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Visual Look
The camerawork in the film is good for the most part. There's a very nice jib/tracking shot through the office, and there are some very creative transitions throughout the film as well. However, there are two noticeable jump cuts: one in the diner (the camera jumps the 180 degree line around the waitress) and in the coffeeshop (the camera jumps from a medium shot back to a wide shot with no change in angle). These are subtle things that nevertheless can jar or confuse an audience. The former can be avoided by keeping track of your camera lines and trying to consistently stay on the same side of your actors. The latter problem can be avoided by remembering the following rule: when moving from a closer to a wider shot (and vice versa), you must move the camera at least 30 degrees to the (horizontally or vertically) from its previous location. Otherwise, it will look like the camera has just leaped back (or forward), which is visually disorienting.
The editing throughout the film is tight, with smooth, often creative transitions between the scenes. Also of special note are the credits, particularly the closing ones. They are very well done, and remind me of a CG version of the opening credits of Napoleon Dynamite. Very creative!
Use of Audio
The audio is good for the most part. The voice-overs are well done; the levels on them are even and their delivery matches the action/facial expressions very well. However, there were two things I noticed about the dialogue audio that could stand to be corrected. The first is the audio of the boss' voice from outside the office. At one point, we can hear the boss yelling into his phone; however, there is a noticeable amount of distortion, as if the mic was too far back from the actor. In order to make it sound as though the person can be heard yelling from outside the room, record the sound at a closer distance (keep an eye on the levels to make sure that they don't spike!); then, go back in post and tweak the audio to make it sound as though it's farther away than it actually is. (This will be one of the few times that the term "we'll fix it in post" is acceptable!) The second issue is the dubbed dialogue between Alex and the waitress in the diner. Towards the end of the conversation, the audio gets out of sync. I can't quite tell if the problem is with the actual recording or if the audio was just misaligned. Either way, out-of-sync audio can be one of the biggest distractions for an audience, so be careful of sync issues, especially when dealing with re-recorded dialogue! .
The sound design is good; ambient sounds (office noises, restaurant clatter, music, etc.) are present, but don't overpower the main dialogue. The score is very well done; it is subtle and minimal during the film, but fits the overall feel. The theme at the beginning and end is lighthearted and quirky, in keeping with the tone of the film itself.
Use of Budget
The $700 budget covered food, equipment, payment for the main actor, and miscellaneous expenses (gas, licensing). For a 10-minute project, I'd say that's not bad at all. The film is very well made, especially considering the budget limitations.
Lasting Appeal
This film admittedly has a rather niche audience (i.e. this is not a film that would be shown to a non-churchgoing crowd). However, many of the films we've critiqued for the magazine have niche audiences, whether it's horror, blaxploitation, abstract, etc. Just because a film may have a limited audience because of its genre does not mean its lasting appeal is diminished; you just have to take it for what it is. Keeping in mind the audience Opportunity is geared toward, I'd say that if you are a Christian or if you like Christian films, you will probably really enjoy this. However, if you're not into those types of films, I wouldn't recommend watching Opportunity. Personally, I enjoyed it because it is well made and it gives the audience something to think about while being funny at the same time.
Final Comments
Opportunity is an amusing film that also presents some thought-provoking questions. The story is creative, with a well-written character and funny scenarios.The camerawork is good for the most part, as is the sound design. (The filmmaker just needs to remember to be careful of jump cuts and off-sync dialogue.) While this is a niche film with a rather smaller audience, members of that audience will likely enjoy this film and want to show it to others. The thoughtfully creative story and the overall good quality make this an enjoyable film to watch.
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Content |
8.0 |
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Visual
Look |
8.5 |
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Use
of Audio |
8.5 |
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Use
of Budget |
8.0 |
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Lasting
Appeal |
9.0 |
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Overall
Score |
8.4 |
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A
powerhouse in management, Kari
Ann Morgan successfully produced a feature length film before
coming to work at Microfilmmaker as Assistant Editor. In addition
to writing for the magazine, she's been successfully working with
various distributors to get microfilmmakers the chance for theatrical
distribution. |
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