Trust the Process – A Review of Deliver a Feeling

Although this is not technically a full film, I chose to review this short film by Peter McKinnon because I feel he excels as a storyteller and I’d like to analyze and explain some of the techniques and decisions he makes throughout his short film type videos.

In this video, Peter McKinnon and his crew creates a stunning video to go along with the track his friend, Henrik Olsson, created. The camera work itself is amazing, utilizing drones, hand held gimbals, and cameras set up on tripods to get the best angles and shots he can get.

However, it is not just the camera work that sets this video apart.

There are many pieces that go into creating a visually appealing video, and McKinnon seems to work these all to his advantage with expertise. In multiple shots, the viewer can see that the movement goes in a specific direction: left to right, right to left, moving upwards, downwards, etc. In order to create a flow that is easily understandable, McKinnon pieces shots together that move in similar directions. If he has one shot where Olsson is walking to the left, he’ll follow it with a shot with a similar movement track.

This is a well known technique with filmmakers to ensure that the flow of the video is aligned and that it is easily digestible for viewers. It may be a bit disorienting to have shots that move in opposite directions linked together. It gives the eye a path to follow and ultimately creates a focal point, much like focal points in art where different elements lead the eyes to the main point, telling a story along the way.

Paired with this motion based technique is the ever important aspect of sound design. This short film focuses heavily on the sounds involved, as the story follows Olssen as he uses the sounds around him to produce a track. Specifically, the video is well paced by the beat. Although the clip may not change on every beat, the viewer can expect a clip change when there is a noticeable beat in the music.

McKinnon also uses this technique in regards to the build up of the music. As Olssen says that the area is anything but silent, McKinnon incorporates more and more sounds from their surroundings such as a waves rolling, cigarette burning, a fishing rod reel turning, and a fish flopping. These sounds are paired to their respective clips and as the beat fastens, so does the speed of each clip. It noticeably increases in pace until it reaches the climax and once again reaches silence.

After the silence, Olssen begins his introduction paired with a different sound. The downbeats are noticeable in this track, yet the clips don’t change on those beats. Instead, it changes shots on the upbeats. This subtle change in pace marks a shift between the beginning of the video to now, where Olssen is beginning to tell his story.

As he is telling his story, we are allowed to see a bit into his process, hazy and slightly disorienting, until it all stops. The music, movement, and color comes to a halt and we are met with a still, breathtaking shot of the mountains. This break from the original narrative gives the viewer a chance to understand Olssen’s reasoning behind using the sounds of nature for his track.

A really intriguing tool that McKinnon tells often to immerse viewers is finding the perfect audio clips for the dialogue. As Olssen speaks on snow crunching beneath his feet, ice cracking, and the wind against his jacket, we hear each of those distinct sounds. This pairing of the audio to the visual makes for an overall more immersive video that draws viewers in even more, maintaining their interest.

Olssen’s dialogue is the main pacemaker for the video, as he directs the flow of it all. He speaks about how his music makes listeners feel something, similarly to how the video allows viewers to feel the surroundings as well. The buzzing of the airplane resonates within viewers ears and they can imagine what that would feel like. The whooshing of the waves as they flow allows readers to feel that soft, cold wave.

At this point in the video, where the plane is taking off from the water, the music is peaceful but slowly building up. At the same time, the overall color of the video shifts from a blue, colder tone, to a softer, yellow one. This shift is gradual but as the rays from the sun begin to warm up the picture, viewers can anticipate something energetic and exciting to come. As the sun begins to set, we are reminded of the process we were allowed to see in which Olssen creates his music. A small building, immersed in a green haze, surrounded by darkness and mirroring the Aurora Borealis that dances in the background.

The music picks up as the shots become quicker. It is as if the music has compelled the camera and the scenery (the northern lights to be exact) to dance along with it. Then slowly, it fades out to a series of beautiful shots and then a fade to black and the credits roll.

I love this piece simply because of the sound design. Most who appreciate film understand that sound design is one of the most important parts of creating an intriguing piece. It is similar to how sense of smell impacts our sense of taste. If the sound design is bad, it will just distract the viewer, or it will cause disinterest and they will not watch it.

Ultimately, sound design is a major part of the process, and aspiring filmmakers must learn how to incorporate it in unique, and audibly pleasing ways.

Take for example, this picture:

Can you imagine the sound of the river, of the cars passing by, of the people chatting on the grass and basking in the sun? These are the types of sounds a filmmaker must take into account in regards to sound.

It may be weird at first to try blending these sounds with the music or other audio being placed over the clips, but the best advice I can give is to trust the process, practice makes perfect and it’ll all come together in the end.

Subscribe to my blog to get updated on my next post, where I’ll be reviewing Oscar Nominated Parasite (broken up into two posts).

Until then, you can find me peering through the viewfinder.