Skip to main content

Snowy Reflection

 The movie Snowy is quite the interesting short film. It follows a rather simple plot of a dad's fondness of the family turtle. Essentially what happens is that the dad decides to step up the living conditions Snowy the turtle. It may seem like the plot isn't very enticing and well, that's because it isn't. However, that's not why this short film shines. The cinematography and theme are what really give this story its legs.

The editing and camera work of this film is extremely cunning. It's all pretty low budget, yet its execution is near perfect. The shots really bring out feeling very well. For example, there is a moment when Snowy is really struggling to eat a worm. He firstly can't even catch it. Then as soon as he eats it, he throws it back up. Following up Snowy's struggle, is a scene of his family upstairs enjoying a feast. They are laughing and eating without a care in the world. Then the film switches to an outside shot, which pans down to the basement window of which Snowy occupies. This again highlights the separation between the family and Snowy's reality. Another key shot in the film was the conclusion. While the father is outside with his wife and now happy Snowy, the camera pans out of them in a drone shot. You see as they shrink and the world around them grows. It almost scales up in sections. You see their yard, then their block, then the neighborhood and lastly the whole town. This gives a feeling that the family is also just part of their own little habitat.

Moving on to the overall theme, Snowy symbolizes a being that is at the will of the people around him. It is not that the family purposely neglects him, but it is clear he is not at the top of their priorities. This develops Snowy into an underdog character. The father of the family begins to realize that Snowy hasn't been as happy as he could be, with a little help from the film's creator (his daughter). This is really when a solid theme develops giving off the virtue that we should be more mindful of those who rely on us. The father realizes the unintended neglect of Snowy and betters his living conditions.

All in all, Snowy really uses its simplistic plot to its full potential. The creativity of the film drives it, making it a very captivating story despite what would seeming be a flat story on paper.


"Snowy the turtle" via Portland Press Herald


Comments

  1. I had the same reaction to this film! I was not drawn into the film because of the plot, because after all it is a very simple plot. However, I was also drawn into the theme and camera angles. It made the film so much more than it could have been without these effects!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jaws reflection

 When it comes to suspense, there is no more iconic film than Jaws. The shark themed thriller uses a wide variety of tactics from sound and music to cinematography that would make most anyone sweat in their seat.  Who wouldn't be able to recall the famous heart pounding bass and cello that is the Jaws theme. It is such an iconic rhythm and for good reason. When it appears in the film its hard not to get excited. Pair that with switching point a view between Jaws and their victim, and you have a perfect formula for thill. One of the most creative parts of Jaws is how they picture the legendary man-eater, in that they don't. With this film being developed in 1975, there would really be no way of showing Jaws without it looking cheesy and, in all honesty, it does not hold up well. However, showing the shark isn't largely necessary. Reflecting reality, what makes sharks so scary to people is that you really don't know where they are. The film makes it so you're on edge ...

The Social Dilemma reflection

 One of the biggest influences in the modern world is social media. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing at almost all times. The Social Dilemma steps up and tackles this issue head on. It may not be the most thrilling documentary, but it is certainly one of the most impactful when it comes to modern day relevance.  The Social Dilemma does have a fictional story aspect to it; however, it is not its strongest part. The scenes can come off slightly cheesy, but they do have function in that they illustrate the impacts of social media and data tracking. Where this documentary shines is in its boldness. They talk to engineers and marketers from all major social media platforms and get valuable information. Although the film may develop too strong of a voice to where it becomes preachy, I have certainly become much more aware of my social media presence its voice is certainly heard.