Initial Idea:
For my final film I chose to create a short story based around an unlikely group of vigilantes, employed by a former teacher turned investigator. With their advanced ideology of modern technology, they assist their former teacher, ‘Richie’ in apprehending criminals around the city of Sheffield. However, when a museum exhibit is stolen, their lives are put in more danger than before.
Reflection:
My aim was to try and condense the codes and conventions of films, which encourage me as an aspiring writer and director, into a short film template. Using Starnow as a method of employing actors, I was bringing together a cast of characters who would all have their individual personalities and make the audience want to keep watching.
The Finished Product:
Direction-
In directing my final major project, there were a number of challenges I had to face, ranging from weather conditions through to actor availability. There were even some cases where permission was put into question.
One example was on the first day of shooting; The scene was based on Balm Green nearby the City Hall building in the city center. Whilst on set, I recognized a building with revolving doors and, being that the scene was a post-bank robbery sequence, improvised a shot for the scene where the actor would emerge from the doors with a suitcase. The audience would then establish this building as being a bank.
After being denied permission, I promptly vacated the premises with the camera and shot away from the building. The remainder of the crew supervised the equipment by taking shelter from the rain under the roof of the building. A member of staff then demanded they vacate the premises as they believed we were still intending to use the building, without permission. To overcome this issue, I encouraged everyone to bring the equipment closer to where I was stationed and, in doing this, make sure the owners of the building were made aware we had moved away. The process of placing actors where they needed to be ran smoothly during this challenge and I am satisfied with the way myself and the actors performed in overcoming this issue and capturing the footage required.
Another instance, during directing, where I faced a challenge was the build up to shooting the Heather Jones park sequence. The initial actress who would portray Heather Jones had informed me she could not make the shooting day(s) due to a personal matter. I then reached out to another actress who was interested in the role. She later informed me that a project she was engaged with would interfere with shooting the scene(s) and so my options were varied. I finally reached out to another actress who had attended college, here, on the drama course.
After a week of discussing the scene set up with her, I was informed of a medical matter which would affect the actresses’ availability. However, whilst informing me that she would not be available for the project, the actress introduced me to a close friend who also engaged in acting as a hobby. After four casting changes for the character of Heather, I had eventually cast an actress and prepared for the shooting days. Rather than referring to Starnow after the third actress cancelled, I chose to give the opportunity to the actress proposed to me by the previous cast actress. Her commitment and discipline on set was admirable and she was extremely confident in following my directions.
One of the most challenging sequences to direct was the car park sequence which I had originally planned to shoot in one day. When finally approaching this sequence, it was shot over two days with a week in between. After several challenges with securing a location for the car park sequence, I had finally obtained permission to shoot in the West ONE apartments car park. The aesthetics were respectably close to what I originally aimed for. The inspiration from Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver’ was made clear in using this location. The main challenge was made clear within the first half hour of setting up; the challenge being time.
I had failed to anticipate how long setting up would have taken and found that on the first day I had a limited time. However, I was still able to shoot the first half of the sequence with the help of the crew. Whilst shooting, I began to realize we would not finish the sequence with the time remaining and so I had to begin planning a second shooting day which would be convenient for both parties. Those being myself and the actors. To overcome issues caused by setting up, come the second shoot of the car park sequence, I had labelled the shot list in the order we would be able to record them. Some actors arrived later than others and so this was my way of avoiding any problems being caused by that; I could differentiate between the shots which were listed to be completed on the day and the shots which were for other scenes. From there, I could then look at the shots which did not require the presence of the actors who were running late and continue working through the shot list.
Camera Work-
I was extremely satisfied with the final product, considering how many people were in charge of the camera work. Over the seven days of shooting ‘Richie’s Lost & Found’ I partially undertook the role of the camera operator, as did some of the actors between their shots. The official camera operator(s) were away directing their own projects on some of the days I was shooting and so this role was constantly changing. However, through communicating closely with the camera operator I found that all who assisted performed extremely well in maintaining the visual standard I intended to keep consistent.
The challenges that came from the camera work were minimal; one challenge was one which would be apparent in post-production. The shots during the bus sequence, where the hypnotized civilian walks in front of moving traffic, were slightly over exposed, meaning that in post-production they would appear too bright and require colour grading as well as alterations to brightness and contrast. Whilst this did affect the cinematography and break fluidity of high quality, evenly lit shots, it only took colour grading and adjustments to brightness and contrast to fix the visuals.
For future reference, when shooting at midday and beyond midday, I will make sure I double check the settings on the camera. I will also vacate to a slightly more shaded area of the location to gain a better spectacle of what the shot looks like, on camera. The same would apply for low lighting; when previewing shots on the LCD screen, I will make sure that I am thorough in looking for any distortion, noise or uneven lighting. If adjustments are made for shots with low lighting, thorough checks will be made to avoid grain which would occur if the ISO was too high.
Looking more at the operating of the camera(s) there were several different approaches taken towards shooting the fight and chase sequences. When envisioning these scenes, during pre-production and beforehand, I never once intended to have stationary shots of the actions where the camera would remain on the tripod and only track the actors as they performed their stunts. Much like my influences from the works of Edgar Wright and Matthew Vaughn, I intended to bring the audience into the action and follow each movement as if they were part of events. This was done through both handheld operations with the camera and also through utilizing the Ronin to steady the camera whilst maintaining a relatively handheld approach.
Whilst there were virtually no challenges faced, in taking this on, there was still the case of certain shots being too unstable and actors not being captured, fully in frame. This was more of an issue when using the Ronin as you do not have perfect access to the camera with your hands. Also, I was using a 50mm lens which was previously being used to achieve a shallow depth of field for the stationery shots of the actors. The mistake made was that I did not replace the 50mm lens with the 18 to 55mm lens, meaning that when shooting the moving shots with the Ronin, objects would keep fading in and out of focus as the camera operator moved. The simple way to avoid this would have been to change the lens, to the 18-55mm lens, before shooting the shots, therefore being at far less a risk of dramatic changes in focus during movements of the camera.
Sound Design-
For the largest portion of the final film, sound was of a respectable standard; dialogue was clear and the musical scores I composed complimented each scene they were featured in. After the shoot for the chase sequence, I decided to record Foley with the remaining actors. Whilst it appeared that these recordings would only fit the relevant aspects of the film, during pre-production it soon became apparent how useful and versatile these recordings were. Recordings of gun reloading and additional footsteps were used, effectively, in both the chase sequence and the fight sequence which takes place later on in the film. However, there were always challenges that accompanied making the film and sound did deliver a small amount.
One issue faced with sound was the noise which surrounded all dialogue recorded for each scene. It was particularly noticeable during the car park sequence as there were a number of industrial fans, causing noise which was invasive upon the actors’ delivery of their lines. Using noise reduction in Audacity, this problem was minimized but there are still sections of the final product where noise cuts in and out. Moving forward, these sorts of issues could be better avoided by perhaps visiting each single location with the relevant sound recording equipment and test record audio to make a decision over the most sensible level for capturing sound.
Sometimes, it was syncing which was an issue faced with sound. This will be revisited in the feedback section. Certain instances such as the build up to the chase sequence featured audio which was ever so slightly misplaced. When reviewing this, there is the illusion of actors speaking slightly ahead of themselves. Whilst syncing can be an issue if not executed properly, this did not majorly affect the final product and if necessary I can return and fix the issue. It is sometimes as simple as enlarging the timeline, in the editing software, and assessing the position of the audio track. However, there is a setting for easily syncing up audio with visuals and this may be something I consider in greater depth, for future projects.
The scores were extremely effective in setting up the pacing of the film; when composing, I intended to create a constant feeling of energy. The same applied for when filming. Now, seeing the final project, I feel a sense of accomplishment as the music runs alongside the dialogue and especially the visuals. During the Heather Jones sequence with the motorcyclist, the music cuts in along with the shot of him running through the park. This acted as an indication of what was to be expected for the duration of Richie’s Lost & Found.
Editing-
The editing has been an important aspect of Richie’s Lost & Found and this does seem to have been reflected in the finished product. As mentioned before, pacing had to be consistent in the film and whilst the music assisted in making this possible, the editing is the remaining half needed to effectively bring the film together. It is almost like every other scene is a chapter and when we cut to black, the editing indicates a chapter has ended. Then, when the audience enter the next scene with a fade from black, it is apparent that the next chapter has begun.
An example of where editing was extremely effective was during the bus sequence where the hypnotized civilian wanders out into traffic and is hit by a bus. As well as the sharp cut to black before the impact is seen, there is also the pause before the next scene cuts in and we see the three protagonists running along a street and seeing a car signalling them. As well as adding impact and essentially shocking the audience, it also allows time for them to recover before being presented with the next series of events.
As Eddie Hamilton stated in response to an email I sent regarding how to edit action, ‘…make sure the audience understands the stakes of the action…’ This is particularly relevant to the harsh cut to black. It is almost as though someone is pulling the audience away from the scene to reiterate how serious the situation is. It could also be seen as a way of influencing members of the audience to turn away as some would react to scenes, of this given nature, by turning away and removing themselves.
Looking at the colour grading, my influences are clearly reflected with the bright and vivid enhancements to the colours on-screen. Much like Edgar Wright and Matthew Vaughn, I have chosen to inject more colour and focus on making the visuals attractive as well as the story line and other aspects of the product. Observing several different scenes from both two of Wright’s films and two of Vaughn’s, I was able to identify how colour was used and how it intensified the emotions and moods of each scene. Much like graphic novels, which several of Vaughn’s films are adapted from, the colour is utilized for doing this as well as attracting members of the audience who may not be aware of the story line or believe it is not to their taste.
Comparing the four films above with my own project at the very top of the list, there is clearly a pattern with regards to the use of colour. There is particularly correlation between the shot from Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver and the shot from Richie’s Lost & Found. There is greenery in shot such as grass and trees as well as pavement and surrounding buildings. This breaks the metallic look a lot of action films use such as Spooks: The Greater Good and The Sweeney.
Looking back at one of my first projects, ‘Jody & Spencer’ the colour grading resembled that of the two films above. Saturation was low and I had manipulated the colour balance so that the colder colours such as blue and green were intensified. In additon to this, contrast was heightened so that shadows appeared sharper and created a more intense and series tone as opposed to Richie’s Lost & Found. With the violence in this film and the essentially dark plot by the antagonists, taking this approach would have created the wrong mood for the film; I intended to make the film light hearted and entertaining. There were even hints of comedy in between events, especially the chase sequence. Having considered how colour can change the mood of a film, aiming for similar colour grading techniques to that of my favourite films seemed more promising of a positive reaction from the audience.
For the effects, I revisited scenes from the likes of Kick-Ass and Kingsman to study the on screen performance of blood. This is a piece of research I began long before any of my college projects. The blood is a rig shot in front of a greenscreen and then projected back onto the scene. Whilst many filmmakers such as Tarantino look to use practical rigs, as well as being expensive it does not appeal to my style of filmmaking. The blood in Vaughn’s films is almost of a higher quality than that of a rig and the way it performs is almost like that of a graphic novel.
Any solid coloured background is convenient so rather than the time consuming process of assembling my green screen, I used my blue plastic bin and shot power elements in front of it. The same was done at a more recent date with liquid elements. I prefer to create my own stock footage rather than using royalty free footage.
Production Value-
Looking at the production value, there is a number of factors that indicate it is of a high and respectable standard. With location as an example, there is variety as opposed to limiting the settings for each scene down to somewhere more local or even shooting the entire film in and around the college campus. One scene in particular, which is the car park sequence, features a location in the city center. One which required permission for shooting in and this added to my experience in directing by giving me the responsibility to organize somewhere to set the scene.
Another example would be the list of actors; rather than relying on other students I reached out to a number of passionate performers using Starnow. Observing the final product, there is a variety of different actors and different personalities on-screen. Some actors were from college but the majority were recruited through Starnow and when all together on screen, the performance was as strong as I intended for it to be.
Props were another addition to the production value; the action genre has a lot of demand for props and looking at the final product, the props I used really advantaged the cinematic approach I was hoping for. Matched with the muzzle flashes and sound effects, it was the props which made the fight scenes all the more exciting and visually entertaining.
Finally, the costumes were also great contributors towards the strong production value. When first planning the costumes for the film, I envisioned having the protagonists each wearing a different coloured plaid shirt. This sort of stylistic choice is what is seen a lot in cinema and especially in the films which encouraged Richie’s Lost & Found.
Kingsman: The Secret Service gave Taron Egerton’s character, ‘Eggsy’ a series of bright coloured shirts and hats to add contrast between his character and the agents.
Baby Driver gave Jamie Foxx’s ‘Bats’ clothes in the colour red. This reflected the threat he was to the protagonists and how his personality is constantly competing to be the most unique.
Kick-Ass gave Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz Plasse and Chloe Grace Moretz bright coloured costumes for when they are their alter egos, Kick-Ass, Red Mist and Hit Girl. This reflects how they are separate to the remainder of society and how they could be seen as a glimmer of hope.
Evaluation:
Directing-
Looking at the way the opening montage is constructed, the directing seems strong. The characters seem to become more three dimensional as each different scenario unfolds. At 1:47 the character of Quinto is directed to be outgoing with talking to an individual he does not know. By 3:02 he is only given two words, however by this point the audience establishes his personality and position as the comic relief within the film. The way the director has shaped this character around the events allows time for the audience to confide in him and understand his way of speaking.
One area of directing which could be improved upon is during the beginning of the chase sequence. At 4:01 Olly hands Quinto and Edgar bandannas. However, there is no explanation as to why he does this and whilst conclusions could be drawn from this, considering the genre being crime, it would have been more clear to the audience if the director extended the scene and have Olly explain that the bandannas are as part of a disguise for when they visit the crime scene. It could even be played on for comedic effect considering the character’s clothing.
Editing-
Reviewing the elevator scene where the three characters exit the underground car park, the editing proves to be very strong. The fade in from white at 11:14 really accentuates the uplifting feeling of surviving and seeing ‘…day light again…’ as the narrator comments. The shots from 11:17 to 11:31 are in slow motion and, again, this is extremely useful for conveying a strong emotion which, in this case, is relief and happiness. It also contributes to acting as a visual representation of the character’s disorientation and disbelief at the events that took place, beforehand. Whilst, at times, some may see fades and dissolves as overused in editing, this particular moment works well in utilizing it.
However, the fade out to white after the previous shot at 11:13 seems to begin slightly earlier than what would be ideal for the narration. The narration is placed over the shots of the characters narrating, however it is almost as though the scene falls out of sync with the narration by fading to white whilst the narration is still ongoing. It is only by a matter of seconds but it still slightly affects the pacing.
Also, looking at the bars at the top and bottom of shot, they seem to cut off head space. This is not a regular issue but with the shot at 11:08 it is extremely noticeable that the on screen characters do not have enough head space to be in frame. Being that this moment displays a range of strong emotions after the explosion and revelation that one of the protagonists was in fact an antagonist, a lack of head space proves to be detrimental upon that specific shot. Without the letterbox bars in place, this shot would not be as problematic, however for the remainder of the film, the letterbox effect seems to work. Especially at 1:14 when they first drop into shot and distance the remainder of the film from the widescreen news report format at the beginning. To have avoided the issue caused at 11:08, the director could have considered whether or not they would use the letterbox effect during production and then made sure the camera was positioned further back, giving actors more head space and the editor more head space for when adding these bars. Reviewing this shot, it appears the decision was made in post-production instead.
The director has done this to build on the quirky approach the film has towards style; at the beginning, we see the film in a wide screen format as a news broadcast. We, as the audience, are then brought into the events of the film and the bars drop down, informing the audience that the story has begun. It is almost as though the audience are watching the news and are hearing of these events.
Also, another area for improvement would be the shot at 4:51. The colour grading seems rather dull; the shot dampens the impact of the other colours such as the green and the reds and yellows from the plants behind the character. This could have been improved by reviewing the previous shot and then comparing it. As an added measure, disabling all the effects on this shot would give a comparison and show how much has been changed. Saturation could have then been turned up and additional changes to contrast may have made this shot more exciting and in-keeping with the other shots.
Comparison with shot a few seconds later:
A piece of editing which is really well executed would be the shot at 10:18 where Edgar shoots the armed guard. The effects used are really convincing and, at such a speed, add to the comic book element of the film. There is clearly encouragement from Matthew Vaughn’s films where the action and violence is concerned. The injury detail as he falls to the ground is strong and rather visceral. Matching such action with that of the whip pans seems to sell the effect even more and add to the pacing which changes as the action begins. It seems that the whip pans are used as a way of signifying a change in pacing or a moment of panic. This is a method used in many of Edgar Wright’s films which clearly have had influence over Richie’s Lost & Found. Films such as Hot Fuzz (2007) which also utilize whip pans during moments of intense action or panic.
Camera Work-
Looking at the camera work from 3:09 to 3:37 the shots seem stable and very well executed. The placement of the camera as it tilts down from the house really works well in establishing the importance of the location and perhaps the person it belongs to. Then, at 3:15 there is a close up on the title character as they discuss an important part of the story line. The positioning of the camera really brings out the detail of both the characters expressions and of their costume which is extremely complimentary to the colour of his surroundings. The contrast of the pink shirt against the green grass really adds to the vivid aesthetics of the film and how it is almost like a comic book inspired setting.
A definitive area for improvement would be at 4:53. The positioning of the camera seems to set the audience’s attention in the wrong place; the protagonists are seen running to the far right and yet there is a tree blocking their way as they exit the shot. Perhaps, to have improved upon this shot, the camera could have been positioned with the tree to the far left. In that instance, the three characters would be the main focus of the audience, from them running in frame through to them leaving the frame.
One other piece of camera work which could be improved upon is the shot where we see the armed guard holding the crystal (8:45). The camera pans up to his face but it takes too long for his face to come into shot. This is something that, when trying to convey a certain emotion, will affect the success of an actor’s performance as they will be out of shot when they are performing and by the time they are in frame they may have altered the facial expression to convey a different emotion. This shot could easily be improved by the camera remaining still and the actor moving, within frame, whilst making this facial expression.
Sound-
One moment where audio is perfectly clear is at 4:47 where the person sat on the bench in the park comments on the three running by. The volume of the music track decreases and the audio for the character comes in. The words are clear and understandable and add to the comedy of what is said. Another example of good sound would be the sound effects during the chase sequence. Specifically, the gun sound effects at 5:00. As the gunman reloads the sound is clear and as he pushes the readily loaded magazine into the pistol, the click is clear and sharp and adds to the tension.
An example of where the sound is an issue would be at 9:15. Whilst the actor delivers their lines, it is clear that there has been noise reduction added to dampen any ringing in the background. Whilst what the actor says is audible and understandable, the noise reduction caused the slight effect of hearing something under water. It presents itself as a high pitched ring lasting a fraction of a second. Also, when other audio samples cut in, they appear to sound as though they require noise reduction and this is an issue when trying to listen to the dialogue and understand the situation.
Production Value-
In terms of the production value, the use of the prop guns in the chase sequence at 4:21 and the car park fight sequence at 7:35 is really strong. Being that the film falls under the action genre, actually having prop guns adds to the value and informs the audience that it is taking the codes and conventions of an action film seriously. It also really compliments the aesthetics and allows more opportunities for stunts. It contributes to the threat and the danger of the situation.
Whilst there is the brief appearance of Richie’s severed hand at 10:23, to further strengthen the production value, the use of a prop severed hand would have made this aspect of the story line more believable. Also, at 11:50 when Graham and Richie are discussing it being reattached, it is clear to see that the bandage around his wrist is tissue paper. TO further strengthen the production value, using the material used for bandages would have made the operation much more believable and would have given further context to the danger of the events that took place.
Feedback from Screening(s):
Having screened my final major project before the class, I have collected some very helpful, constructive and very generous feedback. Through using Padlet, I have been able to compile all feedback from classmates after the screening of Richie’s Lost & Found.
Directing:
A frequent piece of feedback was with regards to my directing. Many stated that considering the cast was one of the largest out of all the class’ films, I effectively directed all actors to the best of my ability and they all appeared to understand what they were doing. Some even stated that the characters, having been directed to a high standard, fitted well with that of characters in an action film.
Many praised the ‘comic relief’ within the actors and how they were a lot of fun to watch. Having read this feedback, I feel incredibly confident that I reached my ambition with unit thirteen which was to make a product that was fun to watch and feature characters people wanted to see. Looking at the feedback, there was no criticism over my directing and so this is extremely reassuring to me that I performed well as the director.
Editing:
The effects were one area of editing which were praised greatly. Many commented on how they made the film all the more cinematic and professional. Others commented on how the editing complimented the music. Some even commented on how the editing contributed to the comedic side of the film. One scene which may have influenced this would be the chase sequence, when the three protagonists run by someone reading on a bench. The scene cuts from the three running to a shot of the individual looking up and delivering a short but whitty remark. The music, having decreased in volume, increases again and the scene cuts back to the shots of the characters running away from danger.
One member of the audience commented on how there were, ‘…no jarring cuts…’ and that this made the film, ‘…very naturalistic…’ This is extremely reassuring to me as, in the earlier stages of editing, I feared there may be one or two instances where cuts negatively affected the pacing. To know there was no apparent issues with regards to cuts, I feel satisfied with the final product. Someone commented on the colour grading saying how it was done to a high standard.
Much like an earlier comment, someone commented on how the shots were cut well and how it did not feel like any were ‘…too long…’ Looking at the editing, there are no apparent critiques and whilst I have made many, myself, it is pleasant to see that there were no major issues worth addressing with editing.
Camera Work:
With regards to camera work, again, there is no discussion of areas for improvement. Whilst this is a positive result, it would be interesting to find some correlation between my own comments on where I could improve and that of the feedback from the class.
Several commented on how they enjoyed the movement of the camera during the gun shots. This, however, was done in post-production so whilst positive it is not fully relevant to the camera operating. However, it could be taken as a congratulations on how the camera was set up for the movement, beforehand.
Many also commented on how there was no grain and the ISO was set a reasonable level. With colour grading, I too am pleased with the lack of grain. On several occasions I believed that this would be a risk but for the majority of the film, there is no sign. The only time it is apparent is when the shots are lit as guns are fired. However, even in this instance, it is a split second and does not present too much of a problem, visually.
When approaching each shot, my wish was to make sure they were all framed correctly and all had their own unique on-screen presence. What I mean by this is that if someone was to compile all the individual shots from the film, they would almost create a display of colour and even, visually, tell a story without the need for sound and music. Someone added that the shots were cinematic; another ambition with the visuals was to sell them in as cinematic a condition as possible. For this to have been recognized is extremely comforting.
Sound:
Sound has been interesting with this particular project as it has demonstrated improvements since unit twelve and yet there were still several issues faced.
One member of the audience commented on how the score was sometimes too loud and overpowered the dialogue. They also commented on how the section with the bank robber telling the driver to start the car was too loud. This is something which was difficult to notice, upon earlier reviewing, as it was played through earphones. However, the bank robber audio issue was apparent and is something I will avoid for future projects.
With regards to music, whilst it did sometimes overpower dialogue, many stated that it was, ‘…fitting…’ and that they enjoyed it. Looking at how the scores perform alongside the visuals, with more attention to levels, the scores will help contribute to making the film more successful and of a higher standard.
Production Value:
One member of the audience commented on how they enjoyed the different locations I used. They also stated that they believed the actors made the product feel professional. This is all contributing to the production value and whilst, as a whole, this is my strongest project in terms of the production value there are still many areas for improvement.
Some commented on how they think the special effects contributed to the production value and made the film feel more professional. Others commented on how it would have been far more time consuming to have gotten them to a, ‘…seamless…’ standard. This is something I will take into consideration with future projects; how long will it take for the visual effects to be up to a standard I am satisfied with?
Another area of the production value was age; one commented on how the age of the actors helped ‘…sell the story…’ They also commented on how it was made to appear as, ‘…more than just a college project…’ Whilst this is a positive, it would have been better if perhaps I could have cast actors to portray the characters when they were older. Instead, I used a narration from the adult version of Quinto and deepened the voice. This added to the comedy and many picked up on this in the feedback, however, it would have strengthened the production value, more to have seen even the slightest glimpse of the two characters grown up.
Conclusion:
As a whole, the success of the final major project has been strong along with the reception from both the class and from the cast and crew. With regards to what could be changed, sound seems to be the weakest aspect and so perhaps it is a matter of thoroughly checking through settings on the recording equipment before going forward into a scene. Also, having looked at the exposure in certain areas, paying closer attention to the ISO on set before recording would be something to secure for future projects. As a whole, the shots do not appear too over or under exposed. However, it is the few shots which present these issues and they did sometimes affect pacing and consistency.
In terms of directing, the final film appears to be strong however, there are times where actors could have been pushed further to deliver lines a certain way. Perhaps the moment, where Olly is revealed as the person at the center of the museum robbery, could have been directed further. So much so that the build up towards the reveal is smoother and yet still hits the audience as a surprise. Then, when he begins to explain what the light machine is used for, the director could have introduced a small amount of extra lines or chose to film more takes of Olly explaining. This way, the audience completely understands the story line and how there is relevance to the scene with the hypnotized civilian walking in front of a bus.
The editing was one of the strongest qualities of Richie’s Lost & Found; each scene played smoothly with the last and complimented the next. Especially where building tension was concerned, the editing was strong with regards to the shot at 4:57 where the camera is handheld. It is almost as though we are brought into the moment with the characters and are running alongside them. Met with the bullet traces passing by the camera and the footsteps running along with the music track, this sequence was made all the more tense through the editing. However, at times when the scenes would cut to black and the narration would continue, the cuts to black themselves seemed a little too harsh. Instead of being taken, smoothly, into the next event it felt as though the audience’s attention was torn from one placed and dropped into another. To have improved upon this a fade to black or a fade from black would have made the transition much smoother and seamless.
The sound was of a respectable standard for the majority of the film. However, in places, it was clear to see that noise reduction and additional changes had been made to it. This then lead to pieces of dialogue not being properly digested by the audience and that can become problematic for such a story as this one. Looking at the music as a whole, it worked extremely well in injecting even more life into the action sequences and really added a cinematic tone to the whole film. However, for the chase sequence it seemed a little too quiet at the start and whilst it allowed the Foley and sound effects to become more audible, it rather stifles itself. This lead to less of an impact at the start of the chase scene. For future reference, such alterations as the ones made to the music track in the chase sequence should be considered carefully. The project should be screened before published to make sure that if an issue arises and the volume is too low, it can immediately be attended to.
Finally, the production value was a strong quality in this product. The props, the number of actors, the age of actors and even the number of locations all contributed to making the audience feel entertained and taken on an adventure. However, as discussed above, the injury detail for Richie’s severed hand could have been furthered with perhaps the use of a prop hand and bandages for the final act of the film where we see his hand reattached. The use of the cars was another advantage towards the production value as they play subtle yet important roles throughout this film and, without them, the zero budget it was made on would be more apparent.
Brandon Hobson 