The Envelope - ID# 253
Morton East
Dramatic Narrative
Entry Description
After experiencing a weird occurrence our main character is questioned by an unknown stranger.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/27 5:09 pm - Very entertaining! Strong acting performances! Loved the humor of reading the manual for fun. Most of the audio was effectively edited, but it peaked at 2:06 and 2:57. The dialogue was clear, I would suggest recording and using more onset sound or adding Foley. Audio could have benefited from more attention to J & L Cuts. In terms of camera, I really loved the variety of shots – good job shooting into frame. I found the use of wide/long shots very effective. Nice use of SFX. In terms of the story, it is clear and energetic. Still, I think it would have benefited from some hints at what is haunting the main character. Is it guilt, regret, bad memories? Adding a little more depth to the psychological struggle by introducing some more information at the beginning could add a lot to both the motivation and the emotional connection the audience has with the character. There are some genuinely funny moments in this as well – adding some more traditional bits or jokes or a few more moments of humor could have also made more clear your intentions as filmmakers.
- 4/21 11:14 am - Story: I loved this story and how it connects back to where the character was sleeping. I think the message is clear that he was dreaming of what was happening. What was the motivation behind the creature following/haunting the main character?I think we are just really missing that information. Sound: Overall your music fits the story well! Your characters’ audio from 0:04 - 0:19 is only coming in from the left channel. This also happens at 1:47 to 2:07 and at 2:52 to 3:08. Make sure that is something you pay attention to when editing. At times, it does sound like your soundtrack is competing with your narration (especially at 1:32). You may want to bring down the volume of the soundtrack a couple of decibels. Your sound also peaks, especially ay 2:53 when the character yells. You want to make sure that nothing on your audio track peaks. Otherwise your audio is way too loud and it sounds distorted. Camera: Great shot here in the staircase at 0:48. The shot at 2:25 - 2:37 is a great shot, but it just felt like it was on the screen for too long. It would be nice to include some cutaways while the character is running up the stairs (ex: shot of his feet running up the stairs, his hand on the rail.) Also make sure that your camera lens is always clean before you film. On the shot at 2:49 you can see that your lens is dirty. Lighting: Great use of lighting in the interrogation scene! It made it feel like a real interrogation. There are a couple of scenes throughout your film that could have used additional lighting. I know filming in school hallways doesn’t allow for the best contrast in lighting but you can get creative! Use diffusers, maybe block certain lights in the hallways. Editing: Overall your editing clearly communicates a story. I love how you made the decision to edit a figure that appears throughout the film like at 0:54. You also did a great job at 1:26. Love how the “creatures” come out of the envelope! Good use of the zooming out effect while your character is running down the hall at 2:17. Really great job with the edit at 2:41!
- 2/23 12:57 pm - Camera: interesting use of camera shots and angles to tell your story Lighting: lighting during the interrogation scene worked well. Some of the shots inside the school were a bit dark. Bringing in some additional lighting would have helped. Sound: the dialogue and voice overs were clear most of the time, but a few times they spiked. The music choices fit the scenes pretty well, but again, watch your audio levels. A little hot at certain points. Editing: the editing pace was appropriate for the scenes and especially during the action scenes. Nice use of compositing and special effects. Story: the story you laid our was clear, but not sure who the ghosts were or why they were haunting the main character.
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