Song is a six minute high school short following a young music student, Logan, struggling with his audition piece, which he plans to submit for representation.
The film takes place in a single act, in one room, where the boy tackles his writer's block bit by bit, including calling a friend who offers him compassionate advice. True, there are no traditional storyline features, such as a climax, plot twist, and resolution. But, what I like about this is how it takes us inside Logan's head as he struggles over creating his audition tape as his left hand rapidly translates the music we can hear into notes on the page. It's a reminder that the creative process is messy and unpredictable and creativity doesn't appear on demand. The ending is less than satisfying but it is representative of real life. My heart goes out to this young man whose frustration oozes off the screen and he seems to be pretty much alone. There is only one scene that shows him facetiming with a friend who offers him encouragement. The entire film relies on the actor's performance and the musical content. I have some reluctance in accepting it, due to its not being uplifting or positive. However, musicians may relate to the film more than I did - or people in other artistic fields. The cinematography is one area I enjoyed in this film. There are some lighting issues in these interior shots, which would definitely benefit from better lighting. The close-ups of Logan's face and the sheet music reveal the emotions on his face and have a visual of his past failed attempts. The costumes are fine - Logan wears the same costume for the entire film, and the neutral colors fit the nature of the film. The movie is filmed primarily in his music room, with a short ending scene in a mailroom. Cyrus Mailer delivers a laudable performance as Logan. Though frustration and sadness are the only emotions he shows for the duration of the film, his performance seems natural and unscripted, as if it was improvisational. My favorite part is when Logan sings his song. The singing is praise worthy. That short performance gives the film some much-needed color.
The film's message is about perseverance. Sometimes we work really hard at something and still fail and we have to take those lessons and move on.
I give Song 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. I think high school students will resonate with this, without becoming bummed out, but younger kids would just find it depressing. By Ella S. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
Song is a six minute high school short following a young music student, Logan, struggling with his audition piece, which he plans to submit for representation.
The film takes place in a single act, in one room, where the boy tackles his writer's block bit by bit, including calling a friend who offers him compassionate advice. True, there are no traditional storyline features, such as a climax, plot twist, and resolution. But, what I like about this is how it takes us inside Logan's head as he struggles over creating his audition tape as his left hand rapidly translates the music we can hear into notes on the page. It's a reminder that the creative process is messy and unpredictable and creativity doesn't appear on demand. The ending is less than satisfying but it is representative of real life. My heart goes out to this young man whose frustration oozes off the screen and he seems to be pretty much alone. There is only one scene that shows him facetiming with a friend who offers him encouragement. The entire film relies on the actor's performance and the musical content. I have some reluctance in accepting it, due to its not being uplifting or positive. However, musicians may relate to the film more than I did - or people in other artistic fields. The cinematography is one area I enjoyed in this film. There are some lighting issues in these interior shots, which would definitely benefit from better lighting. The close-ups of Logan's face and the sheet music reveal the emotions on his face and have a visual of his past failed attempts. The costumes are fine - Logan wears the same costume for the entire film, and the neutral colors fit the nature of the film. The movie is filmed primarily in his music room, with a short ending scene in a mailroom. Cyrus Mailer delivers a laudable performance as Logan. Though frustration and sadness are the only emotions he shows for the duration of the film, his performance seems natural and unscripted, as if it was improvisational. My favorite part is when Logan sings his song. The singing is praise worthy. That short performance gives the film some much-needed color.
The film's message is about perseverance. Sometimes we work really hard at something and still fail and we have to take those lessons and move on.
I give Song 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. I think high school students will resonate with this, without becoming bummed out, but younger kids would just find it depressing. By Ella S. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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