Author Archives: Elsa

Let me start with announcing that I totally lost my idea of what a typical Oscar movie is. I used to belie it had to be a stereotypical Hollywood cliche, or have a “good” and serious theme. But apparently I was wrong. This realization came over me when God of Love, the one of all the action short film nominees I  said “can’t win” took home this years Oscar. Whit this chocking piece of news still fresh in mind, it was with no expectation I sat down to watch the winner of this same Oscar category, class of 2005. Let me present to you, Wasp.

When the first thing you see on the screen is a young woman, barefoot and dirty, running down the stairs holding a baby, you know this wont be the most pleasant movie experience. When this woman then is followed by three dirty children, and soon a bare baby’s butt fills the screen, you get your confirmation – this 30 minutes will be rough.

Wasp sure did know how to provoke and chock you. The story in a nutshell was the life of a young single mother and her four children,  living dirt-poor in a British suburb. When the mother meets an old crush, she decides to meet him at a bar – and leave the kids outside to wait.

If the story sounds depressing now, I warn you, it’s getting worse. There will be kids cursing, eating drunk peoples leftovers, and a baby getting a wasp in his mouth. All this time the mother is trying to live a “normal” life, meeting a man at the bar. Offcourse, this will not work out.

The ending of the film finally brings a little light to the life of this tragic family, but who knows for how long. I guess you got a interesting look into the life you hope no one will  have to live with. And I guess there was some hope at the end. All in all, I might understand how Wasp got the price of an Oscar. But then again – who knows what kind of movie that should be.

What do I think about when I hear the word “short film?” Well, let me tell you: It is a very short film, more like a clip. The story is usually either overly “artsy” or ends before it even gets started.

Sure, like probably most people, I know what a short film is. I mean, the words are quite self-explanatory. But when does one actually watch a short film? I have never in my life thought “Today I’ll watch a short film!” And where do you even find short films? Yeah I know – Just google it. But do I really want to watch a max. 30 minute long film on my computer screen? I’m afraid not. In my mind, short films are for the “film elite,” meaning people in the business or just serious film-geeks. For the rest of us less film-educated folks, “regular” movies and TV-series are enough. Or you tell me, am I just bore struck?

Dance scene from the short film "A Mind's Manifest"

My first and only memory of watching a short film is roughly a year ago. As a slave of the internet generation, I used Google to stalk a new-found man of particular interest. After many false leads I somehow ended up playing “A Mind’s Manifest” on repeat. I thought this short movie would give me some sort of deep insight in the life and mind of its creator. This was obviously not the case, and I found myself thinking “What’s the point of this film?”

Later, the creator of this particular short film became a serious part of my life. I admitted my desperate attempt to unveil the meaning of his film and my hesitation regarding short films in general. He replied, “Because short films are sometimes even one minute long, they should convey specific information that pertains to one (maybe two) ideas, with the climax appearing towards the beginning of the movie.” He had suggested that some of the best short films have the most simplistic narratives. I guess that makes sense.

Short films might be short, but they are definitely not the easiest films to understand. And when it comes to me, I guess I just like to have things made the long way.

TV or Computer - Is there a difference?

Slowly but surely everything is moving over to the Internet, even television-like series. This new kind of Web series could be described as a mix of  amateur YouTube videos and high-budget TV series, varying both in quality and context. Mike Hale, a blogger for New York Times raised the question of which is preferable, the “pretty looking” series backed up by sponsors, or the indie version series that could be made by anyone with a camera. I decided to take look and decide for myself.

The first Web series I came across was a black & white production called “Oh, Inverted World.” This series literally screamed “indie” with its unprofessional actors, “hip” language with words like “douche” and a sense of humor directly pointing to a young audience. The concept could best be described as an indie version of a teen-movie (American Pie, Never Been Kissed, etc). Personally I enjoyed this, but I have to point out that “Oh, Inverted World” and series alike are definitely made for the Internet, falling more into the YouTube category of “make-your-own-and-share” videos. If broadcasted on TV, I doubt this production would be able to compete with the “real stuff” a.k.a. the sleek, high-definition  series.

The second series I took a look at was the total opposite of the black & white “Indie-kick.”  “Suite 7,” a selection of clean-looking short films with a professional cast, reminded me of any other show I saw on TV. Although the concept is something that almost everyone can relate to, and even willingly watch, it was nothing new or groundbreaking – a confused man attempts to comfort a sad and emotional woman.  As a Web series I can’t say that this worked so well for me, as it just felt like zapping through your basic TV channels. A fellow student of mine, Lisa Gomez, agreed that the concept lacked originality: “It felt over-dramatic…quite phony to be honest!”

So, what works on the web?                                                                                                Personally I prefer “Oh, inverted World.” Despite its bad acting and corny “teen-movie” feel, the video produced a “rawness” that made it stand out from all the sitcoms you are used to. Maybe it is just me, but if I wanted to watch something like “Suite 7,” I would just turn on the TV. Sure, it works for the mainstream, but I think that audience still prefers watching their series on TV, not on a computer screen. But in the future, who knows?

In the end, it’s all a matter of taste. And now with the internet, why even have to choose?