Creative Transitions in Short Films (Holding On)

[Eugene]

Hey guys,
Recently made another short film about how one may have trouble moving on from something/someone and how moving on doesn’t mean letting go.. Completely.

I wanted to combine drawings with the film as a way of showing a montage of two students throughout their four years at university. So, I got one of my friend who is really interested in art to draw out different scenarios of the two in those four years - thought this would be a more unique way of showing the passage of time, and I also like the innocence which the drawings bring to their university years.

However, I think my transition between the film and the drawings (and back) could have been better.. And even the transitions between the drawings. Do watch it and let me know what you think of if I could have done anything different!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq2cWJSmtn8
^skip to 1:40 for transition.

 

[Dvash7]

Hey, nice concept.
The pace in the opening sequence I feel could be a bit faster. It's a cool bit where they just get to know each other and it's fun, so no need to drag it out and be overly serious. Leave that for the last part of the film, like you did.
The drawings are really, really nice and well made!
I think you have two problems with it, though.
First, your transition is a bit Windows Movie Maker. The film starts out nice and has a cinematic feel to it, like there's a real story there, and then the transition throws you off completely. You don't need anything overly fancy, we get what we're seeing because they are drawn with the same shirts and height as in real life.
The other things is the background of the drawings. That cityscape tells me nothing and adds nothing to the story. The floating bokeh in the background is distracting and also serves no real purpose. As a viewer, I found myself losing focus from what's important, which is what they are doing. I failed to read some of the dates because I wasn't into the sequence so I lost the concept that time was moving forward.
One last thing, the score in the first part of your film and the drawings is way too ominous. I get that the second part is about something that's difficult to deal with, but as they just met and are college friends and do stuff together - the music is totally off and it seems like a boring and depressing friendship despite what's shown in the drawings.
I hope you take it all as constructive criticism, that's just my impression of viewing it one time and noting what struck me.
Good luck with it!