Everything Everywhere All at Once

 

       

           We just finished watching the film Everything Everywhere All at Once and I am not sure quite how I am feeling about the film. In terms of the story it was very complicated with all the different universes but in the end what I understood it to be was that the film was about a family learning to love and accept each other no matter the situation, no matter how difficult or easy the situation may be. What was complicated for me is that it constantly switched between universes such as one where Evelyn is a chef, one where she is a singer, one where she is a martial artist, sign flipper, etc. In one universe she may hit the accounting lady and in another that never occurred. There was a ton of chaos in this film that for my personal liking was a bit much, but this film is unlike any film I have ever seen and for that reason I can see why many people enjoyed it.

        In terms of cinematography I thought it was amazing, I thought the special effects were so good. There was uses of slow-motion, parts were sped up, explosions, etc. The lighting was very good as well, happy places were light up nicely mostly using natural lighting, and intense/scary moments took place in dark and not as well lit areas. The sets were great as well, each set had great props and backgrounds that went really well with the universe that it was trying to portray, and the costumes used for each universe were perfectly chosen as well. The camera work was so good in having a ton of different angles, as well as being able to keep up with all the chaos that was unfolding in front of them. Although I didn't really enjoy the film, the cinematography was amazing, some of the best I have ever seen.

       In terms of cultural relevance I think this is a film that is extremely unique, I am not sure if there is many films that play with the idea of multiple universes, and with the topic being somewhat more popular I believe many future films may take inspiration from this film. This film also shows filmmakers that there can never been too much chaos and special effects, you just need to find the write balance and incorporate it in a way that still goes with the theme of the movie and in a way that still makes sense. Lastly I think it was appropriate for the film to use as many special effects as it did, it is quite hard to flip back and forth between universes and include transitions as well if you aren't including a ton of special effects. 

Possible Changes to our short film

       To begin, in terms of the cinematography there are several aspects we would have liked to change. Firstly, we would’ve liked to experiment with a more variety of shots. We included the basic close up shots, over the shoulder shots, wide shots, etc. But we feel like we could’ve tried filming more shots that you don’t see as often. Also in terms of the lighting we would’ve liked a more dark and gloomy day to further relate to the theme of our film, however we only had one day to record and it was a very sunny day. In terms of the set we would’ve liked to film in different locations but it was very difficult to find time and a place where we can get together and record. Lastly, it would’ve been nice to have a camera stand and other type of equipment, for example we were never able to record a shot with the 3 of us in the frame because someone always had to record.

We think better editing software combined with professional editing would greatly improve upon our end product. We think having no experience with editing can only do so much for a short film. If we are able to introduce slick transitions, touch up our camera work, and maybe produce our own music with sound artists then it would be close to a professional film. When these things are combined it makes the film feel more alive and immersive for the audience instead of some videos playing across a white screen. 

One essential aspect of filmmaking is the soundtrack. If we had more time resources we could have created a more professional sounding score for our short film. The resources at our disposal are just the sound effects available on Imovie and whatever else we can find on google. In an ideal world, we would want to hire someone with musical ability to produce a score specifically for our film. This would make the music fit our film perfectly and give it a more cohesive feel overall. That being said, there are lots of movie soundtrack resources publicly available online, so the sound on our movie is still good, it’s just not specifically tailored towards our film the way the music in a Hollywood film is.

Thoughts on Swiss Army Man

 

         After finishing the movie Swiss Army Man I was left sort of speechless. My brain was still trying to comprehend what was going on, and I didn't quite know if I enjoyed the movie or if it was just too goofy. This movie begins with Hank on an island by himself, feeling very lonely and helpless he decides he will just end his own life. As he is about to do this Manny's body washes up on shore which catches Hank's attention. The body begins to fart, move, etc. A body that Hank thought was dead has some life to it. The movie begins to get weird when Hank rides Manny like a jet ski and get to another island. On this island Manny finally reveals that he can talk. Soon Hank and Manny become very good friends, and Manny being someone who doesn't know much about life, Hank decides to try and teach him everything about it. Hank shows Manny his "girlfriend" which motivates them to try and make it back home. They make it to the "girlfriends" home and Manny is not in the best mood because his "girlfriend" was actually just a girl that Hank liked, Manny gets sad cause he realizes he is weird and everything he did was for nothing. The movie then ends with Manny riding away in the water which confirmed to everyone he was real.

        This movie was very goofy with all the farting, Hank dressing up as a girl, etc.  It was funny to see how Manny was sort of an adult child who was very innocent, didn't know anything, and just said whatever came to his mind. They talked about a lot of topics that most people in the real world don't like to talk about because it makes them uncomfortable.

         Lastly, in terms of the cinematography, I really enjoyed how the sets revolved so much around nature. How the characters were on a beach, then a forest, having to find food, get tools, look through trash, etc. The lighting was very good as well, with some scenes having the sun beam them with light, the cave scene where everything is very dark, and how some scenes used fire as the main source of light in the shot was cool as well. The camerawork also did a good job in keeping up with all the movement, I enjoyed seeing the close ups, the over the shoulder, wide shots, etc. I also really enjoyed the wardrobe and the make up choice, for example for Manny although he would talk and seem alive, his constant dead look and monotone sort of voice would remind us that he is dead. Overall I am not sure if I liked the movie, but it was still interesting, and was a unique experience.