Flooding the Senses.

In which a love of film intersects "The Perfect" education. This blog is a part of my University of Georgia Short Film lecture class.

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Critiques

Hey guys I know this is the last stretch. we're probably all pretty tired of critiquing. But I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

[dandantheeskimoman-blog]

Critiques!

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Hey I haven't critiqued yours yet, so I'll answer your questions and critique at the same time! I loved your screenplay. Actually, I think it will probably be one of my favorites. It is so hard to communicate a message that is so important to you and close to your heart without offending, confusing, and -sadly- even boring people. I do agree with others, there is a bit that could be trimmed down on during the old man's dialogue (or perhaps just make it a bit more poignant and weighty so that the impact his words have on Riley is warranted). 

As far as the assignment, just show up today. You have until finals to edit your screenplay and fix errors. You don't have to show up on the last week of finals- just resubmit your screenplay by the class time. Today we'll read 4 more screenplays and then the assignment will be to get on here and critique them like everyone did for you. So on and so forth until they are all read. 

Great job!

dandantheeskimoman:

Hey guys!

Thank you so much for all the helpful critiques, I had no idea there was so much that could be fixed. It is all really helpful, and I am genuinely thankful. 

However, I am somewhat confused as to what the assignment was for this week, since I wasn’t at class. Do I need to make the changes to my screenplay. Or do I critique your screenplays? Are we continuing to read screenplays? If someone could fill me in, I would be so grateful! :)

[abrilliantglow-blog]

FYOS EVENT #3

For my third FYOS event I went to see All My Sons, a play written by famous writer Arthur Miller. It is a play set in America in the 40's. It is a play about wrongful accusations and the drama of a family hanging on by a thread. It was very visually dynamic with a fantastic set and accurate period clothing. My favorite part of the production was the beautiful display of emotions that proved real and authentic to the audience. The play, done by UGA's theatre department, is enjoyable and STILL in show! If you are interested, you can purchase tickets through the university or online. 

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FYOS EVENT #2

For my second fyos event I went to an ISV (int. student volunteer) information session held in Tate. It was a very interesting experience in which I learned the details of ISV's summer 2012 service trips. There are several that are extending throughout the summer to countries like Australia, Thailand, and New Zealand. There are projects involved in community fortification and wild life preservation. The presenters were nice helpful and the session was clear and informative. I have been excepted to the program and am now debating on whether or not I would like to participate. 

[abrilliantglow-blog]

FYOS EVENT #1

Sorry I put off blogging about my events until I had done all three.

For my first event I went to see the play The 39 Steps. The 39 steps is an Alfred Hitchcock adaptation filled with witty comedy and film noir-esque action and dialogue. The play- performed at UGA by the University Theatre- keeps the audience riveted with murder, intrigue, fast paced plot lines, and romance. I really enjoyed this play for an obvious reason: I love theatre. This play was truly a joy to watch- funny and well done. The lights, set management, and acting were all of professional quality. My favorite part was the way the actors were able to transition parts so effortlessly- with the switch of a cap and a different physicality, they were able to portray an entirely different person. Overall, fantastic play.

[ernxxx-deactivated20120301]

Meep, HELP!

[abrilliantglow-blog]

I'm sorry, could you refresh my memory on your screenplay? Thanks!

ernxxx:

Make this better, please. 

[whatbecomesofus-deactivated2012]

Critiques

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Maddie! Ok, so like I told Tabitha, I havent seen anyone else do this so I guess I'm first.

I loved your screenplay. It was very original and I can tell that it came from your heart. It was packed with vivid images and emotional instances. The only critique I have with it isn't much of a critique. I might just say that if it were to actually be produced, a lot of your meaning behind the actions might be lost because the viewers don't read the screen play. I'm not sure that there's a sure way to fix this, but I guess it might be making the dialogue a bit more poignant. Other than that I can't think of anything bad. 

It was very, very interesting! Good work.

whatbecomesofus:

Hi guys, 

I am pretty sure that you are supposed to reblog this with your critiques.

but that might not be correct.

I am a little dense when it comes to tumblr.

But, anyways, thank you for your critiques and ideas! 

[tabuga-blog]

Critique my screenplay!

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Alrighty! Well, I may be one of the only one doing this but here goes. I really did enjoy your screenplay. The premise is interesting and new. I might work a bit on making the emotions of the characters a bit more authentic through the dialogue. Listening to people read the words aloud gave me a sense of an almost run-of-the-mill set of dialogue. Maybe try coming at it from a 'what would i do if i were in her place' stand point. It may make the dialogue a bit more believable. 

GREAT job overall!

tabuga:

Hey guys. I’m posting this so everyone can reblog and critique me or whatever. If you don’t remember which one is mine, it was the one about the woman who is married but falls in love with a man she met in a dream, and he ends up being the one who hit her in the car accident, but she still loves him. Critique away!

[abrilliantglow-blog]

My Top Five Shorts

I guess this is what we're doing...

My top 5 are the following:

The Strange Ones

The Big Shave

Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa

The Last Farm

Zen and the Art of Landscaping

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The Incident

I would like to begin this post by saying that dogs are so damn clever. Personally, I have this belief that dogs have a sort of sixth sense that humans can't pick up on. That is not to say that I think dogs are hyper-intelligent to the weird point or anything, but I do think that they read emotions and pick up on unspoken things we overlook.

That being said, I am torn with this film. The premise is entertaining, if not a bit over-used. The accidental killing of man has been a problem for cinematic protagonists for decades. Because I am so familiar with this plot, I found myself watching the event of the accidental murder unfold and critiquing the way in which our main character disposes of the body. Don't get me wrong, I am not death-obsessed or freakishly unfeeling... But I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how horridly he reacted and how his disposal of the body would totally incriminate him. The smart thing to do would be to call the police and spin it as an accident. Even just leave him for some person to find... But dragging the body and covering it with your fingerprints as well as leaving your computer bag on his head? It was just very unwise. 

I do understand he was reacting out of shock and possibly shame. It is obvious this is the case. The shame can be divined from the way he washes his clothes immediately after the accident. Although, again, I found myself thinking "Now you've got it, erase evidence of dna...". Sorry to be so cold. 

I do think that the more he visited the body, the more obsessed he became by the very subject of death itself- this is evident in the way he stifles his girlfriend in her sleep. It's as though he has realized the true power he (and man, himself) holds over life. It is very easy to take it away.

I was at a loss for a true moral to the story. It ends with him brushing his emotion off and never coming clean. This leaves the viewer with a sense of complacency. 

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Doodlebug

This short film reminds me of a picture within a picture. This popular new style of photography can be seen here:

This short film is a depiction of what I interpreted to be a single man at an impass. The film begins with one man, clearly dodgy and on edge. I think it is interesting that he appears to be hiding and yet in persuit. There are two sides of this person: he is hiding from himself and in search of himself. The stitch in time where we are all wrapped in on ourselves is a mental mindset and -in this film- a literal Twilight Zone-esque place. This man ducks phone calls and is skittering about, and yet he is attempting to catch something. At first glance is it a bug? A mouse? No- it is himself, running and searching, too. 

The film is short and self explanatory in nature, and so it is pleasant to watch and does not feel like an endurance test. Christopher Nolan has a style that comes across in this film perfectly and in allegiance with his other works of a slightly higher caliber. I actually watched this when Alex (I'm pretty sure it was Alex, if not I'm sorry!) posted it and enjoyed it- was even slightly tickled at it. There is a sort of humerous tone that is given off at the end when the man we begin the film with and his larger counterpart are both seen smiling at their evident 'catch'. As for the title of the film, the only interpretation of it I can give is an episode of Spongebob. Sorry for the inadequate comparison, but this film reminds me of Doodlebob- Spongebob's doodle that comes to life and tries to be the dominant 'Bob'. Here is a picture:

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Post-It Love is an adorable little short. I think you'd have to have a heart of stone to hate it. 

The director has obviously placed our two shy office employees in a mundane office space, running through their daily motions of copying and doing the kind of work that puts you to sleep standing up, to so completely contrast with the brightness a Post-It can bring. 

The short reminds me slightly of the Bad Day music video by Daniel Powter: http://youtu.be/gH476CxJxfg. Watch for yourself to make the connection- it's adorable as well. 

The characters are at first glance a bit one-dimensional. You get a semblance of their lives, however in the way the man straightens his tie in the bathroom and the moment the woman raises her blinds even though it doesn't appear to be too sunny of a day. The subtitles of this film are nice.

The music is also sweet, eclectic, and upbeat- fitting perfectly with the Post-It whimsy.

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Bean Cakes

Bean Cakes is a gem in a hidden sort of way. I rarely see films that have a simple message that I enjoy. This short, though, I sweet and eclectic in its own way.

Taro Uchida (forgive my spelling if error persists) is obviously starting school in centralized Japan with its empire in full swing and its emperor holding full power. Of course, being a transfer student in such a rigorous school in which no emotions but cynicism, hatred, and pride are fostered, this rural boy is going to face some difficulties. The school children are a product of their environment and so, are believable in their instant hatred of Uchida- he is dressed differently, has vulnerable habits and is ignorant to the importance of utilitarian demands of the empire he is now in.

The director made this film appear old and black and white to keep with the time of the short- This is the 30's, of course, and it is understood what is ahead. Here is an innocent child, who only seems to know for sure that he likes his mother's bean cakes, who is being thrust into the world. This is a new beginning for him and the style of the short signifies that by contrasting with the old type of filmography. 

The girl in the short identifies with Uchida from the beginning, taking up for him, offering him assistance in the form of a cushion, and offering him entertainment in the form of tops. When Uchida takes her home to show her how good the bean cakes are, he is in his own element and so his personality comes out. He is drawn out by the bean cakes and then he blooms at the mention of liking the girl. This is all about growth.

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Cash Back

There is a sort of mundane depression that I always associate with grocery stores/walmarts/krogers. This store seems to fit right in with my opinion of these places- the dingy ceiling and floor are depressing and give the feel of the night shift so that even if the night shift had not been articulated to us by the narrator. 

I found the character very approachable in part because I swear I've seen him in another work. I'll have to look him up. His character is understood to be purely artistic and well meaning in his defense against the 8 hour shift. I do not think, however, that because he appreciates the female form simply because of its curves he is excused from his line of thinking. It is in a man's nature to appreciate the female body and herein lies my point: he pictures women naked in his frozen time zone and sketches them and contemplates them. He may be looking from an artistic perspective, but he is still picturing them naked and leering at them. Again, it is in his nature. I just don't glorify it.

It seems to be a paradox- the beauty the main character finds in the ugly, dark store. Many would agree that it is not easy to view any fluorescent and harsh store as well as anything in it's contents as beautiful. That the main character is able to do this is the point of his existence in the film.

The characters of this short were crafted extremely well and each has its own personality and quirks, proving the entire cast to be enjoyable. The cinematography as well was indicative to the message conveyed. The only thing I find confusing is why the director goes to such lengths to build these foil characters only to have the story end in such a way as to not resolve them at all. Maybe this is the director's point: there is no resolution to working a graveyard shift and grappling with time. It is simply a matter of getting cash back.

[abrilliantglow-blog]

For Our Man

I think it is a general consensus that the majority of us did not like this short. I enjoyed the creepy beginning the director tried to give us. The ominous undertones and the over-voice that is obviously the old mans' give the film a Twilight Zone feel. 

The film, however, is lacking in continuity. There is a way in which film can be done to be artfully crafted and confusing at the same time; and then there is this film in which the story strays from the straight and narrow and goes off on several tangents. I found it hard to stay awake when trying to watch this (though this may be due to the old man's lulling voice and my lack of sleep). 

I do see where his line of thinking comes from, however. The director is attempting to articulate the line of thinking of a writer. There is a tone that is set through his narration of his writing- I think his inclusion of the viewer in the writing process is key in this film. There is a universal quality of the men featured and it gives a message that they are one. It is the unassuming characters who draw death because they are so detached.

The old man is wearing monk garb which could be indicative to his position, his actions, or even his idiosyncrasies. 

[abrilliantglow-blog]

Morning Fall Review

Despite my reservations at the beginning of this film, I intensely enjoyed it. The title in itself implies an accident of some sort, so I was bracing for another of those sad turned funny or ironic or sardonic films. This film, however, is a true tragedy.

There is a sense of dramatic irony that comes into play, though not in an extremely literal sense. The audience does get an idea that something is wrong when the motorcycle driver wakes up and goes through his actions of finding a cigarette. He does not know that anything aside from his own accident and murder of the deer has occurred. Whether this is due to amnesia or not is subjective, I think, and up to interpretation. Regardless, there is something amiss.

The stark setting of the mountain area is very useful in counteracting the wreck with peace. It also serves well to put into action the writer and director's wishes of the short film: that the wife of the driver stay hidden and yet in plain sight, within ten paces of his spot on the highway. This is tragic in the sense of his close call- he is now alive while his love is not.

The search for his cigarette and then his lighter, I feel, serve to represent his search for the real problem: the cause of his wreck and possibly the nagging suspicion that there is someone or something he needs to find/see. 

The mood of the film seems almost apprehensive to me- filled with waiting and nail biting. Will he survive until someone can find him? What is wrong here? What the hell happened? 

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Sooner or Later is not the first film to broach the subject of time travel. It is, however, the first short film about time travel I have enjoyed. This is not to say that the film is one of my favorites- to me it is dull, repetitive and ambiguous- but it is set in a time frame that interests me, during a war that interests me, and using a premise that interests me.

The idea of a Jewish prison-camp victim being given what I assume is that gift of life through the hands of his war-bent and brutal captors is enough to make me giddy with the aspect of the irony. This film is obviously a take on the many cruel experiments that the Nazis performed on the Jews during this time. 

The film is made in monotone colors and it does serve to articulate the piece's message, though, buy giving the viewer an experience of immersion. It is also indicative to the mood of the time. 

There are so many plot nuances I feel I didn't notice right away. I was thrown at the mention of the button and cigarette. These little things were indicators of the man's apparent time travel that I -a viewer who saw it first hand- did not pick up on at first. 

Regardless the film's objective seems rather simple and well-worn: "A piece of evidence or documentation can save the world (or at least Jews) if you time travel back and use it. It will be a rough and confusing journey and you will not understand some things. But here you go. There's a car out front. Have a nice time!" All in all, I have seen this plot before. I have seen these costumes before. It seems I have seen this film before.