Online Film Review: Belated Introduction

Posted by Matthew Alexander (matthew@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 24, 2006

A second request for an online film review was sent to us, and here at film school rejects we were more than happy to take a look and give our opinion. This time the short clip is Belated Introduction, which can be seen here at youtube. The clip does not try to tell a story; rather it is an introduction to a real person set to music and in the style of a music video. Only 2:01 minutes in length, it features several different shots of the young woman, each of which reveals a different aspect of her personality.

I have to say that the clip is very nicely done. There is an impressive array of very distinct shots which are all well framed and even well lit. The young woman in the clip, an attractive brunette unafraid of using some tasteful sex appeal, displays a range of emotions wide enough to match her wardrobe. With what is basically a montage of impressions, it is important that the different shots not repeat themselves, and they definitely do not. Each shot is a unique perspective, a unique action, has unique clothing and requires a different personality from the young lady.

The music was well chosen too, as was the cursive white script which fades in and out of the shots as we go along. Moreover, these elements work well together. I would point out that the video, which can be divided into two stages, takes care to align the beginning of the second stage with the music right as it starts to crescendo. A nicely timed bit of editing. Also, the movement in the shots is at times altered to better keep pace with the music. All in all, a definite achievement.

There are only two small things which strike me as being open to a small bit of improvement. One, there are a couple shots at the beginning which I thought lingered just a little too long. The point of the shots comes across just fine, so there is no reason to stay with them too long unless some action or change is going to happen. I would recommend snipping it just a touch. Two, there are a couple shots where the lighting seems a bit harsh. I’m not sure what equipment was used or if it was a regular lamp, but whatever it was lit the objects nearest to it too harshly. If it was a regular lamp, I would recommend laying a thin white sheet over it during the shot to soften the effect.

But these are picky little points in a project that didn’t have anything larger to criticize. A good achievement, BeccaSweatheart. Best of luck to you!

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