This short film compares the pandemic to a video game. The narrator describes the hardships of living through a pandemic by calling COVID "the expansion pack none of us ever wanted." NáDej expresses her struggle with anxiety and how playing video games helped her cope with what was going on in the world during the pandemic. She was able to social distance, but still be close to her friends online.
I enjoyed how NáDej compares her video game self to her real self. She explains how, in the video games she plays, her character has strength, agility, and power on level 148, whereas in reality she believes herself to be at level 2. But, she turns this negative into a positive by explaining that, even though she may see herself as a level 2, in reality, she is accomplishing and overcoming obstacles in life just like her character in the video game, hence leveling up in reality as well.
I love when NáDej cracks a joke and the animation and music freezes. There are moments when NáDej has the animation of herself and talks to the audience and then proceeds to show reenactments. It breaks up the video and helps it flow a little bit better. I like the different animated video game players. Their designs are intricate and show each character's personality. For example, one of the characters has a pink red heart on her cheek, indicating that she is most likely more feminine and caring. Meanwhile, the other character has a blue costume with piercings, accompanied with glowing designs that resemble tattoos, indicating that, that character is more hardcore. The backgrounds coincide with what the narrator is talking about in each scene. For example, when NáDej describes how she felt when the pandemic first started, the background is of her animated self, very small, compared to the big earth, with a dark gray background. The music in the beginning is joyful and invites the audience in. The music enhances the emotion when the film shifts from the upbeat introduction to slower and quieter guitar strums when the narrator discusses the hardships she faced during the pandemic.
NáDej's character development is evident in this film. She discusses how she felt severe anxiety when the pandemic began, but, with the help of her friends online and by immersing herself into video games, she leveled up not only her character in the game, but her real self as well. The audio is very crisp and the animation is very clean and easy on the eyes.
The message of this short film is that sometimes, immersing oneself into a positive hobby can be therapeutic, because it helps one take a break from reality. But, it is important to not get carried away and to keep things in balance.
I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Since this film is created by someone between the ages of 12 and 18, the filmmaker appropriately explains the pandemic for younger audiences. By Tor F., KIDS FIRST!
This short film compares the pandemic to a video game. The narrator describes the hardships of living through a pandemic by calling COVID "the expansion pack none of us ever wanted." NáDej expresses her struggle with anxiety and how playing video games helped her cope with what was going on in the world during the pandemic. She was able to social distance, but still be close to her friends online.
I enjoyed how NáDej compares her video game self to her real self. She explains how, in the video games she plays, her character has strength, agility, and power on level 148, whereas in reality she believes herself to be at level 2. But, she turns this negative into a positive by explaining that, even though she may see herself as a level 2, in reality, she is accomplishing and overcoming obstacles in life just like her character in the video game, hence leveling up in reality as well.
I love when NáDej cracks a joke and the animation and music freezes. There are moments when NáDej has the animation of herself and talks to the audience and then proceeds to show reenactments. It breaks up the video and helps it flow a little bit better. I like the different animated video game players. Their designs are intricate and show each character's personality. For example, one of the characters has a pink red heart on her cheek, indicating that she is most likely more feminine and caring. Meanwhile, the other character has a blue costume with piercings, accompanied with glowing designs that resemble tattoos, indicating that, that character is more hardcore. The backgrounds coincide with what the narrator is talking about in each scene. For example, when NáDej describes how she felt when the pandemic first started, the background is of her animated self, very small, compared to the big earth, with a dark gray background. The music in the beginning is joyful and invites the audience in. The music enhances the emotion when the film shifts from the upbeat introduction to slower and quieter guitar strums when the narrator discusses the hardships she faced during the pandemic.
NáDej's character development is evident in this film. She discusses how she felt severe anxiety when the pandemic began, but, with the help of her friends online and by immersing herself into video games, she leveled up not only her character in the game, but her real self as well. The audio is very crisp and the animation is very clean and easy on the eyes.
The message of this short film is that sometimes, immersing oneself into a positive hobby can be therapeutic, because it helps one take a break from reality. But, it is important to not get carried away and to keep things in balance.
I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Since this film is created by someone between the ages of 12 and 18, the filmmaker appropriately explains the pandemic for younger audiences. By Tor F., KIDS FIRST!
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