Project Deep Dive
'Arctic Drift' - A Cinematic Short
Student: Liam Neeson
Course: Cinematic Video Production
The Challenge: Liam came to us with over two hours of raw drone footage from a trip to Iceland. The material was visually stunning but lacked a coherent narrative. The brief was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant 3-minute film that captured the feeling of majestic isolation.
The Process: Guided by his tutor, David Chen, Liam first focused on storyboarding, identifying key visual moments to build a narrative arc. He learned advanced sequence-building in Premiere Pro, focusing on match cuts and J-cuts to create a seamless flow. The most significant transformation came in the color grading module, where he used DaVinci Resolve to develop a cold, dramatic look that enhanced the film's tone. Finally, meticulous sound design, layering wind, ice cracks, and a subtle score, brought the piece to life.
Tutor Feedback: "Liam's initial cuts were beautiful but passive. My main feedback was to be bolder in his choices—to hold on a shot longer than comfortable, to cut on motion to create energy. His final grade is exceptional; he truly learned to use color as a storytelling tool."