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Staff Favorite

Overall: 8
Story: 7
Animation: 7
Cinematography: 9
Sound: 10

Culmination

Directed By: Nate

Genre: Drama, Comedy
Length: 09:54
Released: August 25th, 2009

Director's Comments

Now that he has become a successful businessman, Jason brings joy to a city in this story filled with music, humor, and drama.  (This is a sequel to one of my previous films, Fulfillment.)

The story of Culmination was conceived and refined over several months, but the actual animation was done in the space of 3 days.  I finally decided I should make it, since it was almost time to leave for college (and I would not be taking bricks with me).  =)

Into this film I poured almost all of the brickfilming skills I've learned over the past 4 years.  It is the culmination of my efforts.  But my biggest goal in this was to glorify the Lord, and to tell a great story that would encourage you to live for others and take action for their good.

This may be one of my last brickfilms.  Perhaps I will return to brickfilming on college breaks, or perhaps not; I can't say for sure.  In any case, I sincerely hope you enjoy this film.  I also hope that the brickfilming community continues to thrive as it has for so long.

If there is one piece of advice I can give:  tell good stories.  As they say at Pixar, "Story is king."  Entertain.  Awe.  Inspire.  Use your skills to move your audience in a good and special way.  Animation is a powerful medium.

Staff Review

Randy Yard:
Newer members may not have heard of this director, a rare visitor to these forums, but to pass on this film for that reason would be a mistake of tragic proportions. This ten-minute masterpiece manages to tell a captivating and heartwarming tale and keep the viewers transfixed all the while without employing a single word of dialogue. It's an impressive and virtually unparalleled feat, calling to mind shorter silent greats such as "Cognizance," but the palpable emotion this film elicits from opening shot to end credits simply decries comparison.

As with any film that throws away the crutch of verbal exchange, all other aspects suddenly become that much more important, and thankfully Nate's work in this film is more than sturdy enough to carry the load. Beautiful cinematography and editing abounds, but where this film stands head and shoulders above the rest is in the sound department. A few well-chosen sound effects punctuate the soundtrack, but the music selection is in a class all its own. The music may not be original, but for as perfectly as it fits it would be easy to think it was. Tracks from other film soundtracks are interspersed with a heaping helping of string covers from Coldplay and other artists, and the resulting melody is nothing short of enthralling.

There are a few flaws--the set is simple, the pacing perhaps a bit sluggish, the animation merely good--but you almost feel guilty looking for them. This film is not meant to be studied but to be observed, absorbed, and enjoyed, and viewers should have no problem doing just that. A must-watch for true fans of the art of brickfilming.

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