Watching more previous degree films and discussing ideas

Today we watched two more previous final year video drama pieces and discussed them in terms of what we may like to do and perhaps what not to do.


Out of the Woods (2012)



Link: http://vimeo.com/73616040

I felt that this short film was visually good and that the acting was of a good standard, however there were a few issues that we as a group had with it. Firstly, we felt that the static shots held on for slightly too long, and in terms of action, for the first few minutes, not a lot happens to grab the viewers attention as the protagonist is simply walking through the woods looking slightly perplexed and somewhat scared. I was very impressed, however, by the quality of the set building and the logistics/planning that would have had to have been set in place in order to erect that set in that particular environment. I also really feel that the script was just too simple, with not a lot happening, and the inconsistencies in the film were expected to be written off under the pretence of the it-was-all-a-dream ending. I felt like this justification was somewhat of a get-out clause, in this sense, as well as a means for producing something surreal. We agreed as a class that perhaps leaving it as surreal and experimental without the dream ending would have been more effective as audiences could then draw their own conclusions to the scenarios.

Sewn (2011)



Link: http://vimeo.com/15946339

I did not personally enjoy this film as there were many inconsistencies throughout which I feel took me out of the viewing experience. I especially think that the costumes and locations were confusing, as there were some contradictions. For example, the opening scene is dark and morbid, there is an old-fashioned knitting wheel, and as the camera draws back, the workers are in dark attire and rags etc. thus suggesting that the time period is something like Victorian. However, later on in the film, a man is wearing a fairly modern, brown jacket which does not fit with the time period previously alluded to. Also, the ending, when the blind man offers to cut the thread that ties the girls lips together is humorous because he can't see what he is doing, yet the two other people with him can. In saying this I think many of the shots were visually appealing, however could do with perhaps being slightly brighter. The sound was also slightly too loud, making the dripping of a drain seem over the top. Our tutor, however, told us that much of the set featured was built by students themselves, which is very impressive as it looked effective and matched the storyline well.


What I can take away from this session...

• Building sets may be a useful way of realising otherwise problematic settings.
• Costume and Mise en scene is vital in terms of making something appear as realistic.
• The script must be coherent, even if the premise of the film is meant to be somewhat unrealistic and experimental.
• There must be a variety of shots in order to maintain viewers interest, or if not an intense section of dialogue.
• When focussing on making the film aesthetically brilliant i.e. creating graphics, animations and post-production, it is perhaps better to keep the storyline more simple and succinct, as there is a need to focus on the aesthetics more so and vice versa for intense and complicated storylines - perhaps it may be too much to experiment extensively with aesthetics, in this case.