Tripping Beneath The Spring Clouds

A college student films himself going on a holiday with his parents. This feature was written and directed by Jacob Harvey and stars himself and his parents.

Just to be clear: the student is Harvey. Over the course of a week, he uses his mobile phone to document his actions before, during and after the journey. With texts announcing what day of the week it is, his filming begins on Saturday and ends seven days later and what is seen are various stages of his experiences from each day and they include preparations for the trip, arriving at the rented property, going at a shopping centre, experiencing a holiday park, hiking and generally having a good time with his parents. By the way, he lives in Northern England and goes to Wales for the holiday.

Jacob is pretty much the heart of this film, it is the way he behaves that makes this viewing amusing. He either films himself or utilises the phone's camera in a point of view manner, enthusiastically describes what he is up to and turns even the most simple action (like having a snack) into a fun experience. And sometimes he does a few stunts, adding more amusement. Jacob comes across as a happy, easy-going and friendly guy and he succeeds in making the viewer want to follow him through his journey. The atmosphere is pleasant and the electronic music contributes in making the whole viewing interesting.

As cheerful as Jacob is, occasionally, he overdoes it when he presents some of his activities, an example being spending too much time on game machines inside an amusement arcade.

This feature is about good experiences, about going on a holiday, spending time with loved ones and appreciating even the simple things in life. Generally, it is about enjoying life and making great memories.

A youth shares his holiday experiences. With an entertaining approach, Harvey promotes the idea of constantly having fun and his film will probably encourage people to cherish the good things.