Run Lola Run Presos

I. Interpretation of the film as it related to your assigned section and use of film language.

My interpretation of the film was vague and somewhat weak. The analysis I did wasn't there because I was too nervous and couldn't remember it. My assigned section was the plot, however, I literally told the plot without talking about the underlying meaning of it. I used little to no film language that didn't really demonstrate my knowledge of the topic.

II. Strengths of your presentation

I was able to talk about the plot with some analysis that somewhat informed the audience of the meaning of certain things. I was able to describe the main parts in the plot and somewhat analyze the author's intent within it.

III. Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Major challenges I faced was the oral presentation and analysis itself. I was prepared to analyze the plot, but I froze when I went up to present. My plot analysis, as said before, was vague and weak. I need to work on my confidence in order to fully talk about my points of analysis. I also need to stop reading off the slides as it tends to show that I'm weak in certain areas of the film. If I can improve on these requirements, I'll be better off in presenting certain parts of film.

Short Film Treatment

Logline: Jacob owes money to a loan shark. Loan shark captures his girl friend. Jacob is given a time allotted to get the money or his girl friend will be killed.


Beer cans on the table, trash on the floor and clothes hanging on the couch. Man is still asleep with despair.
He dreams of his girlfriend being taken away from him and receiving the threat of her death.
Man awakens from dream sad and depressed.
Man thinks of how he must get the money to pay off the loan shark.
He decided to rob his neighbor's house.
Man breaks into his neighbor house.
He is able to break open the bank and steal the money.
Neighbor opens the front door just as man is about to open it.
Man is forced to put neighbor to sleep out of panic.
Man calls loan shark and tells him that he has the money.
Loan shark tells man to meet him at his house in the remaining time left or else.
Man runs off to meet Loan shark.
Man makes it to the house.
Girlfriends voice is behind the closet door.
Loan shark assures man that he'll give her to him for the money.
Man gives Loan shark the money and opens the door.
Girlfriend is lying in the chair, wrapped in rope, with tape recorder next to her.
Girlfriend was already killed.
Man looks back at Loan shark.
Man is shot.
Man wakes up from dream.
Girlfriend comforts him and tells him to go back to sleep.

Volleyball Segment Critique

I basically came up with this idea because I thought it would be interesting to do a segment on something I probably would never want to do. I was able to interview the volleyball players I knew, such as Anissa and Gabby, and they were able to give some pretty good responses to our questions. Our questions were somewhat direct as to the individual itself, but somewhat general as to the team as a whole. I envisioned there to be many intense shots that would accompany the music's pace and that the b-roll for the interviews would match what was said exactly.

For the interviews, I basically just chose the upper spirit court and the front of the school. I thought that by keeping it simple, it would ensure the simplicity of the film but show intensity. I think the b-roll was good. There are a lot of shots that look up to the subjects and many of the b-roll shots accompany what the people say in their interview well. We had a lot of trouble with the positioning of the people because we wither placed them with too much headroom or in the direct middle of the shot. Many of the shots, such as the b-roll shots, were smooth, such as there was no shaking of the camera and their was no focus problems. There was only one problem we had with lighting and that was during the b-roll when I tried to focus on the players but weirdly it got dark and I was forced to zoom out to regain the light. The audio in the interview came out as expected with little to no errors.

We didn't believe that a voice-over in the beginning was necessary because we let the intensity of the screen shots and b-roll explain everything. Out segment was pretty much informative because their was information about their team, their expectations, and how they operate their practice. We only used a voice-over in the very end as a way of ending off the piece on a suttle tone. I wanted to people to remember our piece with that "wow" feeling mainly because of our opening's quick pace shots.

The interviews and the b-roll match very well. Whenever a person talked about a certain thing, there was a shot of their practice that supported their saying. We used basic title sequences from live type with the Capuchino colors. In the beginning, we used screenshots of the players to build up the viewers anticipation, then added b-roll of their practice that was also a montage of shots. In some of the interviews, the people said some interesting things but we couldn't find any b-roll to accompany it so the interview seemed somewhat long. Throughout the segment, their was no continuity errors and it seemed very fluent with the interviews and b-roll.

I honestly loved the beginning of the segment. The building of anticipation, in my opinion, was the only good part of the segment and the b-roll that accompanied it was very exceptional. If I had more time, I would redo all the interviews and ensure that it would actually look like interviews. After doing this segment, I realized that I need to review my notes on how to position people in interviews and also to ensure that the lighting in my b-roll is not too dark.

Character In Time

This picture of Obama explains a lot about time. All over Obama's body are things he has to deal with, such as the Haiti disaster and the Iraq war. Within his 4 year term, he's expected to solve all of these issues and bring the U.S. back to its feet politically, economically, and socially. As portrayed, Obama's doesn't have enough time to solve all of these issues and it will be a struggle for time. The emotion in his eyes show that their is no hope of accomplishing this or even defeat. His hand on his mouth may mean that it will be too difficult to accomplish this. The words all over his body vary from small to large, meaning minor to major crisis’s. As shown, there are a lot of major crisis’s that will need more than 4 years to solve, not including the minor ones. Overall, this image displays how Obama has to deal with these difficult problems in order to ensure that the U.S. stays a float.

Short Film Analysis

MEMORIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85HDu87TGy0

Memories is a short film based on the revival of memories and cherrishing moments long ago for the main character, the old man. Throughout the film, the main character conitinualy finds these strips of film that reveal moments that meant a lot to him. For example, the main character's foot is entangled by the first strip of film that shows either his childhood or possibly his son.

The main character then embarks on this journey to find more of these strips of films that would reveal more of these past memories. Towards the end of the short film, the main character goes through this picture book that relate back to these strips of film and eventually ends with the old man closing his eyes.

Throughout the film, there are many close ups on the main characters face that display many of the emotions he feels. These close ups really set the tone of happiness and also show how the main character changes his character. In the beginning, the main character seems to be grumpy and uncaring, but as he gathers these strips of film. his expressions began to lighten up. There are also many quick pace shots that sort of add on to the intensity of the film. This means that as the main character began to find more of the film strips, the quicker the film's pace went. Also, towards the end of the short film, as the main character finds more and more of these strips of film, there are a few cross dissolves that quicken up the pace of the film too.

 There is also a few pan shots that capture the main characters emotions in finding these strips of film. The camera is mostly on a waist shot level and usually pans from the main character onto the strips of film. This is repeated numerous times throughout the film, but is effective in establishing the happy tone. Sometimes there are traveling shots when the main character walks through the streets in search of the film strips.

The lighting in this film is also pretty unique. Their is an effect throughout the whole film that makes the setting seem somewhat dark and gloomy, such as though it was a rainy day. This establishes the probability of how the main character felt in the beginning of the film, but doesn't contribute to the renewed feeling of joy during the rest of the film. This could refer to low-key lighting.

As far as the editiing, in my opinion, it was well done. There are many continuity shots that somewhat add on to how the main character is feeling after finding the film strips. For example, in the end of the film, there is a perfect example of great continuity editing that supports how excited the main character was to go home and look at the film strips.

The music was also good because it really contributed to the film's tone and how the main character's journey to find the film strips was an accomplishment. It also gives the film a sympathetic tone to how the main character feels throughout the film and it gives us, the audience, the impression that this man is able to be happy once again due to these film strips.

Sound Project Peer Review

1) What is the INTENT of the scene? (what is the scene used for dramatically)
The intent of the film is to show the audience what the character can't see but what the audience can see. This creates suspense and really gets the audience attached.

2) What are the PLOT POINTS? (points that move the story forward)
 The main character is doing his homework on another average day. All of a sudden, he hears a noise downstairs and the horror begins.

3) What is the CLIMAX of each scene? (what is the turning point)
The main character meets the creature and is in horrified. 

4) What is the RESOLUTION? (how is the theme resolved)
 The creature caught the main character and the film ends.

5) What is the CONCLUSION? (how does the scene end)
When the main character wipes his eyes, he loses sight of the creature. He then finds the creature behind him and the creature gets him.

6) What are the important LINES OF DIALOGUE? (contain story points)
The main character hears something downstairs. He sees something moving and eventually meets the creature. He tries running away from the creature, but eventually gets caught.

7) Which character CONTROLS the scene? (who pushes the story forward)
When the creature is found, the intensity of the film increases, and the main character is put in a life or death situation.

8) What suggestions do you have to improve the narrative?
We could have a better runaway scene. The main character could be running to other places and every time he tries, the creature is always near by. Another suggestion could be that the creature keeps eluding the main character, which creates more suspense, and when he does find it, the story ends.

Sound Treatment

A boy is just doing his homework on another average day.


As he's finishing up his last problem for math, he hears a sound downstairs.

He puts his homework down and he gets up to see what happened.


As he comes down the stairs, he sees something move in the shadows.


Before he gets caught up with terror, he walks towards the scene, only to find nothing there.


As he opens the door to the kitchen, he sees a figure in the distance.


The figure begins walking towards the boy, and the boy jolts back upstairs.


When he looks back to find nothing there, he looks forward and sees the figure right in front of him.


He then jolts downstairs and hides in the garage.


As he begins panicking and sees nothing after him. he hears the door open.


He sees the figure walk towards the middle of the garage.


As the boy wipes his face and looks back, the figure is gone.


When the boy sighs with relief, he feels a presence behind him.


He looks back, and see's the figure there....

In the opening shot of the film, it'll show the boy in his room doing his homework. In the background, there will be a storm sound effect used. As the boy comes downstairs and sees the creature and runs away, rhythmic match will be used. When it comes to the suspenseful part when the boy is hiding and the creature is after him,  scary music will be incorporated into it.