The Choice - ID# 32

Deerfield

Division: AA

Documentary

Entry Description

A family recounts their harrowing journey from the Iron Curtain and into America.

Recent Teacher Comments

• 4/26 2:05 pm - Great color, great audio, complimentary song selection. Credit broll that doesn’t belong to you. Beautiful motion (Ken Burns) on your stills. Amazingly powerful story! A few jump cuts with your interview subjects.
• 4/12 9:31 am - Great storytelling using a variety of perspectives from similar areas, really well produced: well lit, great audio and thoughtfully edited

Judge 1

Positives: The music is a perfect choice. The interview cadence was great and letting it breathe for the emotion was well done. You have a great eye and ear for timing and pacing. You clearly spent some time on the audio edits and mix - well done

Improvements: Doing a quick dissolve on an interview because of a edit - was not the correct choice. Consider 2 cameras in the future to give yourself options in post, use a cutaway of hands, cover with broll... or do a simple cut with the shot blown up just enough to make the edit work as a last resort.

Judge 2

Positives: Excellent use of stock photos and footage. Great cinematography and lighting.

Improvements: Pacing could be edited differently at times. Could of used more BRoll of interviewees.

Judge 3

Positives: The transitions used in the interviews are done very well, as is the integration of photographs with the interviews. The filmmaker has a strong connection to the film’s subjects, allowing them to feel comfortable opening up about their painful past.

Improvements: The film’s message changes midway through when the subjects begin talking about life in the US. One or two brief anecdotes about their new life is all that is needed to hint at a patriotic message. The flag is a loaded image and takes over the film’s message. Hinting at patriotism is far more effective in luring the audience than explicit statements and images.

Judge 4

Positives:

Improvements: