Griffin
"British Phonebooth 2" by Chubby Commie - Reviewed on December 10th, 2005

I like the red effect at the beginning, but I don't know if I like it over the first shot of your main character. (The segue from red to normal probably would have been fine without the dissolve.) But anyway, thanks for keeping this short! You don't bother with a long intro, and the moment you start with the guy on his cell phone, I was immediately engaged. I guess I'm one of the people that actually finds the British accent hilarious. So excellent job, there. As for the rest of the video, it's nothing spectacular, but there are no serious flaws either, meaning all in all it was a good viewing experience. Personally I would have applied an audio effect to the caller's voice, to make it sound like the limited frequency response of a telephone, and also like some of the other reviewers have mentioned, if you have audio "fuzz" in the background, it's important to have it in every shot. It can be disconcerting for an audience to suddenly hear silence when they're not use to it. (There's a major difference between actual audio silence and suspenseful story silence.) Aside from the comically low-budget sniper sight effect, this is a tightly-edited, well put together piece that effectively communicates the story. The bottom line is I hated the film Phonebooth, but this video was rather enjoyable. Keep up the good work.

Griffin
"Die Silly 2: Die Sillier" by The Silly Apple Klub - Reviewed on December 10th, 2005

I'll tell you what, the first time I watched this, I had to stop after the first minute. Like most of the modern film audience, I have a really low attention span, and for him to still be enjoying breakfast after the first whole minute is just overkill. I'm glad though that I took the time to re-watch your video, if solely for the car chase scene. That is the video gem that is hidden in the otherwise far too long, and (I'm sorry) far too silly video you have here. My advice to you is to try to tighten your future videos up. This story could have been told in half the time. It's obvious that you have a grasp on editing, and I think if you write something with more cohesion between scenes, and more of the creative genius that you employed with the car chase, we can expect some really competitive stuff from you in the future. Just keep up the film fighting!

Griffin
"Confederate Cop 2" by Griffinity - Reviewed on December 10th, 2005

Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughtful reviews. I really enjoyed this project, and I'm glad to hear that it's been well received. Thanks for watching!

Griffin
"Aeon Flux2-The Spawn of Emo Flux" by Dont Ask - Reviewed on December 10th, 2005

It should be "The world is DYING." Sorry, spelling is like my religion. Anyway, this is obviously a last minute job, and you know that, and I thank you for entering because the more the merrier. But I've seen your other stuff, so I know what you're capable of; therefore I won't be overly critical of this video. First of all though, good opening shots. It's an interesting angle, and most people your age are for some reason afraid of the close-up. Better lighting and audio would have greatly improved the piece (half the time I had no idea what was being said), as would shortening it up into something more trailer-esque, to keep everyone's attention. I should mention that whoever did camera for you has a good eye for video. You had a great variety of shots, some of them very nicely framed. You're young, so these quick, fun videos are to be expected, and will ultimately serve as practice, but I'd be willing to bet that if you really buckled down and took some time and effort to put together a great project, you'd be a force to be reckoned with. I really do look forward to your future projects.

Griffin
"Syrup Amok 2" by One Trick Pony - Reviewed on December 10th, 2005

This video made me really happy. The intro may be slightly too long (just barely), but the music is great, so I didn't care too much. I think I enjoy this video so much because it's very simply-produced, but the end result is near flawless. Justin, you and I have very different styles, but I think some of the novice filmfighters can learn a lot from this video, specifically. So hey everyone, listen up. This video is basic, but effective. There are only two characters and one location, but it's not boring. Try to keep your ideas simple, because there's a lot of other crap you have to deal with in video. I don't know how much of the lighting is natural, but either they have a nicely-lit apartment, or Justin threw some extra lights up. See how clean things look because of it? Lighting can make a world of difference. I'm pretty sure he is using the mic on the camera, but he makes this work by shooting in a quiet environment, and he and Marissa project their voices well enough to be heard. Also, he keeps the camera close up and dramatic. It doesn't hurt that Justin is a good editor, but I can't stress enough the importance of basic production techniques like quality lighting, sound, and thoughtful camerawork. Further, Justin keeps this video fairly short, and the action moves very quickly, not to mention that it's very funny. Great job, man. You always set the bar impressively high. But it's "nuclear," not "nucular."