Film Challenge

The Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge is a competition in search for people who demonstrate “an optimistic story about individuals and communities who are overcoming poverty and, hunger, combating diseases, or improving health.” It’s an organization in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in hopes to start a conversation about the affects of poverty and hunger around the globe. This article particularly peaked my interest, as it should yours (I’m talking to all you film and T.V. people out there) because it combines filmmaking and world issues.

As you advance through what ever you wish to pursue in life, you should never be closed off to what is going on outside of your personal bubble. What this competition is to me is a way to use my passion for the bettering of the world.
There will be five chosen films which will premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and each of which will receive a $10,000 grand prize, as well as a trip the film festival as a guest of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

As an Ithaca college student, it is very easy to be cut off, or not care, about the harsh realities outside of our “bubble”, or the subjugated communities in which so many reside.

This challenge is one that every filmmaker should take part in at one point or another, whether you are a freshman film student or an accomplished director like Scorsese.

You have till July 1^st, 2014 to submit a short of your interested!

It is our obligation as human beings to utilize the opportunities you have been given, achieve your most optimal version of success, and share you prosperity with those who are not as fortunate as you.

The Hunger Games (Movie)

The other day, I watched the move, The Hunger Games, with my friends.  I had read all the books and frankly, was in love with them.  I'd seen the movie before, but decided that this time, I would watch it from an analytical film perspective rather than judging it on how much different it was then the book because frankly, no movie can capture an entire book or book series perfectly as we've seen many times (Harry Potter, Twilight, ect.).

I loved the DIY approach that Gary Ross took when shooting the movie by having most of the movie shot "hand held" which most feature length blockbuster movies never do.  I noticed very quickly that whenever the scene was taking place in a high tense situation or an impoverished area, everything was shot hand held and the editing was extremely fast jump cuts and very bare bones from an editing perspective.  This puts the audience in a certain mood I could tell from watching it.  It became even more noticeable during the few scenes that were in the rich capitol where every shot was either a tripod, steady cam, or jib type shot with extremely smooth cutting from an editing stand point.  Everything was very refined and more typical of most blockbusters to show the wealth of the area they were in.

They way this movie was shot was very different in my opinion from most blockbuster type large budget movies and from that aspect, I thought the movie excelled.  They did a great job of capturing the "indie feel" that the book had been written in.  There also isn't a ton of music in the movie which I think is very important because most of the "districts" didn't have any organized music so it wouldn't make sense with the story.  The only songs were folk type songs which was cool because they were sung by the actors and no instrumentals.  It was very affective in that sense as well.

Overall, it was a well done movie in my personal opinion from a film perspective.  I enjoyed the indie look because that is personally the style that I am drawn to.

Tyler Chadwick