I really liked this film. Even though it was very short, only running around 6 minutes long, it definitely got the point the director was trying to make across. I liked the documentary style of the film and the old footage of the Miracle in the Desert advertisement was classic and definitely added a cool feel to the short.
The best thing about this short were the shots of the desert and town. The camera quality was fantastic and even if the footage was of an abandoned house with green toxic waste in front of it, the cinematography still made that shot look beautiful. The film had a great creepy vibe to it, but it also had a bit of happiness to it to. The end bit with salvation mountain was gorgeous and very cool. Like the narrator in the film said about the town, you can make and interpret whatever you want out of it. I felt the same way about this film.
This film reminded me a lot of Mad Max. I expected to see people riding spiked motorcycles across this barren hellscape, sword fighting for gasoline and twinkies. Unfortunately, there were no dune buggies or motorcycles, but this is still an interesting film. I have always known about The Salton Sea, but I didn't know why people abandoned it so long ago. I found it fascinating that they tried to turn this place into a resort town like Palm Springs, but it ended up the place we see in the film. The beaches made of fish bones would probably not attract many tourists. I noticed that the camera was moving in the majority of the shots, and it seems like he was always holding the camera. I think that the doom and gloom music he used in the film worked well to give us a sense of what it would be like to be in this post-apocalyptic setting. I think we should take a field trip to The Salton Sea so we can make our final films there!
I really enjoyed this short film. It was definitely interesting, and I loved how the shots were most of the focus, and didn't rely much on narration. Each of the shots looked great, and were motivated. My favorite part of the film was the old timey feel that it had. Looking back at what the Salton Sea looked like when people lived there to what it looks like now is very telling. The shots definitely gave off the creepy abandoned place feel, but made it look very intriguing. The film was very interesting, and I feel that the director did a good job on getting people to want to learn more about the Salton Sea. For example, after I watched it, I immediately opened Wikipedia to read more about the Salton Sea.
I really enjoyed this film. I liked the shots of the desert and the light and shadows in them. I definitely think he planned what time he would be there in order to capture those specific shots. The post-apocalyptic look was captivating, especially because this was a documentary and not a story that somebody wrote and created sets for. I thought the best shot was that of the broken/crumbling road as the camera approached the "END" sign. The shots he used were great shots, which kept my attention because I wanted to see what was next.
The story also flowed really well. The use of the old footage definitely created the story because it showed Salton City in its prime, which contrasted greatly with what it looks like now, allowing us to understand what it was like and why it is the way it is now. I like how it ended on a high note by showing a unique area that is set apart from the destruction. The narration of the film helped provide information that would have been unavailable because of the lack of actors and dialogue, and I also thought that the music fit with the mood. All in all, I really enjoyed this film.
This is a very good short film. The way the director tells the story is pretty natural. The camera's shoots are pretty clear and colorful with comfortable composition. Also I have several favorite shoots in this film. The shoot of dilapidated houses with the awesome movement in one shoot is the one I like the most. Furthermore, when the scene of the old man with painted walls is very touching and encouraged. Overall it is a very good documentary short film
I really enjoyed this film. I seldom find documentaries interesting, and usually I only watch for the subject matter, but I found this particular film to be very intriguing. The shots of Salton Sea reminded me of the portrait of a place project we did for class. I was impressed with how well the director was able to tell a story through a series of shots, without actors. I almost wish I had seen this film before filming my portrait of a place, because I feel it would have given me a better idea of what you can do with these types of shots. I found the eeriness of the film to be very engrossing. The plausibility of the future that this film presented scares me. While no one ever wants to admit it, this type of future is possible nearly anywhere else. I found the point of this film to be both worthwhile and intriguing. I also loved the addition of the 1950's tourism commercial for the Salton Sea. I thought it translated well that the issue presented is not a new one, and I thought it added to the eerie tone of the film.
After watching "The Accidental Sea", my immediate, almost solemn, reaction to it was, “Damn.” Within six minutes, Ransom Riggs captures the audience, delivers his message, and leaves us with a high sense of realization” He begins discussing planets outside of Earth and the unlikelihood it is for most humans to visit, but then he subtly guides the audience into seeing our world and its alien-like features from within. Visually and with a narrative, Riggs captures a post-apocalyptic world within the deserted deserts of “The Salton Sea.” The part that I had to rewind (because it was so “damn” alluring) is when he guides the camera through the broken framed window and says, “I go there to catch glimpses of what the world will look like without us.” It’s powerful.
Riggs does a great job telling us the story of “The Salton Sea” along with the man who still lives there today. He creates a post-apocalyptic world in a pre-apocalyptic time by using his camera to focus on vacant, deserted places, and explains as if the people left in a rush to get out. His overall message is delivered strongly throughout and it definitely makes one think about the possible future.
This was an incredibly interesting short film. Hands down, the best part about this short was the narration. The way the narrator compared and contrasted everything was fascinating. He made drew parallels between the desert and another planet, the abandoned town and the once thriving tourist hotspot it used to be, and the vibrant artwork of one man and the bleak beauty of the ghost town. The way everything flowed together, from the introduction of the location, to the history of the town, to the philosophical musings at the end, the whole thing felt very cohesive and I enjoyed it. The archive footage was a really interesting way to tell the history of the place. Also, the camerawork was beautiful. It just seemed to float through the ghost town, which gave it a very eerie feel and served to enhance the story as well.
I loved this film. After watching it, I feel like it lasted for longer than 6 minutes. I felt like I just watched an hour long documentary. It was so interesting and intriguing. The shot compositions and cinematography was what made it so visually compelling. It was simple shots like the shot of the toxic waste in front of a house, or the white curtains blowing in the wind that really stood out. I loved the angles the director used. I loved the story and shot of the mountain. I just really liked the story in all. I can't think of anything I would have done differently and I was really impressed.
Fantastic cinematography, certainly one of the most visually compelling shorts we’ve seen so far. The choice in music here is also excellent. It fits perfectly in building an ominous mood to build tension and evoke emotion.
Thematically and in terms of content, this is a very fascinating film. We see a glimpse of the dark world humans may leave behind once we’re no longer around. Interesting in that man drastically damages nature, yet in the end it seems to be nature that ultimately triumphs. A cautionary tale on the dangers of human development that ends with a positive note on human creativity and passion.
There but for the grace of God, go the rest of us…This film gives a nice insight of what a post-apocalyptic world would look like after man no longer roams the Earth. What could lead to man no longer ruling? I think the director of this film would suggest that it is man’s fault for their lack of being and go on to say that it was partly out of their hands because of Mother Nature, God, and etc. The score from The Accidental Sea gave me the same feelings as I got from watching American Beauty. And if you have seen American Beauty then you know what I am talking about. The sound at the beginning was isolating and grim. As the narrator begins to explain the history of the Salton Sea there is a boom followed by a change in music leaving me with thoughts of otherworldliness. The director’s camera moves along with his imagery were awfully literal. I can think of a shot that had the sign in the foreground that reads END and in the background is the horizon as the narrator says endless horizons. Another literal shot is the one with the pieces of the puzzle of what happened lying just beneath pieces of a puzzle. Most of the shots reminded me of Terrence Malick. Lastly, I thought it was a captivating piece of work and I would recommend this to a friend.
I felt like this video was very well put together and had a good hypothesis, but i feel like he could have included more information and it would have been even better. It was beautifully shot though and my favorite was when he shot the dead end sign that was in the middle of the desert. I thought it had lots of symbolic meaning to the video itself. There wasnt much music but i did notice that when he began describing what happened and how bad it was, the music changed to a dramatic, less happy tone. Overall i feel like he could have turned that short of hte week into a much longer and detailed show that could air on discovery of something. Well done
This short contained uneven substance, but incredibly gorgeous cinematography made up for it in spades. The transitions from location porn, to history lesson, to depressing reality, and ending with an ambiguous look at a single major piece of culture is rather jarring, as the motivations of the filmmaker are unclear. This makes the film seem purely informational, but could have been helped by a longer runtime.
However, the location was perfect for filming wide vistas and abandoned locales. The wide shots contained wonderful color balance, as the purples and blues in the sky contrasted beautifully with the browns, greens, and grays in the ground. The man behind the camera was obviously a master of shot composition, as every single shot was pleasing to look at, archival footage notwithstanding. Overall, I really enjoyed looking at "The Accidental Sea" even if there seemed to be little point to the proceedings.
Wow, this short was really amazing. I loved the documentary-type style and it kept me very interested in it. I think that "The Accidental Sea" was the perfect title for this. The camera movements were great and so was the voiceover. The way he talked coincided with the music. I also enjoyed how a brief history of the ghost town was given. It showed the audience that he knew what he was talking about. Also, I would have never guessed that California had such beautiful deserts and mountains. That (extreme?) long shot of the mountains and the sea was an amazing shot. Ransom Riggs really knew what he was doing and told his story very well.
The most funny thing in the film that made me laugh was the writing on the abandoned house, "The Hills Have Eyes". I remember watching the remake of that movie and it scared the hell out of me. I was shocked to find out about that man at the end. It's rare finding someone who lives in the same condition as him; no electricity and running water. That's just CRAZY! Usually I critique the films we watch, but I can say that I found nothing that bugged me in this film. Everything about this film was so perfect and inspiring as a mini-documentary.
Very good short, keeps the viewer entertained. You almost hate it ended. It was educational but still very entertaining. I still don't understand what the point was? but it was still really good. The cinematography was very pleasing to the eye and the location was awesome! From mountain backdrops to the scenes Apocalypse, it did a great job keeping you plugged in. Overall it was a great short. nothing that can really be found wrong about it.
The contrast of life and death, abundance and emptiness, with mute and color, in this short is unsettling. I like the documentary style of camera work and narrative voice over. I think that this film achieved a lot in all fields of capturing an audiences attention, and posing questions of life after the apocalypse. I was drawn even more into the film when the historical footage and elements were included, giving the subject a lot of credibility. I applaud the fact that there was a lot said and learned from just a six minute long film. With documentaries, I think its important to leave an audience wanting to find out more or inviting them to take a stand about a posing issue. I felt that this was accomplished for me as the audience and consider this one my favorite short yet.
The Accidental Sea reminds me of something I would see on the History Channel. The backwards shots, and the storyline all impressed me. The visuals and the audio told the story of a city, and area long forgotten by all, except a few. One such guy has devoted his life to explaining his mission of art and God.
The inclusion of old scenes form the 60's was also fascinating. It helped to explain the concept of what the town used to be, before the lake became too salty for living ordinary living organisms. The short made me want to immediately Google Salten City and find out more. I my opinion YouTube needs more shorts like this film, and for them to be on the front page for all to see,.
I focused more on the visuals than the content of the film, so it's hard for me to say if it was a great film or not. I can say though, that it was "eye candy". As for the little bit of narration I paid attention to, it felt like a Discovery Channel special. But back to the footage, there were pretty shots used throughout. Seeing as most of it was a compilation of footage shot by multiple cameras, the audience had a chance to see things through different types of cameras that used different styles and formats, creating an overall "pretty" film. I personally liked the old-style footage (possibly super 8mm cameras?) As for the content, I wasn't exactly intrigued.
I really liked this film. Even though it was very short, only running around 6 minutes long, it definitely got the point the director was trying to make across. I liked the documentary style of the film and the old footage of the Miracle in the Desert advertisement was classic and definitely added a cool feel to the short.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about this short were the shots of the desert and town. The camera quality was fantastic and even if the footage was of an abandoned house with green toxic waste in front of it, the cinematography still made that shot look beautiful. The film had a great creepy vibe to it, but it also had a bit of happiness to it to. The end bit with salvation mountain was gorgeous and very cool. Like the narrator in the film said about the town, you can make and interpret whatever you want out of it. I felt the same way about this film.
This film reminded me a lot of Mad Max. I expected to see people riding spiked motorcycles across this barren hellscape, sword fighting for gasoline and twinkies. Unfortunately, there were no dune buggies or motorcycles, but this is still an interesting film. I have always known about The Salton Sea, but I didn't know why people abandoned it so long ago. I found it fascinating that they tried to turn this place into a resort town like Palm Springs, but it ended up the place we see in the film. The beaches made of fish bones would probably not attract many tourists. I noticed that the camera was moving in the majority of the shots, and it seems like he was always holding the camera. I think that the doom and gloom music he used in the film worked well to give us a sense of what it would be like to be in this post-apocalyptic setting. I think we should take a field trip to The Salton Sea so we can make our final films there!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this short film. It was definitely interesting, and I loved how the shots were most of the focus, and didn't rely much on narration. Each of the shots looked great, and were motivated. My favorite part of the film was the old timey feel that it had. Looking back at what the Salton Sea looked like when people lived there to what it looks like now is very telling. The shots definitely gave off the creepy abandoned place feel, but made it look very intriguing. The film was very interesting, and I feel that the director did a good job on getting people to want to learn more about the Salton Sea. For example, after I watched it, I immediately opened Wikipedia to read more about the Salton Sea.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. I liked the shots of the desert and the light and shadows in them. I definitely think he planned what time he would be there in order to capture those specific shots. The post-apocalyptic look was captivating, especially because this was a documentary and not a story that somebody wrote and created sets for. I thought the best shot was that of the broken/crumbling road as the camera approached the "END" sign. The shots he used were great shots, which kept my attention because I wanted to see what was next.
ReplyDeleteThe story also flowed really well. The use of the old footage definitely created the story because it showed Salton City in its prime, which contrasted greatly with what it looks like now, allowing us to understand what it was like and why it is the way it is now. I like how it ended on a high note by showing a unique area that is set apart from the destruction. The narration of the film helped provide information that would have been unavailable because of the lack of actors and dialogue, and I also thought that the music fit with the mood. All in all, I really enjoyed this film.
This is a very good short film. The way the director tells the story is pretty natural. The camera's shoots are pretty clear and colorful with comfortable composition. Also I have several favorite shoots in this film. The shoot of dilapidated houses with the awesome movement in one shoot is the one I like the most. Furthermore, when the scene of the old man with painted walls is very touching and encouraged. Overall it is a very good documentary short film
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. I seldom find documentaries interesting, and usually I only watch for the subject matter, but I found this particular film to be very intriguing. The shots of Salton Sea reminded me of the portrait of a place project we did for class. I was impressed with how well the director was able to tell a story through a series of shots, without actors. I almost wish I had seen this film before filming my portrait of a place, because I feel it would have given me a better idea of what you can do with these types of shots.
ReplyDeleteI found the eeriness of the film to be very engrossing. The plausibility of the future that this film presented scares me. While no one ever wants to admit it, this type of future is possible nearly anywhere else. I found the point of this film to be both worthwhile and intriguing. I also loved the addition of the 1950's tourism commercial for the Salton Sea. I thought it translated well that the issue presented is not a new one, and I thought it added to the eerie tone of the film.
After watching "The Accidental Sea", my immediate, almost solemn, reaction to it was, “Damn.” Within six minutes, Ransom Riggs captures the audience, delivers his message, and leaves us with a high sense of realization” He begins discussing planets outside of Earth and the unlikelihood it is for most humans to visit, but then he subtly guides the audience into seeing our world and its alien-like features from within. Visually and with a narrative, Riggs captures a post-apocalyptic world within the deserted deserts of “The Salton Sea.” The part that I had to rewind (because it was so “damn” alluring) is when he guides the camera through the broken framed window and says, “I go there to catch glimpses of what the world will look like without us.” It’s powerful.
ReplyDeleteRiggs does a great job telling us the story of “The Salton Sea” along with the man who still lives there today. He creates a post-apocalyptic world in a pre-apocalyptic time by using his camera to focus on vacant, deserted places, and explains as if the people left in a rush to get out. His overall message is delivered strongly throughout and it definitely makes one think about the possible future.
This was an incredibly interesting short film. Hands down, the best part about this short was the narration. The way the narrator compared and contrasted everything was fascinating. He made drew parallels between the desert and another planet, the abandoned town and the once thriving tourist hotspot it used to be, and the vibrant artwork of one man and the bleak beauty of the ghost town. The way everything flowed together, from the introduction of the location, to the history of the town, to the philosophical musings at the end, the whole thing felt very cohesive and I enjoyed it. The archive footage was a really interesting way to tell the history of the place. Also, the camerawork was beautiful. It just seemed to float through the ghost town, which gave it a very eerie feel and served to enhance the story as well.
ReplyDeleteI loved this film. After watching it, I feel like it lasted for longer than 6 minutes. I felt like I just watched an hour long documentary. It was so interesting and intriguing. The shot compositions and cinematography was what made it so visually compelling. It was simple shots like the shot of the toxic waste in front of a house, or the white curtains blowing in the wind that really stood out. I loved the angles the director used. I loved the story and shot of the mountain. I just really liked the story in all. I can't think of anything I would have done differently and I was really impressed.
ReplyDeleteFantastic cinematography, certainly one of the most visually compelling shorts we’ve seen so far. The choice in music here is also excellent. It fits perfectly in building an ominous mood to build tension and evoke emotion.
ReplyDeleteThematically and in terms of content, this is a very fascinating film. We see a glimpse of the dark world humans may leave behind once we’re no longer around. Interesting in that man drastically damages nature, yet in the end it seems to be nature that ultimately triumphs. A cautionary tale on the dangers of human development that ends with a positive note on human creativity and passion.
There but for the grace of God, go the rest of us…This film gives a nice insight of what a post-apocalyptic world would look like after man no longer roams the Earth. What could lead to man no longer ruling? I think the director of this film would suggest that it is man’s fault for their lack of being and go on to say that it was partly out of their hands because of Mother Nature, God, and etc. The score from The Accidental Sea gave me the same feelings as I got from watching American Beauty. And if you have seen American Beauty then you know what I am talking about. The sound at the beginning was isolating and grim. As the narrator begins to explain the history of the Salton Sea there is a boom followed by a change in music leaving me with thoughts of otherworldliness. The director’s camera moves along with his imagery were awfully literal. I can think of a shot that had the sign in the foreground that reads END and in the background is the horizon as the narrator says endless horizons. Another literal shot is the one with the pieces of the puzzle of what happened lying just beneath pieces of a puzzle. Most of the shots reminded me of Terrence Malick. Lastly, I thought it was a captivating piece of work and I would recommend this to a friend.
ReplyDeleteI felt like this video was very well put together and had a good hypothesis, but i feel like he could have included more information and it would have been even better. It was beautifully shot though and my favorite was when he shot the dead end sign that was in the middle of the desert. I thought it had lots of symbolic meaning to the video itself. There wasnt much music but i did notice that when he began describing what happened and how bad it was, the music changed to a dramatic, less happy tone. Overall i feel like he could have turned that short of hte week into a much longer and detailed show that could air on discovery of something. Well done
ReplyDeleteThis short contained uneven substance, but incredibly gorgeous cinematography made up for it in spades. The transitions from location porn, to history lesson, to depressing reality, and ending with an ambiguous look at a single major piece of culture is rather jarring, as the motivations of the filmmaker are unclear. This makes the film seem purely informational, but could have been helped by a longer runtime.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the location was perfect for filming wide vistas and abandoned locales. The wide shots contained wonderful color balance, as the purples and blues in the sky contrasted beautifully with the browns, greens, and grays in the ground. The man behind the camera was obviously a master of shot composition, as every single shot was pleasing to look at, archival footage notwithstanding. Overall, I really enjoyed looking at "The Accidental Sea" even if there seemed to be little point to the proceedings.
Wow, this short was really amazing. I loved the documentary-type style and it kept me very interested in it. I think that "The Accidental Sea" was the perfect title for this. The camera movements were great and so was the voiceover. The way he talked coincided with the music. I also enjoyed how a brief history of the ghost town was given. It showed the audience that he knew what he was talking about. Also, I would have never guessed that California had such beautiful deserts and mountains. That (extreme?) long shot of the mountains and the sea was an amazing shot. Ransom Riggs really knew what he was doing and told his story very well.
ReplyDeleteThe most funny thing in the film that made me laugh was the writing on the abandoned house, "The Hills Have Eyes". I remember watching the remake of that movie and it scared the hell out of me. I was shocked to find out about that man at the end. It's rare finding someone who lives in the same condition as him; no electricity and running water. That's just CRAZY! Usually I critique the films we watch, but I can say that I found nothing that bugged me in this film. Everything about this film was so perfect and inspiring as a mini-documentary.
Very good short, keeps the viewer entertained. You almost hate it ended. It was educational but still very entertaining. I still don't understand what the point was? but it was still really good. The cinematography was very pleasing to the eye and the location was awesome! From mountain backdrops to the scenes Apocalypse, it did a great job keeping you plugged in. Overall it was a great short. nothing that can really be found wrong about it.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast of life and death, abundance and emptiness, with mute and color, in this short is unsettling. I like the documentary style of camera work and narrative voice over. I think that this film achieved a lot in all fields of capturing an audiences attention, and posing questions of life after the apocalypse. I was drawn even more into the film when the historical footage and elements were included, giving the subject a lot of credibility. I applaud the fact that there was a lot said and learned from just a six minute long film. With documentaries, I think its important to leave an audience wanting to find out more or inviting them to take a stand about a posing issue. I felt that this was accomplished for me as the audience and consider this one my favorite short yet.
ReplyDeleteThe Accidental Sea reminds me of something I would see on the History Channel. The backwards shots, and the storyline all impressed me. The visuals and the audio told the story of a city, and area long forgotten by all, except a few. One such guy has devoted his life to explaining his mission of art and God.
ReplyDeleteThe inclusion of old scenes form the 60's was also fascinating. It helped to explain the concept of what the town used to be, before the lake became too salty for living ordinary living organisms. The short made me want to immediately Google Salten City and find out more. I my opinion YouTube needs more shorts like this film, and for them to be on the front page for all to see,.
I focused more on the visuals than the content of the film, so it's hard for me to say if it was a great film or not. I can say though, that it was "eye candy". As for the little bit of narration I paid attention to, it felt like a Discovery Channel special. But back to the footage, there were pretty shots used throughout. Seeing as most of it was a compilation of footage shot by multiple cameras, the audience had a chance to see things through different types of cameras that used different styles and formats, creating an overall "pretty" film. I personally liked the old-style footage (possibly super 8mm cameras?) As for the content, I wasn't exactly intrigued.
ReplyDelete