Short Film Review
Film Info:
Before Jaclyn was born, the Devil tried to kill her. Now, her guardian angel must guide her to a portal that will bring her soul to Earth before the demons can take her life. Written By: Josh Jackson Directed By: Josh Jackson, Brian Tang Genre: Action 23 Minutes IndyRed.com |
PREBIRTH: THE ETERNAL WAR ( 2014 )
What an interesting concept! As the description reads, Prebirth: The Eternal War features a fresh take on the age old Angelic War theory. What we have is a thought out and well executed short film, featuring some really cool camera work and a breakneck pace that's sure to please lovers of the Action/Adventure genre.
Technically, Prebirth: The Eternal War features some visually awesome work. Just what you'd expect from an action film. Right from the get-go, you can see a lot of work was put into the visual style of the film. On top of that, you have a snappy pacing and a slick edit coming together seamlessly in a barrage of great cinema magic on two fronts. We have the portal sequence as well as the Earthly sequences, as the characters make their way to a nearby Hospital. The reason I've pointed out the different locations of the film is because they are quite opposite one and other. The portal sequences feature the snappy action segments while the Earthly shots are hurried, shaky, and sometimes less perfected shots. Normally I'm not a fan of the shaky handheld look, but when watching Prebirth: The eternal War they fit nicely showing the more human, less perfect and rushed way we approach and speed through our daily lives. Especially when under pressure. What better way to show the differences between us and the Angelic powers that be! My only complaint was with a few in car shots that feature the actors a little too close to the camera. A wider camera lens may have done the trick and would have looked great. My other slight gripe was with the audio itself. It was crystal clear, mixed well and at first seemed great. However, as the short rolled on something kept nagging at me. Everything seemed a little off. At first I thought it was the actors themselves, and that a lot of the film seemed scripted, as if read right off the sheets and recorded. It was only the last bit of the film I realized what it was. The audio felt like it was all re-recorded. Dubbing is a great way to get crystal clear audio. The problem stems from the way it's all put together. If the room noise isn't right or the effects on the audio doesn't match the room it is spoken in, you can run into all kind of problems. That was the case here... I think. When the actors delivered their lines it just felt like they were somewhere completely different. Such a small thing... but one that kept coming back to me over and over. On the other hand, being an Indie short I completely appreciated the fact I could hear what was going on at all! So many times Indie films have really bad audio. That's not the case here so somplaining about it is a mixed bag. In the end we have a pretty damn good short film. Prebirth: The Eternal War will not only please viewers with it's great story and pacing, it will also please those of us in the film industry. Smiling over the great camera work, editing and overall feel. This is one short film worth heading over to and watching as soon as you can. You'll be glad you did. Next up? Prebirth: The Movie. -JT Other Reviews That May Interest You
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