Today was our first experience of this years encounters, it was very refreshing to see movies on the cinema screen again and with surround sound as it really helped me both enjoy the experience far more and stay attached to it.

I loved watching the two short film segments the most, it has really inspired me more and given me ideas for how short films should be structured, rather than simply making it like a regular film, this was bolstered more so when we watched the feature length film 'Hyena' at the end of the ceremony. Contrasting the short films with the feature, it was far more clear as to how it would ruin the pacing of the film if it were made in the style of a feature. I have found that in regards to film making style and experimentation so far have not been that interesting or different, however I am looking forward to later in the week when we shall aparently be watching more experiemental film making styles, which will hopefully help me when I come to improve upon my editing in the future.

In between the two films we were shown into a forum on Animation, which whilst interesting I didn't really find very engaging or appealing to me. I think that it would have been better to have gone to an event that had more to do with what we are attempting to do as not many of us have much interest in animation, but then thats just me.

I found my favorite film of the showing was 'The Immaculate Reception' which is set in working class 1970's Pennsylvania. It was most probably shot on 16mm film and had a lushous colour style going on. For a brief moment it really felt like I had just been taken back in time to an older age. It drew parallels to British kitchen sink dramas of a similar variety, though at the same time it never felt too schmultzy, nor overly harsh, nor akin to typical American family comedies of the 90's... it just felt right, a small slice of life.