"Get Up Already" - ID# 497
New Trier
Dramatic Narrative
Entry Description
An experimental, dramatic narrative written, filmed (on an iPhone), starring and edited by New Trier film student Ari Winer.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/21 1:19 pm - Story: Overall, I could infer what the story was about, but it would be nice to see at the very end, the character waking up and maybe a parent coming into the room. This way, we actually know that the character is not just dreaming about waking up again. Another option is to have a vignette or dreamy effect on top of the footage that is still part of the dream. Once your character truly wakes up, you can take that effect off. Sound: At times when the music came up, it did peak (1:38, 2:50, 3:23). Make sure that you’re watching your audio levels. I would suggest re-watching your film and paying attention to where and when your audio peaks and adjusting those levels. Most editors agree that your overall audio level of your audio mix (all of your audio combined) on your audio meter should fall between -10db to -20db (db = decibels). I did appreciate the natural sound that we hear in your shots (footsteps, door moving, floor creaking, etc.) as it adds to the story! Camera: You have some basic shots, but you demonstrate great composition with these shots! Lighting: I appreciate that you used the light in the bedroom both times. You recognized that there was a need for some light in that shot! Editing: I think that some shots were held onto for a long period of time. Especially the opening shot. I know that we see the character for the first time and that he wakes up, but it just felt too long. Pacing was lacking as it felt like the film was just moving way too slow. I think this can be fixed by tightening shots and including a variety of different camera shots.
- 4/21 12:54 pm - Unsettling! Very strong solo performance. Nice work creating a mood. I appreciated the simplicity of the framing and the slow pacing of the edit. More angles and faster edits aren't always the best options. The story was entertaining and clear, but a little more explanation on what was occurring in the ending would go a long way in providing a payoff and conclusion. Automatic settings often excell outdoors but struggle in low-lighting, therefore, there was significant grain caused by the boosted ISO. The video footage could have been exposed much darker - thus preventing the ISO grain and enhancing the mood. Overall, nice work. Definitely continue working on the craft, try finding a way to use more variety in your shots, and strongly recommend using manual settings to enhance your cinematography.
- 2/23 1:46 pm - Camera: shots were pretty basic and mostly shot as wide shots at eye level. Need more variation in your shot compositions and use of different angles. Lighting: lighting was sufficient in some locations, but dark in others. Even when you intend for a scene to look dark, you still need to use additional lighting Sound: audio levels were hot. The creepy music bed was WAY too hot at times (like blow out speakers hot). Watch your VU meter. Editing: editing pace was slow and felt like the film wasn’t really going anywhere. A lot of build up but no real resolution. Story: the story wasn’t clear; what was happening? Why was this guy being haunted? What happened at the end?
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