Shameless self promotion

[Fawkes]

So, just recently I completed a short film I had been working on for a while (I directed, wrote, and edited it and also did some acting). I've made two different threads about it, but both were trashed as they violated forum rules regarding the posting of personal information. As much as I hate that rule, there is no way for me to post the video on the main board without it getting deleted. However, I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to expose something I worked hard on to a message board with hundreds of regular users of which I am a part -- it's natural for most to want the things they worked hard on creating to be viewed by the greatest number of people possible.

So, in order to circumvent this rule, if any of you have any interest in seeing it (it's only 4 1/2 minutes), just say so and I'll pm you the link. I'd really love any feedback :)

[synthesis]

I really liked the structure of it. As far as constructive criticism, I thought certain aspects could have been more fleshed out - a little more background about her relationships with the other characters, for example.

[Fawkes]

Thanks. Yeah, I would have liked to have done that but it was for a film fest and it had to be 5 minutes or less so we had to condense it as much as possible. Still, there are a lot of things looking back that I would have done differently even within the 5 minute timeframe. The first day of filming was my first day ever touching a video camera, so it was very much a learning experience, but I'm glad you liked it.

[synthesis]

Word, yeah, the flashback-style narrative was very well executed.

[Pirate Utopian]

Sure, I'll check out your film.

[The Grey Blur]

link me up.

[Pirate Utopian]

'twas cool. Maybe some music would have helped.

I tried to guess who you were but everbody dressed pretty normal so I have no idea.

[Amphictyonis]

I thought this thread was going to be about the 'Shameless" show on Showtime.

[praxis1966]

'twas cool. Maybe some music would have helped.

There is a certain argument to be made insofar as non-diegetic sound is in a way inherently dictatorial.

Anyway, Fawkes, send me a PM... I kinda like to think of us as homies, cinematically speaking, so I'm dieing to see what you've done.

[Pirate Utopian]

...:confused:

[Fawkes]

'twas cool. Maybe some music would have helped.

I tried to guess who you were but everbody dressed pretty normal so I have no idea.

We would have liked to have done more in the way of sound, we just ran out of time (we only had one week to make the whole thing). Glad you liked it though.

I play the dealer in the first flashback scene. And I'm dressed normal cause I'm in costume :cool:

[Fawkes]

Anyway, Fawkes, send me a PM... I kinda like to think of us as homies, cinematically speaking, so I'm dieing to see what you've done.

chica yeah:
8I9-tYEVm0U

[RedStarOverChina]

Hit me.

[praxis1966]

...:confused:

Sorry, edited the post to include the word "sound." I can see how that might be confusing, lulz...

[Fawkes]

In what sense do you mean it is dictatorial? Everything in a movie is dictatorial in that it is all controlled and done with the intention of garnering a specific reaction(s) from the viewer.

[Ele'ill]

I'd really love any feedback :)

It was a good film.

[The Grey Blur]

it was very...student-y. which i guess makes sense.

[praxis1966]

In what sense do you mean it is dictatorial? Everything in a movie is dictatorial in that it is all controlled and done with the intention of garnering a specific reaction(s) from the viewer.

I disagree. Without non-diagetic sound, IMO, a more active viewing experience is allowed. Sure, you can write characters or scenarios this way or that, but you can't control someone's innate visceral reactions to what's going on in the frame. On the other hand, use of non-diegetic sound is in a lot of ways manipulative. It takes a lot of the thought out of viewing a movie by telling the audience this is the way you're supposed to feel as opposed to allowing them to draw their own conclusions. Therefore, by making an audience passive/submissive with non-diegetic sound, it can be said that you're dictating to them. To put it another way, is using non-diegetic sound common sense or just hegemony?

Besides, non-diegetic sound can actually work against your goals as a filmmaker. Take for instance the Friday the 13th series. That unmistakeable "chah-chah-chah-chah-ki-ki-ki-ki" is supposed to heighten tension, but instead it does the reverse. It's a tip off that the killer is about to show up, therefore taking all the suspense out of things.

Anyway, I don't think all non-diegetic sound is bad... Shit, some films wouldn't be the same without it. On the other hand, I think it gets waaaaayyyy overused.

EDIT: Anyway, to address your film, I actually really enjoyed it. It's pretty remarkable that this was the first time you'd ever really touched a camera... I'd say your shot selection was one of your strengths (for instance, the tracking shot around the 2:50 mark done at low angle as opposed to high gave it a certain voyeuristic feel that I liked; as if we [the audience] were seeing something we weren't meant to). Also, you show a lot of promise in your editing as well. EG Your jump cuts were used tactfully, ie in a way that enhanced the presentation rather than distracting from it... IDK if you were going for the documentary feel by using the hand-cam, but that would be my primary criticism technically speaking... That a little more stillness in the camera may have been called for, but I'm sure you wouldn't have been able to do anything about that if you'd wanted to on the budget you probably had. There was a little too much ambient sound as well (in certain points, not all mind you), but again, I'm sure that had to do with budget more than anything else. I dunno if your leading lady is trying to go the acting route, but it's something she should consider, IMO... Great commitment from her. Thematically, I thought it very well thought out and was quite surprised at the range of emotion and scenarios you were able to convey with minimal time and more importantly, minimal dialogue.

Well struck, sir, well struck.

[Quail]

If you send me the link I'd like to see it.

[gorillafuck]

send it to me.

[Tablo]

I liked it. It was more or less what I was expecting when you mentioned it before. It didn't really stick out to me though. Like, the concept and the filming style felt "cliche" I suppose. Not totally sure how to describe it. Still, it was very good for a first film. Much better than anything I've made/attempted to make.

[kitsune]

I grabbed the link when you first posted, but I just got a chance to watch it a little while ago. I'd say you did a great job, especially for a first effort.

[Comrade J]

Fawkesy! I am a film obsessive, I would love to see it!

[Fawkes]

EDIT: Anyway, to address your film, I actually really enjoyed it. It's pretty remarkable that this was the first time you'd ever really touched a camera... I'd say your shot selection was one of your strengths (for instance, the tracking shot around the 2:50 mark done at low angle as opposed to high gave it a certain voyeuristic feel that I liked; as if we [the audience] were seeing something we weren't meant to). Also, you show a lot of promise in your editing as well. EG Your jump cuts were used tactfully, ie in a way that enhanced the presentation rather than distracting from it... IDK if you were going for the documentary feel by using the hand-cam, but that would be my primary criticism technically speaking... That a little more stillness in the camera may have been called for, but I'm sure you wouldn't have been able to do anything about that if you'd wanted to on the budget you probably had. There was a little too much ambient sound as well (in certain points, not all mind you), but again, I'm sure that had to do with budget more than anything else. I dunno if your leading lady is trying to go the acting route, but it's something she should consider, IMO... Great commitment from her. Thematically, I thought it very well thought out and was quite surprised at the range of emotion and scenarios you were able to convey with minimal time and more importantly, minimal dialogue.

Well struck, sir, well struck.
Thanks a lot. Yeah, the camera movement had a lot to do with lack of any tracking/stabilizing equipment and total inexperience on my part. Similarly with the sound, we actually only had 2 hours before the deadline to do all of the sound only to find out that the computer we were using had Soundtrack Pro deleted off of it, meaning we had to match up everything using garageband which sucked a lot, but most of that wasn't actually done by me (thankfully).

As far as shot selection, I have a tendency to be a perfectionist, often to the point of annoying the shit out of everyone I work with (the girl playing the lead who was my main collaborator had to on multiple occasions basically tell me to fuck off and stop being so neurotic, which I'm glad she did). In other words, most of the shots were done from at least four different angles and at least five times each, so that ended up being helpful, albeit overwhelming, when we were editing it.

And yeah, she is a great actress, though I don't believe she is pursuing it professionally even though she'd probably do well.

Thank you though, glad you liked it :thumbup1:

[Q]

pm me too.

[Il Medico]

Fuck yeah I wanna see it! Also, when did we start stopping people from linking to their films? I remember that TAT linked to one of his films once and nobody took it down. I'm also quite certain that the rule against revealing personal info was in place then.

[Fawkes]

Fuck yeah I wanna see it! Also, when did we start stopping people from linking to their films? I remember that TAT linked to one of his films once and nobody took it down. I'm also quite certain that the rule against revealing personal info was in place then.

My thoughts exactly.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/why-my-thread-t151911/index.html

http://www.revleft.com/vb/linking-personally-identifying-t151960/index.html

[Il Medico]

Good film Fawkes, I liked it. :)