Use of Audio
The audio quality for this film was pretty good. There was some nice background music, especially in the scene where Aldo and Jennifer are out on the Strip and at the very end when Aldo ditches her. Though there isn’t a lot of music, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing because what little there is has been placed in all the right spots. It was also a good choice not to include music in the opening credits, as the speaker in the meeting provided all the audio. In addition, there wasn’t any noticeable echo of the dialogue. In the brief scene in the bathroom that I mentioned before there was a slight echo, but it was appropriate and not overpowering.
I did notice a few moments where the audio levels dipped a bit, though it wasn’t too glaringly obvious, and just needed to be adjusted a bit.
Use of Budget
For a short film, $2,900 isn’t too bad of a price tag. The majority went to securing a location, and for feeding the crew – something that I’m sure everyone will agree is very important!
However, half of the budget went to securing the hotel room; the crew spent five nights shooting in a room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (about $290 a night). On the one hand, it is a really nice room, and anyone whose been in the hotel would probably be able to identify it. However, the hotel itself is never named in the movie, and perhaps would only be recognized by people who make frequent trips to Vegas or those who work there. In this case, it seems as though a lot of money could have been saved by shooting in a cheaper hotel; one that still had decent rooms, but was not nearly as pricey. In order to make that $290 a night price tag pay off, it would have been a good idea to include a lot of extra shots of the hotel itself, as well as several shots of the room that incorporated the view of Vegas through the window. Otherwise, it seems like a bit of a waste; especially since some of that money could’ve been used to add some more wide shots of the city, and the wedding scene.
Lasting Appeal
This film takes an interesting problem – “Oops, we were drunk and got hitched” – and adds yet another twist to the story – “Hey wait, she tricked me!” The most interesting touch is to play off the film’s setting – the gambling capital of the United States – and leave the fate of the marriage up to the flip of a coin. It’s a very intriguing story. Though, as mentioned earlier, I think the original ending ought to have been used, as the present ending really seems to ruin the story.
There are some great visual elements to the film; I loved the handhelds of the Strip. Though it would’ve been nice to see some more wide shots, and especially the actual wedding itself.
Overall Comment
Flip is a decent short film with a very interesting concept. The story is basic and easy to understand, the acting is great, and there are a couple nice visual elements. However, the predictable ending and technical issuses are both big drawbacks that really detract from this films good aspects. If these issues can be addressed, this movie will definitely be better off.
