Reflective Encounters

William Clarke’s Throng exemplifies the power of film and its ability to convey a feeling, or a sense, in a short amount of time. In a runtime of just over three minutes, the film perfectly captures that deeply unsettling sensation of feeling suffocated in a crowd of people.

A simple and short premise introduces us to crowds of people who start to frantically fill the screen, whilst a someone tries to navigate their way through it all. This intensely claustrophobic animation has a very interesting visual quality to it making it look like a constantly moving canvas from an abstract painter. It is, however, the score that truly brings this choking sensation to life. The sound design is composed with detail, capturing the hustle and bustle of busy metropolitan city life. Chatter, footsteps, and vehicle noises overlap and resonate, deafening the listener in all its stressful familiarity.

With clever layering of visuals and sounds Throng crafts a messy, pounding experience for the viewer and takes you back to that moment when you felt lost within a sea of pandemonium. All in all, a rising and whirring depiction of foot traffic and chaos.

— Tom Collinson