|
|
 |
Use
of Audio
Perhaps
my favorite part of the film was the music. It fit both
the time and the theme very well, and was just fun to listen
to. It popped up here and there, mostly to fit vignettes,
cutaways, or shot montages, leaving some stretches of film
with only ambient sound and no music. I think that this
was a very good choice, because it kept the film relatively
uncluttered. Sometimes it’s difficult to make music
choices or to resist the urge to completely cover your film
with audio, but often simple really is better.
The
sound effects and ambient noise were good, as was the dialogue.
I did notice a few moments where it sounded as though the
actors were mumbling a bit, but that could possibly be attributed
to the character’s accents. In addition, the song
on the opening credits seems a bit too loud, requiring me
to turn the volume down, and then once the action starts,
it was too quiet, and so I had to turn the volume back up
again. The same is true of the closing credits, as they
are also a bit too loud. This isn’t a major issue,
however, and could easily be tweaked in an editing program.
Use
of Budget
For
a 30-minute film, Fizzy Days did not come cheaply
- $9,000 is a pretty big price tag for such a short film.
The majority of the budget was used in post for PAL transfer,
coloring, sound, media transfer, and DVD printing. The only
money spent during production was for Kraft services and
$1,000 for costume rental. (A little pricey, but for an
authentic period piece it’s worth the extra buck or
two). Finally, for those who might balk at this high a budget,
keep in mind that it’s meant to be used as a springboard
for financing for a feature-length film. Considering Fizzy
Days’ quality, I’m betting they’ll
be able to get financing no problem. That fact alone makes
the cost of the short more than worth it.
Perhaps
the most impressive aspect of this film is the fact that
director Mark Millicent is a first-time filmmaker. A story-boarder
by trade, Mark put his talent to good use in creating Fizzy
Days. I’ve very impressed at such a well-polished
final product, though I can guess that Mr. Millicent made
good use of all his time spent around filmmakers to pick
up plenty of tips and tricks to aid him in making his first
movie. Yet more proof that, when it comes to microfilms,
time is money!
Lasting
Appeal
Despite
the fact that the “quest for transportation”
story has been told over and over and over again, Fizzy
Days still manages to bring a new perspective on a classic
tale. The characters are funny and quirky, the visuals are
well done, and the music is quite catchy. It’s a very
entertaining film to watch; one that I will definitely be
showing to my friends. And I can’t wait to see the
feature-length version once it is complete!
Overall
Comment
From Marlon Brando’s The Wild One and James
Dean’s Rebel Without A Cause, to the modern
American Pie series, coming-of-age stories are a
dime a dozen. The real challenge for a filmmaker is to keep
the story new and unique, and that has certainly been done
with Fizzy Days. Children of the 70s will probably
love this throwback their generation, and even those of
us born after this decade can relate to the classic quest
for teenage emancipation.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Content |
8.7 |
|
Visual
Look |
9.1 |
|
Use
of Audio |
9.1 |
|
Use
of Budget |
9.5 |
|
Lasting
Appeal |
9.6 |
|
Overall
Score |
9.2
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The
author of half a dozen screen plays, two novels, and a proficient
camera-woman in her own right, Monika
DeLeeuw-Taylor is Microfilmmaker's lead writing analyst and
one of our top film reviewers. When she's not writing a critique for
Microfilmmaker, she's writing screenplays for Viking Productions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
