Snowy

 

    The short film Snowy caught me by surprise to say the least. I did not really think it would be too interesting at first, but I quickly realized that I found myself drawn into the story of this small pet that was at first a joke within its family. The 12 minute film was really able to make you fall in love with Snowy from the cinematography to the message behind the film.

    The first thing that I have to mention about the film is the cinematography. While this film was definitely made with a low budget, it was able to make the most out of what it had. The camera work was simple yet effective. There were two really well done examples within the short film that I personally am a fan of. The first shot was when the family is having Thanksgiving dinner and everyone is happy, full of color and lively. This then pans out to a camera shot outside of the house. All we can see is a lit window with everyone inside. The camera pans down towards a barely lit basement window where Snowy the turtle is residing. We can see the contrast between the bright and loud party to the dull and quiet basement with a lonely Snowy. The other shot that I thought was done well is when Snowy is shown outside in the sun. Here Snowy is shown as the center of the huge garden taking on a new adventure and finally is freed from his cage for the first time in who knows how long. What I love about this shot is that it shows Snowy as this powerful character even though he might not seem like he is. 

The message behind this film was beautiful to say the least. The directors of the film, Kaitlyn Schwalje and Alexander W. Lewis, are the true heroes of this film. They were able to give life and new meaning for Snowy and even his family. Without them Snowy would probably never have been helped and given more recognition. But the other thing the directors left behind was the message that I thought was special. At the end of the film we see Snowy is given new hope as a pet, but then the camera zooms out and shows us the entire neighborhood that this took place in. Which tells us that this was such a small and insignificant story to many people but out of it became a sort of rebirth for something that at first was not important and then became a focal point in a family's life. It goes to show how you should cherish little things in life because anything can become significant to anyone.