Reel/Unreel

 Overall, I did really enjoy watching Reel/Unreel. Something I took notice of first was the way the multiple types of shots felt. Although there were a variety of close-ups, distance shots, and tracking shots, each one kind of makes the audience feel like a tourist, onlooker, or almost a fly on the wall. We are simply a spectator or witness to these kids playing with film rolls. Something else I found important about these shots and this video, in general, was the use of sound in them. We are able to hear many different sounds in terms of environment and background noise, but there is no distinguishable dialogue to help tell the story. I think the use of sound, however, adds to the narrative more than dialogue probably could. For most of the video, the background noises are combined with the sounds of the metal reel against different terrains, however, we also at some points hear and see helicopters. The helicopter sounds somewhat takes us out of the playful journey of the reel along with the other children as they peer at the aircrafts, before going back to the game. It makes you feel more part of an environment than part of a conversation, even though it still incites a conversation in your own head.

I think the use of color was very helpful as well, as the reels of the film were a brighter blue and red in contrast with the rest of the mostly muted landscapes. There were other pops of color of course such as the young girls' outfits, the red rug, and some stuff in the market, but generally, the focus is on the reels of film. Something else I visually think is interesting is for the majority of the video although we see the reel and the film in close proximity, we don't see any of what is actually on the film until the end. I think this is an important point because although the original intention of the reel was to contain film to be projected and seen, that does not necessarily mean that has to be the reel's only function. 

As far as the illusion of continuity, at first when I watched the video through I definitely thought it was cohesive. It felt similar to the Radiohead music video in that we were following a subject (or two subjects) along a journey, in this case through different parts of the same area. However, upon further thought, I realized the main reason each scene seemed so continuous was because of the reels of film. Yes, the background and scenery are important, but since the main focus was always on the child and the reel of film, sometimes it kind of just became a moving background beyond what I was paying most attention to. Therefore, even though some of the shots scenery-wise may not have been the most cohesive, like the Radiohead music video, the whole story felt put together because its focus was constant until the end.

I also really found interest in the subtitles at the end, because not only did it show that the film reel did have multiple uses for the children, but it also explained why it was an available source of entertainment for them in Kabul.