Finders Keepers: The Perfect Example of a Character Driven Documentary

This week I watched Finders Keepers on Netflix. Although I gravitate towards issues documentaries for personal viewing, this documentary will shows the power that good characters can have in making a documentary engaging and entertaining. The real life story follows a media feud and legal battle between Shannon Whisnant and John Wood over a very interesting item--an amputated leg. Shannon purchased an abandoned storage unit that housed Wood's leg that was amputated after a plane crash. Odd events transpired that resulted in an all out legal battle that captured media attention. The two men in particular (however we do see this with the other family members as well) are eccentric and, quite frankly, this story seems to fantastical to be true. Check out the trailer below:

The Hunting Ground

This week I sat down and watched a documentary that has been sitting in my Netflix queue for quite sometime. The Hunting Ground explores the incidences of sexual assaults on college campuses and how they go disgustingly under-addressed due to college's desire for a "clean image" to attract future students. The doc follows two students from Chapel Hill whom, after the own assaults, were largely treated as an administrative problem rather than a victim of sexual assault. They threw themselves into legal research, filed a title IX complaint against the school, and began a country wide investigation of similar instances of neglect in colleges around the country.

The film is a powerful portrayal of sexual assault and how it effects victims and their families around the country. Many times throughout I felt myself have strong emotional reactions ranging from sadness to disgust. While documentaries are supposed to entertain and educate, the emotional reaction that they can inspire is perhaps the most power part. I highly recommend giving this a view. While it does have some problems, such as it's lack of attention to male victims of sexual assault, it is a powerful exposition of one of the biggest, under-discussed problems faced by college campuses.

The Most Depressing Show About an Animated Horse

Imagine there are two shows. One is a cartoon comedy about a horse who is friends with a dog and a cat. The other is a drama about a washed up former 90s sitcom who is now a depressed alcoholic trying to get his life back on track while continuing to self destruct. What if I told you that both of those were the same show? They are, and that show is BoJack Horseman.

BoJack Horseman follows Arrested Development arnett Will Arnett as the titular anthropomorphic horse trying to get his life back together. The show takes place in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side. What makes it interesting is that BoJack Horseman is much less of a comedy than it seems to be. The show is actually a dark character study of a group of deeply unhappy people dealing with depression and other mental health issues.  BoJack seeks happiness while trying to move past his dark childhood and overbearing, unloving parents. 

Most of the humor that is present in the series is derived from the background jokes and animal puns that are present while the drama takes place within the characters. The background of every scene is chock full of gags that require multiple viewings to catch. 

There are so many more

The shows first season was given mixed reviews mainly based off the show's first five episodes. However critics agreed that once the show found its footing it became critically acclaimed. Season two was highly praised as being one of the smartest shows on television. I highly recommend watching this show and giving it at least the first season to really get you hooked. Watch this show.

Master of None and Organic Dramedy

    Last year Aziz Ansari stepped out of stand up comedy and became a showrunner. He released the first season of his Netflix show Master of None which focus on a fictionalized version of Aziz's life. Aziz plays Dev, an actor who predominately does commercial, who deals with a slew of social issues.   

The show features a diverse cast. Main characters include a black lesbian and an asian best friend. The only established name, besides Ansari, is Eric Wareheim. Eric, of Tim and Eric, brings an oddity to the show that mostly sits in reality. The romantic lead, Rachel, is played by Noel Wells, who was on SNL for a season.

The show is structured interestingly. Each episode stands on it's own for the most part and each deals with a social issues. Episode titles range from "Grandparents" to "Plan B". Dev talks about the first Indian person he saw on tv was actually a white actor in brown face. There are two plot lines that weave throughout the series: Dev has a small role in a major action film called The Sickening and Dev and Rachel's relationship.
Dev and Rachel's relationship is a microcosm of what the show makes the show so good. Dev and Rachel meet and hook up and after a condom malfunction they go to the pharmacy and get plan b. They meet a few months later at a party but Rachel has a boyfriend. This sort of complicated relationship beginnings are common today. It is these awkward realities that create comedy. It is also these realities that create drama. Dev and Rachel take a date to Nashville which showcases the couples' ability to work together and Dev's flaws. There is an episode the exists entirely in Dev's apartment that spans the stretch of time from when Rachel moves in until when she decides to move out. 

     Master of None takes issues of social justice such as minority and female representation and shows them in as a realistic light as its relationships. It's this reality that makes Master of None so funny and so sad. I think this blend of comedy, drama, and social awareness makes for something very powerful in just how real it can be. It's my favorite show on Netflix and a very promising start for a young showrunner/stand up comedian.

Adult World: Quirky, Funny, and Incredibly Relateable

Surfing through Netflix's recent releases section I stumbled upon "Adult World", and boy am I glad I did! This quirky, coming-of-age comedy hits a little too close to home for me, as I'm sure it does for many soon to be or post-college graduates. The story follows Amy, a naive Syracuse graduate who believes she is destined to be a great poet. Things don't work out initially and she eventually accepts a job at a local sex shop while she pursues a mentorship with her idol writer, Rat Billings. The dialogue is quirky and off beat, reminiscent of works by Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult), but somehow in that off beat oddness there is the raw truth of finding oneself during an awkward time.

The cast includes Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, and John Cusack. Adult World was filmed in 22 days in Syracuse, NY.

Music in Short Films

Growing up I had numerous influences of music in my life. From playing the saxophone from 4th-12th grade, to listening to my classically trained sister sing in concert. Music has always been prevalent and I have found that melodies are what drives my mind. For the life me I couldn't remember lyrics without studying a printed piece of sheet music. But the way music progressed was something I could always follow and even predict.

I've always wanted a good musical accompaniment with any video work I've done. For the video below I had found a song I enjoyed the melody to and from there all I needed was something to put on screen. With a little help from a friend, I was able to make one of my favorite pieces of work.

Air from Skyler Bocciolatt on Vimeo.

Using both the hits of the choreography and the music I had a blast editing and the possibilties of which direction  I took the short were endless. While this was just a small project I shot on a whim. I applied the same idea of music being a character in the film with my Junior level film "Before Your Eyes." 

"Before Your Eyes" follows a young man who is given the opportunity to look back on his life. Drawing upon the strong bond that can exist between father and son, this story looks at the actions we make when pushed to our greatest limits. Throughout the film there are only two scenes with written dialogue. Music was able to fill this space and help evoke any emotion from the film that typically would be exposed through dialogue. 

Last night I also began to watch "Walt Disney's Animations Studios Short Films Collection." Each short animation was introduced with interviews of the creators of the short. They talked about how music inspired them and that for a specific short "Lorenzo" they searched hundreds of tango scenes just to find a song to use, and in the end it was the first one they had listened to. The trailer can be scene below and all of the shorts are available on Netflix.

It was so interesting to me that the creators were able to make a story out of music they found. Even if there aren't lyrics the melody and progression of any song is a story. For me, I want to continue to find these stories and provide a moving image for as many as I can. The ways music and film complement each other is like no other thing in this world. These mediums are what people turn to to escape there problems and worries; they are necessary for society to function and I want to create them for the rest of my life.

Jimmy Fallon's Guide To Trend

Since taking over Late Night and later the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon has pretty much created the manual for how TV personalities should utilize social media. In today's world, it had become much more rare for viewers to sit down and watch television live. With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other subscription based streaming services, the appeal of live TV just isn't what it used to be. So for shows to get into public view, they need to take advantage of all the mediums now available. While all programs should utilize Youtube, Facebook and Twitter, I would argue that it is most valuable for talk show and late night programs. These type of programs often play more like variety shows then one long piece, making them perfect for Internet. With so many different blocks/segments on late night TV, internet videos services are the perfect way to share chunks of the show without having to push the entire hour of content.

Over the last few years, no late night personality has done this better then Jimmy Fallon. A staple of Fallon's Tonight Show has been his many different comedy bits. Fallon consistently rolls off hugely popular segments, with great celebrity cameos and his popular band The Roots. He does everything from funny games, to musical numbers, to surprise reunions. Each of these 2-10 minute segments, instantly goes on to Youtube, where they are viewed, and shared and a rapid rate. These blocks are perfect for Youtube and almost always build enough buzz to start trending on social media. The great thing about sharing these individual segments is that they show the greatest part of Fallon's show while allowing viewers to skip the rest of his program. On a show like the Tonight show that airs five times a week, not every bit hits, but with Youtube, Fallon fans can skip the mediocre parts, pretty much getting a best of highlight reel instead.

Last night, Fallon continued his streak of popular segments, when he reunited Kenan and Kel, popular Nickelodeon stars from the 90's for a "Good Burger" sketch. A big chunk of the Tonight Show's audience has been college students, a group the Fallon usually plays to in his segments. During his run he has staged a series of 90 reunions from "Full House", to "Save By The Bell." These videos have millions of views on Youtube and I'm sure his latest bit will reach high numbers. The "Good Burger" sketch is just the latest example of how Fallon uses perfectly utilizes YouTube, something I'm sure we'll see more of during his reign.

An Advertiser's New Approach

With less and less people watching live television, advertisers are straining to reach an audience. As long as Netflix is around, we can expect commercials to have diminishing effects on viewers, simply because more and more people are binge watching this commercial-free medium. DVR is also last fault for letting viewers completely skip over commercial breaks. As an avid television viewer, I love the technological advancements that have let me cheat advertisements, but as a future employee of the television world, I know advertisements will keep my job afloat. Our careers run on the finances of advertisers so we have to acknowledge the problem that less people are watching them. So how to fix this issue....

Concepts like product placement and branded entertainment have not been getting the credit they deserve. While not necessarily the most glorious options, these two concepts have found a way to link entertainment with advertising, sometimes without the viewer even noticing. Product placement puts a company's logo or product seamlessly into a scene with an organic touch. Perhaps there is a Coke can sitting in front of Ted Mosby in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. This is great exposure for the brand, and viewers may subconsciously notice it but it doesn't take away from the scene. This could be done during the filming process or even thrown in during post production. Episodes of Friends have been edited to show a box of Oreos on the table while the characters are sitting around it carrying on conversations. This could be much more beneficial for Coke and Oreos rather than a commercial that may never been seen by the viewer. With the reruns of How I Met Your Mother and Friends on Netflix, those are the products you will still see today versus whatever advertisements were played during the commercial break when they aired.


Branded entertainment is a similar concept except that it has much more control than product placement. In branded entertainment, a company will pay a production studio to create the show they desire and will obviously include their brand in a beneficial way. IKEA created a web series, "Easy to Assemble", that generated a lot of buzz and many guest stars, flag shipping this new way of advertising. The main character was an employee for IKEA, so the brand was included but there was a storyline with the characters that was separate from the furniture store. Branded entertainment can be a subtle way to advertise your company while still allowing a lot of creative control with plots and characters, without being overbearing.

If company's can find a way to integrate advertising without distracting the viewers from the content, it could be a win-win for everyone.

Pilot Season

While sports fans have their fantasy leagues, TV buffs are placing bets on which pilots will actually make it through a season. In a mix of comical book adaptations, spinoffs, and a few original programs, the Network's have chosen who will stay, who will get a chance to premiere more episodes, and who is already kicked to the curb. This year adds in more competition with Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon creating their own scripted programming. Out of ABC's 14 comedies that were pitched, four were chosen to continue. Surprisingly, not on the list of picked up pilots was Chevy Chases' comedy (called Chevy) about grandparents who suddenly have to raise their grandkids alone. In addition, ABC saved 7 of 12 pilots in the drama category, with an equal mix of political and social plot conflicts. 

In the other neck of the woods, CBS only secured 2 out of 9 comedy projects, while 4 are still being reworked in order to see another day. CBS had 9 drama as well, and gave 5 of them a series order. FOX only had 8 comedies to show, giving half of them a chance to premiere their seasons. And with only 7 dramas, FOX decided to order seasons for 5 of them, and have yet to cancel the other two.  Meanwhile, NBC came out hot with 14 comedies, 6 have ordered more episodes and 5 are stilling fighting to stay alive. With 10 dramas, NBC has decided to continue 6 of them, leaving two on the bubble. 

Last but not least, the CW produced 5 drama pilots, and only 2 made the cut. 

If you're looking for your next new favorite show, some to look out for include Dr. Ken (ABC comedy with Ken Jeong), Angel From Hell (CBS comedy with Jane Lynch), Minority Report (FOX drama), and The Player (NBC drama). 

Click here if you want your complete guide to the 2015 pilot season.

It Was a Wet Hot American Summer

14 years ago, David Wain directed an absurd comedy about camp counselors on the last day of summer camp. Wet Hot American Summer is over the top humor casted by nearly all recognizable faces. With Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and many other familiar comedians, this hit from 2001 entertains you for each second. With such a talented cast and creative writing, it continues to be an enjoyable movie 14 years after it's release date. Netflix took this cult classic hit and decided to work off of this comedy's previous success. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp released all 8 episodes on Netflix this past July.

It is no surprise behind the buzz of Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. With the same cast returning along with special guest appearances, including Jon Hamm, this prequel was a definite success from the start. In typical Netflix fashion, all episodes hit the internet at the same time. We know that is ideal for all of those binge watchers. Not only was it released all at once, but it was also released in the summer. Summer is a bounty of free time and the movie is a reflections of summer itself. This production had everything going for it, and it lived up to the hype. The plot is minimal but the laughs are plenty. With both the movie and show on Netflix, it's hard to decide which to watch first. Smooth move, Netflix.

'Wilfred' Final Season

Wilfred started as an Australian TV series, and this is the American remake that premiered on FX and FXX.  I watched the first three seasons of Wilfred on Netflix, and the last episode of season three finished with a big cliff hanger. When I saw that they added the final season, it felt bittersweet.  I wish I had more time to see the rest of the epiosdes!  The final season is ten episodes, that are supposed to wrap up this series. For anyone who hasn't watched this show it's about Ryan [Elijah Wood]; a neurotic, depressed man who in the pilot tries to commit suicide by drinking a cup full of mixed pills and cough syrup.  It doesn't kill and him he ends up waking up to a new neighbor, Jenna [Fiona Gubelmann] moving in next door. She asked him to watch her dog Wilfred [Jason Gann].  Ryan sees Wilfred as an Australian man in a dog costume but everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog.

Check out these clips to get a feel for this show:     

I hope that they will fully explain how Wilfred is the way he is.  I really hope that Ryan isn't going crazy and that Wilfred is just pranking him.
If you don't get used to Wilfred's character after the pilot you proabably won't enjoy this show.
I rate this show 7.2/10; I find this show consistently funny! The chemistry between the two are great.

The Beauty that is ~Portlandia~

I've recently become obsessed with the sketch-comedy series Portlandia, a show which parodies life in Portland, Oregon. The show was created and written by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, who also star as the various roles throughout the series. Fred Armisen is a former cast member of Saturday Night Live and has guest starred on other comedies such as Broad City. Jonathan Kreisel also co-created the show, and directs it. It is currently in its fifth season and airs on IFC, which airs other shows such as Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Birthday Boys.

Portlandia is a very peculiar (but amazing) show, because it does not have a running storyline that continues for seasons on end; it's mostly sketches that focus on the hipster/feminist/vegan lifestyles that people on the West Coast lead. It's definitely not for everyone- the sketches are very quirky and the jokes can sometimes run a bit dry. The show is scripted, but a lot of the skits are improvised.

Some of my favorite parts of the show include the "Women and Women First" bookstore sketches, where Fred & Carrie play two feminist bookstore owners and they are absolutely hilarious. Here's an example of one of those sketches.

 

Portlandia also has some outstanding costume and set design. It is all very interesting, colorful, and detailed, which is why I think I enjoy the show so much, because it is so aesthetically pleasing. It also has a really cool sound mix, where the music score coincides with the jokes that are occurring. And obviously the script is just plain hilarious, and very easy to relate to.

I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves sketch comedy and quality tv. All seasons are available to watch on Netflix.

Full House Is COMING BACK?!?!

Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, John Stamos confirmed the rumors that have been swirling around Hollywood for a while now: FULL HOUSE IS RETURNING. Calling all 90's kids, this is a dream come true. Uncle Jesse will be producing the 13 episode new comedy that Netflix has just picked up, and the series will be starting with an hour long premiere!!

The new series will be called Fuller House and will focus on the lives of DJ, Stephanie and Kimmy Gibbler, with Uncle Jesse appearing for a few guest spots. Netflix has been talking to other stars of the show, to see if they would be interested in being guest stars as well. I sure hope so, because I can't imagine the house with Danny, Uncle Joey, or Michelle. I am hoping that this new show, premiering in 2016, will be able to keep up the same hype that it received back in the 80s and 90s. Full House was a largely loved show, and I do not want this new series to disappoint. Sometimes, spinoff shows are not the best, such as Girl Meets World, spinoff of one of my favorite shows, Boy Meets World. However, I believe that since Netflix picked it up instead of Nickelodeon, or the Disney Channel, the show has so much more potential. I will definitely be tuning in and can't wait to see one of my favorite families take the screen together again.

French Drama 'Les Revenants' ['The Returned']

Les Revenants

This series is a French supernatural drama, that takes places in a mountain town in the Alps. People who have died in the past start to come back to life. I have been watching this show on Netflix. They have english subtitles made for this version and is translated extremely well. I never would have guessed that even with subtitles I would continue to watch more than the first episode.  

I feel like the shots are longer than they would be if the show was produced in the U.S. At first you feel like the shots should cut quicker and they are showing a shot for too long. By the second episode I got use to these shots and it adds to the mystery of the show.  The overall look and feel of the mountains is very different from any location in the U.S. so the exterior shots grab my attention. Visually this show is so great that I could watch it even without subtitles and still find it interesting.

This show originally aired in France on Canal+ under the name Les Revenats, in 2012.  Not to get confused with the American series Resurrection (ABC, 2014), which has the same premise as Les Revenats. Or the American Adaption also call The Returned, which recently aired on A&E last month. I haven't seen the American version but it seems to not be nearly as good as the original, looking at the reviews.  

Season one of Les Revenats had eight episodes that are all just under an hour an episode. Season two is apparently in production, but I'm surprised they are taking this long between seasons. This show has been doing very well! They won an International Emmy for best Drama Series. 

Shows with subtitles don’t usually interest me. I feel like reading the subtitles takes away from the experience because I usually consider it too much work and not worth the effort. With Les Revenants, this is not the case. I could not stop watching this series after just one episode. The aesthetics are so strong that I didn’t even mind the subtitles. The setting, the shots, and the pacing all work together to keep me wanting more.

I would rate this show a 9/10, even if you don't understand any French and hate reading subtitles on foreign films you still need to give this show a try.  

Daredevil

Netflix recently released Its newest series "Daredevil".  It is based on Marvel's comic book series flowing Mathew Murdock, a blind man, who is fighting for the innocent in a corrupt world. Like any other superhero story, Murdock has a hidden life of Vigilante work where he disguises himself as "Daredevil".

Murdock is played by actor Charlie Cox who has also played rolls in Startdust, and The Theory of Everything. I personally think he is a good fit for the roll after watching the first few episodes of the series.

The Production quality of the show is excellent from what I have seen so far. My only complaint is the acting. The lead characters are all fine however sometimes the supporting actors come off as delivering lines which pulls me out of the world.

My favorite part of the show has to be the sound. The sound design for this show is phenomenal in my opinion. I may not be the most beautiful or fluid, however when following the life of a man who cannot see, one must see the word through sound and I believe the series is doing well with this so far.

Overall rate in my opinion is 8/10

Is Binge Watching Really the Way You Should be Watching Television?

If you have Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, or any television streaming website, you know how it feels to binge watch a TV show. There comes a point in the level of binge watching where you should ask yourself, "Is this healthy?".

Where binge watching can't directly effect your health, it's best not to try and over do it. This way of viewing TV shows is kind of like being hooked on drugs, you get addicted and there's no way you're not going to push the button for next episode when it appears.

But there's another question that comes along with this style of television, are you really appreciating the show? If you watch so much of one show at a time there is a point where you will get distracted or become disinterested in what you are seeing. Are these TV streaming websites taking suspense and drama out of TV shows? There's no waiting anymore, you can automatically click on a button to see what is happening next.

Netflix is definitely taking over the television scene and there is no way that it's going to stop. People spend hours and days of their lives watching continuous television and missing out on the "reality" of the world. They are stuck in this virtual world which can ultimately lead to them regretting the decisions that they made to binge watch television. They do this to be caught up with the times, or to watch that one popular show that they missed out on. Either way that you look at it, binge watching television online is hindering the lives of people and their health. There is no looking back now, and we will walk forward in this digitally infused, binge watching obsessed world.

Blackfish

Sticking with the theme from two posts ago, I returned this week to the documentary section of Netflix.

A friend of mine recommended I watch a 2013 documentary titled Blackfish. Blackfish tells the story of a killer whale named Tilikum, who is known for being the largest killer whale ever kept in captivity. This documentary follows Tilikum from when he was first captured in waters near Iceland in the early 1980’s through his days as a performance whale at SeaWorld. Tilikum’s story is unique because it showcases the need for SeaWorld and similar animal performance parks to stop keeping animals in captivity. Tilikum is known for being the orca that has caused the death of 3 different trainers through his time as a show whale. This aggression is a direct result of the way that he lives; killer whales are generally not very violent at all in open water. In captivity, however, orca violence increases dramatically. There has actually never been a documented death of a human by a killer whale in the wild, while Tilikum alone has been the cause of three deaths in captivity. 

Blackfish tells Tilikum’s story in a strong and passionate way. Viewers feel a connection to Tilikum and feel bad for him for everything he has to go through. This is especially true as viewers watch the physical changes in Tilikum; he goes from being a strong, active orca to having a floppy dorsal fin and being almost completely active. SeaWorld has reported that it is not uncommon for Tilikum to go three hours at a time without swimming around at all - he just sits in his much too small tank, motionless.

This documentary has received very positive reviews from all places, and rightly so. This is a very touching and inspiring film, and it completely changes the way that people view orcas in captivity. They go from being the “friendly Shamu” to the poor, tortured orca who will die, on average, 20 years too young. This powerful film has had a very positive impact, and I am very glad that I watched it and could learn more about the life of animals in captivity. 

'House, M.D.' Pilot

I was browsing through Netflix to find a new TV series to watch.  When I saw House, M.D. it was an easy choice to pick, when I noticed it nearly has a 5/5 Star rating on Netflix.  I also saw a few episodes of this show when it used to be on TV, and I remember it being one of the most popular shows to watch during its run.  All I remembered from this show is that "House" is the main character and he walks with a cane, so I wanted to see why this show was so popular.
House, M.D. stars Hugh Laurie as House. Working along side House is Dr. James Wilson [Robert Sean Leonard], Dr. Eric Foreman [Omar Epps], Dr. Robert Chase [Jesse Spencer], and Dr. Allsion Cameron [Jennifer Morrison]

This pilot starts out with guest-actor/patient [Robin Tunney] playing a kindergarden teacher. She is talking to her students when she starts to mumble and can't make out any words. During this part the music slowly increased, got louder and the beat would get faster.  The camera shots were extreme close ups of her eyes and mouth. Then all we hear is her gasping for air and her heart beat.  With all of these things working together I could feel how distraught the teacher was and how serious her condition is.
There were not many establishing shots; when there where they were of this red brick establishment, which is supposed to be the hospital they work in.  The doctors and patients shot inside the hospital all have a warm color look on them.  It seems like there is an orange light on the actors, it does do a good job of separating the actors from the background. Since the background is mostly windows with sun light coming in, I would almost expect a cooler color than a warm one on the actors, it was a bit distracting visually.
The character House isn't as nice as I would expect him to be.
 With doctors you usually think of them as caring for the paients and building some sort of trust and connection; with House he is a bit of a rebel.  He cares about helping his patients but it seems like he cares more about solving what is wrong with them over anything else.  He doesn't really interact with the patient played by Robin Tunney, until after he figures out what is wrong with her.
This show does a good job of grabbing and keeping my attention. House, M.D. has become one of my new favorite shows.  I would recommend this series to anyone who likes drama, mild comedy, and doctors.  I give the pilot a 8.5/10 and I would recommend this show to my friends. I plan on continuing to watch this series!

Southcliffe

Southcliffe is a Netflix mini series that came out in 2013 and stars Rory Kinnear, Sean Harris, Shirley Henderson. This series is very strange in my opinion and after watching the pilot episode I am still not sure how I feel about the show. It leaves the viewer rather clueless to what is going on and ends rather abruptly. That being said it is common of TV shows to do this to keep the viewer coming back for more however this was a little different. the first episode ends with a very long shot on a field with only natural sound, and it was very confusing.

I personally liked the cinematography in the show. The shots were abstract and long but there was something beautiful about it. my issue with the show so for is just the lack of information given to the viewer. Also the lighting in Southcliffe seems to rely very heavily on the cool side. almost every shot was lit at around 5600k (that I noticed). While this is not necessarily how I would choose to light something, I found it very intriguing.

The show only has four episodes which are around 45minutes long and if you are looking for something twisted and strange I would recommend this, however if you are someone who likes conventional methods of filming I don't think this would be for you.