Set Research Film No. 2: The Arrival
The Arrival, dir. Daniel Montanarini, 2016
The second of the set texts I will be reporting upon here is, as stated, The Arrival. An understated and conceptually simple piece taking beats from theatre, television and perhaps even advertising in turn, the cohesion and polish in the 5 minute running time here are fascinating from the perspective of creative influence, especially given the restrictions we have pertaining to our NEA film.
Minimalism runs through the very heart of the runtime, in both a technical and creative sense; the film presents a single closing frame, gradually focusing upon a single woman's interior monologue, as she debates the decision of whether to keep a newfound pregnancy. This cohesion of emotion and technicality is the core of not only the indecision being shown here, but this style of short filmmaking to a wider degree; the possibilities presented by the format for abstract and less narratively bound stories are best encompassed by such (typically shorter) projects. Such prospects are fascinating to the advancement of my film not only because they utilise the specificity of the format itself, but also given the budgetary and technical restrictions that inevitably apply to anything I might wish to make.
But back to The Arrival; as stated, the film consists of a single take in which a single character considers a single, personal issue - that is the state of her newfound pregnancy after a one-night stand. Through the monologue, we are drip-fed details as to the developing romanticism by which her thoughts evolve, and when the camera reaches its apex of movement, it quickly retreats in the new decision. A number of theatrically-inspired techniques are utilised as surrounding influences, most notably in a shifting set and lighting as to reflect the processes of our character's imagination. Furthermore the cohesiveness and choreography of the surrounding action are notable, given the single-shot narrative; the effect of which reminded me particularly of the stripped action of an advertisement, giving a far more conceptual feel to the film as a whole, perhaps intensifying through isolation the messages and concepts so pondered upon in the film's script.
There are very few pieces of such singularity and abstract focus amongst the films we have, and personally I find them far more interesting from the perspective of creation. Whilst the more narratively driven and technically complicated pieces on offer are likely more accomplished and certainly more familiar, the uncomplicated and powerful poses far more possibility to me, both from an artistic and resource-focused standpoint.
The second of the set texts I will be reporting upon here is, as stated, The Arrival. An understated and conceptually simple piece taking beats from theatre, television and perhaps even advertising in turn, the cohesion and polish in the 5 minute running time here are fascinating from the perspective of creative influence, especially given the restrictions we have pertaining to our NEA film.
Minimalism runs through the very heart of the runtime, in both a technical and creative sense; the film presents a single closing frame, gradually focusing upon a single woman's interior monologue, as she debates the decision of whether to keep a newfound pregnancy. This cohesion of emotion and technicality is the core of not only the indecision being shown here, but this style of short filmmaking to a wider degree; the possibilities presented by the format for abstract and less narratively bound stories are best encompassed by such (typically shorter) projects. Such prospects are fascinating to the advancement of my film not only because they utilise the specificity of the format itself, but also given the budgetary and technical restrictions that inevitably apply to anything I might wish to make.
But back to The Arrival; as stated, the film consists of a single take in which a single character considers a single, personal issue - that is the state of her newfound pregnancy after a one-night stand. Through the monologue, we are drip-fed details as to the developing romanticism by which her thoughts evolve, and when the camera reaches its apex of movement, it quickly retreats in the new decision. A number of theatrically-inspired techniques are utilised as surrounding influences, most notably in a shifting set and lighting as to reflect the processes of our character's imagination. Furthermore the cohesiveness and choreography of the surrounding action are notable, given the single-shot narrative; the effect of which reminded me particularly of the stripped action of an advertisement, giving a far more conceptual feel to the film as a whole, perhaps intensifying through isolation the messages and concepts so pondered upon in the film's script.
There are very few pieces of such singularity and abstract focus amongst the films we have, and personally I find them far more interesting from the perspective of creation. Whilst the more narratively driven and technically complicated pieces on offer are likely more accomplished and certainly more familiar, the uncomplicated and powerful poses far more possibility to me, both from an artistic and resource-focused standpoint.
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