Some Short Films I Was Watching

So whenever I don't have anything else to do in class, I usually go to YouTube and watch short films. It's great to study other filmmakers and see their methods, stories, characters, and how they flesh them out. It's also great to watch a lot of films for technical reasons. You can see what shots they used, how they framed their subject, and how the lighting and editing appeals to the story. So here is a few I've watched:

Andy

So here is the first one. Out of all of these, it's probably the one I, personally, can relate to most, being an average teenager and feeling pressure to do what everyone else is doing. I can really understand Andy and why he falls into peer pressure. The framing of his character is also something I caught. He seems almost inferior to everyone else, which was good for what the film makers were portraying.

Emily

Warning: Very emotional video above. I mean, just from the thumbnail you can tell this is about a girl going through a rough time. Emily dares to touch sensitive topics like depression and suicide, and if executed poorly, it would have offended a lot of people. But the film crew knew this and were very careful with how they portrayed it, while still giving enough to stab the viewer's heart. Very sad and very good. Congrats on the award, it's well deserved.

The Hit

So after the previous two films, I needed some comedy to lighten up. I clicked on this one because I once had a film idea of the same name. It was pretty short, but creatively executed in that short time. The humor felt original, and I held back laughter in class.

The Gunfighter

I don't watch a lot of Westerns, but I felt I wanted to branch out. Overall, this was a very clever idea I didn't know I needed until I watched it. I've bet all of us wondered how the story would play out if somehow the characters could hear the narrator, and The Gunfighter executes that concept well. It was also a little unexpected that it'd be a comedy, but not that that's a bad thing.

Time Trap

I also don't watch a lot of Sci-Fi, so I felt I wanted to branch out a bit more. I really liked this. Usually when I do watch Sci-Fi, it confuses me too much since all the characters talk about complex math and aerospace. This helped by not having much dialogue, and the viewer is focused on what the robot is doing, not what he's saying. The humor whenever he goes back in time was also nice.

Alone Time

This is probably the most life-like one here next to Emily, except there's no obvious conflict. The main character is just exhausted with her average life, and goes camping to find peace and relief. The editing of the forest and shot choice is very beautiful though, so "Alone Time" is more aesthetically driven.

Nadia

This has to be one of the most interesting films I have ever seen. It is a short film with the way it has characters, a plot, and conflict. But if you watch it, you'll notice it's also a PSA about abuse, and it doesn't try to subtly hide that. The man tells us facts and statistics about child abuse in the UK, while also tying it into a fictional, yet sadly realistic story.