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Short Critique: Inquisition, Pg. 2

Visual Look
Even though there were only a few different locations, the filmmakers were still able to make them both varied and interesting. I especially liked the interrogation room which had a very eerie greenish tint, and two overhead lights that shone down on the both the actors. Not only did the low lighting hide anything that wouldn't have been appropriate for an interrogation room, but it left some really wonderful shadows on both the actors' faces. In addition, one might expect that a scene with two characters sitting at opposite ends of a table could be quite visually boring, but not only did the lighting add a lot of interest, but the camera did as well. There were some really great moving shots that went behind the heads of each character during their dialogue - and even with all this movement, the 180 degree line was never broken!
 
There was also the ever-popular "State Television," which seems to make an appearance in every futuristic film since 1984. But in this instance, the filmmakers chose to make the "Big Brother" figure a woman. Her speech further emphasizes the country's anti-religious sentiment, without getting too preachy. It gave some more background of the country, which was a good touch, particularly since the cast of the film consists of only two main characters and a few smaller roles.  
 
Many of the film's lighting effects were well-done. There was a great shot of Isaac in his home, silhouetted against a stained-glass window while praying. It was a very peaceful image, in contrast to the men who are about to take him prisoner. The lighting inside and outside was, for the most part, well-balanced. My one complaint would be a shot of the captors on what appeared to be the roof of their compound. I'm guessing the scene was supposed to be at dusk, but it had a very blueish tint to it, as though it hadn't been properly white-balanced (or was shot in a strange day-for-night situation). A shot at dusk wouldn't look completely out of place, but the odd color tint did. Color correcting a shot like this with something like Magic Bullet Colorista could fix this believability.

A group of
bounty hunters...
...Track him down
and arrest him.

Use of Audio
I didn’t really notice any audio issues in the film at all. The interrogation scene looked to be shot in a room with lots of hard surfaces, but there was no echo (more on that later.) There were no issues with dialogue clarity either, and even though the characters spoke with accents, they were still easy to understand. The soundtrack was also good; it was appropriate without being overpowering.

Use of Budget
If Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Hanke allowed me to give an award for "Dutchness" (perhaps it could be shortened to the “Dutchy,” for short), it would certainly go to the crew of Inquisition. Their budget was $757 - which is small for nearly any length genre film, but is even more amazing due to how clever they were in using it. They managed to convince the owners of their locations to donate the time, or just shot guerilla-style (which, by the way, is not advisable for those who live in LA, or anywhere with an especially vigilant police force.) The costumes were also donated and/or borrowed. They also convinced hotel managers to give a discount rate for the non-local actors (they got a $65 room for $45 and an $85 room for $55. I'm drooling. Seriously.)

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