Former Student Work: Reviews


 

Film 1: Roll Call

I really like the concept for this film- a good old fashioned murder mystery! The introduction scene where everyone's names were displayed was really fun (I'm curious as to how they got a cop car?) and it set a cool, almost intimidating feel for the film and the cop character involved. The cowboy shot created tension- which was impressive. It felt like it could serve as a flash forward, or maybe a flashback we keep looking to as the film progresses. I do, however, have some gripes with the rest of it. The intro and the rest didn't really have the same vibe, which is okay considering the genre, but it felt like a very quick switch. Also, some of the acting choices were. Interesting. Obviously, I'm not expecting highschoolers to give the performance of a lifetime, but the scene was introducing out main characters, so I feel like there could have been more intentionality with it considering it would be important to the characterization.

Film 2: New Everything

Okay, cute! I think that the ending scene was creative- using a whole class (and even a teacher) to make sure the school setting was translated well. The tracking shot where the main character was walking through the hallways was fun to look at, and done really well and smooth, which is impressive. Despite this, I felt kind of bored for most of it, and there were definitely small details that bugged me- like in the beginning, where he's walking to the bathroom, and the sound of him walking does not make sense for the floors he's walking on, or how it is established that he's wearing headphones and listening to music and the headphones disappear in the middle of the sequence for no apparent reason.

Film 3: Dreamland

Right off the bat, I was obsessed with the aesthetics of this film- the entire first sequence really captured the dreamlike vibe and it was also pleasing to look at. In total contrast, the second half was definitely a sharp jerk back to reality, which translated really well for me, and I'm sure many audiences can relate. I think choosing not to show the main character's face at all was a unique and interesting choice that was executed really well and really helped to secure the mysterious vibe near the end- why is the main character taking so many medications? To go back to bed, maybe? While these questions are left unanswered, I don't think that's a bad thing- it's only the first 2 minutes of the film, and sometimes, not everything has to make sense.

Film 4: Dear Lover

Oh, I am in love with this one (haha.) But no, really, I think it really got the film opening scene down! Because it's a drama, it makes sense for this flashback intro to be explained to us by the character in present time. The film also takes a sweet, somber tone familiar in dramas and romances- and I feel attached to these characters and their story from only these 2 minutes (I'm rooting for them!!) I think it may have been more powerful to not have any music at all, though- only the narration, alone. That's usually the case in dramas- they need the words to be heard clearly to leave a larger impact on the audience. But, that wasn't too big of a problem for me to be super bothered by.

Film 5: Dare to Thrill

This was another one I thoroughly enjoyed! The camerawork was REALLY impressive to me- the shots where the car was on the road felt really professional, and I just know it was difficult to get right. I also loved the suspenseful ending- it reminded me a bit of I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was an amazing movie- it shows to me the potential of this group's movie. It was a little unfortunate how it was difficult to hear what they were saying in the beginning, considering it was important to the plot- I would have liked to have known what they were trying to do without the text. On the other hand, though, I enjoyed the text showing what their "objectives" are- I'm assuming it would be a recurring thing throughout the film, which could be used really creatively. 

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