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Suspenseful Short - Need Comments!

T

TaKashMoney

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2005
298
0
Hey guys,

I just completed a second short film with Final Cut Studio 2 and my Canon XH A1.

It is a suspenseful short video that utilizes some special F/X and will hopefully raise awareness for a much longer project.

I would love to hear any and all comments and criticism. Let me know what you think!

http://www.vimeo.com/1201760

Thanks again,

TaKashMoney
 
A lot to like there.

I really liked the editing and the atmosphere as the guy tried to help himself. Also the lighting seemed natural and lit the character without seeming artificial. Great job and kudos to both director and actor.

The design of the 'black stuff' and the threatening sound also worked great. But there is also a problem with the effect-shots. Most of the shots with the actor are handheld, or at least with some camera movement. All the effect shots on the other hand are completely locked down and therefore sticks outs for the wrong reasons. I realize it would mean a lot of motion-tracking work to use the effect in moving shots, but it is doable.

All in all though its a promising peak and reminds me stylistically of the Asian-wave of horror films that have shown up the last few years. Thanks for the peak! :)
 
Hey thanks for the comments. I think we will add some hand motion for those shots in post. I agree that their stillness kind of stick out when compared to the other shots.

Thanks again for the comments.
 
I agree with everything NickPalk said -- great job overall.

The only other thing that occurred to me was the scale of the menacing swirls. They seemed big in the outdoor shots, but finer and smaller in the indoor shots. Just a nit though.
 
Nice... I liked it a lot

I have no expertise, so I am speaking just from an observation standpoint

Very cool

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Excellent cinematography. It looks like you used mostly practical light, but it still gets the job done without drawing attention to itself.
 
I love Sci-Fi stuff so it got my attention. The ending left me wanting to see more :D Hopefully you will make more of these.

Great Job!

Nuc
 
I agree with all of the tecnical stuff - nicely done. Good editing. Good Cinmatography.

But this in not a short film. This is a trailer - and those are a world apart!

A trailer is usually a excerpt or extract showing me vital scenes to get me interested in a story. It is easier to create, because the audience is forgiving - it doesnt matter if they dont understand everything, because this is not the whole movie, this is just a quotation. When the film/trailer is finished, the story has barely begun!

A short film on the other hand has to contain THE WHOLE STORY. It can still be as short as a trailer, but the audience has to feel that the story is finished, when the film is finished. You cant leave the audience screaming "Then what happens!!". ... And it needs to tell me something.

...since your techinical skills are already up there, try telling me a complete story in 3-5 minutes for your next movie. I would love to see it!
 
Thank you very much for the comments. I am in the post-production phases of a short. I will definitely post that here once it is completed. Thank you again for all of the help.

One question, though.
Does a short really need to say something? Why can't is just be whatever it is?
 
TaKashMoney said:
Does a short really need to say something? Why can't is just be whatever it is?
Click to expand...

No to the first question. The World's your oyster.

Trust your own instincts, and, to a lesser and varying extent, other people's. From there it's all about achieving what you set out to achieve.

A lot of people revel in making something that looks professional in a technical sense, but it still comes across as amateur because it's a watered down or plot-/drama-free imitation. This can be enough to impress yourself, your grandparents and other hobbyist filmmakers — and that may be what you want to achieve — but if you want to impress people who have no interest in making their own short films, then it probably won't cut mustard. If you're honest with yourself you'll be able to watch it and judge whether it's engaging enough.

Disclaimer: None of this is written about your film, it's just a general observation. Happy filmmaking.
 
Haha yeah I actually stumbled on your video after we had added the effects. It is used in a very unique way that is also very different from the way we employed it. However, credit should also be given to this video: http://www.vimeo.com/156783 - the video that inspired me at least.
I think 4khz never took the next step with his video, and that is applying the effect in a unique way to affect the audience in a larger context or narrative - not simply as a unique visual exhibition.
 
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