Bruised

I can think of few better ways to introduce yourself to the community than Skitch has done here. With no previous posts by the director, no screenshots, previews, or any other form of hype, and only a brief, humble comment in the first post, Bruised caught the community's eye almost instantly. It's short, simple in construction and animation, expertly timed and directed, and instantly likable. It's one of the best short movies ever, and a hell of a way to drop in on the world of 3DMM.

A disturbing trend that is emerging in new 3DMM films is the impulse to make every scene pan or move in one direction slowly. While this adds a high-energy feel during action scenes (or a dream-like quality to the quieter ones), it's a direction technique just like anything, and Skitch is one of the few who knows how best to use it. Refraining from using a cheap pan or zoom in certain shots is a good anchor for the action -- it's less distracting and emphasizes what is moving (or isn't, in some cases). Take a look at the shots of the dog, or the picture frame. Would they stand out as much if they were lazily cruising across the frame? Same with the main character sitting at the kitchen table, hands over his eyes. Since he doesn't move, his inaction is grounded into the shot and we're forced into his position much more effectively than if the scene had been slowly drifting along.

But I'm making this sound like a study exercise for a film class. Bruised is more about the emotions it communicates to you through it's visuals. It's slow and deliberate, letting you savor what's happening on the screen, giving you time to identify with the character's feelings. This is emphasized further by various shots of objects around the rooms, exterior shots of the road and his house....a bird on a telephone pole, a sleeping dog twitching his ears. When someone knocks at the door (neat effect with the hit marks, by the way), the character doesn't walk over to it in the next shot. He's slowly drawn out of his funk and looks over towards it first with sadness, then a growing curiosity, then he reluctantly trudges over to it.

Then we have the ending. Yes, it's been done before. Who cares, seeing it here, in the context of what's been built up so far, it's pure magic. There are some technical issues with it, I think: The colors appear rather than blend in several places, which would have been more effective. And the effect is lessened by many of the colors of the house turning out to be white or black anyway, so to a certain perspective, it's not a full color sweep. But the various shots of the house are so rapid-fire that it's only something you'll realize during repeat viewings. I wonder if Skitch had something in mind with the final shot, with the front door now being closed?

Overall, it's a fantastic little short that might be seen as a disposable feel-good film, but to me it feels more like a prologue to the amazing things this director will show us in the future. Great stuff.

Critical Score: 93/100.
Personal Score: 97/100.