"The Archive" by Sean Dunne is an artistic, and creative short documentary. It is easy to see that Dunne had a vision for what he wanted this project to be from the beginning. The subject is extremely intriguing because he owns the world's largest record collection and has an immense love for music. Dunne gives us a look inside his world, and enhances our understanding of this Man's life through his creative camerawork. I loved how the record player is such an essential part of this film. The record player shot shows up many times throughout the film, and the redundancy of the shot enforced the theme and message of the documentary. The filming of the record collection is also creative. Dunne filmed from above, and also filmed by panning down the aisles. This showes the audience just how large the subject's collection really is. If Dunne had filmed the subject straight on while he was looking at his records, it would not have the same effect. Lastly, I thought the ending of the film was especially impactful. The man was talking about how he had opened a record store for others to enjoy his collection, but unfortunately it had to close it's doors. So, in the last scene as the movie was ending Dunne filmed the man listening to a record as lights started going off in different sections of the store. At the end the checkout light went off and the film ended. This was extremely creative symbolism. I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary and Dunne's creativity and artistry throughout the film.
From what I have seen, there really isn't much to say that hasn't been said before. A documentary by definition is based around world building, and that is exactly what has been done in "The Archive." It fills all the roles of a documentary by providing a visually compelling narrative based around a real person. Through the camera work, you grow to understand Paul's world more, from his walks through the aisles of his archive to his listening of the records. Even though Paul is legally blind, we can see his life through the camera's eye and understand his love for music.
"The Archive," a short documentary filmed by Sean Dunne, is the tragic story of a record-collecting extraordinaire who is not given his due respect by a world that has moved onto mp3s. Paul Mawhinney, the subject of this short, is introduced in a still, one-camera shot, before the intro rolls. Throughout the doc, Dunne does a good job accurately showing off Mawhinney's entire collection, panning through the halls and halls of records that Mawhinney boasts. The final scene, in which Mawhinney listens to his "life song" as the lights go out on his archive, is a chilling scene. Throughout the documentary, unless he is using his record player, the camera is looking up at Mawhinney. This indicates that, despite being a man whose record collection no longer seen as awe-inspiring by a world that has moved past records, he is a man whose accomplishments are not to be looked down upon.
Molly Hochwalt: The short documentary, “The Archive”, by Sean Dunne sheds light on the owner of the worlds largest record collection. I found this to be a very successful documentary. The camera work on the interview scenes was solid and interesting with the backdrop being the actual archive. I also thought that the B-roll footage was integrated very smoothly into the film. It was interesting and kept me involved to be able to see the actual rows of records while hearing the responses from the collector himself. I could feel the connection that this man has to collection and at the end found myself desperately hoping that someone will come along and save his collection from being lost. And that is the goal of a documentary, you are supposed to feel connected and involved in the narrative that you are being shown. Sean Dunne did a great job of maintaining the viewer focus on the spoken content while keeping the eyes trained on the film. Overall, I thought that this documentary was very well done.
Dustin Bennett: The greatest achievement of "The Archive" is illustrating exactly what "a million" means. When the subject of the short, Paul Mawhinney, says he owns over one million records, every viewer would be forgiven for being taken aback. In the documentary it's mentioned that Paul will be 69 soon, and to collect a million records in that time would require an average of getting 40 records a day every day since birth. An incomprehensible amount, and yet the director (Sean Dunne) truly showcases the size of the collection. His shots up the aisle are intimidating and when the camera is positioned over the shelves, showing the viewer the mostly-dark record store, leaving so much to the imagination about how many more shelves there could be.
Another triumph of "The Archive" is how it handles its subject. A man who owns over one million records could easily be seen as unbalanced or irresponsible, but in this short he never comes off that way. This is especially true of the final scene, where Paul talks about how he has to get rid of the collection, but won't do it if it means selling it off piece by piece. The film ends on Paul playing a song and seemingly holding back tears, worrying about what's going to happen to him, his wife, and his records. It's really touching and, in my opinion, the highlight of the film.
Louis Lartigue: The Archive is a documentary by Sean Dunne that tells the story of Paul Mawhinney who is the owner of the largest record collection in the world. The documentary gives the history of Mawhinney’s collection as well as shows us his struggles to sell it in an age where vinyl records have lost there past glory. The documentary’s B-roll footage helps compliment Mawhinney’s story. For example, while he shares mind-blowing statistics about the size of his collection, B-roll of endless rows of towering shelves completely filled by records plays behind his voice. This allows the viewer to understand the scale of this collection by both hearing about it and seeing it. B-roll is also used with music to change the tone and emotion of the documentary. As Mawhinney goes from showing the vastness of collection with pride and excitement to explaining how he has to get rid of it due to the new age of technology’s negative affect to the medium the music switches from an upbeat rhythmic style of music to a slow and melancholy doo wop song. As the doc is ending the song “Music” plays while B-roll of the lights turning off in the warehouse plays showing the death of this era of music and the death of Mawhinney’s collection.
Ryanne Whyte: Director Sean Dunne had a distinct vision and direction for his film "The Archive." The different shots used are very precise and recall a feeling of nostalgia and grace. The film's goal is clearly to evoke a feeling of sadness and disappointment and it accomplishes that goal. The film's main subject, Paul, is framed as the anchor of the documentary. He's the focal point while his massive collection contributes to the film's aesthetic as a whole. Dunne also uses music in his film quite selectively. Being a main pillar of the movie, the music used only adds to the film's tone throughout. Notably at the end, Paul's favorite song plays as he cries listening to it. Not only is that a powerful visual, but also a powerful audible experience as well.
Savannah Stanley: Sean Dunne's "The Archive" is a straightforward, factual documentary that nearly had me in tears. This is not an overreaction-- Dunne does an excellent job in presenting the facts of his subject's collection and life while using the music and the shots of the subject to create a sombre and bittersweet tone. The symbolism of the lyrics in the song that plays at the end of the documentary coupled with the long moments of empty record that follow the ending of the song evoke the feeling of premature ending and sorrow. His use of on-screen text was not only efficient but also effective in telling the story of his subject's life without having to speak and record the answer to each statement. The use of cutaways while the subject was speaking to give wide and close shots of the record and the tremendous collection allowed the viewer to be guided through the space by its owner without having to waste time showing the subject walking through every single isle. By showing the subject pull out and examine a few, specific records, they were given power in their uniqueness without overwhelming the viewer with just how many unique and rare records there were. Dunne's artistic choices allowed his documentary to tell an entire life story in less than ten minutes and bring forth the impact that such a story has.
Cameron Panhans: "The Archive" is a relatively short documentary directed by Sean Dunne that tells the story of Paul Mawhinney, the owner of the worlds largest record collection in the world. In this documentary, Dunne utilizes a variety of different techniques to highlight the significance and importance of Mr. Mawhinney's collection. The cinematography of the film displays the expansiveness of the archive that this man posses. The shot of Mawhinney standing in the middle an aisle of his collection (1:40) uses the shelves holding the records as leading lines to draw the viewers' eyes toward the central character of the documentary. This same shot also demonstrates the use of depth of field, as the records in front of Mawhinney are primarily out of focus while those behind him can be seen more clearly, highlighting just how far back this one aisle of records goes. Even the master shot of the interview with Mawhinney gives the viewer a better sense of just how large this collection is. Because the subject is placed on the right side of the frame, in a medium-long shot with a good amount of headroom, the subject appears smaller, while his collection in the background appears to tower over him. Furthermore, the way in which the director decides to present this story to his audience enables him to create and build drama in the film. The film starts off in a slightly less serious manner as he discusses one of the oldest records in existence, but as the film goes on the director starts to slowly pour in the drama as he exposes how Mawhinney's store "Record-Rama" is forced to go out of business, followed by the revelation that Paul is suffering with diabetes and blindness. This newly created turmoil helps draw the viewer in to the story of this collector and creates a sense of sympathy for the man. In a very short amount of time, the director leads you to care deeply about this man and his incredible collection of music.
Zach Andry: As the story of the man whose life work gathers dust in a failed store I felt a tug at my heart strings. He followed his dream he did what he loved and did it well and yet he still failed. Undervalued and unappreciated he waits disillusioned for a meager offer for his vast collection. I almost immediately connected with the character and before I knew it it was over. The director of this very short documentary managed to make me care about the life of someone I had never heard of in less than seven minutes. Accomplished in large part by The quality of the interviews and the visuals he presented of the store. Rows and Rows of records stacked seven or eight feet high on shelves covered in dust like a museum of music. You relate to the owner as he gives you his plight. The younger generation don't care and a large part of our culture will likely disappear. The interviews are all shot inside the Archive adding to the idea that this is his whole life.
Tess Dillon: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is an important, moving piece. Dunne is able to capture the emotional side of the rapidly evolving music industry. Through no voice other than Paul and his wife's, we experience emotions of pride, ruefulness, and true passion for music collecting. It's clear that Dunne established a genuine rapport with Paul and his wife before rolling the camera and I believe that impacted the effect of the film tremendously. My only criticism is the final sequence wherein lights are being shut off as Paul's favorite record plays. I think it was too obvious and several shots looked undoubtedly similar as the lights are shut off over and over. This could have been executed much better, therefore allowing the audience to receive the message with empathy, rather than be hit over the head repeatedly with nostalgia and dreams dashed.
Phillip Spain: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary short film that quickly but expertly introduces us to Paul, and establishes a connection between him and the audience. Despite the relatively short run time, "The Archive" manages to get the audience emotionally invested in Paul's story and the struggles he's been through while expanding and keeping his record collection, with the end of the film showing that his dream is sadly coming to an end as he has to sell his massive collection, yet cant even seem to sell it. The film establishes this connection not only through the interview itself, but through the quality of the shots as well, which showcase his record collection and shows us just how important music is to Paul. The fact that record's can be heard playing in the background helps add to the overall atmosphere, and the bits of text in the film help establish context and really cement just how powerful Paul's story is.
"The Archive" by Sean Dunne instantly caught my attention with the old school music playing in the background and the different cut away shots. Then you hear the voice of Paul Mawhinney, listening to him speak about the amount of albums in his collection makes you want to see the full amount and Sean Dunne does a great job of showing what the video is saying and proceeds to show the many different records that Paul possesses. The short documentary starts off very upbeat and go lucky then reaches for emotion a little after the 3:30 mark you can sense the shift in mood for the entire documentary. It shows the more detail and more passion from Paul now. The viewers see how important the history and appreciation of vinyl is to him and continues to play the soulful music in the background. Paul is so passionate about the collection but understands the lack of appreciation for it and that frustrates him. All together a great short documentary with amazing timing of sound and video.
Magdalene Kennedy: "The Archive" is a relatively short and simple documentary, even compared to "Delivery" which we saw in class. Nevertheless, it is an emotive and powerful film in its own right. The story it follows is at turns inspiring and tragic, with Paul forced to sell his one of a kind record collection due to poor health and industry troubles. Interviews with Paul and interspersed with B-roll footage of the record collection, which only serves to punctuate the tragedy of the tale. The ending of the film emphasizes this particularly, with wide shots of the record collection as the lights go out, one by one, leaving the record collection shrouded in darkness. The music from the vinyl collection adds another dimension to the melancholy documentary, especially when Paul talks about it and listens to it. The polished filmmaking can only seek to augment the already poignant story.
The Archive is a short informative documentary and character piece surrounding the largest music collection in the world and the man who built it. The amount of emotion that The Archive manages to draw from less than eight minutes is attributed the absolutely ludicrous scale of the music collection itself. The soundtrack is limited to the music that we can assume was played while the camera was rolling, which is simplistic genius. We only get a glimpse of the collection, both through audio and visual, hinting that the real focus of The Archive is Paul Mawhinney. Learning his story, love of music, and current circumstances is what lends the documentary weight. The facts themselves are presented without luster, the shot list was chronologically short, and the footage all artfully simple. The true star here is the honesty of Paul and the wonderful story that is woven by the order songs that play throughout, ending on nothing but record skips.
Alex Cherry: In "The Archive," the director utilizes combining music and visuals to make the viewer feel as if they have actually been to the record shop and have witnessed the collection first hand. With clever shot variation and cinematography, the viewer is able to see both the archive itself and the records it holds, as well as the owner of the the archive, seeing the emotions on his face as he speaks about it. By playing songs that would be found on records in the record store, the film takes on an atmospheric tone for the viewer. The song used at the end is especially impactful, because it adds a layer of emotion. That music, combined with the creative shots of the record store which culminate in the shots of the lights going out, create emotional depth in the story. The viewer is led to care about the subject, about the store, and about what will happen even once the film is over. Through creative combination of music and shots, the viewer is brought into the world of the record store and grows to care for the somber owner.
Kierra Wright: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is some what of a sad documentary. it shows lots of pathos. With Sean adding that he has diabetes and is legally blind it kind of makes you feel bad for the guy. Then to add that he has all these albums and records worth millions of dollars and he can not sell any of them is the saddest part. Overall, if he wanted to catch like sympathy for this film he got it. I felt emotionally attached to this man. Especially at the ending when he was playing his favorite song and he referenced it to his life. Sean Dunne really caught a vulnerable moment and that is what filming is all about.
Virginia Nobles: " The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary that seems to be more captivating than a what the stigma of documentaries lead you to believe. It followed legally blind man, Paul but really put you into his point of view and captured what a documentary is supposed to be .
Ron Shaver: In the film "Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary that starts off very positive and ends very depressing. Paul is a guy who is very passionate about his records. There were a lot of close and medium shots of the vinyl record player and the actual collection of music. This technique gave the audience a general idea of what the film is about. Dunne was also able to show the evolution of music in a brilliant way. At the end of the film, Dunne captured all of the emotions of Paul. From listening to his favorite record, to the lights shutting out. It was a perfect way to end the film.
Alex Smith: "The Archive," directed by a man named Sean Dunne, is a film about an old man who has a vinyl record collection that he has collected over the years and raised it's value up to around $50 million. It is a wonderfully shot piece with expert lighting on Paul and his wife is an attest to the documentary interview style. The establishing shots of the record store make it obvious that this man had a serious album collection. As the film goes on, we find it to be obvious that Paul's state of mind on the music industry now isn't what it once was. It was established by the sad song playing and the lights going out in the Record-Rama store. Overall, an emotional piece for a doccumentary.
The short documentary "The Archive" is a poignant touch on the realities of technological shifts within society. The director takes a look into the pride and joy of a record collector with one of the most vast collections in the world. The film explores how fading technologies often times struggle to retain any prevalence due to convenience. Many parallels can be drawn between this instance and other technologies and industries. The first to come to mind being film and film cameras losing out to digital. One thing the film could've hit on to better make its point is that people often don't understand the differing sciences behind the technological shift. Film is completely different from digital. The same goes with records and music. These issues can either be perceived as "The Archive" does, solemnly or be seen as a necessary progression. Either way, this divide is talked about far too little.
Holly Hundsdorfer: "The Archive" is a very interesting yet important documentary about a blind man with a vinyl collection. This collection is worth up to $50 million dollars and is his most prized possession. He has a strong connection to this collection and the feelings brought to him when he listens to each record. The director (Sean Dunne) uses such awesome shots that fill in the talking heads parts of the film. It shows the records as all the lights turn off and it backs away showing his collection as the viewer is in awe.
Hayley LaGrone: Sean Dunne's "The Archive" is a well done documentary about the man who owns the largest vinyl record collection. I was really impressed with how he managed to match up the audio with the shots he was using, which can be a hard task when the documentary content is so heavily based around music. At the end, for example, when he showed the lights cutting off in the store in time with the sad song playing. It tugged at your heartstrings in a subtle way, and yet progressed the story by symbolizing that his store really is closing down. Some of his other shot placements also did well to show just how vast this man's collection was. I was a fan of the shots that were placed above the shelves, that looked over Paul and his records. He had a way of making you understand exactly what he wanted to get across at the right time. He knew how to show you the large collection, he knew how to show you the emotion Paul felt and the passion behind his vinyls. For a short documentary, he did a great job of taking you through an emotional journey.
In the short film "The Archive" by Sean Dunne, we are treated to a treat. We learn about the man behind the worlds largest Vinyl collection and how he has been able to accumulate his vinyl's. We se several shots of the rows in his collection and how they have impacted his life. The show the estimated total's of how many this man possesses and it is truly remarkable. Unfortunately, do to his age and sight diminishing, he has been forced to try and sell his prized possession. His wife discusses on how this has impacted her husband and caused a huge issue for him. Their are different camera angles that show him playing one of the Vinyl's on the player and even hearing the audio in different settings. This was by far one of my favorite videos that I have seen and just reminds me of how we can so easily forget the best collections of music from 1940's to the 80's.
McKenzie Miller: In “The Archive,” Sean Dunne captures a unique story of a man who has the largest record collection in the world. What makes this story different is that the music Paul Mawhinney collected cannot be found or purchased by anyone. He has the last trace of music from legends of the past. I love how Dunne chose The Rolling Stones and an Elvis album to zoom in on for a close up shot. People would never think that music would ever be lost. The background music was very fitting for this documentary. It gave the audience the visual of the record spinning around on the record player. The audience is also able to experience the passion Mawhinney has for his collection and the emotions he and his wife express, especially when they are forced to close the store. I love the story of Paul Mawhinney and Sean Dunne did a great job in creating this documentary.
Anthony Reed: 'The Archive" is a documentary about Paul. He's a man that that loves music and has acquired over the years a vinyl record collection valued around 50 million. Sean Dunne does a great job with his use of a high shot and some depth of field in some scenes to give the effect of the massive size of the collection. I also noticed for most part that he keeps Paul and his wife framed using the rule of thirds. Sean also captures the emotions of how things are declining for Paul using shots of the store with no customers along with the news of his health issues. Even though Paul is sitting on a gold mine it's not doing any good if there's no one offering to buy his collection. The ending sequence with the lights cutting off one by one is almost a representation of Pauls life. As his health declines with no one to continue his legacy the shop is fading out with him. At the time of the ending of this film you are left not knowing is Paul ever received what he asked for or if the business continued to decline.
Katy Hale: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a short documentary that tells the story of an old man who owns the largest record company in the world. Paul, the owner of the collection, carries 1 million albums, and .5 million singles. In February 2008, Record-Rama was unfortunately forced to close its doors. He carries records from all the way back to the 1800's. What I noticed while watching this short documentary was that Paul kept his sunglasses on the whole time. I liked that about his character. It creates mystery as a viewer. Paul is so incredibly proud of his work and his collection, but has a hard time finding others to do the same. He states that "nobody gives a damn." While watching this documentary I really sympathize for him as a viewer because he shows how much pain he is in. All his hard work and dedication has practically gone to shit. He has given his whole life to this collection and he talks about the public doesn't give a damn. Although he states that over and over, I like how he still keeps a positive attitude about his collection and hard work and how far he has come in today's world. I noticed that there weren't any close up shots to anything but the records because the story line is truly about his work that was put into the actual records. It truly is a tragic documentary and my heart goes out to him and his collection. I may or may not have shed a tear at the end of this...
"The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary about the largest record collection in the world and the owner, Paul. This documentary focuses on the aspect that these records can not be purchased by anyone due to society changing to mp3s. The different camera angles and b-roll footage kept my attention and pulled at my emotions throughout the film. By allowing the b-roll to show while Paul explained his circumstances, it allowed the audience to develop their own emotions towards the situation.
Christian Lundin: The most interesting part about this short documentary, "The Archive", was of course the archive itself. It's absolutely stunning how one man was able to collect so many vinyl records and have them in one place, yet is still unable to sell them. Paul's entire life has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and cherishing millions of records, and faces the threat of losing all of them. It's fascinating how Dunne, the director, was able to portray Paul in this film with such heart and depth in only a few minutes. The sound of the music playing on a record player, combined with the low, practical lighting in the archive, along with the emotional highs and lows of his story, make this documentary quite endearing. The shots of the never ending rows of records on shelves make the space seem like a set in a fantasy film, like a library in Harry Potter. Those images add to the magic that is kept inside that room, preserved by a blind man with a passionate love for music.
Hannah Bynum: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a short documentary that tells the great story of a man's passion for vinyl records. The film begins by introducing Paul Mawhinney, owner of the largest record collection in the world. As the short goes on we learn just how much his collection means to him and it is really inspiring to see a man of his age be so dedicated and care so deeply for something. However, Paul begins to explain how vinyl's are becoming less and less important in todays changing world and because of that he was forced to close down his shop. It was truly heartbreaking to hear him talk so passionately about what he does only to have his dreams slowly taken away by modern society. The way Dunne put together this piece did a great job of telling a captivating story while at the same time causing the audience to feel a sense of heartbreak and guilt for the main character.
Mario Cirinese: The Archive by Sean Dunne is a documentary that surrounds a character named Paul Mawhinney and does a tremendous job to connect the audience with the film. It starts out with old records playing from a large collection that Paul has archived over the years. Dunne does an excellent job framing and setting up each shot during interviews throughout the film. The documentary had very smooth transitions on B-roll filming a large portion of the archive. There was a shot of a pan down a section of Paul’s collection that was expertly accomplished. While watching the audience evokes several emotions with the beginning seeming light hearted and slowly taking the tale into a darker drastic ending where the owner never sells his archive. Considering that the director made the documentary a short and was able to convey so much emotion definitely distinguishes Sean Dunne as a great filmmaker.
Blake Hudson: Sean Dunne's The Archive is a great documentary tribute to Paul Mawhinney and his abundance of records. The film successfully makes you feel compassion for this man and his collection. The B-roll had some great shots that were not only visually appealing, but also helped propel the story from an amusing tone to a more serious, sad tone. I particularly like the shot where the camera tracked forward through the aisle with shelves of records towering on either side, you really felt lost in the collection at that point. I thought that the shot of the record spinning on the player was overused, though. Overall this piece was well made and used the music that it was talking about to help push the emotions even further.
Taylor Hendrix: “The Archive” by Sean Dunne was a heartwarming / saddening story about how music, namely records, helped a legally blind man through his life. During the whole short, “elevator music” was playing in the background. It was not like the other shorts where the tempo increased as the narrative got more intense, it just stayed the same throughout because of how a narrative is set up differently than a documentary. The documentary was Mawhinney’s story; it was not an actor using their body to tell the story. Mawhinney told his story through interview, never looking directly at the camera, and, at the end, he told it through his favorite song. Seeing how much the records truly meant to him was so overwhelmingly heartwarming. He used the music to guide him through his life. Also, the shot at the end where the lights of the room with the records correlated with the song playing was an amazing shot!
Victoria Walker: “The Archive” is a short documentary, directed by Sean Dunne, that tells the story of Paul Mawhinney, owner of the largest record collection in the world. In this documentary, Dunne uses a variety of techniques to tell a dynamic story. The beginning of the documentary gives the viewers an inside look at Paul’s record collection and background behind it. Dunne utilizes several techniques at various angles to show how extensiveness Paul’s record collection really is. In between Paul’s interview, Dunne used cutaway shots of records spinning and boxes of records. As well as extreme high angles panning across the aisles to show the extent of the collection. To add more detail and creativity to the documentary, depth of field was used at the 1:30 mark to focus in on the records in the background and the stack of records out of focus in the foreground. All the while, Paul is framed in the lower right corner signifying he is smaller and the records tower over him. Yet, to bring the viewers’ attention back to Paul, Dunne used leading lines to direct the viewers eyes back towards him. Dunne also utilized b-roll and music to shift the direction of the film from exciting and upbeat to more of a somber tone around the 3:30 mark when Paul talks about his declinant in health. As the music changed to more of a melo melody, the cutaway shot of the record spinning seems to be moving slower. Dunne constructs the documentary in a manner that allows the viewers to experience a wide range of emotions while watching. At the ending of the documentary, the somber song coupled with a close up shot of Paul in tears left an lasting impact on me. Besides appealing to the emotions of the viewers this documentary almost acts as an "ad" to help Paul sell his record collection. Overall, Dunne does an amazing job of telling a unique story in a brief timeframe.
John Oldani: I really enjoyed this film. I think a positive tone and image is displayed even though the topic is somewhat somber in how the business is dying. The camera angles are all interesting and somewhat unique. For example, the shallow depth of field when he stands down the aisle talking about the rolling stones album is intriguing. We see the blurry albums next to us, then all the way down the aisle, even past the speaker. Filming still objects such as the record player and the records themselves can be difficult to create interesting images. However every shot intrigues me and pulls me in. It's almost like showing these things to the viewer in such a new way that they had not once thought of before. The film doesn't create a feel of sympathy for the dying business, instead, it brings this interesting world of records to the light.
Jack Beuckman: The Archive by Sean Dunne was about the man with the world's largest record collection. They ask him about his passion for collecting records and started it all. They had information on what he wanted to do with his collection after he died. The director does a good job or making the viewer feel connected to Paul. Dunne made sure that the camera was eye level with the subject and had good lighting. Dunne also had good B-roll of Paul's collection of records.
Chelsea Massengale: The Archive by Sean Dunne takes a different approach towards the documentary. The B-roll footage matched the tone of the Paul Mawhinney's story. It was heartwarming but it was also somber. It was not a basic story of he went through a specific struggle and came out on top. He is continuing through his journey even at such an old age. It shows that no matter your age, there is always something to fight through. I liked how they portrayed this film. I also liked the angles the camera were placed, whether it was between the piles of records or just sitting around his make-shift desk. It was an interesting concept.
"The Archive" by Sean Dunne is an artistic, and creative short documentary. It is easy to see that Dunne had a vision for what he wanted this project to be from the beginning. The subject is extremely intriguing because he owns the world's largest record collection and has an immense love for music. Dunne gives us a look inside his world, and enhances our understanding of this Man's life through his creative camerawork. I loved how the record player is such an essential part of this film. The record player shot shows up many times throughout the film, and the redundancy of the shot enforced the theme and message of the documentary. The filming of the record collection is also creative. Dunne filmed from above, and also filmed by panning down the aisles. This showes the audience just how large the subject's collection really is. If Dunne had filmed the subject straight on while he was looking at his records, it would not have the same effect. Lastly, I thought the ending of the film was especially impactful. The man was talking about how he had opened a record store for others to enjoy his collection, but unfortunately it had to close it's doors. So, in the last scene as the movie was ending Dunne filmed the man listening to a record as lights started going off in different sections of the store. At the end the checkout light went off and the film ended. This was extremely creative symbolism. I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary and Dunne's creativity and artistry throughout the film.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have seen, there really isn't much to say that hasn't been said before. A documentary by definition is based around world building, and that is exactly what has been done in "The Archive." It fills all the roles of a documentary by providing a visually compelling narrative based around a real person. Through the camera work, you grow to understand Paul's world more, from his walks through the aisles of his archive to his listening of the records. Even though Paul is legally blind, we can see his life through the camera's eye and understand his love for music.
ReplyDelete"The Archive," a short documentary filmed by Sean Dunne, is the tragic story of a record-collecting extraordinaire who is not given his due respect by a world that has moved onto mp3s. Paul Mawhinney, the subject of this short, is introduced in a still, one-camera shot, before the intro rolls. Throughout the doc, Dunne does a good job accurately showing off Mawhinney's entire collection, panning through the halls and halls of records that Mawhinney boasts. The final scene, in which Mawhinney listens to his "life song" as the lights go out on his archive, is a chilling scene. Throughout the documentary, unless he is using his record player, the camera is looking up at Mawhinney. This indicates that, despite being a man whose record collection no longer seen as awe-inspiring by a world that has moved past records, he is a man whose accomplishments are not to be looked down upon.
ReplyDeleteMolly Hochwalt: The short documentary, “The Archive”, by Sean Dunne sheds light on the owner of the worlds largest record collection. I found this to be a very successful documentary. The camera work on the interview scenes was solid and interesting with the backdrop being the actual archive. I also thought that the B-roll footage was integrated very smoothly into the film. It was interesting and kept me involved to be able to see the actual rows of records while hearing the responses from the collector himself. I could feel the connection that this man has to collection and at the end found myself desperately hoping that someone will come along and save his collection from being lost. And that is the goal of a documentary, you are supposed to feel connected and involved in the narrative that you are being shown. Sean Dunne did a great job of maintaining the viewer focus on the spoken content while keeping the eyes trained on the film. Overall, I thought that this documentary was very well done.
ReplyDeleteDustin Bennett: The greatest achievement of "The Archive" is illustrating exactly what "a million" means. When the subject of the short, Paul Mawhinney, says he owns over one million records, every viewer would be forgiven for being taken aback. In the documentary it's mentioned that Paul will be 69 soon, and to collect a million records in that time would require an average of getting 40 records a day every day since birth. An incomprehensible amount, and yet the director (Sean Dunne) truly showcases the size of the collection. His shots up the aisle are intimidating and when the camera is positioned over the shelves, showing the viewer the mostly-dark record store, leaving so much to the imagination about how many more shelves there could be.
ReplyDeleteAnother triumph of "The Archive" is how it handles its subject. A man who owns over one million records could easily be seen as unbalanced or irresponsible, but in this short he never comes off that way. This is especially true of the final scene, where Paul talks about how he has to get rid of the collection, but won't do it if it means selling it off piece by piece. The film ends on Paul playing a song and seemingly holding back tears, worrying about what's going to happen to him, his wife, and his records. It's really touching and, in my opinion, the highlight of the film.
Louis Lartigue: The Archive is a documentary by Sean Dunne that tells the story of
ReplyDeletePaul Mawhinney who is the owner of the largest record collection in the world. The documentary gives the history of Mawhinney’s collection as well as shows us his struggles to sell it in an age where vinyl records have lost there past glory. The documentary’s B-roll footage helps compliment Mawhinney’s story. For example, while he shares mind-blowing statistics about the size of his collection, B-roll of endless rows of towering shelves completely filled by records plays behind his voice. This allows the viewer to understand the scale of this collection by both hearing about it and seeing it. B-roll is also used with music to change the tone and emotion of the documentary. As Mawhinney goes from showing the vastness of collection with pride and excitement to explaining how he has to get rid of it due to the new age of technology’s negative affect to the medium the music switches from an upbeat rhythmic style of music to a slow and melancholy doo wop song. As the doc is ending the song “Music” plays while B-roll of the lights turning off in the warehouse plays showing the death of this era of music and the death of Mawhinney’s collection.
Ryanne Whyte: Director Sean Dunne had a distinct vision and direction for his film "The Archive." The different shots used are very precise and recall a feeling of nostalgia and grace. The film's goal is clearly to evoke a feeling of sadness and disappointment and it accomplishes that goal. The film's main subject, Paul, is framed as the anchor of the documentary. He's the focal point while his massive collection contributes to the film's aesthetic as a whole. Dunne also uses music in his film quite selectively. Being a main pillar of the movie, the music used only adds to the film's tone throughout. Notably at the end, Paul's favorite song plays as he cries listening to it. Not only is that a powerful visual, but also a powerful audible experience as well.
ReplyDeleteSavannah Stanley: Sean Dunne's "The Archive" is a straightforward, factual documentary that nearly had me in tears. This is not an overreaction-- Dunne does an excellent job in presenting the facts of his subject's collection and life while using the music and the shots of the subject to create a sombre and bittersweet tone. The symbolism of the lyrics in the song that plays at the end of the documentary coupled with the long moments of empty record that follow the ending of the song evoke the feeling of premature ending and sorrow. His use of on-screen text was not only efficient but also effective in telling the story of his subject's life without having to speak and record the answer to each statement. The use of cutaways while the subject was speaking to give wide and close shots of the record and the tremendous collection allowed the viewer to be guided through the space by its owner without having to waste time showing the subject walking through every single isle. By showing the subject pull out and examine a few, specific records, they were given power in their uniqueness without overwhelming the viewer with just how many unique and rare records there were. Dunne's artistic choices allowed his documentary to tell an entire life story in less than ten minutes and bring forth the impact that such a story has.
ReplyDeleteCameron Panhans: "The Archive" is a relatively short documentary directed by Sean Dunne that tells the story of Paul Mawhinney, the owner of the worlds largest record collection in the world. In this documentary, Dunne utilizes a variety of different techniques to highlight the significance and importance of Mr. Mawhinney's collection. The cinematography of the film displays the expansiveness of the archive that this man posses. The shot of Mawhinney standing in the middle an aisle of his collection (1:40) uses the shelves holding the records as leading lines to draw the viewers' eyes toward the central character of the documentary. This same shot also demonstrates the use of depth of field, as the records in front of Mawhinney are primarily out of focus while those behind him can be seen more clearly, highlighting just how far back this one aisle of records goes. Even the master shot of the interview with Mawhinney gives the viewer a better sense of just how large this collection is. Because the subject is placed on the right side of the frame, in a medium-long shot with a good amount of headroom, the subject appears smaller, while his collection in the background appears to tower over him. Furthermore, the way in which the director decides to present this story to his audience enables him to create and build drama in the film. The film starts off in a slightly less serious manner as he discusses one of the oldest records in existence, but as the film goes on the director starts to slowly pour in the drama as he exposes how Mawhinney's store "Record-Rama" is forced to go out of business, followed by the revelation that Paul is suffering with diabetes and blindness. This newly created turmoil helps draw the viewer in to the story of this collector and creates a sense of sympathy for the man. In a very short amount of time, the director leads you to care deeply about this man and his incredible collection of music.
ReplyDeleteZach Andry: As the story of the man whose life work gathers dust in a failed store I felt a tug at my heart strings. He followed his dream he did what he loved and did it well and yet he still failed. Undervalued and unappreciated he waits disillusioned for a meager offer for his vast collection. I almost immediately connected with the character and before I knew it it was over. The director of this very short documentary managed to make me care about the life of someone I had never heard of in less than seven minutes. Accomplished in large part by The quality of the interviews and the visuals he presented of the store. Rows and Rows of records stacked seven or eight feet high on shelves covered in dust like a museum of music. You relate to the owner as he gives you his plight. The younger generation don't care and a large part of our culture will likely disappear. The interviews are all shot inside the Archive adding to the idea that this is his whole life.
ReplyDeleteTess Dillon: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is an important, moving piece. Dunne is able to capture the emotional side of the rapidly evolving music industry. Through no voice other than Paul and his wife's, we experience emotions of pride, ruefulness, and true passion for music collecting. It's clear that Dunne established a genuine rapport with Paul and his wife before rolling the camera and I believe that impacted the effect of the film tremendously. My only criticism is the final sequence wherein lights are being shut off as Paul's favorite record plays. I think it was too obvious and several shots looked undoubtedly similar as the lights are shut off over and over. This could have been executed much better, therefore allowing the audience to receive the message with empathy, rather than be hit over the head repeatedly with nostalgia and dreams dashed.
ReplyDeletePhillip Spain: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary short film that quickly but expertly introduces us to Paul, and establishes a connection between him and the audience. Despite the relatively short run time, "The Archive" manages to get the audience emotionally invested in Paul's story and the struggles he's been through while expanding and keeping his record collection, with the end of the film showing that his dream is sadly coming to an end as he has to sell his massive collection, yet cant even seem to sell it. The film establishes this connection not only through the interview itself, but through the quality of the shots as well, which showcase his record collection and shows us just how important music is to Paul. The fact that record's can be heard playing in the background helps add to the overall atmosphere, and the bits of text in the film help establish context and really cement just how powerful Paul's story is.
ReplyDelete"The Archive" by Sean Dunne instantly caught my attention with the old school music playing in the background and the different cut away shots. Then you hear the voice of Paul Mawhinney, listening to him speak about the amount of albums in his collection makes you want to see the full amount and Sean Dunne does a great job of showing what the video is saying and proceeds to show the many different records that Paul possesses. The short documentary starts off very upbeat and go lucky then reaches for emotion a little after the 3:30 mark you can sense the shift in mood for the entire documentary. It shows the more detail and more passion from Paul now. The viewers see how important the history and appreciation of vinyl is to him and continues to play the soulful music in the background. Paul is so passionate about the collection but understands the lack of appreciation for it and that frustrates him. All together a great short documentary with amazing timing of sound and video.
ReplyDeleteMagdalene Kennedy: "The Archive" is a relatively short and simple documentary, even compared to "Delivery" which we saw in class. Nevertheless, it is an emotive and powerful film in its own right. The story it follows is at turns inspiring and tragic, with Paul forced to sell his one of a kind record collection due to poor health and industry troubles. Interviews with Paul and interspersed with B-roll footage of the record collection, which only serves to punctuate the tragedy of the tale. The ending of the film emphasizes this particularly, with wide shots of the record collection as the lights go out, one by one, leaving the record collection shrouded in darkness. The music from the vinyl collection adds another dimension to the melancholy documentary, especially when Paul talks about it and listens to it. The polished filmmaking can only seek to augment the already poignant story.
ReplyDeleteThe Archive is a short informative documentary and character piece surrounding the largest music collection in the world and the man who built it. The amount of emotion that The Archive manages to draw from less than eight minutes is attributed the absolutely ludicrous scale of the music collection itself. The soundtrack is limited to the music that we can assume was played while the camera was rolling, which is simplistic genius. We only get a glimpse of the collection, both through audio and visual, hinting that the real focus of The Archive is Paul Mawhinney. Learning his story, love of music, and current circumstances is what lends the documentary weight. The facts themselves are presented without luster, the shot list was chronologically short, and the footage all artfully simple. The true star here is the honesty of Paul and the wonderful story that is woven by the order songs that play throughout, ending on nothing but record skips.
ReplyDeleteAlex Cherry: In "The Archive," the director utilizes combining music and visuals to make the viewer feel as if they have actually been to the record shop and have witnessed the collection first hand. With clever shot variation and cinematography, the viewer is able to see both the archive itself and the records it holds, as well as the owner of the the archive, seeing the emotions on his face as he speaks about it. By playing songs that would be found on records in the record store, the film takes on an atmospheric tone for the viewer. The song used at the end is especially impactful, because it adds a layer of emotion. That music, combined with the creative shots of the record store which culminate in the shots of the lights going out, create emotional depth in the story. The viewer is led to care about the subject, about the store, and about what will happen even once the film is over. Through creative combination of music and shots, the viewer is brought into the world of the record store and grows to care for the somber owner.
ReplyDeleteKierra Wright: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is some what of a sad documentary. it shows lots of pathos. With Sean adding that he has diabetes and is legally blind it kind of makes you feel bad for the guy. Then to add that he has all these albums and records worth millions of dollars and he can not sell any of them is the saddest part. Overall, if he wanted to catch like sympathy for this film he got it. I felt emotionally attached to this man. Especially at the ending when he was playing his favorite song and he referenced it to his life. Sean Dunne really caught a vulnerable moment and that is what filming is all about.
ReplyDeleteVirginia Nobles: " The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary that seems to be more captivating than a what the stigma of documentaries lead you to believe. It followed legally blind man, Paul but really put you into his point of view and captured what a documentary is supposed to be .
ReplyDeleteRon Shaver: In the film "Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary that starts off very positive and ends very depressing. Paul is a guy who is very passionate about his records. There were a lot of close and medium shots of the vinyl record player and the actual collection of music. This technique gave the audience a general idea of what the film is about. Dunne was also able to show the evolution of music in a brilliant way. At the end of the film, Dunne captured all of the emotions of Paul. From listening to his favorite record, to the lights shutting out. It was a perfect way to end the film.
ReplyDeleteAlex Smith: "The Archive," directed by a man named Sean Dunne, is a film about an old man who has a vinyl record collection that he has collected over the years and raised it's value up to around $50 million. It is a wonderfully shot piece with expert lighting on Paul and his wife is an attest to the documentary interview style. The establishing shots of the record store make it obvious that this man had a serious album collection. As the film goes on, we find it to be obvious that Paul's state of mind on the music industry now isn't what it once was. It was established by the sad song playing and the lights going out in the Record-Rama store. Overall, an emotional piece for a doccumentary.
ReplyDeleteThe short documentary "The Archive" is a poignant touch on the realities of technological shifts within society. The director takes a look into the pride and joy of a record collector with one of the most vast collections in the world. The film explores how fading technologies often times struggle to retain any prevalence due to convenience. Many parallels can be drawn between this instance and other technologies and industries. The first to come to mind being film and film cameras losing out to digital. One thing the film could've hit on to better make its point is that people often don't understand the differing sciences behind the technological shift. Film is completely different from digital. The same goes with records and music. These issues can either be perceived as "The Archive" does, solemnly or be seen as a necessary progression. Either way, this divide is talked about far too little.
ReplyDeleteHolly Hundsdorfer: "The Archive" is a very interesting yet important documentary about a blind man with a vinyl collection. This collection is worth up to $50 million dollars and is his most prized possession. He has a strong connection to this collection and the feelings brought to him when he listens to each record. The director (Sean Dunne) uses such awesome shots that fill in the talking heads parts of the film. It shows the records as all the lights turn off and it backs away showing his collection as the viewer is in awe.
ReplyDeleteHayley LaGrone: Sean Dunne's "The Archive" is a well done documentary about the man who owns the largest vinyl record collection. I was really impressed with how he managed to match up the audio with the shots he was using, which can be a hard task when the documentary content is so heavily based around music. At the end, for example, when he showed the lights cutting off in the store in time with the sad song playing. It tugged at your heartstrings in a subtle way, and yet progressed the story by symbolizing that his store really is closing down. Some of his other shot placements also did well to show just how vast this man's collection was. I was a fan of the shots that were placed above the shelves, that looked over Paul and his records. He had a way of making you understand exactly what he wanted to get across at the right time. He knew how to show you the large collection, he knew how to show you the emotion Paul felt and the passion behind his vinyls. For a short documentary, he did a great job of taking you through an emotional journey.
ReplyDeleteIn the short film "The Archive" by Sean Dunne, we are treated to a treat. We learn about the man behind the worlds largest Vinyl collection and how he has been able to accumulate his vinyl's. We se several shots of the rows in his collection and how they have impacted his life. The show the estimated total's of how many this man possesses and it is truly remarkable. Unfortunately, do to his age and sight diminishing, he has been forced to try and sell his prized possession. His wife discusses on how this has impacted her husband and caused a huge issue for him. Their are different camera angles that show him playing one of the Vinyl's on the player and even hearing the audio in different settings. This was by far one of my favorite videos that I have seen and just reminds me of how we can so easily forget the best collections of music from 1940's to the 80's.
ReplyDeleteMcKenzie Miller: In “The Archive,” Sean Dunne captures a unique story of a man who has the largest record collection in the world. What makes this story different is that the music Paul Mawhinney collected cannot be found or purchased by anyone. He has the last trace of music from legends of the past. I love how Dunne chose The Rolling Stones and an Elvis album to zoom in on for a close up shot. People would never think that music would ever be lost. The background music was very fitting for this documentary. It gave the audience the visual of the record spinning around on the record player. The audience is also able to experience the passion Mawhinney has for his collection and the emotions he and his wife express, especially when they are forced to close the store. I love the story of Paul Mawhinney and Sean Dunne did a great job in creating this documentary.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Reed: 'The Archive" is a documentary about Paul. He's a man that that loves music and has acquired over the years a vinyl record collection valued around 50 million. Sean Dunne does a great job with his use of a high shot and some depth of field in some scenes to give the effect of the massive size of the collection. I also noticed for most part that he keeps Paul and his wife framed using the rule of thirds. Sean also captures the emotions of how things are declining for Paul using shots of the store with no customers along with the news of his health issues. Even though Paul is sitting on a gold mine it's not doing any good if there's no one offering to buy his collection. The ending sequence with the lights cutting off one by one is almost a representation of Pauls life. As his health declines with no one to continue his legacy the shop is fading out with him. At the time of the ending of this film you are left not knowing is Paul ever received what he asked for or if the business continued to decline.
ReplyDeleteKaty Hale: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a short documentary that tells the story of an old man who owns the largest record company in the world. Paul, the owner of the collection, carries 1 million albums, and .5 million singles. In February 2008, Record-Rama was unfortunately forced to close its doors. He carries records from all the way back to the 1800's. What I noticed while watching this short documentary was that Paul kept his sunglasses on the whole time. I liked that about his character. It creates mystery as a viewer. Paul is so incredibly proud of his work and his collection, but has a hard time finding others to do the same. He states that "nobody gives a damn." While watching this documentary I really sympathize for him as a viewer because he shows how much pain he is in. All his hard work and dedication has practically gone to shit. He has given his whole life to this collection and he talks about the public doesn't give a damn. Although he states that over and over, I like how he still keeps a positive attitude about his collection and hard work and how far he has come in today's world. I noticed that there weren't any close up shots to anything but the records because the story line is truly about his work that was put into the actual records. It truly is a tragic documentary and my heart goes out to him and his collection. I may or may not have shed a tear at the end of this...
ReplyDelete"The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a documentary about the largest record collection in the world and the owner, Paul. This documentary focuses on the aspect that these records can not be purchased by anyone due to society changing to mp3s. The different camera angles and b-roll footage kept my attention and pulled at my emotions throughout the film. By allowing the b-roll to show while Paul explained his circumstances, it allowed the audience to develop their own emotions towards the situation.
ReplyDeleteChristian Lundin: The most interesting part about this short documentary, "The Archive", was of course the archive itself. It's absolutely stunning how one man was able to collect so many vinyl records and have them in one place, yet is still unable to sell them. Paul's entire life has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and cherishing millions of records, and faces the threat of losing all of them. It's fascinating how Dunne, the director, was able to portray Paul in this film with such heart and depth in only a few minutes. The sound of the music playing on a record player, combined with the low, practical lighting in the archive, along with the emotional highs and lows of his story, make this documentary quite endearing. The shots of the never ending rows of records on shelves make the space seem like a set in a fantasy film, like a library in Harry Potter. Those images add to the magic that is kept inside that room, preserved by a blind man with a passionate love for music.
ReplyDeleteHannah Bynum: "The Archive" by Sean Dunne is a short documentary that tells the great story of a man's passion for vinyl records. The film begins by introducing Paul Mawhinney, owner of the largest record collection in the world. As the short goes on we learn just how much his collection means to him and it is really inspiring to see a man of his age be so dedicated and care so deeply for something. However, Paul begins to explain how vinyl's are becoming less and less important in todays changing world and because of that he was forced to close down his shop. It was truly heartbreaking to hear him talk so passionately about what he does only to have his dreams slowly taken away by modern society. The way Dunne put together this piece did a great job of telling a captivating story while at the same time causing the audience to feel a sense of heartbreak and guilt for the main character.
ReplyDeleteMario Cirinese: The Archive by Sean Dunne is a documentary that surrounds a character named Paul Mawhinney and does a tremendous job to connect the audience with the film. It starts out with old records playing from a large collection that Paul has archived over the years. Dunne does an excellent job framing and setting up each shot during interviews throughout the film. The documentary had very smooth transitions on B-roll filming a large portion of the archive. There was a shot of a pan down a section of Paul’s collection that was expertly accomplished. While watching the audience evokes several emotions with the beginning seeming light hearted and slowly taking the tale into a darker drastic ending where the owner never sells his archive. Considering that the director made the documentary a short and was able to convey so much emotion definitely distinguishes Sean Dunne as a great filmmaker.
ReplyDeleteBlake Hudson: Sean Dunne's The Archive is a great documentary tribute to Paul Mawhinney and his abundance of records. The film successfully makes you feel compassion for this man and his collection. The B-roll had some great shots that were not only visually appealing, but also helped propel the story from an amusing tone to a more serious, sad tone. I particularly like the shot where the camera tracked forward through the aisle with shelves of records towering on either side, you really felt lost in the collection at that point. I thought that the shot of the record spinning on the player was overused, though. Overall this piece was well made and used the music that it was talking about to help push the emotions even further.
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ReplyDeleteTaylor Hendrix: “The Archive” by Sean Dunne was a heartwarming / saddening story about how music, namely records, helped a legally blind man through his life. During the whole short, “elevator music” was playing in the background. It was not like the other shorts where the tempo increased as the narrative got more intense, it just stayed the same throughout because of how a narrative is set up differently than a documentary. The documentary was Mawhinney’s story; it was not an actor using their body to tell the story. Mawhinney told his story through interview, never looking directly at the camera, and, at the end, he told it through his favorite song. Seeing how much the records truly meant to him was so overwhelmingly heartwarming. He used the music to guide him through his life. Also, the shot at the end where the lights of the room with the records correlated with the song playing was an amazing shot!
ReplyDeleteVictoria Walker: “The Archive” is a short documentary, directed by Sean Dunne, that tells the story of Paul Mawhinney, owner of the largest record collection in the world. In this documentary, Dunne uses a variety of techniques to tell a dynamic story. The beginning of the documentary gives the viewers an inside look at Paul’s record collection and background behind it. Dunne utilizes several techniques at various angles to show how extensiveness Paul’s record collection really is. In between Paul’s interview, Dunne used cutaway shots of records spinning and boxes of records. As well as extreme high angles panning across the aisles to show the extent of the collection. To add more detail and creativity to the documentary, depth of field was used at the 1:30 mark to focus in on the records in the background and the stack of records out of focus in the foreground. All the while, Paul is framed in the lower right corner signifying he is smaller and the records tower over him. Yet, to bring the viewers’ attention back to Paul, Dunne used leading lines to direct the viewers eyes back towards him. Dunne also utilized b-roll and music to shift the direction of the film from exciting and upbeat to more of a somber tone around the 3:30 mark when Paul talks about his declinant in health. As the music changed to more of a melo melody, the cutaway shot of the record spinning seems to be moving slower. Dunne constructs the documentary in a manner that allows the viewers to experience a wide range of emotions while watching. At the ending of the documentary, the somber song coupled with a close up shot of Paul in tears left an lasting impact on me. Besides appealing to the emotions of the viewers this documentary almost acts as an "ad" to help Paul sell his record collection. Overall, Dunne does an amazing job of telling a unique story in a brief timeframe.
ReplyDeleteJohn Oldani:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. I think a positive tone and image is displayed even though the topic is somewhat somber in how the business is dying. The camera angles are all interesting and somewhat unique. For example, the shallow depth of field when he stands down the aisle talking about the rolling stones album is intriguing. We see the blurry albums next to us, then all the way down the aisle, even past the speaker. Filming still objects such as the record player and the records themselves can be difficult to create interesting images. However every shot intrigues me and pulls me in. It's almost like showing these things to the viewer in such a new way that they had not once thought of before. The film doesn't create a feel of sympathy for the dying business, instead, it brings this interesting world of records to the light.
Jack Beuckman: The Archive by Sean Dunne was about the man with the world's largest record collection. They ask him about his passion for collecting records and started it all. They had information on what he wanted to do with his collection after he died. The director does a good job or making the viewer feel connected to Paul. Dunne made sure that the camera was eye level with the subject and had good lighting. Dunne also had good B-roll of Paul's collection of records.
ReplyDeleteChelsea Massengale: The Archive by Sean Dunne takes a different approach towards the documentary. The B-roll footage matched the tone of the Paul Mawhinney's story. It was heartwarming but it was also somber. It was not a basic story of he went through a specific struggle and came out on top. He is continuing through his journey even at such an old age. It shows that no matter your age, there is always something to fight through. I liked how they portrayed this film. I also liked the angles the camera were placed, whether it was between the piles of records or just sitting around his make-shift desk. It was an interesting concept.
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