The Day-Dream Team

Neuqua Valley

Seven Day Challenge

Entry Description

Student filmmakers brainstorm ideas as a film festival deadline approaches.

Judge 1

Positives: Awesome idea to integrate the real world and the day dreams. It also worked really well that each genre of film within the day dreams had a super specific color temperature and shooting style to it. It made each mini-film feel super distinct and showed your ability to have your technical style reflect the ideas of the film. The drone moment was hilarious. Great use of humor throughout and the pacing of the editing really helped to enhance that! Letting certain moments sit with silence before the characters reacted to a certain line or idea definitely helped with the comedic timing.

Improvements: The characters should've changed clothing when they were watching the film with the judge. That would've made it feel more like they were actually watching the film. At first I thought it was just a rough jump cut, or maybe another switch between reality and a day dream. If they were wearing different clothing were sitting in a different location it could've made it more apparent that time had passed and this was a different day when they were watching the film back. The very opening of the film could've established the setting and the situation a bit better. It never really distinguishes whether or not the characters are in class, what exactly they're brainstorming and whether or not they have a time limit for it. Knowing a few of these facts up front could've helped sell the sense of "magic" in the film when we jump into their day dreams.

Judge 2

Positives: The filmmakers demonstrate excellent mastery over camera movement and lighting to effectively convey varying genres. The meta twist at the end of the film is funny in it's self-referential nature.

Improvements: The use of the drone is unnecessary, and although the film hinges on it as the hook that provides a solution to the character's problems it feels like a cop out. Beautiful images are easy, especially when you have expensive equipment, but beautiful imagery is not cinematography. Cinematography is imagery in the service of the story. It can be beautiful but that is not the point. The point is that every visual choice you make should be linked to a purpose, the story, and the emotions you want the audience to feel. Movies about making movies can often feel cliche. I would be very interested to see what the filmmakers could have done had they pursued fully one of their genre ideas as they clearly have the skills to create a well crafted film.

Judge 3

Positives:

Improvements:

Judge 4

Positives: Love the various scenes. I also like the end where the teacher is watching it. Great story idea of trying to pitch the story. Good music that goes with it, and I like the pacing of the video. Good choices of genres for the various scenes. Overall very good job on this video.

Improvements: Hoped for more cutaways during the argument in the room. Watch the lighting, when there is a lack of it it can be distracting and take away from the scene.