I've been working on Hastings for over a year. In order to meet the deadline of the Masterpieces of Brickfilming (MoB) contest, I had to cut out the ending of the original script, which stops the film rather abruptly (though I did try to give it a sense of closure).
I'm not altogether satisfied with how everything turned out, though I'm grateful for having learned so much through making the film. |
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- Jonathan Marrero
- Ben Boatwright
- Brendan Henry
- Henrik Persson
- Philip Heinrich
- Nathan Wells
- Felix Dietrich
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Hastings is the rare form of brickfilm that actually manages to achieve an epic scale usually reserved for Hollywood blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings. Though not without its flaws, Hastings is a grand film well worth the rather large download.
Hastings contains many excellent medieval-style sets, including a castle courtyard and even a Viking longship! A Viking fleet is also rendered in microscale to great effect. Painted backdrops are also used effectively to varying degrees. The hill backdrops are sometimes rather obvious, but a backdrop of a village is quite splendid.
Voice actings is also effective to varying degrees. Some lines are delivered more convincingly that others, while some readings border on the comical, but overall the voice cast is above average as brickfilms go.
Because of the Masterpieces of Brickfilming deadline, Hastings' story does suffer somewhat, and characters are sadly underdeveloped. Every character has just enough screentime for the audience to connect their name and voice to their face, but their feelings and emotions fail to be explored deeply. The emotional aspect of the film, while hinted at during the preparation for the battle, is also sadly lacking.
My biggest gripe about Hastings is the climax, or rather, lack there of. This is obviously another product of the impending deadline, and it's unfortunate, for a great brickfilm such as Hastings should not end on such a sudden and unsatisfying note.
However, these issues hardly make Hastings a film not worth seeing. This film has stunning cinematography, with shots that clearly were planned out very carefully and thoughtful. A inspiring soundtrack also dominates the film, upping the feeling of epicness even more.
Hastings is a must-see. Though not perfect (is any film?), it is a joy to watch. It definitely has a special spot on my hard drive.
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6.67 |
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5.43 |
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5.83 |
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7.91 |
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2.92 |
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7.51 |
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Based on 3 rating(s)
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