The Host - ID# 464
Huntley
Dramatic Narrative
Entry Description
The Host
Copyright Info
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTUfzHcSfrQ&t=8s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-sYGCmz1zg,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikl-QYQ252Q
Recent Teacher Comments
- 3/16 7:56 pm - I think your opening credits to the short were done well, it seemed like it all truly fit together, the shots, movement, sound, when the dialogue started, it was good. That being said, the sequence was about the first 40 seconds of your film, which normally wouldn’t be too long, but when it represents almost 20%of your total movie (because you have 5 minutes or less) you should cut it down – get into your story. Matter of fact I felt like the movie didn’t really get started until about 1:40. Granted you need to set up a few things, however again giving the time limit, I felt like you spent too much time on this which made your movie drag out more than it needed to. Sometimes less is more. I would have loved to see a little more diversity in your camera shots, most of the piece was shot with this semi wide cover shot. Close ups on her face etc. would have offered a little more diversity for the viewer and also built and communicated a little more tension as the stress was increasing. You kind of did it at 2:50ish, I just wish it would have kept getting tighter. I appreciated how the camera moved which added to a little bit of the sense of chaos, however it was too wobbly at times and became distracting at times. I would encourage you when you are writing to set up the character better. For example, at the beginning, is she confident or scared, I never knew what made her walk up on stage, had she been there before or was this a new experience for her. Close ups of her face would have helped communicate her feelings as she crept up on stage. Once we know her past with the stage, then we better understand the transformation or development of her character. Were these voices new, or has she battled them everytime she steps on stage. In addition, I know the phone call was a way of getting her to the auditorium, and I know it was never about any of that, but it still seemed like more was coming. Why was she meeting there? Was she going to be coached, was she going to coach someone, I didn’t need the whole backstory, but I felt like that was a whole part of the story I didn’t understand, and yet it seemed to be the whole reason she was in this space. Along the lines of writing, give your character some more depth and directions by giving her more lines. She keeps saying “guys guys, I thought we came here to have some fun”. It may have been intentional, but after about the 4th or 5th time I was ready to hear more of her fears and soul come out. You had a good use of mixing up your shots, and placing music where it needed to be, great job with that. I truly liked the concept, I thought it was an original idea that was refreshing from the typical stories that are told in this category, I just think you could have done more with the story and your character. For example, is her confidence shaken, or is she bigger than all the haters and will she step on that stage again. What happens next? I think you have great ideas, and know how to use the tools of editing, work on your character development and story, and I imagine some great stuff will come next.
- 3/10 11:15 am - Positives: The story mostly holds together well, except for the disconnect between "we came here to have some fun" and "we're here to talk about economic..." which doesn't naturally fit into a late night variety show monologue. Good commentary on the biases and bigotry faced every day by people who are different in some way, and how hard that can be to quiet those voices. Areas for improvement: Focus issues in a few places; the Host's lines become a bit repetitive-- some variety there would have helped to sustain the piece. Your animated production credits are impressive, but don't need to be used at the end for a short piece like this. Could have ended @4:31.
- 3/9 7:38 pm - great story line; love the unique angles; some distortion
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