The Yearbook Made Me Do It - ID# 568
Batavia
Seven Day Challenge
Entry Description
Dominic, with the aide of his friend Gavin and a special yearbook, tries to find a date to the prom.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
Judge 1
Positives: You date montage is really fun and comes at the perfect time in the story. I also like how you shot the reveal of Gavin in the back seat for one final joke. Your camera movements are creative and well thought for the story, especially in the restaurant. Great framing for the conversation.
Improvements: Audio is always tricky in a restaurant because if they don't turn off the music, fans, machinery, etc it becomes very obvious in the editing room when you start cutting for the best takes. One of the things you can do is mic each actor or hide a small table top mic behind a napkin holder or a centerpiece so it doesn't pick up the background so much. If in-camera audio is your only choice, pick a less echo prone/public location to do the scene since it being at a restaurant isn't crucial to the plot. They could go on a date anywhere and still have the same conversation.
Judge 2
Positives: Story: Fueled by a corny line from his friend Gavin, Dominic successfully courts a girl to bring to Prom, yet the success is short-lived. Overall, this was really fun. I enjoyed the motivated camera moves, and the playful unseriousness of the structure.
Improvements: Just a few camera and audio blips that distracted me from the story (majorly, the music at the DHC). The story itself does seem a little underdeveloped. There isn’t a strong throughline which makes it hard to emotionally invest and keeps us viewers sidelined and strung along passively.
Judge 3
Positives: For the most part, your shot composition is very strong. It’s clear that you put thought into camera angles and character placement. The headroom feels appropriate, and each shot effectively guides the audience toward the key focal points of your story. The editing is also well done. A strong example is the ending scene. The emotional impact comes through clearly, and the audience can easily sense both the boy’s disappointment and Natalie’s awkwardness. That moment is handled very effectively.
Improvements: One area to focus on is audio balance. At times, the dialogue is clear and easy to understand, but in other moments it becomes difficult to hear. When shooting in a location like Dave’s Hot Chicken, it can be very helpful to record a few minutes of room ambiance. This means capturing the natural background sound without any dialogue. You can then layer this into your edit to smooth out transitions and reduce noticeable audio gaps or abrupt changes in background noise. Also, be sure to maintain consistent video settings throughout your entire project. The footage at the beginning appears to be shot at a lower resolution, while around the 1:16 mark it shifts to noticeably higher quality. Keeping resolution and other camera settings consistent will help maintain a more polished and professional look.
Judge 4
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Judge 5
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