The Terminal Bar (2003) Stefan Nadelman

This documentary illustrates one of the toughest bars in Manhattan and how the constant change in eccentric customers influenced its owner Sheldon, being the bartender at the time he had collected a vast amount of black and white portraits.


The narrative is refreshed by this continuous exhibition of photos complete with sub stories of gays, drunks, crooks and junkies. Nadelman has used jazz music to give the short an atmosphere of the city, sounds of objects moving inside the bar are heard throughout to add authenticity. The pace of the editing reflects how the bar never really stopped, constantly transforming whether it be a gay bar to accommodate the homosexual afro american regulars or a venue for the destructive Irish individuals.

To keep the viewer focused the editor has chosen to zoom in on certain photos, inspecting the detail which lies within them, I believe this successful as it demands an active audience during the documentary immersing them into Sheldons life at 42^nd Street. The narrators voice has a low pitch and sinister tone, he sets the mood of the film while establishing photos are shown, it pans slowly around as though we are being read a comic magazine.  

Paperboys (2001) Mike Mills 

In the town of Stillwater, Minnesota we are presented with Brandon, an average american paperboy who gives us an insight to his youth. Brandon enjoys playing on his Nintendo 64 and listening to rap music quoting such artists as Dr Dre, though he is bombarded with messages of violence and get rich quick agendas he carries on as a hard working kid far from being troubled.

Mills juxtaposes a rap song with the footage of Brandon and his friends riding there bikes displaying there innocence in the environment. Though its seems that where they live is a desolate uninhabited town he is content with what he has, Brandon talks about how he saves his money to fund his hobbies, his bike for instance. It seems as though the morals of adulthood are reserved in his decision making however we discover that when posed with a question about the future of paperboys his childish mind flourishes with ideas of floating cars revealing his creative cognition.

Mills uses a handheld camera approach to the documentary giving it a raw feel, none of the shots appear to be composed. I believe this helps the audience to become more interpolated into the subjects life.   

Ludovico Einaudi - Fuori dal Mondo





This song appears in the film 'This is England' by Shane Meadows. The piano/violin notes help to reflect the emotion of the characters during the scene, the pace gradually builds as the diegetic sound is removed and a montage of images showing the effects of the Falklands war are displayed. Close up shots of Combo and Shaun's face are utilized previously to allow the audience to recognise the sorrow felt by each of the characters. 

One Night In Snitchel City from Pass Port. on Vimeo.

A skate video featuring a song called 'Sick' by 'Salem'. I liked the use of black and white as well as the deviant facial masks that flicker abruptly throughout the duration of the video.