I Dare You to a Duel...Or Not...

I should begin this post by clarifying one important fact about myself:  I love all things historical and British.  I couldn't resist watching this short film.  It was the first one I saw.  I noticed the screenshot and realized that it was historical and instantly clicked on it.  And I am glad that I did!

Click to Watch: The Duel at Blood Creek by Leo Burton

The Duel at Blood Creek was a hilarious parody about a duel.  The variety of characters from different backgrounds made this film highly entertaining.  The characters arrive one by one to a sacred spot of a legendary duel to encounter their own foes.  The plan is for each of them to challenge their opponent, but more and more men arrive bringing their own problems along.  The dialogue is witty and full of British humor which I found very entertaining.

The style of the film is simple.  The short film is full of a variety of landscape shots.  The entire film takes place outdoors, and there are spectacular shots of the countryside.  Wide shots, pans, and medium close ups were used frequently throughout it.  Only subtle camera movements were used.  The composition and the coloring depicted rich undertones.

I will admit I was surprised by the ending.  It was hilarious.  I thought the film was very funny and the idea was great.  The dialogue may seem confusing between the characters, but it isn't essential to comprehending the premise of this film.  The British humor may leave some confused, but it makes this film shine.

As a history major, I am a huge critic when it comes to watching historical films.  From what I saw this film was pretty accurate.  The costumes and dialogue were quite authentic to the time period.  Even the pistols for the duel looked to be of the time.

If you love conflict, hilarious dialogue and sword fighting mixed with a twist at the end, then this film is for you.

Caine's Arcade

This is every kid's dream...

Maybe not to own his own business, but to have his own arcade. Everyone has memories of a carnival or a visit to an amusement park. This kid, Caine took his dream and made it a reality.

No, he didn't build an actual elaborate arcade. He built a cardboard arcade. The first of its kind in his area. He was determined to make his dream come true and after a lot of hard word it happened. Sadly, after all of his hard work he received no customers. This little boy, however, refused to quit.

One day a customer arrived. The sight shocked his dad. The man played the boy's arcade games. To the dad's surprise, the man returned.

This man was a director, and he had a vision. His vision was to promote Caine's Arcade. He acquired an idea for a short film about the cardboard arcade. The plan was to surprise the little boy. The purpose of the short film was to attract customers to Caine's arcade, and the boy was completely unaware of the fact

This film is shot like a short documentary. Everything about this film is simple, which works perfectly with the director's vision. My favorite part was seeing the little boy's reaction at the end. It completely made his day.

Overall, this film just brought a smile to my face. It was nice seeing other people do good for a complete stranger.

Lost at Sea

Nothing would be more terrifying than being lost in the middle of the ocean.

This film opens after what is presumed to be either a shipwreck or plane crash. A man is floating on luggage in the middle of the ocean. A long montage of slow motion shots capture the long wait that he must suffer through before being rescued. The black and white composition helps establish the setting by making it feel like a dream. The man is seen floating alone surrounded by nothing but waves of water. Only his luggage travels with him in the waves.

The few minutes of black and white footage set the scene. He appears isolated from humanity with no sign of rescue. The faded transitions elongate his desperation. While he appears lost at sea, it seems to be rather peaceful...

End of Part one. Flotsam becomes Fetsam.

Peace turns into chaos. Everything is in color. The man is in need of rescue. A boat is near and captures a shark attack on camera. Panic ensues. The dreamlike state has vanished. Danger has become a reality.

The composition of these two short films is what intrigued me. The story wasn't that appealing to me, but I liked how the films were edited. The first film made me feel like I was watching an old film. It also reminded me of Titanic with the luggage in the water. I only say that because I just saw the film this weekend. The color temperature in the second film was unique. It reminded me of the 1960s. The second film had a documentary like quality to it at the beginning.

The setup of these two short films is the only thing that truly kept my interest. The divided up story felt a bit strange to me. The cinematography and editing saved this film from sinking.

Vivid Imagination...In Class

Everyone doodles in class, but typically those drawings don't come to life.

The imagination is a mysterious thing. One moment you can be thinking of one thing and the next you can see that image coming to life. That is the case for the student in this short film. His notebook is full of random doodles and pictures. As he prepares to take notes, his imagination slowly kicks in. Gradually, his pictures come to life. His mind becomes completely isolated from class (or so it appears) and he becomes lost into the world of his doodles.

The visual effects were great in this short film. (Notes on) Biology is stunning visually. It reminded me of the 90's for some reason. The framework on the opening shots was unique. I really liked the high angle shots in the film and the fact that none of the character's faces were revealed. I also liked the montage of notebooks shot.

The animation was my favorite part of this film. The images go from hand drawn in some scenes to stop motion. It appeared very realistic, especially as the pages were turning. It was as if the student was turning the pages. The daydream element made me feel like I was sitting next to a friend in class staring at their notebook. It made me think of middle school and high school.

The ending was amusing to me. The audience thinks one thing will happen, but it doesn't. I've definitely had a few of those moments. Luckily, mine were not as embarrassing as this student's. When I got lost in daydreams, I managed to somehow stay alert in class.

Words are not the only important things on paper. Pictures can come to life too.

All It Takes Is A Little Imagination...

Nostalgia...

Within watching the first minute of this film that was the only word that came to mind. Being a kid was awesome because it didn't take much to entertain you. This film brought back so many memories of me as a child growing up. Like the little boy in this film, I was very creative.

Adventures of a Cardboard Box is such a refreshing film. The two kids in the film act exactly like my brother and me when we were little. Seriously, I wanna act like Superman, Dracula, Indiana Jones, an Astronaut, a boxer, a goalie, a tennis announcer, and an Indian chief! This film brought a huge smile to my face. It made me miss the good old days when I didn't have a care in the world, when playtime was used as a time to escape from this world and become anything that you wanted to be. It made me want to be a kid again.

The cardboard box experienced so many adventures with the kids. The simplicity of this film made it incredibly real. It wasn't just the journey of the kids. It was the journey of the kids with the cardboard box. I found the ending of this film to be beautifully shot, but sad. However, the last shot made up for the sadness. It reminded me that childhood doesn't have to end. It stays in the mind, replaying over and over, reminding us of the good times.

The music and sound effects really made this film. They brought the little boy's imagination to life. I really liked the lighting. The entire film was well lit. I also liked the fact that it was mostly a silent film. The music and expressions spoke louder than any words could have. The static camera shots worked well with the scenes with the children. I also liked the variety of shots used in the film.

If anything this film reminded me of the importance of creativity and imagination. Imagination doesn't stop with growing up. If anything it increases, only as a kid we aren't restricted by busy schedules.

Inspiration can be found anywhere...even in a cardboard box.

Coco Mademoiselle and the Art of Sophistication

Let's face it: some things just don't go out of style. I've been on a classic Hollywood trend lately. I saw The Artist recently and instantly connected with it. Something about a classic style has always intrigued me. Coco Mademoiselle is a perfect example of classic style. Sophistication and strength are just two words that come to mind in reference to Coco Mademoiselle.

I saw this short film a few years ago on Youtube. Seeing Keira Knightley's face attached to this project interested me. I have always been a fan of her films and in this role she played yet another strong, independent character. I'm not a huge fan of the perfume, but the artsy feel to this commercial was a different approach to perfume ads. It wasn't just another female running around with flowers in her hand...

Unlike a typical perfume ad, this short film was on a larger scale. The motorcycle scenes depicted great cinematography. Essentially, the film revolved around the concept of a photo shoot. I liked the behind the scenes aspect. I feel like a lot of directors are incorporating more of that element into their films. The coloring was a warm texture and I really liked it. It made Keira's skin glow like perfection. Lights play a crucial role in this film as do a wide variety of angles. The story fit well with Joss Stone's song.

Perhaps, the greatest feature of this short film is the spectacular detail in each shot. The locations and sets are stunning. It definitely depicts a strong sense of France.

This was a short, but well produced film. Keira looked stunning and represented everything that Coco Mademoiselle stands for: sophistication.

Futuristic Flying Doggies

This could quite possibly be one of the most random/amusing things that I have ever discovered. Don't get me wrong. There is clear art in this. However, I find it amusing for several reasons. One, I was just talking about my dog earlier to some friends. We all agreed that we miss our pets. Second, I still can't get over how cute Uggie from The Artist is:

And lastly, I just love dogs. My dog has quite a personality, and like Uggie, he likes to be on camera.

Birds was a pleasant surprise. I laughed, cried from laughter, and gazed in awe at the camera work all at the same time. It was not easy to locate this little gem of a film. I spent about half an hour trying to find something to watch and nothing seemed interesting. Then I read the description for this film. Flying dogs? Heck, yes...

I had to watch this you see. It was too tempting. The concept was so unique and adding dogs to anything automatically makes me want to watch.

Visually, this film was stunning. The slow motion capture made every shot incredibly detailed. Each dog in this had a different personality and it showed on camera. One of my favorite shots occurred halfway through the film when a dog yawned. The slow motion aspect made the dog look scary, though it was only a simple yawn. The closeup of that shot only added to the creepiness that occurred. The dog was adorable, just not for those couple of seconds when my brain thought I was watching a horror film. The lasers made the film appear futuristic as did the electronic music. I don't really think the film had a point, but it was visually stunning.

I mean how can you not want to watch dogs flying and jumping around lasers? It's too fun and incredibly artsy all at the same time!