I have studied a number of different articles of film reviews which has helped me in my knowledge for when I write a film review for my own short film. I analysed the articles and highlighted the typical conventions which came up in all of them. I also looked for the style of writing which they used and also the layout. All of these things will advance my knowledge for when writing my own film review.
These are some of the articles which I have read and annotated. This film review is from Screen International, this review is for the more sophisticated audience as the layout and also the content are of a formal standard and this is a big step into who this film review is targeting.
This film review is targeting a different audience as the way that this review is written is less formal and more about trying to reach out to the audience by using humour. By using humour is instantly showing a different audience that this is being reached out to.
What I found out from these film review articles:
- Big bold title.
- Star rating
- Throughout the text names of the big stars which are in the film are mentioned frequently.
- At the end there is a 'verdict' and this is the verdict of what the writer thinks about the film.
- The director, writer and other members of the production company are mentioned.
- A slogan given to the film e.g. Russel Brand goes at it like a rabbit.
- Good and bad points about the film e.g. 'predictable comedy'.
- They give a brief description of what the film is about and a brief outline of the story line.
- There is a big picture next to the title from the film.
This is a film review from Sight & Sound magazine.
I looked at articles from the news paper such as The Independent.
This film review is different from the ones above as it has a different layout. It has a big title for the film and a big picture like the others but it is set out in paragraphs and does not have a verdict at the end of it. Also it does not have any star rating. The style of writing is serious and explains what the film is about.
This next review is from the newspaper 'The Guardian' and it is for the same film. Again there is a big title and on this one there is a star rating whereas, in the Independent they did not have this. It talks about the writer and talks about how they thought the film was either good or bad.
The next article was from this website http://www.filmguru.net/shorts/2008/080601.html This is a review on a short film.
This is a review for a short film. It has a different layout, it still has the typical conventions such as a big title and a big picture but the picture is in a different place. Under the picture there is some information about the film such as the running time of the film and a brief description of the film. It also included the names of the actors and good and bad points about the film.
This next article is from a magazine called 'Empire'.
This article shows the typical conventions of the big picture, the big title and it also has a star rating. At the beginning it tells us what the plot of the film is and this lets people know what the film is about. The last part shows us what the verdict of the film is and this is a very short review as it only has two parts to it.
My thoughts...
I found it very hard to find magazines which reviewed short films and I have looked as different film reviews and I have found that I can use different elements from the Sight & Sound film reviews to make it into a short film review. I will use their typical conventions and this will allow me to use their style of film review and making it into a short film review. I like the style of Sight & Sound as I like the style of writing which they use and also the layout. In their magazines there is two different styles, one is the old layout and the other is the new layout. I am combining these two layouts together as I think that they would work well together for my film review. I will include all of their typical conventions and go for the same style.
I have set myself out a template of what I want my film review to look like:
I want my film review to look like this because it is layed out very clearly and this is what I want because it makes it easier for the readers to look at and read. It includes everything which I have found out from researching other articles. This layout is based on the style of Sight & Sound and I will include a lot of information in this layout and I think that this is a good style to present my short film review.
This is the text that is in my short film review:
Dumped is a new short film which will make your heart melt. The Kings Langley Production influenced by The French New Wave captures the emotions which can go through a young boys mind.
Dumped is a new short film which will make your heart melt. The Kings Langley Production influenced by The French New Wave captures the emotions which can go through a young boys mind.
Dumped shows a lonely school boy who is alone, longing for a relationship with his mother. Billy (Rewan Harper) struggles to get through his days at school and finds a comfort place under the stairs. One day Billy cannot handle things anymore and he runs but has no-where to go.
The short film reflects what some children go through this on a day to day basis. The storyline of the short film has an advantage of conveying the wide range of emotions Billy faces. As a result this creates a connection between the audience and Billy.
In the scenes where Billy runs there, is a deep sound which gets louder and louder the further he runs. This increasing sound could be misconceived and make the audience question what is going on and what is about to happen, consequently this may not be understood by the audience.
Chloe Taylor, the sound designer said “We were trying to show the noise which is going on in his head and trying to draw the audience in to think about what is going to happen next.”. The running scene was influenced by Truffaut’s 400 Blows which is the New French Wave style. This scene was inspired by this film as it also shows a scene of a boy running and is very effective in the way it is showing the emotions that the boy is feeling.
If an emotional film is what you are after this is a must see. Becky Trimmer who worked the camera has captured this brilliantly, enabling the audience to truly understand what Billy is going through. Billy’s mother (Jane Wright) plays an excellent part in showing a mother who is more interested in her job more that her son. Furthermore this portrays what happens in some people’s life’s in which their jobs over run their family life.
The director Lauren Phillips shows Billy sitting under the stairs and this is a key aspect in the film as it represents Billy’s comfort place to sit and every child has their own comfort place. Harper shows a really good representation of how a child may handle a situation like this one and shows how this can affect a child’s everyday life and what they have to go through just to get through one day.
The lighting within this short film captures the essence of the emotions and difficult relationships children may have as it is all natural lighting contrasting the French New Wave style and the modern way. There are some parts which will make you question what is going on. However, this short film has its own style and breaks away from conventions but works in its own individual way.
If an emotional roller coaster is what you are after this is the one for you to go and see. Throughout the film there is a constant connection with Billy and this connection will make you want to watch it again.
This is my first draft of the film review. I have layed this out on Microsoft word and when I have done my final draft I will format it on Adobe Photo Shop. I have critically assessed the short film which me and my group have produced. I have used the Sight & Sound film reviews to help me write my own film review and when I format my work I will lay it out like the Sight & Sound film reviews.
No comments:
Post a Comment