Thank you so much! When I first saw your comment it literally made my week, so sorry for not replying sooner. I'm glad you liked the concept. I always just wanted to keep it as simple as possible, even if it ended up getting more complicated later when I had to add a new ending and all that jazz, but I was still happy with how it turned out. I hope you can aspire to make something much greater than mine. Believe me, it will be hard not to. Just make sure you're doing what you want. You could tick all the boxes that the exam board give you, get an A*, and never want to even think about the film again. Or you can make a weird film, perhaps go from a subtle, realistic style to a crazy, experissionistic one with each new scene, or just throw in some unconventional shots that you're proud of, and by the end of it have something you're not afraid to look back on and maybe show other people (in a portfolio, for example). Obviously you don't want to sabotage your final grade for the course, but making a sacrifice by bumping your film down one or two is worth if it means you might tolerate it enough to use it going forward. Otherwise all that time and effort spent on only a percentage of your course really was just time and effort spent on only a percentage of your course. This is one of, if not the first film you ever make. It could also be the only film you ever make. Whatever the case, let at least some of it be yours and not just something to please examiners. Good luck! If you need any more advice, please ask, and if you ever upload your film somewhere, send me a link!
This is probably the best A-level/UAL short film I’ve ever seen. The pacing was perfect, which is very hard to do, so well done. I liked the use of different frame rates, and the lower shutter speed (I assume) for the bird taking off, that was a nice touch. The backlighting in the jail cell was clever aswel, I’m guessing you used an optical snoot for that? My favourite shot was when you sat next to the window and you had the cooler tempreture night sky infront of you and you and everything else was a silhouette, that was a nice shot. My only critique, is that near the beginning when you was walking through the streets, the blacks where quite crushed and your legs kept going invisible. So many e check the exposure settings and check the histogram before hand, you can always make it darker in post, but, not too dark. (A small little critique because I know it’s nice to hear some constructive Cristian as well as praise as that’s what helps you grow as a filmmaker. Overall I thought this film was amazing and you’ve pulled it off perfectly, well done!
Me neither honestly, Mr. Adam Bob. I think what I ended up making was a film about a person who records the sounds of life every single day and remixes them together into an audio-collage of sorts. Then, one day a month, he sneaks them to an old man in prison who has been deprived of hearing the sounds for years and years. But I can't fault you for not understanding the film, because I always had to explain it to whoever i showed it to... heck, even myself. I made sure in the evaluative analysis we had to write for it that the story was as clear as possible though, which probably helped me not fail this part of the course.
@@TGCFilmz oh right.. that makes sense now. That’s actually a really cool idea! Well done on such a great film! I saw you have letterbox, I’ll make sure I follow you on it)
@@TGCFilmz I don't want to sound pretentious, but I thought the idea you were going for was very clear as soon it shows the man taking the tape out the pillow case to listen to. Sorry to hear this (possibly) didn't get a great grade - I read your other comment - I thought it was very well shot with a clever and interesting premise. Good luck with any future projects!
I don't know. I never got a grade breakdown for my A-Levels. For Film Studies as a whole I managed to scrape an A, but that was in August 2020 when the grades were decided from a mixture of past grades and teacher predicitons, so I can't say how much of that was down to this. I know that, originally, coursework was still a minority % of the final grade, but that could've changed when the grading was altered for my year during the pandemic. I'd like to say that, because this was the last peice of work I ever submitted for the course, it was this film that scored me the A... but I doubt that. Also it could've been that the film itself wasn't highly graded but the evaluative analysis I wrote for it was. At the end of Year 12 when we finished handing in the 'first edit' of these films, before writing any evaluative analysis, I don't remember this being graded very highly. Back then the film just ended on the character listening to his creation, but it was decided that it needed a new ending that would change it from the prompt I had originally chosen ('developing a character') to another that I could better work towards with what I'd already created (which ended up being the 'film with a twist' prompt). So for all I know that could've bumped it up to a higher grade. My friends told me that the way I shot it, the colour grading, the aspect ratio shifts, the use of sound etc. would get it a high grade, but that didn't end up being the case. Really it comes down to how well you successfully meet your prompt and satisfy the required runtime. In my case, I don't think I did that as well as others did, even with the new ending, so I can't imagine it would've gotten that high of a grade. My advice? Try and get a grade breakdown once you do get your results at the end of your course. I would've liked to have known what my finished film and the evaluative analysis got given that I put so much time and work into it. Also, the evaulative analysis can be your saving grace. If the film doesn't turn out well, you can convince them it was exactly what you wanted it to be, or at least make it sound like things didnt go as wrong as they did (if they do). Finally, if they tell you not to do something adventerous in your filmmaking at risk of it not getting the higher grade, don't listen to them. They might not be wrong, but that's no fun. Make a weird film or throw in some spicy shots if you want to. You could create the most perfect, checklist-ticking film that gets you the highest grade possible and never want to see a single frame of it again. Alternatively, you could make something that gets a lower grade but you don't mind watching again and/or putting in your portfolio. Heck, I don't really like mine all that much, but I like some of the shots I got so I'm using it when I apply for jobs and tell people about it when they ask if I've made anything before. And you never know, maybe whoever ends up marking your film might take a fondness to it because it ended up standing out from all the rest. Good Luck! If you have any more questions, please ask. I know how confusing this part of the course can get. P.S. Sorry for the essay.
My other work, including a 'restored' (slighty touched-up) version of this, can be found on my Vimeo: vimeo.com/user119621391
I am absolutely in love with your concept, I aspire to be like you on my final outcome.
Thank you so much! When I first saw your comment it literally made my week, so sorry for not replying sooner.
I'm glad you liked the concept. I always just wanted to keep it as simple as possible, even if it ended up getting more complicated later when I had to add a new ending and all that jazz, but I was still happy with how it turned out.
I hope you can aspire to make something much greater than mine. Believe me, it will be hard not to.
Just make sure you're doing what you want. You could tick all the boxes that the exam board give you, get an A*, and never want to even think about the film again. Or you can make a weird film, perhaps go from a subtle, realistic style to a crazy, experissionistic one with each new scene, or just throw in some unconventional shots that you're proud of, and by the end of it have something you're not afraid to look back on and maybe show other people (in a portfolio, for example).
Obviously you don't want to sabotage your final grade for the course, but making a sacrifice by bumping your film down one or two is worth if it means you might tolerate it enough to use it going forward. Otherwise all that time and effort spent on only a percentage of your course really was just time and effort spent on only a percentage of your course. This is one of, if not the first film you ever make. It could also be the only film you ever make. Whatever the case, let at least some of it be yours and not just something to please examiners.
Good luck! If you need any more advice, please ask, and if you ever upload your film somewhere, send me a link!
This is probably the best A-level/UAL short film I’ve ever seen. The pacing was perfect, which is very hard to do, so well done. I liked the use of different frame rates, and the lower shutter speed (I assume) for the bird taking off, that was a nice touch. The backlighting in the jail cell was clever aswel, I’m guessing you used an optical snoot for that?
My favourite shot was when you sat next to the window and you had the cooler tempreture night sky infront of you and you and everything else was a silhouette, that was a nice shot.
My only critique, is that near the beginning when you was walking through the streets, the blacks where quite crushed and your legs kept going invisible. So many e check the exposure settings and check the histogram before hand, you can always make it darker in post, but, not too dark.
(A small little critique because I know it’s nice to hear some constructive Cristian as well as praise as that’s what helps you grow as a filmmaker.
Overall I thought this film was amazing and you’ve pulled it off perfectly, well done!
Very well shot and good use of colour to create tone
WOW??? THIS IS AMAZING???? WOWWW WOW I LOVE THE STORY
I love the film, particularly the slow transition in aspect ratio near the end. Just wondering how you achieved that effect?
beautiful man!!! :-)
Thank you my friend!
What was the brief for this?
Really nice work! Btw long time no see hmu bruh
Juan!! Hitting up asap.
Wait, I didn’t get it..(
Me neither honestly, Mr. Adam Bob.
I think what I ended up making was a film about a person who records the sounds of life every single day and remixes them together into an audio-collage of sorts. Then, one day a month, he sneaks them to an old man in prison who has been deprived of hearing the sounds for years and years.
But I can't fault you for not understanding the film, because I always had to explain it to whoever i showed it to... heck, even myself. I made sure in the evaluative analysis we had to write for it that the story was as clear as possible though, which probably helped me not fail this part of the course.
@@TGCFilmz oh right.. that makes sense now. That’s actually a really cool idea! Well done on such a great film! I saw you have letterbox, I’ll make sure I follow you on it)
@@TGCFilmz I don't want to sound pretentious, but I thought the idea you were going for was very clear as soon it shows the man taking the tape out the pillow case to listen to. Sorry to hear this (possibly) didn't get a great grade - I read your other comment - I thought it was very well shot with a clever and interesting premise. Good luck with any future projects!
what did you shoot this on?
Canon EOS 200D with the kit 18-55mm lens and the cheapest Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens.
What grade did this get?
I don't know. I never got a grade breakdown for my A-Levels.
For Film Studies as a whole I managed to scrape an A, but that was in August 2020 when the grades were decided from a mixture of past grades and teacher predicitons, so I can't say how much of that was down to this. I know that, originally, coursework was still a minority % of the final grade, but that could've changed when the grading was altered for my year during the pandemic. I'd like to say that, because this was the last peice of work I ever submitted for the course, it was this film that scored me the A... but I doubt that. Also it could've been that the film itself wasn't highly graded but the evaluative analysis I wrote for it was.
At the end of Year 12 when we finished handing in the 'first edit' of these films, before writing any evaluative analysis, I don't remember this being graded very highly. Back then the film just ended on the character listening to his creation, but it was decided that it needed a new ending that would change it from the prompt I had originally chosen ('developing a character') to another that I could better work towards with what I'd already created (which ended up being the 'film with a twist' prompt). So for all I know that could've bumped it up to a higher grade.
My friends told me that the way I shot it, the colour grading, the aspect ratio shifts, the use of sound etc. would get it a high grade, but that didn't end up being the case. Really it comes down to how well you successfully meet your prompt and satisfy the required runtime. In my case, I don't think I did that as well as others did, even with the new ending, so I can't imagine it would've gotten that high of a grade.
My advice?
Try and get a grade breakdown once you do get your results at the end of your course. I would've liked to have known what my finished film and the evaluative analysis got given that I put so much time and work into it.
Also, the evaulative analysis can be your saving grace. If the film doesn't turn out well, you can convince them it was exactly what you wanted it to be, or at least make it sound like things didnt go as wrong as they did (if they do).
Finally, if they tell you not to do something adventerous in your filmmaking at risk of it not getting the higher grade, don't listen to them. They might not be wrong, but that's no fun. Make a weird film or throw in some spicy shots if you want to. You could create the most perfect, checklist-ticking film that gets you the highest grade possible and never want to see a single frame of it again. Alternatively, you could make something that gets a lower grade but you don't mind watching again and/or putting in your portfolio.
Heck, I don't really like mine all that much, but I like some of the shots I got so I'm using it when I apply for jobs and tell people about it when they ask if I've made anything before.
And you never know, maybe whoever ends up marking your film might take a fondness to it because it ended up standing out from all the rest.
Good Luck! If you have any more questions, please ask. I know how confusing this part of the course can get.
P.S. Sorry for the essay.