Heartbeat critique

Heartbeat from Justin H on Vimeo.

Note: the video posted above is the final version of the project. this critique occurred with a previous version (rough cut).


We like the gentle approach Justin took to this project in comparison to the first exercise he produced entitled "Death From Above". We have a strong appreciation for both, but the contrast was apparent immediately. We felt a calmness while watching this video based solely on the visuals. As it stands in his rough cut, Justin has yet to add audio, but we would hope that the audio adds to this feeling. By capturing it in still frames, and using the tiny toy robots, he succeeded in developing a quirkiness that speaks louder than an overall message. In short, character is the dominant element of this piece.

That is not to say that a message cannot be speculated. If we were to guess, we would assume that the idea behind this video is something concerned with love or life. There is nothing literally human within this piece, but the way Justin approached the subject matter (the tiny robots), he lent to them a sort of 'human quality'. They appeared friendly, warm, and happy beings in the natural environment. By use of interesting camera angles, Justin sparked a sense of curiosity from both the perspective of the viewer and the robots. The was a strong sense of exploration, being that it took place outdoors and there were many close-ups involved.

Concept development: Seemed to be well thought-out and constructed in terms of narrative, timing and framing. There appears to be no climax to the piece as of yet, but perhaps this is not part of the story structure. We would recommend perhaps trying to develop one.

Creativity: Use of the toy robots was interesting to establish a subject and narrative. There was a great amount of experimentation involved in terms of camera angles and focus.

Technical and Aesthetic Quality: The still images used in this video beautifully shot in terms of composition, focus, contrast, and colour. There is evidence of a high level of aesthetic understanding and technical skill.