem unappealing or not worthy of screen time, what I find “Incredibly Interesting” (disclaimer: in this moment) is the framework in which someone deems something without value subconsciously and with value consciously that perhaps is understated or not something people normally think about.
Most creators don't leave out the everyday quirks a character could have intentionally, for instance, the body language or small visual cues that fit into the situations being conveyed. After all, it's usually noted that good storytelling delves into the realities it builds up. Including meticulous minutiae can bring someone deeper into the experience. I certainly appreciate the extra effort. A sharp-eye for detail will include things like how a character's facial expression is different when they believe no one is watching them [Betty Draper taking a drag of her cigarette and looking detached when glancing at Don while he's asleep in Mad Men], or wearing appropriate outfits based on their standard of living [Ruth Langmore wearing musty looking hoodies, jeans, and tank tops as she's depicted as "trailer trash" in Ozark]. I remember watching a video of the making of Hayao Miyazaki's films. In particular, it brought to attention how in his storyboards, he included small details like Chihiro tapping her toes right after putting on her pair of sneakers to get it to fit snugly in Spirited Away. Attention to detail can be shown in many ways, whether through showcasing it by bringing it into focus on camera, during dialog of a more high-stakes situation, or as subtle exposition while presenting greater sensory information.
When Teresa Mendoza notices the nervous tic of a man who cracks his neck one too many times in Queen of the South, this is her deeming some data point is important, or in this case, amiss. In other words, the director brings into attention what Teresa is noticing as valuable, because the director deems this information as valuable. A bit meta I know.
Afterwards, when her drop-off partner, James, checks the bills for counterfeit, there's no visual difference seen. However, she asks to check it herself. $50,000 worth of bills end up being fake and I am of the opinion the technical details are what would enrapture most of the audience. As in, what's impressive to most wasn't how she noticed. It was the knowledge of feeling the bill by touch and immediately determining the paper felt different, that it was lighter than the one gram a U.S bill should weigh. "I was a money changer for five years," It was the intensity of her eyes when she reveals her forehead scar, "In Sinaloa, you don't make mistakes with your bosses' money." It was the unwavering confidence to state this as true even with a gun pointed to her head.
These all determined her competent nature, so why do I believe her observational skills and ability to connect the dots together were undervalued compared to these other telling points?
It is because of how the term 'intuition' is constantly utilized. "They intuitively knew what the audience wanted", "The parent's intuited that their child was unhappy", "A woman's intuition alerted her to red flags in a relationship". But this is usually not the full picture. Teresa noticed something was off about the situation, because of the data points she viewed of import and of how she drew the conclusions. It is with this framework that she was able to have confidence in her accusation. It's difficult to know what you don't know. And it's in fact, impossible, to utilize ideas well when you've never thought too deeply on a subject matter. Although not as life-threatening as working under a drug cartel... What a good director, writer, story boarder, artist, animator, musician, story teller, or thinker in any field will do, is bring out what they've deemed valuable and if they choose to dismiss details, it is by choice.
In art and photography, there exists a concept of a "white point", the reference to which an onlooker would consider "white". Although it may in fact be tints or hues off from actual, pure white. The comparison I wish to draw is that when we, the audience, are swept up in an experience, the molded perspective or references we see are created by those that have shaped the architecture of that world. So would you not want whoever is potentially influencing your views and experience to have put thought into their creation? Let us gloss over this subtle and poor attempt at trying to have you place more importance on creators putting meaningful and thought-out ideas about society into their art... In fact, let us even forego realism for the sake of this concept. After all, art can suck you in and take you into the artist's rendition regardless of how real it looks, as long as it does not violate its own established reality (perhaps more on this some other time). This ability is what separates art and the viewer, regardless of a person's objective or emotional attachment to what makes something "good".
Chiaroscuro is the technique of strong contrast between light and dark. Regardless of the amount of detail, or I should say, in spite of the amount of detail present, what the painter conveys (and consequently, deems of importance by highlighting) can be more easily interpreted with this technique of dichotomies. What comes to mind are the striking, all-encompassing paintings by Caravaggio.
Can you see how easy it is to be drawn into the scene? This painting illustrates the biblical story of Judith assassinating Assyrian general Holofernes who invaded Bethulia. Here, the depiction while realistic, is also quite unrealistic. The creases in the fabric, emotive expressions on each face, and impeccable brushwork depict such realistic detail. However, there is not a speck of blood on Judith's clothes. Rather, her blouse is a spotless white (well, the white point anyways). It draws the eyes attention due to the blinding contrast. Then perhaps it would be correct to assume Caravaggio meant to depict her as a saviour of Bethulia rather than a murderer.
Now let us even consider the intentionally understated paintings that came out during Picasso's Blue Period. They feature desolation, the impoverished, things in which society turned, and still turns, a blind eye to.
The lack of aggrandization was his answer to avant garde concepts at the time. The muted details and mono-tonal palette say something without being said. I should like to posit that the things that are not there are because their worth was not valuable or without meaning to the ideas being showcased. Instead, depression and destitution were the values he felt were important to art during this time of his life.
"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary." — Pablo Picasso
Looking through the lens of a creator and by analyzing the myriads of techniques in each medium reveals what they think and consequently, not think about. But this holds true for the viewer experiencing a piece of media as well. Consciously choosing what pieces are significant and how it relates to one's framework of the world (and in the first place, noticing these things)... Are something I deem invaluable. Simply going along for the ride is valid (whichever way a person chooses to experience life cannot be invalid), however, recognizing what is important to yourself and the values you wish to place prominence in, whether creating or consuming, is part of being alive. Consuming stories, books, art, and the many facets in which life has to offer in a participatory and thoughtful manner can only enrich the human experience. Life can be a story full of value if you allow it.