ChewTV - A Communication Channel for the Connected Generation

• THEYPFC
• Content Crew Member
• 4 months ago

Credit where it's due

In Doubledare there is two agendas at play which make the film a little confusing as you're not sure which way it will develop. On the one hand you have the professional sounds of Gremlin and these establishing cutaways, with dogs fighting and the artificial lights of an inner city football pitch - all setting up a film, making me ready to watch some big town life hardships - but then the acting, which has an improvised delivery like a Shane Meadows film, feels playful in parts and then a bad imitation of something out of Kidulthood in others. Having set up this world of dogs fighting - when we see a guy flirt in a childish way with a girl whose sort of not interested, it feels like it is set in another world from the one we have just been slowly introduced to - and then the characters actions feel out of place. It's not until the credits that I warmed to the actors, as seeing them mess about what had been lacking in the start of the film for me to get interested in what happened next. It'd be good to see more from these guys, as the raw camera movements and cutting pace of the edit had an original quality that kept me interested - but I'd prefer to the spend time with the people in the credits than the characters in the film.

• SuziesOutSignal
• Content Crew Member
• 4 months ago

One life!

This is animated genius, about the dangers of taking drugs. It's something everyone can understand and shows how peer- pressure and lack of knowledge can mislead people. When she first takes the drugs you see the world through her eyes, everything loses its colour, its spark. It acts as a metaphor for her life, as it slowly drains away, she loses colour, very creative. The video shows the effects of drugs. I liked how her drug use spanned over a week, showing how she progressively started using stronger drugs. This video has a great message and was done in an entertaining way that I believe will capture teenagers’ attention. The atmosphere created was successful; they opened the video in a school, to show people drug use can happen anywhere. The changing backgrounds related to each drug the character was taking at that point in time, having them floating in the background. This reflects how consuming drugs is all she thinks about. The plot was easy to follow, and progressed. It had a beginning, middle and end. The characters worked well in the video, the main character, a schoolgirl, taken by drugs, shows that it can happen to anyone. Her transformation as she takes the drugs and her deterioration over time is brilliant. This animation is high quality, combined with the message should really be broadcast on TV. The ending was tragic yet worked to put the message across. The writing was brilliant. The music worked well with each mood, expressing different emotions through, sound, colours, and actions, captivates all your senses. The shots used showed variety, long shots to set the scene, close ups prevailed emotion, zoom to represent change, everything was covered. This film stands apart from the cliché drug ad campaigns, this shows people why they shouldn't take drugs, instead of saying 'don't do it' without a reason. I hope next time they take on another important subject, as this video was truly mesmerising from beginning to end.

• ElBakero
• Content Crew Member
• 5 months ago

‘A festival documentary with waves of enthusiasm’

Chew TV at Boardmasters 2009 is a strong mix of snappy editing, enticing imagery, and a clear intention to portray the fun and exciting atmosphere which the festival evoked. The fast-paced opening sequence successfully encapsulates the atmosphere of the event and grabs the audience’s attention in only a few seconds. The editing is particularly outstanding with a combination of snappy inserts and short clips of the events participants, accompanied by relevant, contemporary, upbeat music. As the film progresses into a montage of clips which attempt to capture the emotions and appeal of the event, I couldn’t help but feel that the filmmakers relied too heavily on the worn out clichéd images of half naked girls, screaming teens and obligatory shots of beer cans being raised. Although these images are obviously relevant, it does lack a certain degree of imagination. This is easily forgiven, as once the temptation has been overcome the film temporarily slows in pace and allows the audience to engage with the picturesque and mellowing images through a duo of long takes. The film then centres on the heart of the festivals appeal with interviews with stars such as Calvin Harris, back-stage access to key events and performances, and more snappy inserts of action from the event. This is where the film really takes off and creates a relaxed atmosphere, whilst simultaneously holding the audience’s attention. The film has a definite style, and it holds a strong mix of fast-paced action, informative presenting and intriguing interviews. Although this high octane short thrives on its ability to grab the audience’s attention, at times it does flow over into short bursts of incoherent camera movement, which slightly mar the overall accomplishment. Although the filmmakers’ intentions are clear, I can’t help but feel that the pace could have been slightly more measured. An engaging effort, which manages to both entertain and inform its audience, at an often break-neck speed.

• THEYPFC
• Content Crew Member
• 5 months ago

'Then I had a donut and was fine'

The judges who nominated this to win at the First Light Movie awards said "Really good camera work, I really loved the long and adventurous opening shot. The shooting and editing were in real harmony. I loved the use of drums on the soundtrack. Fantastic acting. It told a very interesting story economically." Which pretty much sums it up - so I thought to learn more about how it was made I thought I'd talk to 'Pete Snelling', the mentor director for the film - Here's what he had to say: "The school we were working in had suffered with serious tensions between rival groups of young people and adults in it's town. This tension had boiled over one week culminating in a serious string of fights. The film was a part of the process of sorting these issues out. It took us all morning to do this shot. We had to choreograph all the actors and the crew so the whole thing was like a dance. If one person did something wrong or missed a que then we would have to go back and start again. We did 19 takes. The tracking shots in the film were all done on a dolly made from a wooden board and some skateboard wheels. We hired two really big scaffolding poles to track on so that the dolly didn't bump over any joins. When we finally got the (opening) shot right everyone was very happy. The cast and crew were made up of the rival gangs who had been fighting. This shot in particular could only be achieved by them all working together. It was a great moment when we all got it right. The hardest part of it was the fight scene. There were lots of extras and lots of repeating the same action over and over again to get the coverage. It was also very important to keep the energy up. At one point I sat down and wondered if I was ever going to be able to stand up again. Then I had a donut and was fine.' So there you go for filmmaking insight - keep repeating things until there right and have donuts on set.