![]() |
![]() |
|
Register | Projects | FAQ | Members List | Calendar | Today's Posts | Search |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 | |||||||
Initiate
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 28
![]() |
How To Properly Rate Movies
Have you ever stopped to wonder why any first-kill movie is automatically granted 5 stars on quality and editing? Or how the average Joe receive almost as good a score as the semi-professional who has dedicated months on a project? Rating has become a phenomenon of cyber-social status rather than an actual evaluation of the work at hand, and the pace at which stars are awarded seems to match the financial hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
Some of you could not care less about these imbalances, some deny their existence, and again others are oblivious to fact that there is actually a point to the rating. Hopefully there are also some of you who want to be able to show your appreciation for a good piece of work, and actually rate a movie based on the given perimeters. Regardless, I have devised a little walkthrough on what I think are crucial factors in rating movies, which in terms should be a hint at how to make them. Why bother? Well, your effort will help make WCM a better place, which - seeing that you spend time on it - should be in your interest, and as a movie maker it will help you understand what to aim for and how to aim for it, which ultimately makes you better at what you do, but also increases the chance that others will like it. Surely a win/win then? Read on to find out. But before you do though, it needs to be said that you should not see this as a final product, but a work in progress, that – with your help – will develop over time to provide the best, most up to date information. Much of the following is inevitably affected by my personal opinions (that’s the whole concept of rating) but I hope you can make some use of it. Content Probably the most important aspect of a movie (and at the same time the most difficult one to generalize on) is its content. Various elements depending on genre and theme will be of importance here, but a few should be universal; namely the ones that makes you laugh and the ones that makes you excited. The fun-factor. Never underestimate the value of a good laugh. Most of us watch movies for the sheer pleasure of it, others do it to learn and improve, but no matter what the setting is, a movie always gets better when it's actually fun to watch - and being fun, ladies and gentlemen, often involves humour. When rating a movie's content then, simply keep in mind to what extent it is presented in a way that makes you laugh, smile and cheer. Quote:
Quote:
Creativity As this name says, this is about to what extend a movie brings something refreshing to the community, be it on an editing level, music-wise or in the content. Not in the sense that it hasn’t been seen before (the first Twin movies wasn’t exactly creative, was it), but in using any of the above aspect in a new manner that breaks with tradition or opens up for possibilities the viewer had not thought of. Originality. I like to think that everyone watching a movie do so because he/she hopes to see something new, from a new perspective or from another angle, so obviously originality has to be important – for the ones making the movies as well as those rating them. Achieving this can be done in many ways, even within relatively static settings (say level 70 arena’s): one could add off-topic clips in between the fights, show fights in a stylish way without UI displayed, or try to come up with a story of why this character seeks to eradicate others – your imagination sets the limits. When I rate movies on creativity this is an absolutely crucial element. It doesn’t have to be as groundbreaking as the below examples to be original, but you get the idea. Quote:
Quote:
Editing This is typically where it gets hairy, and where it is difficult for me not to bloat about my own preferences. Generally speaking there has to be a balance between editing and content so that the content is never subdued or distorted by the means to present it. Editing is a supplement to what’s going on, a way to make what you see more edible and to guide the viewer through the content for either demonstrational or entertaining reasons – it should never be the driving force. Consistency. More often than not I see movie makers failing on their editing because they’re either too eager to demonstrate what they’ve learned, or because they somehow got the insanely stupid idea, that the more, the merrier. As a consequence, poorly edited movies often display a large array of different editing tools with little or no connection, which gives the viewer that very un-theme’ish feel. If you have a fetish for turning the image red upon critting your opponents, then I guess that’s alright, but by God I shall haunt your nightmares if you then show half the crits in blue. If zooming in on your character every time he/she makes a killing blow is your thing, then stick to that concept. Why is this important, you may ask? Because every time you introduce a new form of editing the viewer is forced to focus on that, rather than what’s actually going on, which is mostly a bad thing - unless of course you find the zooming effect to be more important than the boss encounter. Quote:
Quote:
A/V Quality This aspect is commonly overlooked, which is awkward seeing that it is the easiest one to determine, and the one where you get to be somewhat objective and therefore most fair. For obvious reasons it is divided into two. Audio quality. Genre and feel: Contrary to what seems to be the general consensus, rating the sound (usually music) should be based on whether or not it follows the content in a plausible way, and not the number of times it has been used elsewhere. If the song matches the content it does its job well, okay? Okay. The story-line movies that depict the development of a set of characters usually call for the subtle and dramatical music genre which is often found in the Hollywood soundtrack section. Similarly, a fast paced, combat-heavy movie will often call for more fast-paced and loud music. Rhythm: The second aspect of audio rating is to what extent the rhythm and feel dictates the content, for example the timing of shifting camera angles, or the timing of various editing tools. Use of it should be employed carefully, but when done correctly it adds intensity to the movie and anticipation for what’s to come. A very useful tool in keeping the viewer interested, and thereby something that should inspire to a better rating. Quote:
On a side note, different people have different connections as well as different opinions to how much image quality matters. I am one of those who believe that a message poorly presented is only half a message, but to oblige to those who do not think that way it never hurts to publish both a low and a high quality release. I have even seen one bloke publish with different aspect ratios, and found that a nifty detail - especially if you are sitting behind a widescreen monitor. All these things contribute to a better rating, and compared to the work put into the actual movie this should really be standard procedure for every movie maker. In closing... I have probably forgotten a bunch of things, and there is a good chance I have also been rambling on about some aspect that are not quite so important, so if you made it this far I would like to give you my compliments. I do not claim to have any unique knowledge on the topic, nor do I work in the field, so if I have missed something or gotten something wrong, make sure you are the first to tell me! Other than that I hope you now have a better picture about how to rate movies, and that you learned a few things that will help should you ever want to make one. Best regards Abyzz Last edited by Abyzz : 05-02-2008 at 07:24 AM. |
|||||||
![]() |
![]() |