Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Sunday, 18 September 2016
Catfish
Synopsis: Catfish is a documentary about a filmmaker named Nev Schulman who starts receiving art work from a little girl named Abby, his relationship with the little girl grows over time and his brothers whom are also filmmakers start to document his unique friendship with Abby. Nev spends months talking to Abby and her family and gets to know them well even forming an online relationship with Abbys older sister Megan. The filmmakers decide to see if they can meet up with the family but soon discover that the family has some secrets.
Review: Catfish was at times creepy, uncomfortable and shocking but at the same time extremely entertaining. It was full of twists and turns and as an audience member I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation for what direction the events would take the filmmakers in next. The use of music really helped make some parts of the documentary feel creepy all most like a horror movie, I was half expecting a jump scare at times. It felt real too as the viewer was learning more about the family at the same time that Nev and his brothers were, it was journey that the filmmakers and the audience went on together as the filmmakers did not know what was going to happen next, it had an out come that must have surprised both parties. As Nev and his brothers grew more suspicious of the family the documentary became more and more tense.
Style: It was a journey style documentary as the filmmakers and Nev went on a journey and learnt more about the family as the documentary was going on.
Opening Quote: 'If this is your documentary your doing a bad job' Nev says this to the camera at the start of the documentary as he grows frustrated at the fact that the documentary is not set up and organised how he wants it. He tells his brother behind the camera to set up meetings with him but as the documentary go's on the lack of planning helps make the documentary better because the viewer discovers everything at the same time that Nev and his brothers do making it feel very real and that the viewer is taking the same journey as Nev.
Review: Catfish was at times creepy, uncomfortable and shocking but at the same time extremely entertaining. It was full of twists and turns and as an audience member I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation for what direction the events would take the filmmakers in next. The use of music really helped make some parts of the documentary feel creepy all most like a horror movie, I was half expecting a jump scare at times. It felt real too as the viewer was learning more about the family at the same time that Nev and his brothers were, it was journey that the filmmakers and the audience went on together as the filmmakers did not know what was going to happen next, it had an out come that must have surprised both parties. As Nev and his brothers grew more suspicious of the family the documentary became more and more tense.
Style: It was a journey style documentary as the filmmakers and Nev went on a journey and learnt more about the family as the documentary was going on.
Opening Quote: 'If this is your documentary your doing a bad job' Nev says this to the camera at the start of the documentary as he grows frustrated at the fact that the documentary is not set up and organised how he wants it. He tells his brother behind the camera to set up meetings with him but as the documentary go's on the lack of planning helps make the documentary better because the viewer discovers everything at the same time that Nev and his brothers do making it feel very real and that the viewer is taking the same journey as Nev.
Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Lift
Synopsis: Lift is a short documentary style film in which director Marc Isaacs sits patiently in a lift in a old block of flats for days on end casually filming the people whom enter. Over the film he gets to know the people of the apartment block by questioning them once they are in the lift, it is a very intimate look into a small part of the residents lives.
Review: I enjoyed the film as it was an unusual piece that gave the viewer a different look into the lives of apartment block residents, at times you feel sorry for some of the residents as their quality of life seems poor, some of them mention how mundane and boring their lives are making the audience think about the quality of life living in the block allows them to achieve. Over the piece lots of mini story's are told directly to the camera in the lift, we see people of numerous days and watch their lives unfold. The film was simple and didn't seem to be trying to put across any message, I think its open for interpretation really what the point of the film is, which I like. I think it was filmed in a very clever way in order to portray the stories of the people of the lift, for example one man mentions to the camera that he is going out with his friends for a drink, we see him later that night in the lift drunk bemoaning the fact that he hasn't pulled. We later learn he was drinking to celebrate his new job.
Style: I'd say that this documentary's style is torn between interactive and reflective. Interactive as the director is sometimes asking the people in the lift questions and almost interviewing them to find out more about their life but also reflective as over the piece the director gets to know the members of the block because of his time in the lift and we see him a go on a journey as he gets more friendly with the residents on the block.
Awkwardness: I feel that the proximity of the camera to the people in the lift is awkward but helps with the story, the situation may seem awkward at first but helps break down social norms and gets the members of the lift to open and talk more to each other and the camera. The story feels natural as we see the residents in what is seemingly their own habitat.
Would it be better done differently?: No I don't think so necessary obviously a lot of planning went into it but not as much as would have went into a typical piece from the factual genre, a lot of the content was up to chance. Their was a big reliance on the people of the block to provide the content and it was obviously a gamble that paid of as they were very unique and had lots to offer to the film.
Review: I enjoyed the film as it was an unusual piece that gave the viewer a different look into the lives of apartment block residents, at times you feel sorry for some of the residents as their quality of life seems poor, some of them mention how mundane and boring their lives are making the audience think about the quality of life living in the block allows them to achieve. Over the piece lots of mini story's are told directly to the camera in the lift, we see people of numerous days and watch their lives unfold. The film was simple and didn't seem to be trying to put across any message, I think its open for interpretation really what the point of the film is, which I like. I think it was filmed in a very clever way in order to portray the stories of the people of the lift, for example one man mentions to the camera that he is going out with his friends for a drink, we see him later that night in the lift drunk bemoaning the fact that he hasn't pulled. We later learn he was drinking to celebrate his new job.
Style: I'd say that this documentary's style is torn between interactive and reflective. Interactive as the director is sometimes asking the people in the lift questions and almost interviewing them to find out more about their life but also reflective as over the piece the director gets to know the members of the block because of his time in the lift and we see him a go on a journey as he gets more friendly with the residents on the block.
Awkwardness: I feel that the proximity of the camera to the people in the lift is awkward but helps with the story, the situation may seem awkward at first but helps break down social norms and gets the members of the lift to open and talk more to each other and the camera. The story feels natural as we see the residents in what is seemingly their own habitat.
Would it be better done differently?: No I don't think so necessary obviously a lot of planning went into it but not as much as would have went into a typical piece from the factual genre, a lot of the content was up to chance. Their was a big reliance on the people of the block to provide the content and it was obviously a gamble that paid of as they were very unique and had lots to offer to the film.
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