Quinn Carrick

Tiny Mastermind | Game Designer ｜ Sports Enjoyer ------------------------------------UTV ∗ Fly Eagles Fly ∗ RCTID

Carrick – Blog Post 3 (Time Frames)

Scott McCloud’s discussion of time in comics gives an interesting lens for readers when it comes to temporal manipulation and what actually goes on in-between panels in the medium. While reading through McCloud’s visual essay I noticed that everything they talked about I already knew in the back of my mind. It’s something that comes naturally when reading a well-made comic that you never really think about what actually is going on. This concept is also used in digital cinema, though in its own variation due to the medium’s differences with comics. When comes to examples of the concept in cinema, my mind instantly goes to some of Nolan’s works.

In Inception, time operates on multiple levels within dreams, with each deeper dream state moving at a slower pace than the one above it. This creates a layered narrative where different timelines unfold simultaneously, much like how a comic page displays multiple moments at once. The film’s climax, intercutting between various dream levels, forces the audience to track multiple temporalities, echoing McCloud’s idea of fragmented yet interconnected time perception.

Memento, a personal favorite of mine, takes a different approach by reversing traditional cinematic time. The film’s structure alternates between two timelines—one moving forward in chronological order and another unfolding in reverse. This creates a disorienting yet compelling experience, as viewers must piece together the narrative much like reading comic panels out of sequence. The film’s manipulation of time challenges the audience’s perception of causality, making it an example of cinema mirroring the nonlinear possibilities of comics.

Ultimately, McCloud’s insights on temporal manipulation in comics provide a useful framework for understanding how digital cinema can experiment with time. Through innovative editing, framing, and sequencing, films like Inception and Memento reshape traditional storytelling, offering audiences new ways to experience time on screen.

Seeing how this blog post is not about a specific movie, I’ll leave you all with a special double letterboxd review segment. My old ratings for Inception & Memento! Note: I haven’t watched either in a few years now so the letterboxd ratings are lacking 🙁

– Carrick

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Inception

🧡

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Memento

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🧡

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Carrick – Blog Post 2 (Brumes d’automne)

Through drastically changed images in which nature was losing its density and unity. This is how Kirsanoff described the intension of the film. I, however, simply say that it’s the story of someone spending the day in lalaland.

This is a tough rate for me because as I watched this short I found myself constantly appreciating small things about the films craft, but that’s it, just appreciating. I couldn’t get invested into anything it was trying to portray, nothing was evoked and I have a theories as to why.

The first thing I noticed as soon the grey skies entered frame was the music. Film of this era always has this kind music, the same feeling to them, and personally, I don’t like it. It feels mismatched, all these somber and dreamlike frames are being played with these high notes that just make me think of stuff completely irrelevant emotionally which lessens the impact of what’s being shown. Now, this is a clear personal issue that isn’t the films’ fault. I’m sure it’s because of how overtime these old films and that kind of music have been portrayed in recent media.

The editing or montage for this film, just didn’t hit. Like I briefly mentioned earlier, the technical side of this is great for its time. There are moments of her dissociating while looking out to the lake that I thought was brilliantly made clear through lens. I could appreciate little techniques like that because it was the story of someone just daydreaming and I’ve had many of those days myself. I noticed similarities to the state of mind between my days and this due to great creative use of the camera. Yet, when it’s all stitched together, I was left feeling . . . nothing. And as of right now I don’t have much for an answer as to why, just leads.

I’ll leave it there for now and as always leave everyone with my letterboxd review because why not.

– Carrick

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Autumn Mists

⭐⭐

Technically and creatively great. I saw

the vision and for its era it did a

great job. Just couldn’t get invested.

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Carrick – Blog Post 1 (Run Lola Run)

The style of Run Lola Run certainly loves to attach itself to the ideas of speed and chaos. Its constant jumping around from character to character and its high-tempo music that plays nearly the whole film sets a momentum that never dies—except for key moments that stick out due to the uniqueness of its direction. Despite its fragmented storytelling and unconventional visuals, the film manages to stay cohesive through its editing, repetition, and clear sense of urgency.

One of the main reasons the movie never loses steam is its fast-paced editing. I personally love the way the movie throws you in and just starts running, jolting the audience into a thrilling experience with no hand-holding. There was a clear sense of direction with it too, tying the speed of the story to the mind of Lola. As her mind races to find a solution, the cuts, music, and feel of the film keep up the pace, only stopping during the brief moments where Lola’s mind is preoccupied with something else. A key example is when she stands in front of the bank, just after learning the truth about her father and the lie of his real identity in her life. In that moment, as she processes this information, the urgency of the 20 minutes leaves her mind—along with the fast cuts and the intense music—leaving a longer shot sitting in silence.

The way the film manipulates time also adds to its sense of momentum. Slow-motion is used sparingly but with purpose, stretching key emotional beats to make them feel heavier. When Lola screams, for example, everything slows down, making her desperation almost tangible. On the other hand, the quick montages showing the futures of minor characters compress time, delivering entire life stories in just a few seconds. This contrast between stretched and compressed time keeps the audience engaged, making every moment feel unpredictable yet purposeful.

Even when time resets, the familiarity of the previous run keeps the viewer invested, eager to see what will change this time around. The high-energy techno soundtrack also plays a crucial role, acting almost like a heartbeat that drives the film forward. Lola’s constant movement—running through the streets, dodging obstacles—reinforces the sense that time is slipping away.

Ultimately, Run Lola Run is held together not by strict continuity, but by the sheer force of its pacing and storytelling. Even as it rewinds and reshapes time, it never loses sight of its central conflict, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. The film isn’t just about Lola trying to save Manni—it’s about the endless possibilities that split-second choices create. And that’s what makes it so exciting to watch.

On a personal non-dissecting note, I felt the final third loop of the movie was a little much. The intense fast pace of everything that highlights the tiny changes in each loop is a ton of fun, but this can get boring too and I feel like it does just that in the third loop. Anyway, I leave you all with my letterbox review of the movie as these are what I consider my definitive feeling about the movie. Enjoy.

– Carrick

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Run Lola Run

⭐⭐⭐½ 🧡

So in the third loop she became God?

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Carrick – Test Blog Post

I have been into film since my earliest memories. I remember watching Curious George in theaters and, of course, being entranced with the funny monkey but also having a thought so constant in my mind, a thought that has never left the imprint of that movie, a thought as simple as “pretty.”

Growing up in a film-focused family, my dad used to be a film journalist, so he would spend countless nights drowning my brothers and me in ‘real’ film or its trivia. While my brothers took most of this and ran with it, I always felt left out—almost as if everything they discussed, though interesting, was missing what I felt connected to the most. Years would go by, and this feeling of being an outcast would continue. It was only when I saw a specific movie that the pieces started to fall into place. I quickly started to become more aware of my passions and soon realized that the medium of film is not the only method to explore my interests in creative storytelling.

I was always drawn to video games and how they could be used to tell stories. I’m sure this comes from growing up with my main three games being Halo 2, MW2, and KOTOR—all three being renowned for their spectacular campaigns and stories. Even to this day, that has stuck—I find myself drawn more toward games with great stories and interesting mechanics rather than pure gameplay. Games like Oxenfree or Furi, for instance, though Furi is primarily gameplay-focused, depict their stories in such compelling ways that they deserve to be mentioned as inspiration. Now, I’m trying to get into the game industry as a stepping stone into writing, directing, and storytelling.

I chose this video quickly because I couldn’t think of a favorite video made in a style I want to emulate in class, but I do find this one beautiful. I still love music videos, and I think this one is great—not only because it was the first one I saw in my liked playlist, but also because its use of visual storytelling to communicate deep emotions is top-notch. I’m also a huge fan of slowing down the camera and letting the viewers and shots breathe, something I think this video also does well.

This slower-paced approach to filming is most likely what I will try to work with in this class—except for my first video, since I don’t have time due to being sick. So that one . . . well, it’ll be something, idk.

– Carrick

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