MMEA Fest

Cross Roads - ID# 124

Lyons Township

Dramatic Narrative

Entry Description

The story of a nervous girl in a stressful situation, crossing paths with a seemingly hospitable stranger.

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

4/22 11:40 am - Incredibly strong performances. Great work casting and directing. Outstanding use of the news in the ending scene. The story was very solid, but I couldn't quite figure out why she expressed that nervous breakdown to the store owner. Is it that she was trying to get into his home to kill him? I appreciated the little details, such as Psycho Killer and the Swiss knife. Some things to improve on: Sound design in general was thoughtful and well executed, but there were some issues, such as background noise and not very smooth J & L cuts. For instance, there is no reason to hear that wind ruffling at :33. That could have been cut out in post as there is no essential dialogue from that audio take you needed. The music in the hardware store scene is a bit distracting and too loud – conflicts with the dialogue. Loved the thoughtful use of cross dissolves. Ending title credits could have been more appropriate for the genre. Overall, terrifying!! Great work!
4/22 11:40 am - Incredibly strong performances. Great work casting and directing. Outstanding use of the news in the ending scene. The story was very solid, but I couldn't quite figure out why she expressed that nervous breakdown to the store owner. Is it that she was trying to get into his home to kill him? I appreciated the little details, such as Psycho Killer and the Swiss knife. Some things to improve on: Sound design in general was thoughtful and well executed, but there were some issues, such as background noise and not very smooth J & L cuts. For instance, there is no reason to hear that wind ruffling at :33. That could have been cut out in post as there is no essential dialogue from that audio take you needed. The music in the hardware store scene is a bit distracting and too loud – conflicts with the dialogue. Loved the thoughtful use of cross dissolves. Ending title credits could have been more appropriate for the genre. Overall, terrifying!! Great work!
3/14 9:25 am - Very nice cinematography and lighting. I like the use of close-ups - it makes us feel closer and more invested in these characters and the story. Great insert shots of the knife for misdirection! Letting the audience figure out the truth in pieces throughout the film was great. Your actors are very talented and their performances grabbed my attention. Why did she go into that store and pretend to need help if she is already in control of the situation? I think we need to know a little bit more just to answer some of the questions that arise once we know the truth.
2/28 11:37 am - I am trying to understand the relationship between your Act 1 and your resolution. The story just does not come together for me. What is the film really about? Maybe if you started with the kidnapping shots, the resolution would make more sense. Why was she running around town? Your cinematography is thoughtful: the lighting makes sense and the composition holds my attention.

Judge 1

Positives: I really like the texture of this piece overall. The camera work feels aesthetically relevant to the story. The closeness and tightness of it all really is claustrophobic and disorienting in a way that helps add to the story. The depth of field being shallow makes it feel like there's not much room to escape. At first, I was very lost about the story, but I do think the ending helps tie more of it together. I think the story is quite thoughtful and acts more like a puzzle rather than something straightforward. I also think the team hits on the style of these types of films / this genre well. There is also a great dissolve transition from the store to the driving scene that is quite nice.

Improvements: First, the tone comes across very strongly which is very good. But, the writing doesn’t follow natural conversation (it does imitate the style of these types of movies, which isn’t necessarily a fault of the student, but rather the industry at large). It feels a bit clunky and scripted- meaning the conversation doesn't follow natural flow that the two strangers would have when they first meet, which then makes it hard for the actors to give a natural performance and it results in every line being delivered from the same direction. I think the story would benefit from giving the audience more of an insight to the lead character's "why." what is her motivation? If i'm understanding this right, we're led to believe at the end that she's murdered her sister + parents and her bf is tied up and "next." So, why is she out with a stranger in the beginning scene? It helps tonally and it sets up a nice twist, but it becomes less meaningful when we aren't clear on what her plan is and how she feels about it all.

Judge 2

Positives: I think the camera work was really nicely done - the right parts of the frame were in focus. The handheld shots also worked to give off the "stress" of the situation. The news shots were also well done as they looked and sounded realistic.

Improvements: The lighting at the beginning and the night shots was a bit too dark that you couldn't always see the main purpose of the shot. I got a little confused with the storyline so try to use the full 5 minutes to add some more storytelling shots.

Judge 3

Positives: The story is well-crafted/written. You developed a sense of suspense throughout. The ending has a nice and unexpected twist. Excellent editing. This was critical to the impact of the story.

Improvements: Here are a couple of things to consider while shooting. First, look at the lighting at 3:30. The background is dark, and the character's face is well-lit. It still feels ominous. The segment before the main character enters the store needs a little lighting adjustment. (Approx. :10 - :30) You can try some inexpensive lighting tricks. If your school doesn't have battery-powered lights, experiment with flashlights aimed at the subject. Whatever type of lighting you add, make sure you keep the background dark, so you don't lose the mysterious and unsettling feeling you have created.

Judge 4

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Judge 5

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