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Directed by Adam Jones
Starring Kitty Bailey, Lauren Donovan and Gabe Brozilla
Short film review by Monica Jowett
Short film Angels Forever from filmmaker Adam Jones is a visually arresting piece that will take you into a dream like sequence. In what could be the visualisation of Jones’ version of the afterlife, this short film combines elements of music and cinematography into a stunning visual piece of filmmaking.
Aside from an opening scene which introduces the film to the audience and a short voice over narration, there is very little dialogue throughout the ten minute short film and during that time it does not feel needed. The story alone is told through the action of those seen on camera, the ambient music and gorgeous lighting.
Based on a dream the filmmaker Adam Jones had, we first see a man rise from bed and move into the light. We hear a voice talk about angels being in heaven, and as he moves further into the light, we start to see figures emerge from the purple lights. These are the angels of the film, beautifully portrayed by Kitty Bailey, Lauren Donovan and Gabe Brozilla. We see them dance around, as if in slow motion, moving gracefully across the screen.
The lighting design from Mark A. Viera is what is most noticeable within Angels Forever. A mixture of filters are used; purple, pink, yellow, blue, which takes away the feeling of realism – as this film is not set in a known reality, rather an abstract idea. The filters saturate the film in colour further adding to the dreamlike atmosphere. The high-key lighting style used within the film, along with strong backlighting, makes the features of the dancing angels stand out, and also makes the surrounding imagery fade away, so the woman dancing is the only object on screen. Jones used a panoramic sized screen for his film and this wide version makes everything feel distorted.
The music makes the film stand out. Jones collaborated with two British composers for his short film. Benjamin McElroy brought in the violins which gives the film an ethereal feel and the other composer, David Beard, used more synthetic sounds that provide a darker tone for the film.
Angels Forever is a dreamy, almost distracted piece of filmmaking. Aesthetically stunning and precisely artistic, the collaboration with the composers and lighting designer has made this a mesmerising short film.
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