STUDENT OF VIRGINITY, student film shot on HVX

One of the items you sould really study up on is lighting. For example, at about 1:20 or so, there's a scene which places three characters against a window, and the external sunlight essentially turns the characters in the room, into silhouettes. Even if one does not have lights, or bounce screens, in this case a different angle on the camera would potentially minimize the light streaming in through the window.

Certain 'stylistic' shots really leave me cold. At about 3:05 there's an external of a building, the main character is entering in... there is a shot with a tilt up motion... The building is not 'big enough' to give the 'meaning' of 'imposing/nearly insurmountable' obsticle, that sort of technique is indicating... (and it is underexposed as well...) If you would have moved in perhaps it would have worked... then again I don't thing so anyway...

At about 5:10... more fill light so that the characters are not looking like the terminator shadow line of the moon...

7:00 totally underexposed. Going for 'night' effect means to set up the lights in such a way, that the talent is lit, the background reads 'night', but not so low that the characters are hidden in the blackness... or nearly so...

Stylistic comment... if the point of the short was to heighten the main character's desire, vs. his avoidence of sexual encounters, then I think more visual stimulating shots are required. There was sort of a half hearted attempt with some of the initial shots, staring at a woman's hips and going upward. But there were a number of opportunities that seemed to be missed. Perhaps it was the actors and actresses that were reluctant to be more provocative...

Here's an example:

From Fellini's Amarcord(1973)
 
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