Against The Odds - ID# 163

Mundelein

Division: AA

Movie Trailer

Entry Description

A teenager has learned to adapt to life without his father, living with his two siblings, while still maintaining the belief that his father is out there. Suddenly, someone at his school comes to him claiming to know where his father is. Then the teenager embarks on his journey to finally be reunited with his father.

Recent Teacher Comments

• 3/11 4:15 pm - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hHGjU9derxtmHUykQakILAd3fKxa-RhS/view?usp=sharing
• 3/4 12:03 pm - Story: I actually think this aspect was very well done. The story of a missing father and one boy’s determination to find him is clear without being too on the nose. If I have a critique, it’s that it might be a tad cliche. Stop before someone gets hurt. Stop tearing this family apart. You could probably capture the same intensity with more original dialogue. Camera: Solid work here- your compositions show some thought and understanding of visual storytelling. But aside from the cool match cuts of the photo (which I think is pretty cool and effective) there wasn’t a lot of interesting cinematography. There could have been a cool reveal of the guy who knows where the dad is- rack focus comes to mind- but instead you just framed it weirdly to hold both characters in frame. Lighting: No big red flags here, but some of your interiors could have used more light. Looks like you just cranked the ISO and the look a little washed out and muddy. Sound: Solid work here. Levels, I thought, were basically good. Appropriate music track. V.O. sounded okay. Decent job with all of this. Editing: Fine, but not especially sophisticated. I think your heavy reliance on fade ins/outs slows down the pace and makes it feel a tad plodding. I also think your title cards are pretty boring. You certainly do a credible job, but I’d encourage you to look for ways to raise the bar and create mood and meaning with all of your decision making. Final thoughts: You’re on the right track here. Keep at it.

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