Orange Film - Review guidelines
So you want to tell us what you think about a film. Well, if you’re going to write a review here are a few tips. Of course, you can ignore them if you want but these are the guidelines we use for all our writers. There are also legal guidelines you must follow and agree to before submitting any content. For more on those click here.
1. Have an opinion and be prepared to express it.
Imagine you’re telling a friend why you loved or hated a film - that’s what we’re trying to capture in a review. And that should be your starting point. If you thought it rocked because the special effects were amazing and the car chases left you breathless then tell us that. Or if you hated it because it was too long and the acting wasn’t believable then tell us that.
2. Back up your opinion with examples
It’s fine to just say this film sucked or this film rocked, but it’s much more interesting if you can tell people why. For example, if you thought a particular film was boring add in some more detail. Was there too much talking and not enough action? Was the dialogue focused on things that were of no interest to you or that you couldn’t identify with? If thought you a film was great was it because the action sequences very frighteningly real or because the lead character’s heartbreaking situation made you cry?
3. Don’t spend too long on the plot?
While it’s important to tell people a little about what happens in the film you shouldn’t spend too long on it. Include the relevant details and try not to give away anything that might spoil someone else’s enjoyment of the film.
For example, if you were describing the plot of The Sixth Sense it might go something like this.
“Child psychologist Dr Malcolm Crowe gets shot by Vincent, one of his former patients, who then kills himself. Crowe then becomes involved in the case of a troubled young boy called Cole who claims to be able to see ghosts. At first Crowe doesn’t believe him but as he gets more and more involved he begins to change his mind and is determined to find a way to help his young patient. But things are not quite as straightforward as he thinks.”
So you get a sense of the story and what is happening in the film but it doesn’t give away the key element of the plot or ruin the ending for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
4. Tell us who’s in it and what character do they play?
You’ll be able complete a cast list that will go with your review if you are the first person to review it or if it’s already been reviewed then those details will have been included for you in the tags section. However, it’s good to know who plays what character and you can do this in the text of your review. There are several ways to do that: you can just add the actor’s name in brackets after the character “Child psychologist Dr Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) gets shot.” Or you can switch it round to say “Bruce Willis plays child psychologist Dr Malcolm Crowe”.
5. Are they any good?
As well as telling you readers who plays who it’s also important to let them know whether you think they are any good at playing that particular role. You can do this while revealing what character they play. “Bruce Willis is absolutely brilliant as child psychologist Dr Malcolm Crowe. He plays a very different character to the ones we’re used to seeing him play and is completely convincing as the psychologist struggling with his own problems while trying to help his young patient.” Of course, everyone has their favourite and least favourite actors and it’s okay to say so in your reviews but you’ll get more credibility if you can give valid reasons for your like or dislike. It also gives you opportunities to be surprised. For example, you might hate Bruce Willis for the action hero roles he normally plays but you might have been surprised by his performance in The Sixth Sense. Saying so will add to your review.
6. Tell us about the technical aspects of the film?
You should be able to talk a little about this in your review as it does help people decide whether it’s a film they’d like to see. Of course, not everyone is interested in a detailed technical critique of tracking shots, camera angles, lighting or framing so the general rule is keep it simple. Does the lighting help make the film scary? Are there parts of the film that make somewhere look amazing? Is slow-motion used to good effect to make a scene stand-out or does it seem pointless? Are the special effects realistic or obvious? Do the costumes dazzle? All of these things help give an impression of what the film is like.
7. Keep it short and simple.
Most people don’t have the time or the desire to read 1,000s of words on a particular film so the ideal length for a review is between 200 and 300 words. You can write more if you want but 300 words gives you room to outline the plot, mention a few key scenes, talk about the actors performance, some of the technical aspects and also to say whether you liked it or not.
8. Let your personality shine through.
Following these basic guidelines will give you the building blocks to put together a review but how you use them is up to you and, of course, part of the fun. Every writer is different and has his or her own unique voice and we want to hear that as much as the detail about the film. So take them and do with them what you will. We look forward to reading what you’ve got to say.
And finally
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