Thanksgiving Update

 Music, 

 Social media and website 

Planning Missing Miles

Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

     It's time to compare the short film and the feature film now that I've seen them. One of the most notable differences was that the short film lacked dialogue, while the feature film did. The divergence in dialogue, on the other hand, allowed both plots to flourish in their own distinct ways. They have the same narrative qualities now, but the full length version was able to fill it out further. Due to the length of the film, it was possible to provide a backstory and expand the plot in new ways. We were also able to see all of the rag dolls in the full-length film, while we were only able to see two of them in the short film. The full-length version had the benefit of fleshing out 9's character while also allowing new characters to be introduced into the expanding universe. Despite the fact that the full-length film had more plot possibilities, the director's choices in both films played well for their strengths. Since the short film was just 7 minutes long, they were able to get right to the point and share their thoughts, while the full-length film had to try to fit new ideas into an hour. 9 was the main character in both films.

        9 is the central figure in both films from the start. They both have flashback scenes that give the viewer more details about the plots. Given that both stories involved the spirits of dead rag dolls, the endings were also remarkably similar. All of the other rag dolls die in the short film, but all nine, seven, three, and four rag dolls live in the full length film. In the end, I think the full-length version was my favorite. That's not to say the short film wasn't entertaining, however I found the full length movie to be much more interesting. I liked how much scratcher growth was incorporated into the full length. I felt like I could relate to not only 9 but all the other supporting characters because they were all so well-detailed. I also enjoyed learning more about how the rag dolls and machines were made. Overall, both films were entertaining and told their stories beautifully in their own distinct ways.

Research 9, the feature film

    After seeing the short film, I've finished watching the entire feature film! The full length version delves much further into the story. It had the same ideals as the first, namely, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world against the robots, but it was more detailed. The main character, 9, remained the same, but the audience was now able to see him develop as a person. 9 begins as a timid newcomer who has no idea what lies ahead, but by the end, he has developed into a brave hero ready to do whatever it takes. Now that he had a lot of time, the director was able to really advance his career. He was also able to create new rag dolls that we had never seen before.We learned more about 5 and met the other rag dolls, but 7,5, and 1 were the main supporting characters. 1 has his own storyline in which he appears to be a stubborn old man at first, but in the end, he sacrifices himself for the common good. There's still a lot of world building and new environments to see.

    The first film's machine reappears as an antagonist, but this time as a far smaller foe who leads to a much more dangerous threat. Now there is dialogue that both advances the plot and adds to it. There was more time to justify why things are the way they are with an hour of running time instead of seven minutes. The audience now knows how the world has become post-apocalyptic, and that the rag dolls represent the spirit of the main scientist. Because of the longer runtime, the plot was able to grow more fully. In terms of animation and special effects, it works much better here.The character designs seem to have improved significantly. For instance, green light effects are done much more cleanly here. While the devices remain frightening, each rag doll has a distinct design that separates it from the others. In general, the feature film was well worth watching.

     

Research 9, the short

 I've come to some conclusions about a couple of topics after watching the seven-minute short film, but I still have a lot of questions. Let's discuss the location of the short film. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where there is no sign of existence except for nine ragdolls that hold actual souls. Each ragdoll has a tag, which I discovered later in the film but will discuss when we arrive. The 9 ragdolls aren't the only survivors on the ruined planet; there's even a machine cat-like monster that tries to kill them all for unknown reasons, but the creature was present for the majority of the film. The soul-snatching machine cat-like beast kills 9's comrade in front of his eyes throughout the film. Then he tries in vain to catch the beast in a cage, but it is eventually killed. In the movie, a green blinking portal-like entity appears and disappears at random. The film's intent and use of the portal-like object is very cool at the end. It opens a doorway when merged with the creature's eye, allowing the dead ragdolls, all of whom have numbers, 9's friends and family to finally be set free.

    As a result, I realized that every single ragdoll has a number as a name. I thought the lack of dialogue in the film was fascinating and very cool. It did, though, make it somewhat strange in terms of how I was expected to completely comprehend the storyline and acts taken in, but I also grasped a significant portion of the plot. I was also struck by 9's growth as a character. I thought he was very stupid at first, but as the movie progressed, he used fast and powerful thinking skills to eventually destroy the monster. I also noticed the directorial style and how it tangled into the ending of the film which was brilliant. I would probably give this film a six out of ten. I rate it a six just because I don't understand everything such as the origin of the ragdolls, how earth became apocalyptic, or how the creatures began to exist but I still thoroughly enjoyed this film. Even though I tend to love short films just because of the short time it takes to watch one, this one was very well rounded.
    I was also struck by the director's composition and how it intertwined with the film's brilliant conclusion. This film is potentially a six out of ten for me. I gave it a six because I didn't get anything, such as how the ragdolls came to be, how the world turned dystopian, or how the beasts came to be, but I also had a great time watching it. About the fact that I prefer short films due to the limited amount of time required to watch them, this one was very well-rounded. Now it's time to see if any of my questions have been answered by watching the whole movie! The director's composition, and how it combines with the film's incredible ending, really struck me. For me, this film has the potential to be a six out of ten. I gave it a six because I didn't understand how the ragdolls were created, how the future is dystopian, or how the beasts were created, but I enjoying watching it, and I typically don't watch short films because I feel like they're super fast in pace and typically never answer my questions and leave me wondering a lot of things but this film was different, it answered my questions and was again really enjoyable.