In this short film Burr protect himself. Even though this sounds like a dull memoire piece, that delusion will end close to beginning the film since it rapidly gives an uncommon turn as it uses extreme present day music to make a state of mind. Insightfully utilizing the first tracks made well known by hip-hop samples, the film set up storyteller Burr as a dashing desperado, gravely treated by history however unrepentant over his activities and speedy to reject any of the babble recommendations around the respectable Hamilton and the way history has preserved his reputation. The reenactments for the film are done over all way of times and places, with vitality and diversion all through and it functions admirably with the bitter and brutally entertaining narration and the smart structure of the entire film.
The short ran as a student made documentary on Aarron Burr - narrated by Aaron Burr. It was designed to make the audience see Burr in a new light and a new age. Many of the shots are glaringly tinged with modern times yet the film did this on purpose as a "what could have been" or "if it happened now" type feel. I enjoyed the shot variety in the 'battle' sequence where the camera is placed directly on Burr, just left, just right, etc...following the 30 degree rule. There is a shot with Burr's arm raised with the gun out of shot but his face is the focus. There is hardly any look room in this shot but the direction of his arm tell the audience the nature of the scene and enforces the tightness of the moment. I also had to laugh at the scene where Burr walks down the streets New York and you can see the car reflecting in the shop windows as the cinematographer filmed from outside the rolling car. I laughed because of the amount of times I'd gone back and seen myself or reflection in my work and not realized it to after shooting.
Braedan Snow Aaron Burr by Dana O'Keefe This short film took an interesting and unusual approach to a documentary where the main character is the narrator. This made it easier to identify with him as a character, and see all the events from his point of view. Although the shots were all well composed, I feel like the main emphasis of the film was the story and the underlying narration where Aaron Burrs was directly speaking to the audience-- to me this stood out more than the visuals in this piece. One thing I am confused about is if the film is accurate, because they had no evidence to back up any of the claims made, and it seemed extremely bias because our source of information is coming from the narrator, who is the main character in the film. One aspect I did find off-putting was the blend of colonial and modern aspects. For me personally, it did not mesh very well and was distracting and not necessary to the story. I understand by showing him in modern times, the director is trying to show that Aaron's legacy lives on, but at some points it seems out of place, for instance where Aaron and Hamilton are texting on iPhones, but still dressed in their respected colonial outfits. Overall I thought the video was well done and unique, but some aspects of it did not work for me personally.
Anthony Reed: Aaron Burr, part 2 by Dana O'Keefe As a fan of Hip Hop music this film was very Interesting. I enjoyed the mixing of an historic story being told with a soundtrack that I know as a fact to be samples that have been used in iconic hip hop songs. The film itself also mixed historic scenes with some modern settings. I liked how the film was well lit even in the dark silhouette shots with the neon lights reflecting off of the characters face. The close ups were done very well capturing great detail in the faces. The pacing in the beginning with the slow motion walking and the flashing images make me believe that Dana O'Keefe might have some background history in music video production. Overall I enjoyed the film just like "God of Love". Two stories that add a modern twist to classic stories.
It is more interesting style of documentary making than the one used in The Voyagers, it is very beautifully paced film with way better story telling than the documentaries we have seen earlier this semester. The music added a very good hint of genre in the film, which was very fascinating to me. I didn't know the story, however I learned something by watching this doc.
Katy Hale: Aaron Burr Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe I really enjoyed this style of documentary film making. It was organized, framed and created differently, but it still made perfect sense. I liked how O'Keefe used a mixture of historic storytelling and mixed in other tracks to represent his famous hip hop songs. The scenes were shot in an order that made sense, in relation to the timeline of the film. I also enjoyed the flashbacks and images that were played back in slow motion to represent the time period and background history of what was going on in that specific time. I enjoyed pt 2 most because it answered all the questions I had in pt 1. It all tied together in the end in this one.
Kristin Whitely: Aaron Burr Part 2 by Dana O'keefe Danna O'keefe's Arron Burr's Part 2, was a great documentary. Its 's unique style informed viewers of the death of Alexander Hamilton. What I like about this film is the use of actors demonstrating what happened. I love the choice of music. Also, I love the first person aspect of Aaron Burr's point of view. What I didn't like about the film was the narrator's voice. it sounds washed out, like a telephone effect. Overall great documentary.
Watching this film by O’Keefe I was surprised when I first started it. Not expecting it to be this type of style. Although, it was a different type of film, I really enjoyed it. It has a different take on story telling, using recreations and music from our time. O’Keefe also used old pictures and quotes from the time of Hamilton. When you think about that doesn’t sound like it would make a very good film. But it worked for this one. O’Keefe also used some aspects of comedy to tie the film together. All together, you would think this film is pretty random and has all different aspects and think how could this possible work? But it does and is a very good contemporary short.
Cody Quinn: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe This film was a very interesting take on a documentary/historical type of film. We learn about Aaron Burr's life, specifically about him killing Alexander Hamilton. Aaron Burr narrates it as he speaks in first person. One of the most interesting things that I enjoyed was the use of video and old photographs. The ending was also very unique as we got to see a modern day shootout between the two. It ends with a feel like James Bond as Burr is seen driving in the desert in an expensive car and find out he went on to practice law. This film had amazing storytelling with ways that seemed very different and had a unique style. I enjoyed this film overall.
Gretchen Franz: Aaron Burr, Part 2 First of all, the title of this film makes me assume that there is a Part 1 of which I am missing out on- I will check to see if there is in fact a Part 1 after I am done with this post. The juxtaposition between past and present in this film was most interesting, from the use of props, to the music, to the settings of the shots. In the very first scene, it can be noticed that Aaron Burr is using a modern pistol and Alexander is using one that could be from the 18th century. Additionally, the music ranges from modern day rap, to 20’s jazz, to contemporary indie music. The settings also ranged from the 1700’s countryside New York to urban New York City, showing how the historical sites have changed over time. I appreciated the historical info, though had to look it up myself because I wasn’t sure if it was accurate because I had never learned anything about Aaron Burr in school except how he related to Alexander Hamilton. I guess that means that this film did what it was supposed to do…
Karenya Garrett: Aaron Burr, Part 2 This short film had a very interesting start. The choice of music along with the addition of the narration was an interesting choice, but none the less it worked with the film. The mixture of art history, present day map descriptions, modern day technology and reenactments tied the piece together. It feels as though the combinations make the story flow smoothly. The dark shadows, using Burr's outlining figure as he walks past the current shopping areas, i.e. Chase, Victoria's Secret, etc and that bit of his narration about how he misses the old New York added more to his narration of Aaron Burr telling his side of the story about him and the duel with Alexander Hamilton. This film had me really engaged because it was something different, new and had a fresh way of telling history without being overly cheesy and annoying.
Kyle Heinze: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keef This short film tells a brilliantly crafted tale of Aaron Burr's modern view of the event that defined his role in American history. I found that the combination of modern-day music with the far from modern story was at first confusing, but later became the focal point of the narrative. I thought that that the narration was both brilliantly written and brilliantly performed, forcing the audience to cling to every word Burr said. This abstract structure put an emphasis on all of the creative choices made by O'Keef, and made the story especially compelling. I very much enjoyed the piece, and thought it offered an original look on history and its affects on modern society.
Jonathan Holle: Aaron Burr, part 2 The idea of a historical figure bitterly re-telling their story as if to clear up history's mistakes is as fascinating as it is deceptive. However, Aaron Burr Part 2 makes up for this by positioning truth as the central theme of the documentary. Aaron Burr says several things that are patently false, such as being the Emperor of Mexico and being elected President of the United States, but both of those contain enough of a grain of truth that it is entirely possible that Burr himself believed them to be entirely true. This documentary therefore creates an ironic juxtaposition of truth and lies by being both a supposed crusade against falsehood and nothing short of a propaganda piece on a despised historical figure. Either way you look at it, Burr certainly lost the contest that is history.
Alex Hubbard: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe Voice over played a key element in this film. Without it, the narrative would not have worked. The voice was the perfect compliment to all of the visuals in the film. The filtered effect over the voice gave it an old and authentic sound, as if you could trust that Aaron Burr was actually the one speaking. One of the more interesting visual effects was when the film was flashing between a war scene and a black screen. It was as if the sparks of gunfire illuminated the battle under total darkness. The use of slow motion gave the film a haunting effect for the darker moments, such as Aaron laughing as Hamilton died or Aaron's somber walk through the dissatisfactory streets of New York.
Dylan Milinkovich: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe This short film had me interested from the start as it was documentary style film from the narration and narrative elements from the story and shot variety. I enjoyed the soft now of day music playing in the background as the film was given a more modern twist to the Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton moments in the revolutionary War. He gave his side of the story defending what had happened. I also found humor in the modern day look as they argued over text message and Burr escaped in a car. Overall, I enjoyed the film and the audio and visual elements that were portrayed on screen.
Virginia Nobles: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe is about Aaron Burr the man who apparently shot Alexander Hamilton. Okay first off, is this story even true? I'll be the first to admit that I'm no history buff but is this just a made up story or is everything being said a true event? Aside from that, I really enjoyed the way that the story was told in combination with the way it was assembled, edited and the music that was put along with it. It almost gave off a short of James Bond vibe. I'm not sure if that's what Dana O'Keefe was going for but if so, they really nailed it. I enjoyed the different depictions of the story of how Hamilton was shot and I thought it was a humorous touch to put credits saying that Burr was never sorry about it but that he occasionally visited Hamilton's grave only to cut to a clip of Burr urinating on the grave. Overall, even though I don't really enjoy videos about history, I liked this.
Rolf Konrad: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keef Though I was originally confused at first, I quickly became a fan of this short film. It is a narrative telling of a story from the past using the perspective of an individual we normally do not get to hear from. The thing that really stood out within this short film was the narration. The steady narration gave it a very serious and unwavering tone that helped bring the whole piece together. The film constantly jumped between shots from the colonial age and ones of the current age. This was a bit strange to me, but it worked well for a reason that I cannot really explain. One thing that the film constantly does is jump back to the duel between Hamilton and Burr. Burr’s narration constantly gives us more information on this moment. Overall, I liked this short film and would be interested to see more.
Kat Flandermeyer: Aaron Burr, Part 2 Hard to watch this one without getting the musical out of my head, to start. This was a weird one. I'm not much of a fan. The shot work and coloring is bland. The voiceover reads Burr as a petty villain trying to explain himself, and it's not exactly written in a way to garner sympathy. The fact that it's a voiceover at all doesn't help much. All we get is Burr's rant; we get no dialouge scenes to compare his vision to. We don't have anyone else's side of the story. This film can't decide what era it wants to be set in. It places historic reenactments alongside modern day, which might work if it's implying Burr still lives as some sort of figure. Then it mixes the two by turning their letters into a text conversation. I did like how they reshot the duel in the Wiehawken parking lot. A lot of the other shots were overused. Why did they spend so much time zooming in on a ten dollar bill? And the strobe light messiness during Montgomery's death, yikes. It makes this almost unwatchable. My overall reaction? It had potential, but so many little things were just a no for me.
This was nonchalantly funny and exaggerative. I like the character of Burr because he just had a straight face the whole film to exemplify him being heartless about him killing Hamilton. The editing of this film was weird but kind of cool at the same time. The shots were all over the place and kept the story interesting while maintaining the tempo. There were some boring colors displayed which made the shots look bland in some areas. Overall it was funny.
Peyton Wilkins: Aaron Burr, Part 2 The thing that bothers me the most about this short documentary is how it jumps from modern day to the time of the revolution. From the beginning, I am confused by what time period we are in because of the music and general look of the scenes. The only time it really feels like the past is when there are pictures or paintings being shown. I think this problem could be fixed if the shots were filtered differently based on what time period is being shown. This documentary is also very biased making it difficult to tell what is truth and what is a lie or the personal opinion of Burr. I do like how the documentary is constantly going back to the duel to explain what really happened through Burr's eyes. This keeps the short more interesting as the audience tries to figure out what really happened to Alexander Hamilton.
I was really confused about where this story was headed at first. Once I realized that it was a documentary about the man that got shot by Alexander Hamilton, I enjoyed it much more. I enjoyed the different scenarios that the film showed from the different point of views from which he shot him. I liked how Alexander Hamilton viewed the country after his death. It showed that both him and the founding fathers would not have approved of how the country is today. One thing I really did not like was the narrator's voice. It almost sounded like he was telling all of this through a telephone. Should've just gone with Morgan Freeman. Overall a great documentary though.
The main theme of this short film: "Conspiracy". Conspiracy Theories are one of my favorite topics. It never fails to make you ask a question. The tempo, the music, the characters all represented a ruthless feel. It is a portrayal of history that I have yet to see and I hope to see more of it in the near future. The use of reenactments of these different scenarios entertain the viewer and allow you to feel different emotions about both of the main historical figures.
I very much enjoyed this piece. I thought the shots were powerful, and it had a very interesting premise. The narrator's voice I believe was over-processed and shouldn't have had the telephone kind of effect it had, but that's not a huge deal. It was a beautifully pieced together work, with a nice mix of video and photos. It didn't really give you a sense of being back in the early days of America, but I feel like because of the approach the director took it was okay. It seemed to be both a narrative story derivative of history and a documentary. It gave me the vibe of a video that would be shown in a high school history class to engage otherwise bored students. While the movie diverged from the duel to other parts of Burr's life, it always came back to the duel and always came back to a shot of said duel, which I think was important in tying the whole piece together
The story of a man loathed by history. Telling a story that contradicts common held beliefs is one of the true challenges of any nonfiction storyteller. Whether it is true or not, it will be a challenge to shake the long held opinions of the viewers. This film does a good job of handling that. Not only does it cover it's telling of events, it takes the time to list out (granted, in a very negative way) the opposing views or tellings of the story. The film handled an interesting story, in a visually captivating way, and did so with excellent use of locations, historical stills, and modern comparisons.
Tyler Mcilwain: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe This was a very interesting piece on Aaron Burr. The story flowed quite nicely with the help of the narration. I liked how O’Keefe had a modern look on a very old tale. For example the texting, costumes, music, car at the end, all represented a more contemporary look versus a period look. There were not many sound effects at all throughout the piece. Maybe this was with purpose to highlight the audio tracks but I feel that a few would have really added to the story. The soundtrack in this film is genius. I believe music adds sooo much to a film and the perfect song can transcend the audience. This film does just that. Though the film had a great overall look, I would have chosen a different font in the title sequences and also added a bit more color contrast on some of the shots to achieve a more cinematic look.
Nick Stellon: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe The short we watched for this week was a unique blend of styles. It was in a documentary like format, using stock footage and pictures to tell a tale, yet it also used traditional narrative elements such as shots of soldiers in revolutionary uniforms. The story follows Aaron Burr, which is unique considering his new found historical relevance with the rise of the musical Hamilton. The film takes the side of Burr, and casts him in a way that shows how he was not in fact a ruthless killer, but a true patriot. The shots of Burr killing Hamilton in many different ways (which is used to show the rumors that are spread about the duel) was an interesting and effective addition to the short. I thought that this film showcased how low budget filmmakers can tell interesting stories like this one. Overall it is the blend of narrative and documentary that give this film its appeal. It gives the audience a fresh way to view history, and because of this, is a successful short.
Keri Drake: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe This short documentary is quite interesting with the story it is trying to tell. The b-roll footage used was amazing, the shot compositions were good as they fit well with the story. The story as one was good because the footage went so well with the narrator, there wasn't any bit of confusion; I understood what O'Keefe was shooting for in this firm. The footage kept you interested because sometimes subjects like this tend to be quite boring to me. All in all, a very good piece of work in my opinion.
Sam Sheriff: I was not the biggest fan of this piece, Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe. I thought that the style of the voice over was fine, but it was immediately obvious that the speaker in the character of Aaron Burr was not seeing that his point was being eroded as he spoke. That to me is a problem with the script where the audience can from almost the very beginning guess at the eventual realization that Burr and Hamilton are very similar and either's death would have had a similar effect on the nation. I liked the flashing scene, but thought that it there were a bit too few flashes to truly show what was happening. I also did not like the acting and camera work that made each recreation scene look like a very cheap Fox News special on the revolutionary war. Some color grading would have helped with this, along with not using the tired slight slow-motion and slight out of focus subjects who look like they have never worn their costumes even once before. Overall, I thought the piece was pretentious and not as impactful as its creator thought it would be. I also did not appreciate the use of generic Times New Roman for the titles, along with using the default red for the text of the main title.
Jimmy Pierce: Aaron Burr, Part 2 Ever since the musical Hamilton came out, the previously more obscure history of Alex Hamilton ad Aaron Burr has been a lot more widely known, as least as far as I can see. So this was a topic that felt ironically contemporary to me. I will admit that the initially apparent cheap production values turned me off for a minute, but the film is so imaginatively staged and conceived it more than makes up for the obviously slight budget. I loved the juxtaposition of Burr's (unreliable?) narration to the alternately serious, ridiculous or historical imagery, and what I thought was going to be a fairly boring historical re-telling turned out to be a thought-provoking meditation on history, truth, time, change and the nature of our country. I will say the narrative jumped around a little haphazardly for me, but hell, maybe that's part of the charm.
Chris O'Connor: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe I liked the comedic take on a fairly well known part of American history. I enjoyed how the film alternated from still images to short scenes to longer reenactments. It was a interesting idea having the narrator be Aaron Burr, and I think it works well in this different take on history. Jumping from revolutionary time to modern day and having the music be more modern had me more engaged and invested in the film. The colors were a little dull at times, but overall it didn't take away from the film's story.
Justin LaSor: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dano O'Keefe I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. I loved the sound track that was used. I myself want to further my studies into sound so, I really enjoy works that have great sound tracks. The jumping back and forth between classical music and more modern music made the story even more engaging However, there may not have been many sound effect to the story, but I felt that that was not needed due to the narrator being able to carry the work. Overall, I really liked this short film.
I thought this film was unique from the other films we've watched throughout the semester. I liked how the narration of the story helped the story flow smoothly. The shot variety was incredible I enjoyed the the colors and tone of the film. The audio of the film brought together the classical vs modern aspects of each scene helping the audience understand what part of time the narrator is referring to.
John Anderson: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe What I really liked about this documentary was the story of how legends are born and how the true historical facts may never be known. The narration was the strongest part of this documentary, even though I think O'Keefe could have done without the voice effects of making it sound old fashioned. To me, historical documentaries are typically boring, but this one stands out because it holds more than just educational purposes. This film does a good job of making the viewers question what they think they know about Aaron Burr. The shot that stood out to me most was of Burr and Hamilton standing on opposite sides of the frame, with a hill in the background. The location choice and coloring was excellent.
Ella Oprandy: Aaron Burr Part 2 Dana O'Keefe O'Keefe did a good job of combining motion pictures with dynamic titles and words consistently across the screen. The constant reiteration of the duel scene was interesting, especially in Burr's narration of the events detailing the different scenarios and theories that have been posed about it throughout history. I definitely felt an air of comedy towards the end of the film as it transitioned heavily into a more modern message exchange scene between Burr and Hamilton; I liked that the film was open to making fun of itself as well as taking a jab at Burr himself, who really was as dramatic, unstable, and arrogant as Hamilton said he was, in my opinion. I thought the quality of the images was rather striking and seemed to be of better resolution than most on the site though this could just be the result of vibrancy of the woods or the clearing in which O'Keefe shot, an excellent choice, artistically. Overall, I think O'Keefe did a good job of translating a historical event into the 21st century, putting a rather interesting, aesthetically-pleasing spin on a dark time in American history.
Devin Murphy: Arron Burr Pt.2 by Dana O'Keefe is a documentary format short film about historical American figure Arron Burr. The modern look at the true story of the man is well executed. I was blown away by the soundtrack mostly because it fit seamlessly with the story's narration in tone, although I did not enjoy the quality in which the narration was taken. The non-linear aspect of cutting in between Burr's life story and the duel with Alexander Hamilton, which he is perhaps best known for, is done in a way that is easy to follow and engrossing. The piece had narrative and documentary aspects that help drive home the idea that Burr was not the monstrous murderer he's known as today.
In this short film Burr protect himself. Even though this sounds like a dull memoire piece, that delusion will end close to beginning the film since it rapidly gives an uncommon turn as it uses extreme present day music to make a state of mind. Insightfully utilizing the first tracks made well known by hip-hop samples, the film set up storyteller Burr as a dashing desperado, gravely treated by history however unrepentant over his activities and speedy to reject any of the babble recommendations around the respectable Hamilton and the way history has preserved his reputation. The reenactments for the film are done over all way of times and places, with vitality and diversion all through and it functions admirably with the bitter and brutally entertaining narration and the smart structure of the entire film.
ReplyDeleteThe short ran as a student made documentary on Aarron Burr - narrated by Aaron Burr. It was designed to make the audience see Burr in a new light and a new age. Many of the shots are glaringly tinged with modern times yet the film did this on purpose as a "what could have been" or "if it happened now" type feel. I enjoyed the shot variety in the 'battle' sequence where the camera is placed directly on Burr, just left, just right, etc...following the 30 degree rule. There is a shot with Burr's arm raised with the gun out of shot but his face is the focus. There is hardly any look room in this shot but the direction of his arm tell the audience the nature of the scene and enforces the tightness of the moment. I also had to laugh at the scene where Burr walks down the streets New York and you can see the car reflecting in the shop windows as the cinematographer filmed from outside the rolling car. I laughed because of the amount of times I'd gone back and seen myself or reflection in my work and not realized it to after shooting.
ReplyDeleteBraedan Snow
ReplyDeleteAaron Burr by Dana O'Keefe
This short film took an interesting and unusual approach to a documentary where the main character is the narrator. This made it easier to identify with him as a character, and see all the events from his point of view. Although the shots were all well composed, I feel like the main emphasis of the film was the story and the underlying narration where Aaron Burrs was directly speaking to the audience-- to me this stood out more than the visuals in this piece. One thing I am confused about is if the film is accurate, because they had no evidence to back up any of the claims made, and it seemed extremely bias because our source of information is coming from the narrator, who is the main character in the film. One aspect I did find off-putting was the blend of colonial and modern aspects. For me personally, it did not mesh very well and was distracting and not necessary to the story. I understand by showing him in modern times, the director is trying to show that Aaron's legacy lives on, but at some points it seems out of place, for instance where Aaron and Hamilton are texting on iPhones, but still dressed in their respected colonial outfits. Overall I thought the video was well done and unique, but some aspects of it did not work for me personally.
Anthony Reed: Aaron Burr, part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteAs a fan of Hip Hop music this film was very Interesting. I enjoyed the mixing of an historic story being told with a soundtrack that I know as a fact to be samples that have been used in iconic hip hop songs. The film itself also mixed historic scenes with some modern settings. I liked how the film was well lit even in the dark silhouette shots with the neon lights reflecting off of the characters face. The close ups were done very well capturing great detail in the faces. The pacing in the beginning with the slow motion walking and the flashing images make me believe that Dana O'Keefe might have some background history in music video production. Overall I enjoyed the film just like "God of Love". Two stories that add a modern twist to classic stories.
It is more interesting style of documentary making than the one used in The Voyagers, it is very beautifully paced film with way better story telling than the documentaries we have seen earlier this semester. The music added a very good hint of genre in the film, which was very fascinating to me. I didn't know the story, however I learned something by watching this doc.
ReplyDeleteKaty Hale: Aaron Burr Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this style of documentary film making. It was organized, framed and created differently, but it still made perfect sense. I liked how O'Keefe used a mixture of historic storytelling and mixed in other tracks to represent his famous hip hop songs. The scenes were shot in an order that made sense, in relation to the timeline of the film. I also enjoyed the flashbacks and images that were played back in slow motion to represent the time period and background history of what was going on in that specific time. I enjoyed pt 2 most because it answered all the questions I had in pt 1. It all tied together in the end in this one.
Kristin Whitely: Aaron Burr Part 2 by Dana O'keefe
ReplyDeleteDanna O'keefe's Arron Burr's Part 2, was a great documentary. Its 's unique style informed viewers of the death of Alexander Hamilton. What I like about this film is the use of actors demonstrating what happened. I love the choice of music. Also, I love the first person aspect of Aaron Burr's point of view. What I didn't like about the film was the narrator's voice. it sounds washed out, like a telephone effect. Overall great documentary.
Kelsey Peterson: Aaron Burr by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteWatching this film by O’Keefe I was surprised when I first started it. Not expecting it to be this type of style. Although, it was a different type of film, I really enjoyed it. It has a different take on story telling, using recreations and music from our time. O’Keefe also used old pictures and quotes from the time of Hamilton. When you think about that doesn’t sound like it would make a very good film. But it worked for this one. O’Keefe also used some aspects of comedy to tie the film together. All together, you would think this film is pretty random and has all different aspects and think how could this possible work? But it does and is a very good contemporary short.
Cody Quinn: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteThis film was a very interesting take on a documentary/historical type of film. We learn about Aaron Burr's life, specifically about him killing Alexander Hamilton. Aaron Burr narrates it as he speaks in first person. One of the most interesting things that I enjoyed was the use of video and old photographs. The ending was also very unique as we got to see a modern day shootout between the two. It ends with a feel like James Bond as Burr is seen driving in the desert in an expensive car and find out he went on to practice law. This film had amazing storytelling with ways that seemed very different and had a unique style. I enjoyed this film overall.
Gretchen Franz: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the title of this film makes me assume that there is a Part 1 of which I am missing out on- I will check to see if there is in fact a Part 1 after I am done with this post. The juxtaposition between past and present in this film was most interesting, from the use of props, to the music, to the settings of the shots. In the very first scene, it can be noticed that Aaron Burr is using a modern pistol and Alexander is using one that could be from the 18th century. Additionally, the music ranges from modern day rap, to 20’s jazz, to contemporary indie music. The settings also ranged from the 1700’s countryside New York to urban New York City, showing how the historical sites have changed over time. I appreciated the historical info, though had to look it up myself because I wasn’t sure if it was accurate because I had never learned anything about Aaron Burr in school except how he related to Alexander Hamilton. I guess that means that this film did what it was supposed to do…
Karenya Garrett: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteThis short film had a very interesting start. The choice of music along with the addition of the narration was an interesting choice, but none the less it worked with the film. The mixture of art history, present day map descriptions, modern day technology and reenactments tied the piece together. It feels as though the combinations make the story flow smoothly. The dark shadows, using Burr's outlining figure as he walks past the current shopping areas, i.e. Chase, Victoria's Secret, etc and that bit of his narration about how he misses the old New York added more to his narration of Aaron Burr telling his side of the story about him and the duel with Alexander Hamilton. This film had me really engaged because it was something different, new and had a fresh way of telling history without being overly cheesy and annoying.
Kyle Heinze: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keef
ReplyDeleteThis short film tells a brilliantly crafted tale of Aaron Burr's modern view of the event that defined his role in American history. I found that the combination of modern-day music with the far from modern story was at first confusing, but later became the focal point of the narrative. I thought that that the narration was both brilliantly written and brilliantly performed, forcing the audience to cling to every word Burr said. This abstract structure put an emphasis on all of the creative choices made by O'Keef, and made the story especially compelling. I very much enjoyed the piece, and thought it offered an original look on history and its affects on modern society.
Jonathan Holle: Aaron Burr, part 2
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a historical figure bitterly re-telling their story as if to clear up history's mistakes is as fascinating as it is deceptive. However, Aaron Burr Part 2 makes up for this by positioning truth as the central theme of the documentary. Aaron Burr says several things that are patently false, such as being the Emperor of Mexico and being elected President of the United States, but both of those contain enough of a grain of truth that it is entirely possible that Burr himself believed them to be entirely true. This documentary therefore creates an ironic juxtaposition of truth and lies by being both a supposed crusade against falsehood and nothing short of a propaganda piece on a despised historical figure. Either way you look at it, Burr certainly lost the contest that is history.
Alex Hubbard: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteVoice over played a key element in this film. Without it, the narrative would not have worked. The voice was the perfect compliment to all of the visuals in the film. The filtered effect over the voice gave it an old and authentic sound, as if you could trust that Aaron Burr was actually the one speaking.
One of the more interesting visual effects was when the film was flashing between a war scene and a black screen. It was as if the sparks of gunfire illuminated the battle under total darkness.
The use of slow motion gave the film a haunting effect for the darker moments, such as Aaron laughing as Hamilton died or Aaron's somber walk through the dissatisfactory streets of New York.
Dylan Milinkovich: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteThis short film had me interested from the start as it was documentary style film from the narration and narrative elements from the story and shot variety. I enjoyed the soft now of day music playing in the background as the film was given a more modern twist to the Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton moments in the revolutionary War. He gave his side of the story defending what had happened. I also found humor in the modern day look as they argued over text message and Burr escaped in a car. Overall, I enjoyed the film and the audio and visual elements that were portrayed on screen.
Virginia Nobles: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe is about Aaron Burr the man who apparently shot Alexander Hamilton. Okay first off, is this story even true? I'll be the first to admit that I'm no history buff but is this just a made up story or is everything being said a true event? Aside from that, I really enjoyed the way that the story was told in combination with the way it was assembled, edited and the music that was put along with it. It almost gave off a short of James Bond vibe. I'm not sure if that's what Dana O'Keefe was going for but if so, they really nailed it. I enjoyed the different depictions of the story of how Hamilton was shot and I thought it was a humorous touch to put credits saying that Burr was never sorry about it but that he occasionally visited Hamilton's grave only to cut to a clip of Burr urinating on the grave. Overall, even though I don't really enjoy videos about history, I liked this.
ReplyDeleteRolf Konrad: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keef
ReplyDeleteThough I was originally confused at first, I quickly became a fan of this short film. It is a narrative telling of a story from the past using the perspective of an individual we normally do not get to hear from. The thing that really stood out within this short film was the narration. The steady narration gave it a very serious and unwavering tone that helped bring the whole piece together. The film constantly jumped between shots from the colonial age and ones of the current age. This was a bit strange to me, but it worked well for a reason that I cannot really explain. One thing that the film constantly does is jump back to the duel between Hamilton and Burr. Burr’s narration constantly gives us more information on this moment. Overall, I liked this short film and would be interested to see more.
Kat Flandermeyer: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteHard to watch this one without getting the musical out of my head, to start.
This was a weird one. I'm not much of a fan. The shot work and coloring is bland. The voiceover reads Burr as a petty villain trying to explain himself, and it's not exactly written in a way to garner sympathy. The fact that it's a voiceover at all doesn't help much. All we get is Burr's rant; we get no dialouge scenes to compare his vision to. We don't have anyone else's side of the story.
This film can't decide what era it wants to be set in. It places historic reenactments alongside modern day, which might work if it's implying Burr still lives as some sort of figure. Then it mixes the two by turning their letters into a text conversation.
I did like how they reshot the duel in the Wiehawken parking lot. A lot of the other shots were overused. Why did they spend so much time zooming in on a ten dollar bill? And the strobe light messiness during Montgomery's death, yikes. It makes this almost unwatchable.
My overall reaction? It had potential, but so many little things were just a no for me.
Jordan Williams: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteThis was nonchalantly funny and exaggerative. I like the character of Burr because he just had a straight face the whole film to exemplify him being heartless about him killing Hamilton. The editing of this film was weird but kind of cool at the same time. The shots were all over the place and kept the story interesting while maintaining the tempo. There were some boring colors displayed which made the shots look bland in some areas. Overall it was funny.
Peyton Wilkins: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteThe thing that bothers me the most about this short documentary is how it jumps from modern day to the time of the revolution. From the beginning, I am confused by what time period we are in because of the music and general look of the scenes. The only time it really feels like the past is when there are pictures or paintings being shown. I think this problem could be fixed if the shots were filtered differently based on what time period is being shown. This documentary is also very biased making it difficult to tell what is truth and what is a lie or the personal opinion of Burr. I do like how the documentary is constantly going back to the duel to explain what really happened through Burr's eyes. This keeps the short more interesting as the audience tries to figure out what really happened to Alexander Hamilton.
Sam Flowers : Aaron Burr Part 2 By Dana O'Keef
ReplyDeleteI was really confused about where this story was headed at first. Once I realized that it was a documentary about the man that got shot by Alexander Hamilton, I enjoyed it much more. I enjoyed the different scenarios that the film showed from the different point of views from which he shot him. I liked how Alexander Hamilton viewed the country after his death. It showed that both him and the founding fathers would not have approved of how the country is today. One thing I really did not like was the narrator's voice. It almost sounded like he was telling all of this through a telephone. Should've just gone with Morgan Freeman. Overall a great documentary though.
Nathaniel Erebia: Aaron Burr Part 2
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of this short film: "Conspiracy". Conspiracy Theories are one of my favorite topics. It never fails to make you ask a question. The tempo, the music, the characters all represented a ruthless feel. It is a portrayal of history that I have yet to see and I hope to see more of it in the near future. The use of reenactments of these different scenarios entertain the viewer and allow you to feel different emotions about both of the main historical figures.
I very much enjoyed this piece. I thought the shots were powerful, and it had a very interesting premise. The narrator's voice I believe was over-processed and shouldn't have had the telephone kind of effect it had, but that's not a huge deal. It was a beautifully pieced together work, with a nice mix of video and photos. It didn't really give you a sense of being back in the early days of America, but I feel like because of the approach the director took it was okay. It seemed to be both a narrative story derivative of history and a documentary. It gave me the vibe of a video that would be shown in a high school history class to engage otherwise bored students. While the movie diverged from the duel to other parts of Burr's life, it always came back to the duel and always came back to a shot of said duel, which I think was important in tying the whole piece together
ReplyDeleteAlex Harris - Aaron Burr Part 2 by Dana O'Keef
ReplyDeleteThe story of a man loathed by history. Telling a story that contradicts common held beliefs is one of the true challenges of any nonfiction storyteller. Whether it is true or not, it will be a challenge to shake the long held opinions of the viewers. This film does a good job of handling that. Not only does it cover it's telling of events, it takes the time to list out (granted, in a very negative way) the opposing views or tellings of the story. The film handled an interesting story, in a visually captivating way, and did so with excellent use of locations, historical stills, and modern comparisons.
Tyler Mcilwain: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting piece on Aaron Burr. The story flowed quite nicely with the help of the narration. I liked how O’Keefe had a modern look on a very old tale. For example the texting, costumes, music, car at the end, all represented a more contemporary look versus a period look. There were not many sound effects at all throughout the piece. Maybe this was with purpose to highlight the audio tracks but I feel that a few would have really added to the story. The soundtrack in this film is genius. I believe music adds sooo much to a film and the perfect song can transcend the audience. This film does just that. Though the film had a great overall look, I would have chosen a different font in the title sequences and also added a bit more color contrast on some of the shots to achieve a more cinematic look.
Nick Stellon: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteThe short we watched for this week was a unique blend of styles. It was in a documentary like format, using stock footage and pictures to tell a tale, yet it also used traditional narrative elements such as shots of soldiers in revolutionary uniforms. The story follows Aaron Burr, which is unique considering his new found historical relevance with the rise of the musical Hamilton. The film takes the side of Burr, and casts him in a way that shows how he was not in fact a ruthless killer, but a true patriot. The shots of Burr killing Hamilton in many different ways (which is used to show the rumors that are spread about the duel) was an interesting and effective addition to the short. I thought that this film showcased how low budget filmmakers can tell interesting stories like this one. Overall it is the blend of narrative and documentary that give this film its appeal. It gives the audience a fresh way to view history, and because of this, is a successful short.
Keri Drake: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteThis short documentary is quite interesting with the story it is trying to tell. The b-roll footage used was amazing, the shot compositions were good as they fit well with the story. The story as one was good because the footage went so well with the narrator, there wasn't any bit of confusion; I understood what O'Keefe was shooting for in this firm. The footage kept you interested because sometimes subjects like this tend to be quite boring to me. All in all, a very good piece of work in my opinion.
Sam Sheriff: I was not the biggest fan of this piece, Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe. I thought that the style of the voice over was fine, but it was immediately obvious that the speaker in the character of Aaron Burr was not seeing that his point was being eroded as he spoke. That to me is a problem with the script where the audience can from almost the very beginning guess at the eventual realization that Burr and Hamilton are very similar and either's death would have had a similar effect on the nation. I liked the flashing scene, but thought that it there were a bit too few flashes to truly show what was happening. I also did not like the acting and camera work that made each recreation scene look like a very cheap Fox News special on the revolutionary war. Some color grading would have helped with this, along with not using the tired slight slow-motion and slight out of focus subjects who look like they have never worn their costumes even once before. Overall, I thought the piece was pretentious and not as impactful as its creator thought it would be. I also did not appreciate the use of generic Times New Roman for the titles, along with using the default red for the text of the main title.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Pierce: Aaron Burr, Part 2
ReplyDeleteEver since the musical Hamilton came out, the previously more obscure history of Alex Hamilton ad Aaron Burr has been a lot more widely known, as least as far as I can see. So this was a topic that felt ironically contemporary to me.
I will admit that the initially apparent cheap production values turned me off for a minute, but the film is so imaginatively staged and conceived it more than makes up for the obviously slight budget. I loved the juxtaposition of Burr's (unreliable?) narration to the alternately serious, ridiculous or historical imagery, and what I thought was going to be a fairly boring historical re-telling turned out to be a thought-provoking meditation on history, truth, time, change and the nature of our country. I will say the narrative jumped around a little haphazardly for me, but hell, maybe that's part of the charm.
Chris O'Connor: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteI liked the comedic take on a fairly well known part of American history. I enjoyed how the film alternated from still images to short scenes to longer reenactments. It was a interesting idea having the narrator be Aaron Burr, and I think it works well in this different take on history. Jumping from revolutionary time to modern day and having the music be more modern had me more engaged and invested in the film. The colors were a little dull at times, but overall it didn't take away from the film's story.
Justin LaSor: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dano O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed this piece. I loved the sound track that was used. I myself want to further my studies into sound so, I really enjoy works that have great sound tracks. The jumping back and forth between classical music and more modern music made the story even more engaging However, there may not have been many sound effect to the story, but I felt that that was not needed due to the narrator being able to carry the work. Overall, I really liked this short film.
Nicole Nelson: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dano O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was unique from the other films we've watched throughout the semester. I liked how the narration of the story helped the story flow smoothly. The shot variety was incredible I enjoyed the the colors and tone of the film. The audio of the film brought together the classical vs modern aspects of each scene helping the audience understand what part of time the narrator is referring to.
John Anderson: Aaron Burr, Part 2 by Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteWhat I really liked about this documentary was the story of how legends are born and how the true historical facts may never be known. The narration was the strongest part of this documentary, even though I think O'Keefe could have done without the voice effects of making it sound old fashioned. To me, historical documentaries are typically boring, but this one stands out because it holds more than just educational purposes. This film does a good job of making the viewers question what they think they know about Aaron Burr. The shot that stood out to me most was of Burr and Hamilton standing on opposite sides of the frame, with a hill in the background. The location choice and coloring was excellent.
Ella Oprandy: Aaron Burr Part 2 Dana O'Keefe
ReplyDeleteO'Keefe did a good job of combining motion pictures with dynamic titles and words consistently across the screen. The constant reiteration of the duel scene was interesting, especially in Burr's narration of the events detailing the different scenarios and theories that have been posed about it throughout history. I definitely felt an air of comedy towards the end of the film as it transitioned heavily into a more modern message exchange scene between Burr and Hamilton; I liked that the film was open to making fun of itself as well as taking a jab at Burr himself, who really was as dramatic, unstable, and arrogant as Hamilton said he was, in my opinion. I thought the quality of the images was rather striking and seemed to be of better resolution than most on the site though this could just be the result of vibrancy of the woods or the clearing in which O'Keefe shot, an excellent choice, artistically. Overall, I think O'Keefe did a good job of translating a historical event into the 21st century, putting a rather interesting, aesthetically-pleasing spin on a dark time in American history.
Devin Murphy: Arron Burr Pt.2 by Dana O'Keefe is a documentary format short film about historical American figure Arron Burr. The modern look at the true story of the man is well executed. I was blown away by the soundtrack mostly because it fit seamlessly with the story's narration in tone, although I did not enjoy the quality in which the narration was taken. The non-linear aspect of cutting in between Burr's life story and the duel with Alexander Hamilton, which he is perhaps best known for, is done in a way that is easy to follow and engrossing. The piece had narrative and documentary aspects that help drive home the idea that Burr was not the monstrous murderer he's known as today.
ReplyDelete