The opening shot of Rowan and the hawk on the edge of a huge overhanging rock creates a very striking opening image. Which is followed by a long flying shot of the bird that launches us straight into the vast scale of Hawk.
This visual awe resonates throughout the film. Every shot has a grand and dramatic feel, and each is beautifully constructed. The mountains of Snowdonia are the perfect location for a Middle Earth feel. The 'Antlered God' has strong vibes of the Faun from Pan's Labyrinth, especially during the forest scene when he appears before the young Rowan. It has a slow rumbling pace, for short film it carries a lot of weight and grandeur that sometimes has the feel of the bigger budget of a feature film.
The story isn't incredibly compelling, although it does have an original take on the fantasy genre, but I was more engaged with the visuals. The film makes great use of visual effects and CG that are never over emphasised and don't overpower the look of the film. The 'making of' production dairies available on Capture's youtube channel provide a great insight into the production of the film. The effects are sometimes quite subtle, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that some parts of the film used CG if it was not for watching several of these prior to the film, for the effects are so perfectly blended with the live action.
Hawk is a short film that aims high and thinks big.
This visual awe resonates throughout the film. Every shot has a grand and dramatic feel, and each is beautifully constructed. The mountains of Snowdonia are the perfect location for a Middle Earth feel. The 'Antlered God' has strong vibes of the Faun from Pan's Labyrinth, especially during the forest scene when he appears before the young Rowan. It has a slow rumbling pace, for short film it carries a lot of weight and grandeur that sometimes has the feel of the bigger budget of a feature film.
The story isn't incredibly compelling, although it does have an original take on the fantasy genre, but I was more engaged with the visuals. The film makes great use of visual effects and CG that are never over emphasised and don't overpower the look of the film. The 'making of' production dairies available on Capture's youtube channel provide a great insight into the production of the film. The effects are sometimes quite subtle, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that some parts of the film used CG if it was not for watching several of these prior to the film, for the effects are so perfectly blended with the live action.
Hawk is a short film that aims high and thinks big.