When watching Prime I was astounded by the sense of intimacy the filmmakers achieved in their work. In under ten minutes I felt like I had a good sense of what Prime Burger was like. The interviews were calm and natural and the immaculate camera work was captivating and revealing. Many of the slow pans across the front of the restaurant were effective because, to me, they reflected the relaxed atmosphere of the place. Shots varied from close-ups on food to minute capturing of wall fixtures.
Film as a profile has a visual element working to its benefit. Where lines of words would normally need to be deployed, the filmmaker can instead just show this through the lens. But Prime did not feel like a lazy documentary; the cameramen used their equipment like pens to craft a cohesive narrative. The interviews augmented the work as well and tied everything together.
I found "Prime" the most intimate of all the vignettes as well. I wonder how the directors established rapport with their subjects. It seems no short took longer than a day to shoot, but the subjects seem at ease with the camera in front of them. I will strive to achieve this sense of comfort in my profile as well, though I think moments of awkwardness can be equally revealing when well-handled.
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