Fox does a good job of setting the mood of his story in the first 5 or 6 frames. His sequence, however, starts a little differently than what we talked about in class. Fox starts with two tight frames, then a medium, then a tight, then a wide frame before focusing on Valerie S. It is effective as it does seem to set the mood while drawing you into the story. It also gives you a sense of the place where the story is unfolding.
No zooming, no panning, and it is obvious that he is using a tripod as the frames are steady, free of vibration. He is apparently shooting frames, pausing, then moving to the next scene before executing the next frame. He does a good job of this as the transition from frame to frame flows very smoothly.
The sound changes up a bit throughout the story, however. Though somewhat distracting, it is not distracting to the point that it interferes with Valerie’s story.
I did not like to see the microphone attached to Valerie. These are out-of-door shots, so I presume Fox uses a Bluetooth microphone setup. In doors he apparently uses the mic on the camera as I could not see signs of a mic on Valerie. If it was there it was well hidden. For the outside shots it seems to me that he could have done a better job of hiding that mic. It distracts.
Fox tells a good visual story. He has a good beginning and transitions smoothly to the end. He very effectively depicts a mood of hope with Valerie and her friend sitting on the steps where a home used to sit. Their closing comments about the future of the community developing once they see someone has settled back in there since Katrina conveys a feeling that things will get better. For an ending, it’s pretty good – positive vibes, I like that!
On a scale of 10 (best) I give it an 8 for organization and content.
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