Here are three of the many internet films that grabbed my attention in 2011. I've chosen to share these ones in particular as they have one concept in common that I felt was used to great effect - split screen. Split-screen films tend to show two perspectives on a story - one in either half of the screen, both complementing each other and often showing a polarised view of the world. These three films not only engaged me from the onset but I was visually arrested by the style, and in a world of short attention spans, they held me until the final scene.
1.The world is where we live
The symmetry between the human world and life in the wild. Created by WWF.
2. Symmetry
Is the world full of deep symmetries and ordered pairs? Or do we live in a lopsided universe? This striking video plays with our yearning for balance, and reveals how beautiful imperfect matches can be. The final shot helps to put the whole film into perspective - it's life in two directions. The video was inspired by the Radiolab episode Desperately Seeking Symmetry.
3. Splitscreen: A Love Story
The use of splitscreen illustrates the journey of two people - the purpose of which is made explicit by the final scene. It was entirely shot on a Nokia smartphone. (Also watch the making off)
