Clive Barker's The Plague

[Capt Quirk]

As I was getting ready to turn in last night, The Plague came on. So, since I had been wanting to see it, I sat up a bit longer. One scene really stuck out like a turd in a punch bowl... The Main character is sitting on a porch, and the love interest pulls up. The camera switches perspective, the love interest in now in the foreground, the hero is in the background. The area directly behind the love interest is heavily blurred, yet the hero who is standing some 15 ft away screen right is only mildly out of focus. Now, I don't know of any way to get two different DOFs in one shot, unless it is artificial. Does that sound about right? Why would somebody want to do that?

 

[Cassius]

It can be done. Split field filters seems to be a common word. I'm not sure if that's what they should officially be called, I know what they look like and do but not the terms. Kind of a useless device in my opinion.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

^ close man!

It's called a split field diopter, and it's usually used on static shots where a hard line divides the frame so the 'transition' is better hidden. I guess you noticed a poorly hidden attempt. Like Cassius said, it's a rare tool because it's hard to hide and apply.