The Sparks Film School Film of the Month Award celebrates a new film from the imaginative filmmaking talents of Sparks Film School students every month.
Each month, a film production made by Sparks Film School crew members is chosen by our panel of judges.
Congratulations to the crews behind Lost in The Backrooms from Sparks Film School Balham.
This month, Lost in The Backrooms by filmmakers from Sparks Film School Balham has been chosen as the winning film!
This mystery thriller film follows a young boy, who gets lost in the mysterious ‘backrooms’ and starts to lose his mind. It was produced by filmmakers taking part in weekly filmmaking classes, aged 7-11.
From the Judges…
“For this month’s Film of the Month Award we have chosen this fantastic and mysterious production from young filmmakers in Sparks Film School Balham.
The panel loved watching this film, with its eerie atmosphere and unique premise!
The film opens with the main character working away on his computer. The atmosphere is immediately very unsettling, with great sound design by the young filmmakers, which we loved. There are some interesting establishing shots of the office and building, plenty of muted colours and straight lines, which give us a bit of a visual feast and clearly setting up the film.
The setting itself doesn’t give too much away but still provides that unsettling quality that stays throughout the film. We are never quite sure how to feel, and the filmmakers have identified some interesting ways to create that effect with their use of setting, mise-en-scène and sound design. It’s a really strong opening that pulls you in straight away, and it’s quietly very effective.
Our panel really want to commend the crew on their use of camera angles and shot types. The film has a wide variety of camera work and different angles the crew have used, each giving the film a distorted and strange look, which lends itself effectively to the filmmakers’ concept here. The crew have also made good use of POV [Point-of-View] shots, which really help bring us the audience into the characters shoes as if we are experiencing what he is along with him. It’s all really effective, great work.
We were also impressed with the plot, which feels high-concept and the crew have handled this nicely. The character is drawn into the mysterious ‘backrooms’, where he slowly questions his reality as strange things begin to happen. This is shown through some creepy and strange moments, such as when other mysterious ghost-like children appear and disappear. There is a great shot of a hand emerging from a monster’s mouth, and some great use of slow and tense POVs.
Overall, the crew in Sparks Film School Balham have created a very atmospheric and interesting film, which clearly has involved a lot of creativity and passion.
Well done to the crew over in for creating such a striking film!”
Congratulations to all involved and well done on being November’s Film Of The Month!
About Sparks Film School’s Film of the Month
The Sparks Film of the Month Award shines a spotlight on a new film each month from the imaginative filmmaking talents of Sparks Film School students.
Each month, a film production made by Sparks Film School crew members is chosen as Film of the Month.
Our panel of judges – assembled from our team of filmmaking instructors – look at submissions from across Sparks Film Schools nationally and choose one film that they think stands out as an impressive piece of filmmaking.
They assess based on each film’s impact on screen and explore all its little details to uncover all the things we love about each film chosen.
Film of the Month: Selection Criteria
To be selected as Sparks Film of the Month, a film production needs to be…
Original:
We look for originality and imagination above all else when choosing the winner of Film of the Month. We looks for films that surprise us, offer some inventiveness and challenge convention.
Interesting:
To be chosen as Film of the Month, a production needs to be interesting. We want to see what happens next; we want to learn more about the characters. We should be invested in watching until the very end.
Well Made:
We need to be appreciate the technicality in how a film has been made for it to be awarded Film of the Month. It should feature a clear storyline, be well shot, well acted, well edited and put together.
Made by Students of Sparks Film School:
Film of the Month can be awarded to any film production made by students at any Sparks Film School across the UK. It can be made independently or during film school sessions.
About Sparks Film School’s Filmmaking Courses
Sparks Film School offers filmmaking, animation and photography workshops for ages 5-18, including term time classes and holiday camps.
We offer free taster classes and there are lots of opportunities to get involved. You can find out more about our filmmaking courses here >>>
