Overall, I thought that the quality of the films were of a high standard this semester and I found the screening to be really enjoyable due to the diverse nature of the films.

Black Cat

The unique visual style and experimentation with sound overlay really drew me into this film. This is a subject that I wasn’t necessarily interested in but became engaged with due to the interesting approach you took and the balance of bizarre with a bit of comedy.

Theanna

This documentary was the most emotional to watch for me. In the beginning I thought that the subject might not be that engaging, however, the clever editing to build up the suspense of her opening the letter for the first time really drew me in. It is truly a beautiful documentary and the subject was very interesting. I think a lot of people would be able to relate to this story and connect with it which is a credit to you.

Cactus

The subject was really interesting and I really enjoyed his enthusiasm for his passion, even though it may be obscure. I felt like I wanted more and I didn’t want the documentary to end, he is such an interesting character and seeing him in different settings or more vision of him interacting with his friends at the society could’ve been added.

Waves

The sound design really complimented the interesting cinematography of this documentary. The exploration of one surfer’s passion through only narration also made it stand out and I think was a great choice as any on-screen dialogue would’ve broken the spell of the documentary. It really drew me into the feeling of being in a different world and was quite hypnotic. My only suggestion would be that the ending of the film could’ve been shortened.

Sneakerhead Collective

This is an excellent documentary, I really enjoyed the way it was structured in a clear, concise narrative. All of the subjects were really interesting, and I think you really succeeded in exploring a unique topic that not many people would’ve known about beforehand. All of the visuals were fantastic and not jarring at all, the entire film flowed incredibly well. I feel as though you could create your own online documentary series with the same structure and receive a great following – really high standard work.

Forbidden Xanadu

I know a few people have commented that they prefer the opening half of the film focusing on the Melbourne street art compared to the train graffiti in the second half, however I disagree. Yes, the visuals and editing were fantastic in showing off Melbourne’s street art scene, however I became more drawn into this film when it became something different to what I was expecting – the train graffiti. The pacing of each part of the film suited the different styles of graffiti you were demonstrating, and the different culture. I would suggest interviewing people who graffiti trains to make this part of the film more interesting to others and to provide a nice comparison and contrast to the street artists apparent in the first half. I came away from this film wondering what the motivation of the people vandalizing trains is and even though I have my assumptions of what they are, I think this would’ve been the perfect opportunity to hear their point of view. So, overall, I think that the change in pace in this film was refreshing and exploring people who participate in the train graffiti would’ve added more depth to the film.

Fans and Followers

This was a documentary that I saw in the class screenings, and the work apparent in the follow-up editing really improved the film. I thought it was quite an interesting approach and topic, but perhaps a clearer and consistent style of filming and sound design would’ve made it a more cohesive film.

Althea

This was absolutely brilliant. I want to watch this documentary over and over again. The subjects you interviewed were all very interesting and the editing of the fighting made it theatrical and hilarious. Loved every bit of it. Especially when they then discussed what they were planning to eat afterwards. Excellent film.