When collecting my thoughts on a piece of motion-picture media art, I really want to emphasize very specific aspects of interest. I've noticed over the years that no film is completely bad and very few films are absolutely execellent.
I consider a variety of factors, including
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the acting: performances that are believable, emotional, and engaging, and consider how well the actors portray their characters.
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the writing: a well-crafted and engaging story, with complex and relatable characters, and clever and meaningful dialogue.
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the direction: a director who uses interesting camera angles, shots, and edits to create a unique visual style and to enhance the story and the emotions of the film.
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the cinematography: beautiful and well-composed shots, with striking colors and lighting, that enhance the mood and the atmosphere of the film.
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the production design: it determines how the film's sets, costumes, and props look and feel. Look for production design that is realistic, detailed, and fitting for the film's story and setting.
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and the originality of the film: a film that offers something new and fresh, rather than one that feels recycled or uninspired. A film that is original and innovative can often be more enjoyable and memorable than one that is derivative and predictable.
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the score: this also includes moments in film of pure silence to verbalize the intensity of the scene.
SCORING SYSTEM This involves assigning different weights to different factors, such as
- the acting (20% weight),
- the writing (22% weight),
- the direction (25% weight),
- the cinematography (13% weight),
- the production design (10% weight),
- the score (10% weight).
Once I have evaluated each factor on a scale of 0-100, I can calculate the overall score by multiplying each factor's score by its corresponding weight and then adding up the results. For example, if I give the film a score of 90 for the acting (20% weight), 80 for the writing (22% weight), 70 for the direction (25% weight), 60 for the cinematography (13% weight), 50 for the production design (10% weight) and 60 for the score/music (10% weight), the overall score would be calculated as follows:
Overall score = (90 x 0.20) + (80 x 0.22) + (70 x 0.25) + (60 x 0.13) + (50 x 0.10) + (60 x 0.10) = 72.9
This approach allows me to assign different levels of importance to different factors, and can help me provide a more nuanced and detailed review of the film.