Monday 25 November 2013

Teacher & My New Project

Tomorrow I start shooting for my new short film so I thought it was about time that I finally released my last short film Teacher on the Internet for all you lovely people to watch. I had written about this short that I was making in a couple of production posts earlier this year so if you want to check them out before viewing you can read them here and here. After you have watched the short you can find out about my new project below.

On to my next project now, which I am very excited to film tomorrow! Now this project is quite different in tone and I have taken a lot of influence from the films of Richard Linklater and Kevin Smith whilst producing this one. This is a solo project that started off unrelated to my film course until I saw how I could tie it into my philosophy module. I have written the script and will be directing and editing it as well. The film follows two 'slacker' esque characters who are smoking a cigarette against a wall. They are both strangers but spark up conversation after one of them has just witnessed a suicide. The film looks at the contradiction of morality and the two opposing views of the characters on the suicide and taking a life in general. I've always loved 'Generation X' films from American independent cinema in the 90's and have tried to incorporate this into the pre-production process as well as trying to modernise it for present day England. I haven't really got anything to show you guys just yet but when I got in touch with my brilliant casting director Ashton Snow I sent her a mood board of the piece so she could help find my two awesome actors. So I thought I could show you that to give you a kind of idea of where I'm going with this short.
There will be more updates to come on this film but this is all I've got so far! Anyway I hope this has caught your interest so make sure you keep updated with my blog and twitter for all the latest news on this project.

So what do you think of Teacher and my new project? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday 14 November 2013

Gravity 3D

So the day I am posting this is actually the second anniversary of my blog! I just want to thank everyone once again new and old who read my blog, you guys are the best and I hope you continue reading! Thank you! Now please enjoy my latest review.

After seeing the first trailer for Gravity I thought that the film looked interesting but I could not see A-list actors Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts. I wasn't overly excited for this film until all the gushing reviews came in from overseas, critics, bloggers and filmmakers all raving about the space survival epic. Then critic Mark Kermode said it had to be seen in 3D, and that's when I knew I had to see it because he hates 3D with a passion! It was about halfway through the cinema experience that I thought to myself 'I am watching something quite special here'.

Gravity is about a space engineer and an astronaut who have to work together after an accident leaves them adrift in space. And that's about as in depth as I want to go about the plot because this is a survival story and the less you know going in the more thrilling and tense your experience will be.

This film is mind blowing and really shows off the new technology that can be used to enhance cinema in the future. This film is a stepping stone into a new way of filmmaking. Director Alfonso Cuarón spent 4 years perfecting this film which is very effects heavy, but still uses a lot of wire work for its actors Bullock and Clooney to give a very realistic looking movement to zero gravity effect of space. This really pays off but so does the use of CGI because there was not one moment in this film that felt of place or unbelievable, it was one of the most gorgeous looking films I have ever seen, and it had a similar effect on me as when I first saw the incredible looking Pandora in Avatar for the first time.

The film is made of some very long and beautiful shots. the camera will float around a scene and rarely cuts. For the first twenty minutes of the film I was wondering if it was ever going to cut at all! This makes for a very impressive view but also allows you to really follow the characters. This can be bad thing however if you suffer from motion sickness as there is sequence at the start where you spin with Sandra Bullock for 5 minutes and it can start to get a bit dizzy.

Because this film is set in space we get some very stunning looks at the universe and our planet itself. A lot of themes of life and death are played out throughout the duration of the film and can cause some deep and heavy thinking. Everything you see will leave you breathless whether it be the view or the constant threat of danger following our characters.

Acting wise I was wrong to doubt the talents of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney who both give off great performances and are believable as astronauts. Bullock in particular is in one of the roles of her life and really is brilliant in the film as a new modern day Ripley like character.

Now onto the 3D of this film which really is the most effective use of the technology I've so far. The 3D really adds to the depth and openness of space and creates a very immerse experience that sucks you in and doesn't let go until the credits roll where you can finally breathe again. It seems as if 3D is finally being used in an effective way by the right minds and isn't just used as a gimmick anymore. We may be seeing 3D advertised less but nowadays but when it is being used its being used to its full potential. The only way is up for the technology.

In conclusion then this film is insanely good and very special. It marks the way forward for the future of filmmaking and I for one and am very excited to see where the next big creative mind takes us. Gravity is one of the best films of the year and was a sleeper hit for myself. I am giving it a rating of 5/5.

Did you enjoy Gravity or do you completely disagree with my praise? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!