View Other Student Work Blogpost

 View Other Student Work Blogpost 

 1. I really liked this film opening of Video 1, "Dare to Thrill". This is because I enjoyed the detail at the beginning of the film where the title, "Steal the key to a Man's Heart" is in a green tech-themed font, as I feel it nicely compliments the music accompanying it and gives the film a technological vibe. The aesthetic of the teenage friend group running in the street at night was very appealing to me, and the lowkey lighting certainly added to that affect. At timestamp 0:16, an establishing shot of the clip's setting, which is a street late at night with a stairwell and a store named Burlington is displayed to the audience. This is meant to provide information about the characters' personalities, such as that they are rebellious for going out past sunset and a bit reckless, as it could be dangerous to go out at night due to factors like increased risk of falling victim to crimes. For elements of mis en scene, the teenagers are all dressed in casual articles of clothing and the girls don't appear to be wearing heavy makeup, which is meant to show that their plans of hanging out were intended to be laidback and informal. There is also a bit of foreshadowing to the text at the beginning "Steal the key to a Man's Heart", where one of the girls actually takes keys (also showing a rebellious streak in her character's personality as she is stealing keys), which I found extremely creative.  

 

2. Conversely, I didn't like the film opening of Video 2, "Always Watching" as much as the film opening of the first video. In the beginning, there is a two shot where the two characters are having a conversation about the boy's old friend. I felt the acting on the actor's part was very lackluster and the way he is giving his dialogue doesn't adequately give justice to the way the boy should feel, as there is not enough emotion in his voice. However, an editing technique I really liked was shown in timestamp 0:44, where a jump cut was used to transition from the conversation between the two individuals on the couch to the boy running outside in the dark. The music in this excerpt is very ominous and suspenseful, which compliments the eerie aesthetic of the boy running alone at night. There is also the non-diegetic sound of screeching, which further adds to the excerpt's aesthetic. The eerie sound effects where the African American male is putting tape over another male's mouth due to an obsession of taking his status also compliments the violent action he is committing. From timestamp 1:42-1:45, the editing technique of cross cut is being used to switch perspective from the offender looking at his reflection in the mirror to his victim looking at his reflection in the mirror, which I found interesting as the offender's dialogue points to an intense obsession with his victim's life and wanting to be "the one they look up to" instead of his victim. While the editing and sound elements in this film opening did add significant meaning to the clip, I felt the acting in the beginning two shot was poor. 

#3 “The Blue Boar” 

This clip contains several shots of the environment with tons of greenery and no modern structures, which help to establish the time period the clip is set in and help to immerse the viewer. Particular shots, like the one with the butterfly on the flower, also help to add a serene, dreamlike feeling to the clip. I like how in the first few scenes of the mother speaking, we only partially see her face or just hear her voice in the background, this gives the feeling that the main character is disconnected from her mother's words and is in another world in her head. One thing I didn’t like about the clip was the music at times. The background music was too loud at certain points, making it hard to hear the actual dialogue. Another minor critique would be that during a few scenes towards the end, the camera work was shaky. 

 

#4 “White Coat” 

I really like the beginning of this clip and how it has the names of the people who worked on the clip on screen while the events of the scene go on in the background, it feels like something you’d see in a real show. The camera work in this clip is also great in my opinion. The shots of the beakers and different lab equipment were very nice and the way that they played with the focus during certain scenes felt almost professional. The sound design in the clip was good as well, an example being in the beginning with the sound of liquid being poured from one beaker to another. The sound of the water was crisp, and the background music didn't overpower it, both sounds fit perfectly in the scene. The only thing I disliked about this clip was the difference in camera quality for the two storylines. The clips with the scientist character were clear quality, while those with the patient character were not. 

 

5. I really enjoyed the opening scene of the short film "Stalker." as it was very realistic to a teenager. For example, The colorful lamp and eccentric pattern of the sheets symbolize youth. Later on, when the character gets out of bed and is brushing her hair, we can see her begin to look confused and concerned. The close-up shot of the window gives the viewers a hint that she may be panicked due to feeling watched from outside. The head shaking and going back to her normal routine serves in a way that gives us a clear picture that she is clueless and doesn't know what is to come. Strengths of this film are that the costume and set design were very good. However, the camera shots and angles could've been done better in my opinion. For example, a canted angle shot or a point-of-view shot from the girl's perspective may have been better at capturing her fear and the chaos of the moment.  

 

6. In “Nostalgia” color and sound play a large part. The clip begins with a blue sky, blue may symbolize the woman’s nostalgia. After the sky is shown, somber music begins to play while there are shots of paintings and belongings while the woman looks longingly. This hints and heightens the sadness that she is feeling. A strength I found in this film was that they wait until the end to confirm that the grandma is in fact reminiscing on her past by showing a young girl in the same outfit at the end of the opening scene. It built suspense and provided a clear meaning of the scene. However, something that I feel could have been done better was the costume choice. The scene is about a woman feeling intense nostalgia, however red usually signifies passion and anger in Western culture. (This short film is made in Florida) 

 

7. “Rise” 

The first detail that can be seen from this video is the clear and steady camera and high-quality recording. This serves to highlight the dynamic and fast-paced action that's introduced, where the multiple short shots come together to quickly capture the audience's attention and invest them into the protagonist that is immediately revealed. This helps the audience gain a quick understanding of who the main character is and a clear premise of the plot as it shows him exiting his car and making his way to a soccer field. The editing, captions, and choice of font are also cohesive and interesting.  The bright lights, natural background, and choice of background music establishes a modern and outdoor setting with a more determined and motivational tone. The pattern of multiple, quick shots continues throughout the video, creating a feeling of lots of energy and movement that keeps the audience engaged. A plot hook can also be seen as tracking, over-the-shoulder, and mid shots capture the body language of the protagonist as well as a second character that is later introduced. Their encounter filled with unfriendly expressions and stiffened body language convey their rivalry dynamic. 

 

8. “Dear Lover” 

The video begins with long shots of a lakeside, where the clip takes place. This allows the audience to gain a good understanding of the current location and setting as an overlay of the production credits play in the bottom left corner. This decision helps the audience process what they are seeing, from the natural lighting, time of day, and color scheme of the shots, as well as credit the people behind the scenes in a smooth manner that doesn’t interrupt the plot. The longer and less dynamic shots of the lake create a simplistic and pensive mood that tells the audience that the plot will be one that is more serious. The camerawork is thoughtfully intentional, in which it does a good job at showing a deliberate sequence of shots and directing the audience’s attention throughout the actress’ action of the scene. Regarding the actors, their expressions and body language were clear to the camera, therefore also making it understandable to the audience and helping to convey the plot to them.