The Eyes Have It!

[PM2K]

Hello again.

A while back, I waxed on about certain aspects of the quicksand thing and what works and doesn't, such as the use of bubbles, how should the hands react, clothing options, and all that, juts hoping to spark a conversation. This time, as the title states, it is about the importance eyes, the windows to the sinker's soul.

We all know those scenes, our heroine or bad girl is floundering around, sinking helplessly. Maybe she's scared, maybe pissed off at her predicament. Then, when she's chin deep, it dawns on her that maybe she isn't getting out of this. Her mouth slips under, the thick mire stifling her cries or complaints. Only her eyes can convey that mix of emotions as her breath bubbles merrily in front of her nose.

This is another one of those defining moments for me. Looking our actress right in the eye to try and read what is going on in there. Are her eyes wide with helpless terror? Darting around looking for something, anything, to stave off her impending fate? Or are they resigned, ready to accept her muddy demise? Or maybe they are still sparkling from arousal, and slip under the muck satisfied? Add in a few bubbly "mmphs" and it is the icing on a rich cake in a scene for me.

I confess I'm very much an eye man in the sense I find this among the most attractive features on a woman, so seeing them go last.... sigh.

Anyway, anyone have any thoughts on this? What do you like or dislike about the use of eyes in scenes? Does it really matter? Are there any actresses who can drive you nuts just by how they glance at you before going under?

[bart1997]

...

[Duncan Edwards]

Personal i'm not a big fan of "breaking the wall" and looking straight into the camera, but this can sometimes be quite good, too:

I've got to speak up on this. There's so many things I could say about it but for now I'd ask you to look at the difference in what those two pictures are saying. There is definitely a time for a look at the camera but it depends on the message. In the two photos you cite one of them says "Oh shit" and one says "Help me". You can tell which is which just by the way they look at the camera. The viewer doesn't have to think about it either. That's one of the things that makes a real photo.

[water_bug_62208]

Anyway, anyone have any thoughts on this? What do you like or dislike about the use of eyes in scenes? Does it really matter? Are there any actresses who can drive you nuts just by how they glance at you before going under?

There are two looks in a gal's eyes that I really find attractive and/or sexy when she finds herself stuck and sinking in quicksand or mud...

- The look in a gal's eyes when she's trying to pull her legs or arms out of the mire's grip... there's that moment where her eyes are shut tight with a scowl forming around them and her head is angled slightly up while a grunt of exertion unleashes from her gritted teeth as she puts every once of strength she has into getting free of the mud. I've always found that to be a fascinating look in a woman's eyes as she struggles against the quicksand.

- Then there's that look when our struggling damsel finally realizes that she's not getting free in spite of all her efforts, and that she's just sinking deeper and deeper no matter what she does. That's when she gets this look that perhaps her situation is far more serious than she thought.

So, yeah, I, too, say that a woman's eyes say a lot about her predicament in a sticky situation.

[Fred588]

Some comments to this thread seem to be addressing different issues, both relating to the eyes. One is whather or not seeing the eyes is important in a qs scene and the other seems to have to do with what the eyes are looking at.

The so-called "wall" issue is concerned with whether a character does something to show awareness of the viewer, such as making eye contact. This is an important issue, the solution to which generally derives from whether the viewer is really part of a scene. In a scene such as a sink tease this is the case. It could also be the case in a scene where the camera represents a person who, for example, might be a rescuer.

The issue of what the eyes are looking at is different because there are options other than the camera to look at. In my opinion for the viewer to be able to see the sinker's eyes is a real asset to a scene. What the sinker is looking at, I think obviousy, has to make sensse in the context of the scene. And, of course, there are times when the sinker is "looking within."

[Boggy Man]

We all know those scenes, our heroine or bad girl is floundering around, sinking helplessly. Maybe she's scared, maybe pissed off at her predicament. Then, when she's chin deep, it dawns on her that maybe she isn't getting out of this. Her mouth slips under, the thick mire stifling her cries or complaints. Only her eyes can convey that mix of emotions as her breath bubbles merrily in front of her nose.

That is definitely the truth! A few interesting examples can be found in Fred's thread on theme-based photo sets. Was that what inspired this thread, which has the same name as your reply in that other thread?

[PM2K]

We all know those scenes, our heroine or bad girl is floundering around, sinking helplessly. Maybe she's scared, maybe pissed off at her predicament. Then, when she's chin deep, it dawns on her that maybe she isn't getting out of this. Her mouth slips under, the thick mire stifling her cries or complaints. Only her eyes can convey that mix of emotions as her breath bubbles merrily in front of her nose.

That is definitely the truth! A few interesting examples can be found in Fred's thread on theme-based photo sets. Was that what inspired this thread, which has the same name as your reply in that other thread?

Well, they certainly helped... I've actually been thinking about different aspects of what makes a quicksand scene work for me, inspired by the discussions which happen around here, so I thought I'd try to inspire some myself. It is probably why head first sinks aren't my favs, although I have nothing against them... it is just you can't see her eyes before she vanishes, and for me, I need that.

Another interesting point raised here is whether she should be looking at the camera or not. Again, depends on the scene. If it is a sinking for you set up, or one of those revenge things, where the camera is playing the part of you, then that works fine. If not, it would be best the eyes be looking elsewhere. It is all about not spoiling the illusion.

[Duncan Edwards]

So there's all kinds of great eyes out there and here we're judging them by the message they send or the story they tell. Back in the day I was blessed to be faced with some lovely eyes looking back through the viewfinder at me. Some were definitely better at communicating to the audience than others. The best were always so adept at knowing where and when and how to look. I don't have a good photo with me but Kristine was great at using what nature gave her to look right at you every single time with perfection. She could look right at the camera and drill a hole through your brain with that look.

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We got big eyes, frightened eyes, cold eyes, warm eyes that say "I'm scared", "Help me!" or "help me...please." Some can give you a very subtle "come hither" or an outright "fuck me!"

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I don't know how many ever noticed before but Brinke has these huge almond shaped eyes that are very expressive and give her a subtle exotic look. I asked her about it once and she told me that she has some recent Asian ancestry. Here is someone who could be chin deep in a bog and still invite you to come get her with just an expression. Now that's a look.

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[Duncan Edwards]

That's the way to do frightened eyes. Not just the expression but the eyes are concerned and right at the edge of tears. I love that.

[Duncan Edwards]

One of the all time greatest sets of eyes I ever had the pleasure of looking back at.

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Staring straight up at the sky and still pleading for help she knows isn't coming.

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And this was a throw away on that set.

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Tell me what she's saying with this one. Mischief? Seduction? Adventure? Uncertainty? It's almost a Mona Lisa look at the camera.