Mind Over Matter

West Chicago

Seven Day Challenge

Entry Description

A young girl begins battling familiar demons when she elects to forego her medication.

Judge 1

Positives: The reveals of the girl both in the mirror, behind her in the fridge etc worked really well as a shocking story element. The framing you used to reveal her also played well so that she could quickly disappear in the next shot. The music works well to create and emphasize the tone of the film as a whole.

Improvements: I didn't understand what the scratching sound was. What was the character having flashbacks to/what were these demons that were haunting her? It would have been nice to have a bit more establishment surrounding what the real issue was. The framing on the therapist feels really awkward. I understand you probably wanted to frame her out since she was a student and not an adult. but the weird angle that cuts off her face feels really jarring in comparison to the reverse angle on the mother.

Judge 2

Positives: The escalation of strange events is effective in creating tension that drives the story along. The final scene clarifies the narrative and the condition of te main character, however this information may have been more helpful earlier in the film.

Improvements: The first scene is unclear as to what is going on because of the underexposure. Perhaps using one light to light the scene in silhouette or for a base ambience in the room could alleviate this problem. Even though the scene should be dark we need to know what is going on. The context of what is scary and why is confusing at the beginning of the film. Should we be afraid for the main character or should we be afraid of her. What are the stakes?

Judge 3

Positives:

Improvements:

Judge 4

Positives: Some very creative shots, I like the one in the fridge for example. The ghost techniques are well pulled off, with some good editing and camera direction.

Improvements: I know the room is dark, but there are ways to get some light in there so that we can see details. I feel like we are missing some stuff because we can not see it. Watch the audio. If it is distracting it can take away from the overall story. There are areas where it is smooth, then there are areas where it is not. Try to offer even more of story about the main character because it will make it stronger and the audience will care about her more.