I Made This 2010 reviews
Review by on 20 Sep 2010
The selection of short pieces offered to us under the banner of I MADE THIS felt informal, fun, uplifting, and stimulating all at the same time. A short introductory speech made by one of the facilitators explained that the screening was intended as a celebration of the Cambridgeshire Film Consortium’s work with young people over the past year. The ages of participants ranged from as young as seven or eight (to judge from photos taken at workshops) up to students in their early twenties, working at Anglia Ruskin University. Parkside Community College hosted some of the workshops, as did the Arts Picturehouse.
The range of media explored by the young filmmakers was impressive. Different kinds of animation were assayed, and one of my own favourites in this category was SUPER HERO SMACKDOWN, a hilarious piece in which clay models of various fearsome fighters were pitted against each other in a boxing ring, having been introduced by their creators speaking direct to camera. A different, gentler kind of animation was seen in WHY THERE ARE BUTTERFLIES, a beautifully-illustrated fable reminiscent of the ‘Just So’ stories. Some of the longer films by older participants developed embryo narratives, such as VENGEANCE (a kind of martial arts shocker) and THE RASPBERRY RIBBON (a bittersweet romance).
A theme running through the selection was Darwin’s theory of evolution, since last year’s exhibition ‘Endless Forms’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum provided the occasion for some of the workshops. To judge from this sample, it will be fascinating indeed to follow the ‘evolution’ of the next generation of filmmakers.
The Poet
The range of media explored by the young filmmakers was impressive. Different kinds of animation were assayed, and one of my own favourites in this category was SUPER HERO SMACKDOWN, a hilarious piece in which clay models of various fearsome fighters were pitted against each other in a boxing ring, having been introduced by their creators speaking direct to camera. A different, gentler kind of animation was seen in WHY THERE ARE BUTTERFLIES, a beautifully-illustrated fable reminiscent of the ‘Just So’ stories. Some of the longer films by older participants developed embryo narratives, such as VENGEANCE (a kind of martial arts shocker) and THE RASPBERRY RIBBON (a bittersweet romance).
A theme running through the selection was Darwin’s theory of evolution, since last year’s exhibition ‘Endless Forms’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum provided the occasion for some of the workshops. To judge from this sample, it will be fascinating indeed to follow the ‘evolution’ of the next generation of filmmakers.
The Poet
