ISM Student Films ROCK MY SOCKS
Perhaps the biggest mistake that I’ve made this year (and I’ve made many 
) was opting not to go to the ISM Film Festival. Luckily, our benevolent film teacher, Mr. Oomens, was kind enough to make everything better by showing our class a selection of this year’s crop of films. He showed us some because they were great, and others because they were not so. But even those were great. It was amazing how high the quality of the films made at ISM were, with clever scripts and even cleverer lighting and cinematography!
Among the batch of senior films, “The Last Man on Earth” (I think that was its name?) was cinematically brilliant. Without even considering the film’s plot, the artistry involved in putting it together was enough to keep you occupied for the entire time. It really showed off what is, in my opinion, one of the most overlooked aspects of filmmaking at ISM: letting the camera do the talking. The angles! The lighting! It was great.
Another great one was “Jimmy Doyle” (again, I’ve probably got that title wrong…). The premise was simple (it was about a typical high school loser who failed at everything), but it was executed brilliantly. I’ve never seen a student film whose protagonist was really worth cheering for like this one. From the first scene, when the class files out of the room to leave Jimmy sitting alone, to the collage of shots of him failing at everything he pursues, the film develops his character well and, like “The Last Man on Earth”, mostly lets the camera do the talking. After exhausting all other options, Jimmy resorts to acting in the last scene. As he walks on stage, the lights dim—but this leaves us with no ambiguity; Jimmy has found his niche. It was a clever, uplifting way to end a relevant film.
But make no mistake, though I found these two to be exceptional, all other films presented were still great. Most of them could have passed as professional or at least indie productions (at least in my eyes). And so here lies the beauty of film class. Not only the production process, it is what comes after, that time in which all your work is culminated into a final product for you and others to view, forever, that is the most rewarding.
