Larry Elmore
November 29th, 2010, 05:11 PM
Hello UWOL Filmmakers,
When Cat asked me to sign on as the judge for the UWOL Challenge, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the entries I’ve been asked to review and critique. I know you’ve all heard this before, but you should all be proud of your efforts. As you all know too well I’m sure, filmmaking is not an easy task to do well, especially when you’re the writer, director, cinematographer, editor, sound engineer, narration talent and sometimes even the composer and musician. A tip of my hat to all of you. The films were all worthy of merit. Unfortunately, my challenge as judge is to select a winner and a couple of runner-ups. The only problem I found is that I had more winners than awards to give.
When people ask, “What do you do?”, I have one simple answer, “I tell stories.” So as a judge, I looked first at the story you were telling. Second, was the story aligned to the “Intimate Detail” theme? And third, I looked at all of the technical elements that contribute to a successful film. What does it look like? If there are actors, do they sell their part and does the director do his or her job? Is it edited well? Do the script, cinematography, and the VO narration work together? Does the nat sound and music work to enhance the mood of the film? And finally I gauge the emotional impact, “How does this film make me feel?”
Now my challenge begins. So many of these films are worthy of winning, but needs demand that I narrow the field to just three. The films that fulfilled my judging criteria and combined all the necessary elements into a single package are as follows:
Winner: “To Lose a Tree” by Marj Atkins
I believe that this film embodies the best of the UWOL Challenge. As a nature film, it explores the symbiotic relationship between an insect species and the trees that give it life. By focusing upon the loss of just one tree, the filmmaker is able to not only explore the lifecycle of the gall wasp, but illustrate it in intimate detail. The gall wasp is completely dependent upon the acacia tree for its survival, yet in that process limits its host from propagating thereby ultimately leading to its own demise. And along the way, she shows us the other creatures that are affected by this relationship and the “Loss of a Tree”. I’m sure one can draw any number of parallels to our own relationship to nature and our ultimate effect on the ecosystem. It is precisely written, filmed and edited. The VO narration, nat sound, and music support each other perfectly. I found this film both educational and insightful.
1st Runner Up: "Caught And Released" by Markus Nord
Just beautiful. A simple concept executed perfectly. The location, direction, acting, cinematography, editing and music all work to make this film excellent. The intimate details of the interplay between the fisherman and the fish is a lesson for us all about how we can enjoy a sporting lifestyle while still controlling our impact upon the environment. This film could have easily garnered first position. Congratulations.
2nd Runner Up: "Painted Stones" by Steve Siegel
Thank you, Teddy Roosevelt. It is so nice to imagine that things might not have changed too much since 1871. This film explores the sights of Yellowstone that could have been experienced by botanist, George Allen, nearly 140 years ago. In intimate detail, the filmmaker imagines what the botanist might have experienced during the Hayden-Moran Expedition. It’s always a challenge to shoot nature film to a script, but thankfully much easier to write a script that fits the wildlife footage you’ve already captured. It just proves that not all good nature filmmaking needs to be strictly documentary. As a short film this works. The script is well written. The cinematography is beautiful. The editing is matched nicely to the script. The voice is easy and sounds like it could have been Mr. Allen. Except for a difficult audio level segue from the geysers at the beginning to the VO/music track, the audio was perfect. Nice work.
Honorable Mentions: “Hidden Peril” & “Falling Leaves”
I know that these two films were author-removed from judging, but both of these films were among my favorites and deserve notice. I have great appreciation for the efforts of both filmmakers and I hope that both of them will return to the next UWOL challenge with new work.
Congratulations to the winner and runner ups. It’s been a pleasure watching your films. I hope my comments have been helpful and supportive to your ongoing process to make better films.
When Cat asked me to sign on as the judge for the UWOL Challenge, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the entries I’ve been asked to review and critique. I know you’ve all heard this before, but you should all be proud of your efforts. As you all know too well I’m sure, filmmaking is not an easy task to do well, especially when you’re the writer, director, cinematographer, editor, sound engineer, narration talent and sometimes even the composer and musician. A tip of my hat to all of you. The films were all worthy of merit. Unfortunately, my challenge as judge is to select a winner and a couple of runner-ups. The only problem I found is that I had more winners than awards to give.
When people ask, “What do you do?”, I have one simple answer, “I tell stories.” So as a judge, I looked first at the story you were telling. Second, was the story aligned to the “Intimate Detail” theme? And third, I looked at all of the technical elements that contribute to a successful film. What does it look like? If there are actors, do they sell their part and does the director do his or her job? Is it edited well? Do the script, cinematography, and the VO narration work together? Does the nat sound and music work to enhance the mood of the film? And finally I gauge the emotional impact, “How does this film make me feel?”
Now my challenge begins. So many of these films are worthy of winning, but needs demand that I narrow the field to just three. The films that fulfilled my judging criteria and combined all the necessary elements into a single package are as follows:
Winner: “To Lose a Tree” by Marj Atkins
I believe that this film embodies the best of the UWOL Challenge. As a nature film, it explores the symbiotic relationship between an insect species and the trees that give it life. By focusing upon the loss of just one tree, the filmmaker is able to not only explore the lifecycle of the gall wasp, but illustrate it in intimate detail. The gall wasp is completely dependent upon the acacia tree for its survival, yet in that process limits its host from propagating thereby ultimately leading to its own demise. And along the way, she shows us the other creatures that are affected by this relationship and the “Loss of a Tree”. I’m sure one can draw any number of parallels to our own relationship to nature and our ultimate effect on the ecosystem. It is precisely written, filmed and edited. The VO narration, nat sound, and music support each other perfectly. I found this film both educational and insightful.
1st Runner Up: "Caught And Released" by Markus Nord
Just beautiful. A simple concept executed perfectly. The location, direction, acting, cinematography, editing and music all work to make this film excellent. The intimate details of the interplay between the fisherman and the fish is a lesson for us all about how we can enjoy a sporting lifestyle while still controlling our impact upon the environment. This film could have easily garnered first position. Congratulations.
2nd Runner Up: "Painted Stones" by Steve Siegel
Thank you, Teddy Roosevelt. It is so nice to imagine that things might not have changed too much since 1871. This film explores the sights of Yellowstone that could have been experienced by botanist, George Allen, nearly 140 years ago. In intimate detail, the filmmaker imagines what the botanist might have experienced during the Hayden-Moran Expedition. It’s always a challenge to shoot nature film to a script, but thankfully much easier to write a script that fits the wildlife footage you’ve already captured. It just proves that not all good nature filmmaking needs to be strictly documentary. As a short film this works. The script is well written. The cinematography is beautiful. The editing is matched nicely to the script. The voice is easy and sounds like it could have been Mr. Allen. Except for a difficult audio level segue from the geysers at the beginning to the VO/music track, the audio was perfect. Nice work.
Honorable Mentions: “Hidden Peril” & “Falling Leaves”
I know that these two films were author-removed from judging, but both of these films were among my favorites and deserve notice. I have great appreciation for the efforts of both filmmakers and I hope that both of them will return to the next UWOL challenge with new work.
Congratulations to the winner and runner ups. It’s been a pleasure watching your films. I hope my comments have been helpful and supportive to your ongoing process to make better films.