|
|
 |
If this is done completely, then it would actually correct most of the audio issues in the film, because that’s where the other big problem in the film arose. Since the main characters are all deaf, we can buy that there’s no dialogue and that the music is all we can hear. Unfortunately, there are currently a number of situations in which we hear sound effects like cars rushing by, waves crashing, or, worst of all, blank “wild” (or natural) sound recorded by the camcorders in use. These are all very jarring, because they simply do not fit the artistic layout of this film. While the best solution is to have music that covered all of these situations, if that’s not possible, I would suggest going to pure silence rather than having any form of sound effects.
The other “audio” issue that arises in this film is actually an issue of subtitles. There are a number of times that, instead of translating what someone signs, the subtitle will read, “(Indistinct)” At other times, they will paraphrase the subtitles, rather than telling what people are actually saying. I assume this is because the filmmaker didn’t want to “cheat” by using subtitles that aren’t actual translations of what the people are signing, but it would be far better to make up subtitles than to put any form of paraphrase or “(Indistinct)” title. Many of the people who will watch this film won’t know sign language and won’t be able to tell if the subtitles are incorrect and, even the ones that do, will understand that a movie needs to make sense and will readily overlook the inaccuracy. (Goodness, the number of translation “issues” in Hollywood subtitles is amazing.)
Mr. Bertling spent five years shooting this film and at least half of the budget went to equipment, so $10,000 is really not a bad use of budget, especially for a first film in which most things were being learned through trial and error. Additionally, the film was shot in two major cities—Portland, OR and Seattle, WA—which aren’t the cheapest places to shoot. (Although Portland has a huge Indie film community, which Mr. Bertling said really rallied to help out toward the end of the shoot.)
My wife “speaks” sign language and we do a lot of work with a variety of communities with disabilities in our area. As such, I found the film interesting and would definitely show it to my wife and selected people in our community. With that said, the appeal to a more general audience is more limited. Most would find the immersive element of this film interesting, but many would be distracted by the visual and audio discontinuities, as well as the unwieldy length for a silent film.
For a first film, Tom Bertling and his team really pushed the boundaries of technology and storytelling. While not all of these attempts worked well on this initial film, they definitely show the sort of probing look at the world that will empower future endeavors. With this sort of creativity and innovation, I look forward to seeing what Mr. Bertling will do for his next film.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Content |
7.0 |
Visual
Look |
5.8 |
Use
of Audio |
8.0 |
Use
of Budget |
8.5 |
Lasting
Appeal |
6.8 |
|
7.2 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The
director of two feature length films and half a dozen short films,
Jeremy Hanke
founded Microfilmmaker Magazine to help all no-budget filmmakers make
better films. His first book on low-budget special effects techniques, GreenScreen Made Easy, (which he co-wrote with Michele Yamazaki) was released by MWP to very favorable reviews. He's curently working on the sci-fi film franchise, World of Depleted through Depleted: Day 419 and the feature film, Depleted. |
|
|
|
|
|
