Watching these videos got a little bit stressful because the viewer is always inserted into a scene without any background or introduction. I don’t exactly handle that well. In addition to the abrupt beginnings, I noticed a few other trends linking the videos. Most of them rely on intimate, personal shots with close up angles and shallow depths of field. It definitely makes you feel like you are witnessing a private moment between the characters.
I watched Soldier first and noticed the extreme use of over the shoulder shots and intentional shifts of focus. I like that the camera was a little bit shaky because it made the film seem organic and believable. I usually like handheld work for that reason alone. It adds an element of intimacy. I was, however, left wanting a little bit more from the characters despite the emotion in the short. I thought it was almost there but something about the interaction didn’t hit home for me in terms of believability.
I also watched Roof and Bridge. Roof caused me to crave more background and information, which I think is one of the objectives of the filmmakers. The fact that I found the film frustrating means that they succeeded in making the characters believable and intriguing to the viewer. I wanted to know what happened and how the story was going to end. I also appreciated the extreme emotions shown by the various characters. Bridge also pulled me in a little bit more than Soliders. I liked the character development and the ambiguity of the ending. In such a short amount of time you really can become interested in the characters’ emotions and actions.
For what it’s worth, I also started watching Circles but couldn’t finish it because it started to creep me out.
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