"Winnow" DepicT! Analysis

This 90 second short film By George Lewis for depicT, is one that can be interoperated many different ways. Interoperate it in a way that suggests man reconnecting with nature.

During the scene where the man falls down inside the tree he just climbed into, his wallet, phone, keys and clothes disappear, leaving only him. This connotes a loss of material possessions so the man can focus on his reconnection with nature; the fact he climbs into a tree literally connotes that he wants to reconnect with nature.

This fits in well to the Torodov theory of equilibrium, as things are in a state of equilibrium to start with. It’s just a man staring at a tree. Then the disequilibrium starts when he climbs into the tree and begins to fall down inside the tree. This leads to a state of restored equilibrium when the guy lands and he goes towards the light and remerges as a plant. This leads to a clear, linear narrative.

The editing is one of the most impressive features, as the camera cuts add the right amount of tensions to the scene where he climbs into the tree. When falling, CGI is used to show the man falling, you can tell this by the slight cartoonish nature; this shows the unrealistic nature of just falling into a tree to achieve the simplicity in life you want. These features make for a powerful piece, as it sets the mood well and advances the narrative in a good way.

The use of lighting is good too, as it relies on mostly ambient lighting to start with, however it does turn to set lighting towards the end. This gives the effect of him going from the world of normality to one of an ideal world for him.