Legacies, Who Needs Em? - ID# 569

Huntley
Seven Day Challenge

Entry Description

In a last attempt to get his club into the yearbook, one student uses every trick he knows to try to secure a spot for club photos.

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

Judge 1

Positives: Acting is very natural and not over done which shows how well you rely on the camera to do the work for you. There's some subtle humor in there too mixed in with some well written dramatic moments which is hard to do and you do it well. I enjoyed the handheld camera moments that amplified the drama especially the push in on the lead's face before the hat club name reveal.

Improvements: Watch your establishing shots and eyelines especially in the opening scene. We have two characters speaking to each other facing the same way which takes the viewer out of the story. Sound is mostly well done, but your gain is way up so you're getting all of your clothing sounds in there and some peaking.

Judge 2

Positives: Story: One student's unrelenting quest to get his “club” into the yearbook makes the student news. Overall, the acting here is really great (shoutout to the newscaster) and the abrupt jump into the school newscast format is awesome.

Improvements: There were some technical blips that pulled me out, like the camera cutting off faces, a few audio drops, and darker lighting that distracted from the emotional tone. I did appreciate the handheld camera decisions. My one push here is to tighten the pacing a bit. You could then include a scene at the end about the school body’s reception of the newscast, like maybe they all petition to get this “club” into the yearbook together. Without it, it feels like this student has so much drive and care for this club, but then when he gets his one shot, he sort of fumbles it- which is funny, but then it’s like… wait why was I rooting for him?

Judge 3

Positives: The moving camera work in the opening shot is highly effective. The sequence involves a series of complex movements and turns that are executed with impressive control and precision. Sustaining a single shot for 37 seconds while keeping it visually engaging is challenging, and you handled that very well.

Improvements: The shot beginning around 3:28, which runs for approximately 50 seconds, would benefit from giving Matt a bit more headroom. As it stands, the framing feels a little crowded, particularly when he leans back and the top of his eyes become partially cropped. While the extended duration of the opening shot works due to its dynamic camera movement, longer locked-off shots require a different approach to maintain visual interest. In these cases, it is good practice to capture additional takes of the same action from varying camera angles. This provides more flexibility during editing, allowing you to cut between shots and maintain a stronger visual rhythm while supporting the flow of the story

Judge 4

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Judge 5

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