Length: 07:03
Logline: A stressed out student suddenly has a good excuse for not doing her essay when a masked attacker goes on a killing spree on campus.
This is a fairly good example of what can be achieved given a limited time period (or deadline!) to work with. There's a clear 'Halloween' influence going on here which flies straight off the bat with the introductory John Carpenter-esque soundtrack which neatly establishes the tone. The comparisons don't stop there; with a silent masked killer on the loose chasing a likely virginal young lady around and teens having their necks snapped right left and centre, it's a classic film to look at if you're filmmaking on the fly.
Katrina Allen plays the diligent student who immediately starts typing her essay without first logging in. There's a nice switch to her looking bedraggled and stressed later on but there's too much time spent on these establishing shots and pacing suffers slightly at the start. Once the killer turns up, it gets much more interesting. Allen carries the role well given that this is purely a physical performance as no dialogue features. I really felt that fall in the corridor and her breath holding scene becomes quite powerful thanks to her acting.
Sound is an important feature of this short. Silence is used to good effect, builds tension and makes the end sequence very effective. There's some nice visceral sound effects added in but the guy with the music blearing out of his headphones was a bad choice as it ruins the built up tension and takes the viewer out of the story momentarily to wonder why we cant hear his voice even though his lips are moving. Similarly, you might feel the silence becomes a little unnatural as there's a lack of screams to be heard, which is a slasher staple.
Considering the constraints of the limited location which makes this visually uninteresting, not having the greatest lighting, and the sometimes too silent parts means that this is a good effort which is perhaps worth re-shooting with more time spent on it.
This is a fairly good example of what can be achieved given a limited time period (or deadline!) to work with. There's a clear 'Halloween' influence going on here which flies straight off the bat with the introductory John Carpenter-esque soundtrack which neatly establishes the tone. The comparisons don't stop there; with a silent masked killer on the loose chasing a likely virginal young lady around and teens having their necks snapped right left and centre, it's a classic film to look at if you're filmmaking on the fly.
Katrina Allen plays the diligent student who immediately starts typing her essay without first logging in. There's a nice switch to her looking bedraggled and stressed later on but there's too much time spent on these establishing shots and pacing suffers slightly at the start. Once the killer turns up, it gets much more interesting. Allen carries the role well given that this is purely a physical performance as no dialogue features. I really felt that fall in the corridor and her breath holding scene becomes quite powerful thanks to her acting.
Sound is an important feature of this short. Silence is used to good effect, builds tension and makes the end sequence very effective. There's some nice visceral sound effects added in but the guy with the music blearing out of his headphones was a bad choice as it ruins the built up tension and takes the viewer out of the story momentarily to wonder why we cant hear his voice even though his lips are moving. Similarly, you might feel the silence becomes a little unnatural as there's a lack of screams to be heard, which is a slasher staple.
Considering the constraints of the limited location which makes this visually uninteresting, not having the greatest lighting, and the sometimes too silent parts means that this is a good effort which is perhaps worth re-shooting with more time spent on it.
Best Bit: Hold your breath scene.
Worst Bit: Headphones guy.
Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.
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