Prezi

Prezi

'Telling lies' and 'Love does grow on trees'

Telling Lies (2001) - Simon Ellis

Telling lies is an animation focusing on 'the morning after the night before'. A series of animated words flashes up on screen, acting as subtitles for the conversation we are hearing, however the subtitles are the thoughts of the speaker rather than what they are actually saying. I thought this short film was very clever and it made me laugh because it was so different from anything else I've seen before. My favourite element of this film would be how the lies being told flashed up in white writing to represent white lies. 

Love does grow on trees (2008) - Bevan Walsh

Love does grow on trees is a coming of age short film. I liked the narrative of this film and how it was shot to show time passing and the boy changing. I liked the directors use of non diegetic sound, for example the fantasy/ magic like music that played when the boy discovered the tree.  I think it was really effective how we didn't hear the boy speak until the end of the film, almost marking his transition from a boy.

60 second video evaluation

  

Evaluation:

I filmed my video on my phone (i phone) and it took a few takes because I'm not used to being on camera. I didn't like being filmed but I liked the idea of a post being different from just writing. I got my friends to film me and the video and sound quality was good, however when I posted it on here it didn't come out in such good quality.

It was filmed from straight on in front of me, and behind me was the park. I think I could have chosen a more interesting backdrop and been more creative in filming. When talking on camera I need to be more confident and plan the points I want to talk about before filming. This would help avoid hesitation and thinking on the spot such as when I was talking about my interests being 'shopping'.

Film Review – Ralph (2008)

The genre of this short film would be a romance as the story is of sixteen year old Ralph (played by Ralph Laurila) travelling to France to tell his friend he loves her. The film is shot well featuring different shot sizes to help tell the story and connect the audience with the characters.  This film follows a story that has been told lots of times before, therefore I think this film is targeted at people that have an interest in media and film making as these people can make the most out of it and appreciate the director’s work more.

Sixteen year old Ralph has travelled to France to find his former friend and girl he loves, Clare. It is clear he is alone and desperate to find her through his desperation to find her right phone number. After failing to find the correct number he leaves the station to try again in a nearby town. With a lack of phone card he asks a local restaurant for one before proceeding to get something to eat there and sparking conversation with the waitress whereby the theme of friendship is introduced and the waitress later invites him out. Nearing the end of the film we see the theme of betrayal from Clare and throughout there is the constant theme of anger as Ralph’s anger grows through frustration at his peers and at himself.

The film opens with an establishing shot to set the scene and show the audience the time period in which it is set. From Ralph’s clothing we can tell this is a modern drama and we can tell his age. The next scene cuts to a close up of the public telephone and the sound of numbers being dialled, not only does this add tension but we can sense the urgency in the character before we see them close up. After this the audience only see the back of the boys head and his emotion is only deciphered through his disappointed tone of voice. To follow are several more close ups, showing confusion on the boys behalf and also a birds eye view which suggests that he is lost.  Throughout the film the camera films Ralph’s search as if being watched, this make the audience feel involved. This again happens through point of view shots throughout including from the waitress when she senses Ralph’s anger in the telephone box.

Throughout the film there is constant bright light which contrasts to Ralph’s defeatist attitude. There is no music played during apart from some French music being played in the background on two occasions. This is because the narrative is mainly in dialogue between main protagonist Ralph and someone else. I like the directing style especially at the beginning the way Winckler shows time has passed by having Ralph sitting on the floor looking frustrated, meanwhile playing the automated telephone voice over and over in the background.

I would give this film a 5/10 because I like its varied camera shots and how these contribute to the story, however I can’t see the films purpose and I think it would greatly benefit from non diegetic sound to help convey the many emotions that are explored throughout.

Film Review - ‘The Parent Trap’

This light hearted, family film from Disney is a remake of the 1961 Hayley Mills ‘The Parent Trap’ starring Lindsay Lohan, Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid. The genre of this film would be mainly adventure/comedy but could be interpreted as a romance as well. Although not a film that teaches anything or one that you think of for days after, it’s the perfect choice for an easy going Sunday afternoon viewing. 

Hallie and Allie, both played by Lindsay Lohan, are identical twins who find themselves reunited at a summer camp. Both girls become friends after a fencing match and after a few practical jokes are sent into isolation with one another. Realising they look abnormally similar, that they share a birthday and each have a half of a torn photo of their parents... they come to the conclusion that they are twins. From here on they train each other to act as the other before succeeding go home with the ‘wrong parent’ at the end of the summer camp. Once at each other’s homes they aim to reunite their divorced parents Nick and Elizabeth (played by Richardson and Quaid), so that the new found friends and siblings can have their family back.

‘The Parent Trap’ teams witty writing from David Swift with clever direction from Nancy Meyers. Its humorous one liners such as Quaid’s ‘So how exactly are we paying for this all?’ and Lohan’s ‘I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea’ make it enjoyable for both children and parents. Whilst its two main protagonists being played by the same actor offer a unique spin on a film. Lindsay Lohan plays both Allie and Hallie well and makes the characters not only relatable but loveable.  However despite Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson playing the separated parents convincingly, this film wouldn’t be one of their best works. Whilst both suited the role of parents their on-off relationship was also very unrealistic, and the film showed no reason as to why the two separated in the first place. However with 'The Parent Trap' targeted at children I can see this was to achieve a fairy tale style ending. Overall, the film's supporting cast was chosen well such as Elaine Hendrix starring as the villain and Lisa Ann Walter as the housekeeper whom we come to know and love throughout the twins' escapade.

This film, rated PG, can be enjoyed by anyone like most of Disney’s others. I like this film because it’s an easy watch with an ending that leaves you feeling content. Overall, I would rate this film 7/10 and would recommend it to anyone who wants to avoid modern films that can sometimes seem desperate to be funny.

60 second challenge