"The Arrangement" a Robert Eldon Film

[Robert Eldon]

Sometimes love finds you when you're not looking.

An awkward young man, who can't talk to girls, finds love when he's not looking.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1200975778.jpg

Cast

Rose... Jane Heller
Matthew... Jaron Eldon
The 'Pick up' Guy... Aaron Dayton

Crew

Written/Directed by... Robert Eldon
Executive Producer... Gary & Carolyn Moore
Produced by... Robert Eldon
Music By... Justin R. Durban
Director of Photography... Amy R. Boles
Assistant Director... Richard Boosey
Assistant Camera... Kyle Wagner
Boom Operator... Darryl Medley
Production Design... Mike Zwarg

[Robert Eldon]

Reserved for BTS and production notes

Screen Shots

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1201922717.jpg
Rose smiles from behind some flowers


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1201922660.jpg
"I'm looking for some flowers"


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1201922760.jpg
"And... I'm a girl"


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1201991127.jpg
Rose explains the language of flowers


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1201990509.jpg
Left to Right: Aaron Dayton, Robert Eldon, Amy R. Boles, Kyle Wagner, Richard Boosey, Darryl Medley


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/12162/1202097056.jpg
Some more BTS during the action.
Richard Boosey (AD) is watching the monitor which is behind Robert Eldon (Director)

[Robert Eldon]

Poster Added.

[Brandon Rice]

Dude, can't wait, really dig the poster...

That girl looks like Reese!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Interesting! Good luck with this...

Mike

[Robert Eldon]

Dude, can't wait, really dig the poster...

That girl looks like Reese!

Brandon,

Thanks for the compliment on poster, although, I really don't know a thing about Photoshop like most of you guys.

You think she looks like Reese Witherspoon! ha! I'll pass that on. She'll get a kick out of that. I've always thought she looked a little like Zooey Deschanel.

[Jason Ramsey]

Hey, man. The poster is cool. It looks fun, and has a familiar feel to it.

good luck to you on your entry.

Later,
Jason

[Ted Arabian]

Woo Hoo! Another person just getting their thread up!

Hey Robert, I am looking forward to seeing your film. I remember your Horrorfest entry. I liked what you did.

So, what's the story? Have you shot yet? Or are you like me and JUST getting started???

Best to you!

-Ted

[tmnt]

Hey is this movie about me?

[Robert Eldon]

Hey is this movie about me?

Is your name Matthew or do you have a hard time talking to girls?

[tmnt]

It's not really that I have a hard time talking to girls, it's just that none of them seem to be as excited about ninja turtles as I am. Crazy.

[Robert Eldon]

It's not really that I have a hard time talking to girls, it's just that none of them seem to be as excited about ninja turtles as I am. Crazy.

Go figure? Who doesn't like the ninja turtles?

Spoiler: There are no ninja turtles in this film. Sorry to disappoint.

[StormFactory]

Hey Robert! Good to see you doing one for this contest. When are you shooting?

[Robert Eldon]

Hey Robert! Good to see you doing one for this contest. When are you shooting?

Hey Greg! Yeah, last year was a tragic year for our family, but we're getting back to normal. I really like this theme, so here we go.

We're shooting this weekend. It's all interior, so no sweat with the rain.

What have you been up to? Are you working on anything for this fest?

Thanks for checking in!

[Robert Eldon]

Woo Hoo! Another person just getting their thread up!

Hey Robert, I am looking forward to seeing your film. I remember your Horrorfest entry. I liked what you did.

So, what's the story? Have you shot yet? Or are you like me and JUST getting started???

Best to you!

-Ted

Ted,

I somehow missed your earlier post here! Yeah, I'm getting a late start and we just shot this last weekend. Trying to fit this in with some other work. In post production now, trying to get a 'locked' edit for Justin to do the sound score.

The story is about a guy who can't talk to girls. He goes to a flower shop to buy some flowers for a girl he likes and then... you'll have to see the movie.

I haven't been on the forum much as I'm trying to concentrate on the edit before the deadline.

I have been following your thread with great interest as you build your set. Very interesting and unique (of course, it's Ted).

Some screen shots and BTS coming soon.

[Robert Eldon]

Production is finished. Currently in post production. Editing like a mad man!

Posted some Screen Shots!

[Robert Eldon]

More Screen Shots posted.

The edit is 'locked' and sent to the composer, Justin Durban (aka Edgen).

tick... tick... tick...

[Brandon Rice]

Screenshots look good! I assume these aren't color graded yet?

oh, and awesome on having Justin score your film, he's amazingly talented!

[Robert Eldon]

Screenshots look good! I assume these aren't color graded yet?

oh, and awesome on having Justin score your film, he's amazingly talented!

Brandon,

I've started on the color grading. The screen shots actually have some color correction. Having a heck of a time, because the lighting changed so much. We were shooting on a rainy day, daylight coming in through the front windows, clouds rolling by, and we were not able to block out or flag out the sunlight. I've got warm shots and cool shots.

What are your thoughts on the image color?

And yes, we are truly honored to have the talented Mr. Durban scoring this short!

[Brandon Rice]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6061/1201984123.jpg

I'd do something like this (this was really quick)

With upping the saturation and really getting the colors popping... unless thats not the feel you're going for, I just figured since the grabs are in a flower shop, this would be a cool look.

[Robert Eldon]

I'd do something like this (this was really quick)

With upping the saturation and really getting the colors popping... unless thats not the feel you're going for, I just figured since the grabs are in a flower shop, this would be a cool look.

Thanks for that. I was going for a lot of color. There must be something wrong with my monitor because your quick example looks over saturated to me? I'm trying to go with a warm feel, but with cool and vibrant flower color. Isn't that ironic?

[Brandon Rice]

Yeah, its DEF over-saturated. I just threw it together real quick. I wanted an extreme example to show the basic idea.

[kurtmo]

I like the screen grabs. And I think the story line sounds fun. What are you shooting with? I shot my past/present fest entries on a DVX with squeeze.

[Robert Eldon]

I like the screen grabs. And I think the story line sounds fun. What are you shooting with? I shot my past/present fest entries on a DVX with squeeze.

Kurtmo,

Thanks for your comments. The story line came to me late one evening as I was trying to come up with a story for LoveFest. I learned from my Horrorfest experience how important and challenging it is to come up with a complete story to be told in less than 6 minutes. So I wrote the entire script in the morning.

We shot this with a DVX100B. No squeeze. I like to have the cropping latitude in post.

[kurtmo]

I agree. It's tough to tell a complete story in under six. This time around I kept my story straight forward and hit the main points. Running time 4:30.

Maybe next time I'll skip the squeeze. i''m shooting on 100B myself.

Looks tight in the florist shop. Cool place to shoot. Did you have much trouble getting in there?

[Robert Eldon]

I agree. It's tough to tell a complete story in under six. This time around I kept my story straight forward and hit the main points. Running time 4:30.

Maybe next time I'll skip the squeeze. i''m shooting on 100B myself.

Looks tight in the florist shop. Cool place to shoot. Did you have much trouble getting in there?

Good for you. Keeping it simple, that's what I did this time around. Focused on the characters.

I'm sure there are advantages and disadvantages to using squeeze mode.

It wasn't too bad in the florist shop. The lighting was a trick. Learned a lot about that. We weren't able to get the shallow depth of field that I wanted due to the space limitations, but we had enough room for dolly shots, lights, etc.

[kurtmo]

Lighting is always a learning experience. I've done a lot of reading, but I like to learn by doing.

I liked the way you were able to frame some of your shots with flowers. I think that makes it visually interesting.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Looking good! :thumbsup:

[Robert Eldon]

Additional BTS added.

[Blaine]

Wow! How did I miss this? And you, right in my own backyard. Looking good, Robert.

[Robert Eldon]

Wow! How did I miss this? And you, right in my own backyard. Looking good, Robert.

Thanks Blaine. I think I'm south of your backyard. And it looks like you guys had fun, fun, fun on "Where the Heart Lies". Looking forward to seeing it!

[Tom Marshall]

Hey there, Robert. I like your location. It's great that you got a floral shop to shoot. Who'd you have to sweet talk to get that? :)

I'd offer to help out, but you guys are so far away... we need to all get together and work on something again like we did with Cristo. :beer:

[Robert Eldon]

Hey there, Robert. I like your location. It's great that you got a floral shop to shoot. Who'd you have to sweet talk to get that? :)

I'd offer to help out, but you guys are so far away... we need to all get together and work on something again like we did with Cristo. :beer:

Hey Tom! Thanks for comments about the location. I actually came up with the idea for the story late one evening, wrote the script in the morning, and then while I was out that day (I think it was a Saturday), I spotted the florist shop near my home. I went in and introduced myself to the owners, a very nice husband and wife, and asked if they would entertain the idea of letting us shoot at their location.

After a while and after some deliberation (I let them read the script, showed them the location release) they agreed! It worked out great, because the owner got 'Production Design' credit and helped with the flowers immensely.

I know it seems that we're far away, but anywhere in Southern California is far away! :) We get around, so it would be cool to work on something again.

Cristo was a great experience. I enjoyed working with Justin, et al and the location and weather were wonderful.

Thanks for 'stopping by'. Let me know what your thoughts are after viewing this movie!

[ignatius]

Hey Robert and Jaron, how is The Arrangement coming along? I'm really looking forward to this one, guys, best of luck!

[Robert Eldon]

Hey Robert and Jaron, how is The Arrangement coming along? I'm really looking forward to this one, guys, best of luck!

Ignatius,

This is turning out real nice. We're waiting for a few tweaks to the music and then we're ready to submit. Thanks for tuning in.

[Robert Eldon]

Uploading now! Congratulations and Good Luck to everyone! This has been great fun and looking forward to seeing all of the movies!

[Robert Eldon]

Now that we're uploaded and waiting, I wanted to thank the cast and crew of "The Arrangement" for doing such a wonderful job!

I want to acknowledge everyone for putting in their best efforts and putting in extra long hours to get this done!

I also want to thank the extremely talented Justin Durban (aka Edgen) for the 'sweet and charming' music.

Thank you DVXuser Forum and members for having these festivals and motivating everyone that entered.

Now we look forward to Valentine's Day and watching everyone's LoveFest entries.

[Edgen]

I also want to thank the extremely talented Justin Durban (aka Edgen) for the 'sweet and charming' music.

You are most welcome! I hope the music works for everyone and Good luck with the fest Robert

:thumbsup:

/j

[dvpixl]

thanks for your post. good luck on your film!

[Erik Olson]

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't technically over-the-top or incredibly well acted. But. I really found myself hoping it would turn out well for this guy - and her. It's a good little film with a good story.

Congratulations on it!

e

[HBlack]

This just doesn't suit my taste, really. It's a sweet story, but nothing was particularly gripping. The ending was predictable. This is entirely personal opinion though; there was nothing wrong with it technically. Lighting, audio and editing all seemed quite natural, so you're definitely on the right path in that respect.

[Robert Eldon]

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't technically over-the-top or incredibly well acted. But. I really found myself hoping it would turn out well for this guy - and her. It's a good little film with a good story.

Congratulations on it!

e

Hey Erik, I'm glad you enjoyed it! My goal for this fest was 'a good story', well told, in under 6 minutes, so your comment means a lot to me.

[Robert Eldon]

This just doesn't suit my taste, really. It's a sweet story, but nothing was particularly gripping. The ending was predictable. This is entirely personal opinion though; there was nothing wrong with it technically. Lighting, audio and editing all seemed quite natural, so you're definitely on the right path in that respect.

HBlack, I kinda figured that the film wouldn't suit a number of DVXuser's taste, but I really appreciate your comment "It's a sweet story". That is what I wanted it to be. Thank you for the comments regarding the lighting, audio and editing.

[ignatius]

Just watched it - great work!

Lighting, camera and SOUND were all great. The actor and the character who comes in during the middle was a great bit of comic relief and a great little character moment for both he and the florist. I liked the lead actress, she played very natural.

The story is well-written and clean, and at the same time, cliche. Sweet it is and sweet I don't mind, but it will be fun to see you apply your writing and directing skills (which are totally solid!) to a story that isn't quite so predictable (which, in the end, will be more fun for the audience).

Overall, it's a very watchable little flick, and it's actually very refreshing to see something that isn't laced with some kind of darkness or some kind of slapstick humor that IS watchable.

Good work all!

[Brandon Rice]

My reviews will be made up of three separate categories. One for technical, which includes cinematography, lighting, editing, sound mixing, and score. One for performance which includes the acting. One for writing which includes the script, and story. And then I will summarize up my thoughts in the overall section. I plan to do my best to review each film like this in detail.

The Arrangement

Writing
What a cute story! I really liked this story. It was charming, heartwarming, a little cliché but it worked so well for me! I’m a sucker for this kind of story, I really am.

Acting
The acting was really good overall. The only actor I wasn’t so hip on was the “cool guy” who came in, he didn’t quite work for me, but the two leads were well cast, and well directed.

Technical
This had a nice, natural look to it. Some of the framing was odd to me sometimes, but overall I was happy with it. I think your editing could be tightened up some. Again, I’m getting really picky here, only because I liked the film so much! The sound design was ok, some of the lines were tough to pick out. Justin’s score was incredible! It really helped make this film what it is. I had a huge smile on my face when the movie ended, and a large part of that was due to the score. It reminded me of his score for “The Artist” in dramafest and it worked so well! Great work Justin!

Overall Thoughts
Definitely one of my favorites! I enjoyed the simplicity and cute factor of this story. I had a warm fuzzy feeling after watching this! We need to work together on a short sometime!

[Ted Arabian]

Robert! What a wonderful entry!!!

This film is so charming. I love it. Really. I am still glowing inside from the sweetness of it.

Your actress is perfectly cast. She is wonderful in the role. The guy did a very nice job but I just felt him push too hard at times. I certainly don't mean to take away from his performance, he did deliver. I guess, for me, it was some of the stereo-typing. (always so tough to deliver a fresh and believable role like this.)

The colors of the film are beautiful. The flowers are lovely and make a wonderful setting for your film.

Even though I felt that these flowers were for her the whole time, I am glad that you went with him exiting and then coming back in. It gave such a nice moment for the girl with the photo and then the great line, "I bought these for the wrong girl." Loved it!

Great job on this film. Directed, shot and cut to a tee. Nothing stood out as "ouch!" :)

Congrats again,

Ted

[kurtmo]

Nice colors and good framing. I enjoyed the music. I thought the cast did a nice job. I liked the dolly shots as they moved through the arrangements.
It seemed that the cast was not in crisp focus in some shots (foreground in focus). Story was a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it!

[Zak Forsman]

i'm such a pushover, such a sap. i'm so glad he turned around and gave her the flowers.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

This was nice. I usually don't like nice, but this was good.
I think your 2 main actors really sold this. You sat back with the camera and you let them tell the story. Very nice work.

Cheers,

[bosindy]

this was a nice feel good piece. I enjoyed it.

[Kholi]

THE ARRANGEMENT -- Kholi stops by the florist! -- SPOILERTYPE

Lots of flowers! I'd be sneezin' up a storm. Hats off to a good location. Getting us user out of everyone's living room is a good thing in the fests. Another good thing is taking the chance on a linear tale that doesn't need to be twisty and turny. I'm all for it! When it comes down to this, execution is key and I think it's executed in a fair fashion. On audio, visual, and pacing. There's a few things that I want to touch on, but overall it's another good entry.

Visually this is appealing because there's a lot of color to break up the monotony of every day life. Flowers EVERYWHERE and that makes it easy to watch. Did you have a lot of time to work inside of the location? I ask because at times I feel like the lighting really went flat. With so much to play with (I'm no DP, though, so take this with a grain of your choice spice) I feel like the sort'a flat lighting is a disservice to the robust colors in your short. Not DISPLEASING, perhaps a little more? That's food for future thought and, again, I'm NO DP (yet). Just think that more attention to light (if you HAD the time) and color pallet would've added to your story.

And thte STORY is what I truly want to comment on. Short doesn't have to mean "twist at the end". I mean there's a sort of twist here? But I get where you were going. It was about the linearity and, asimilar to another short in this fest, character realization. I'm glad that he realized that he had been doing what he proclaimed he could not in the beginning. Where I think it struggles the most is (and this is common) dialog: It's very on the nose and sometimes robotic.

There's a great moment when the other guy comes traipsing in Big Bad Girl Gettin' Wolf and "games" on the female. Of course we knew it wouldn't work, that's a given. That's FINE. The moments behind that... "That's how females want to be talked to" are great! It was on the nose and it's hard to say if it came down to line delivery or just the written word. Some of the dialog, perhaps, could've been played with in front of the camera while remaining the same on paper. It's something to think about in the future.

So, I didn't have any problems with what this was. It could've been the acting, which (not to be offensive at all) feels stiff and forced, especially in line delivery, that detracted from a perfectly fine idea. There are a lot of great moments throughout, the pacing is fine by me and it didn't feel like it ran too long at all.

Good go, Robert! Thanks for exhibitin'. =D

[Gohanto]

This is a very low-key, fine short. I could easily see this as a short shown on some kids show. The one part that distracted me was the window shots which were blown out, which didn't really fit the semi-flat interior lighting. I'm sure this was a budget issue and I can't really offer a cheap suggestion, but just a note. As was mentioned before, the lighting was semi-flat, but I honestly think it fit the story in its simplicity. A high contrast look wouldn't have been right for the light material.

I think the only thing that this entry has going against it is that it doesn't really take many risks.

However, for what it is and the story you wanted to tell, I think you did an excellent job with this.

[Blaine]

Robert...Robert...Robert. That was a sweat little film. The acting was good and it was well shot except for the blown out entrance which is incredibly hard to control in the digital medium. This would be a great Valentine's Day gift that any woman would appreciate...well maybe not Aileen Wuornos, but just about any other warm blooded American woman.

Good show.

[Robert Eldon]

Whoa! I'm gone for a day and everybody posts. Thank you all so much. I will try to reply individually to each post. :)

[Robbie Comeau]

Whoa! I'm gone for a day and everybody posts.

Good feeling eh? It's like the first time you heard the Beatles...

Ok, I steal way to much off of Superbad.

Man, good job on the film. I loved it.

[Robert Eldon]

Just watched it - great work!

Lighting, camera and SOUND were all great. The actor and the character who comes in during the middle was a great bit of comic relief and a great little character moment for both he and the florist. I liked the lead actress, she played very natural.

The story is well-written and clean, and at the same time, cliche. Sweet it is and sweet I don't mind, but it will be fun to see you apply your writing and directing skills (which are totally solid!) to a story that isn't quite so predictable (which, in the end, will be more fun for the audience).

Overall, it's a very watchable little flick, and it's actually very refreshing to see something that isn't laced with some kind of darkness or some kind of slapstick humor that IS watchable.

Good work all!

Thanks Ignatius! I really appreciate that you approve of the lighting, camera, and sound knowing the quality of work that you expect.

My goal for this fest was to convey a complete story in under 6 minutes and I know the basic story was cliche'. I've even considered changing the end ever so slightly (based on comments) for the DVD.

Thank you for your comments about it being sweet. That's the 'love' I wanted to present. Sweet and Charming.

I'm glad you liked it and glad that you watched it to the end. Didn't lose interest? :)

[Robert Eldon]

The Arrangement

Writing
What a cute story! I really liked this story. It was charming, heartwarming, a little cliché but it worked so well for me! I’m a sucker for this kind of story, I really am.


Brandon, I'm glad you liked this. It was the 'story' that I wanted to tell. I'm a sucker for this kind of story also! :)


Acting
The acting was really good overall. The only actor I wasn’t so hip on was the “cool guy” who came in, he didn’t quite work for me, but the two leads were well cast, and well directed.

Thanks for the compliments on the acting, I'll be sure to pass that on. The male lead is my son (aka JaronE on this Forum), he's taken acting courses but prefers being behind the camera.


Technical
This had a nice, natural look to it. Some of the framing was odd to me sometimes, but overall I was happy with it. I think your editing could be tightened up some. Again, I’m getting really picky here, only because I liked the film so much! The sound design was ok, some of the lines were tough to pick out. Justin’s score was incredible! It really helped make this film what it is. I had a huge smile on my face when the movie ended, and a large part of that was due to the score. It reminded me of his score for “The Artist” in dramafest and it worked so well! Great work Justin!

Please be picky, I appreciate the input to help me improve. Yes, Justin is awesome! I know you've worked with him on your "Smuggler's Ransom" movie and have heard that soundtrack. I enjoyed being able to convery the mood, the beats, etc. and then he... creates! It's a wonderful thing.


Overall Thoughts
Definitely one of my favorites! I enjoyed the simplicity and cute factor of this story. I had a warm fuzzy feeling after watching this! We need to work together on a short sometime!

One of your favorites? Can I quote you on that? I appreciate that you picked up on the simplicity. After doing "Hellebore" for Horrorfest, I had to do something simple and just tell a cute story.

Work together? By all means, we'll stay in touch and see what's next! :)

[Robert Eldon]

Robert! What a wonderful entry!!!

This film is so charming. I love it. Really. I am still glowing inside from the sweetness of it.

Ted, thank you. I can't imagine the glow since it seems that you're glowing all the time. You are one positive and happy dude!


Your actress is perfectly cast. She is wonderful in the role. The guy did a very nice job but I just felt him push too hard at times. I certainly don't mean to take away from his performance, he did deliver. I guess, for me, it was some of the stereo-typing. (always so tough to deliver a fresh and believable role like this.)

I will be sure to pass this along. I know the actors are always looking for ways to improve. I'd like your take on 'push too hard at times'? I want to learn.


The colors of the film are beautiful. The flowers are lovely and make a wonderful setting for your film.

Even though I felt that these flowers were for her the whole time, I am glad that you went with him exiting and then coming back in. It gave such a nice moment for the girl with the photo and then the great line, "I bought these for the wrong girl." Loved it!

Did you really know that the flowers for her from the beginning? Ha! I suppose that's why I'm getting the 'cliche' comments.


Great job on this film. Directed, shot and cut to a tee. Nothing stood out as "ouch!" :)

Congrats again,

Ted

Ted, thank you for your honest review. It means a lot to me.

[Jason Ramsey]

This film just oozed of "cuteness", and I mean that as a compiment :)

Your actress had a nice look that really shone through on her closeups.

Kind of an odd cut at 3:45.

The character relationships (and as a side effect the story) had good depth and really fit the format and the time frame well.

Again, (and I totally mean this as a compliment, so I hope you don't hate me for saying it) it was just really cute. I knew what was coming from the beginning, but it's not something I cared about at all, or felt like I was supposed to care about. It was engaging nonetheless.

I don't have much to add to what looks to have already been said.

The piece stands on it's own entirely, and I just kinda found myself watching and enjoying it for what it was, without really thinking about the things to critique about it. And, I watched it with a subtle smile on my face throughout.

Good work. Thanks for sharing.

later,
Jason

[Robert Eldon]

Nice colors and good framing. I enjoyed the music. I thought the cast did a nice job. I liked the dolly shots as they moved through the arrangements.
It seemed that the cast was not in crisp focus in some shots (foreground in focus). Story was a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it!

kurtmo, thanks for your review. I appreciate that you took the time to review while responding to your movie.

Awe, the dolly shot. That was not originally suppose to be one take. But it worked out well. That's my Scorsese shot. :) We were going to cut in some close ups/inserts, but it worked so well, that we left it at one long shot.

I agree, some of the shots were out of focus. I could say that we were going for a 'soft focus' effect? But no, something to improve on for next time. Thanks.

[ignatius]

No, I didn't lose interest at all - I honestly think the script flows really well, and the married guy kinda hit at just the right time to add that little kick where needed to keep the story moving. Great work!

[Robert Eldon]

i'm such a pushover, such a sap. i'm so glad he turned around and gave her the flowers.

Zak, really? I think your film was the antithesis of "The Arrangement". :)

Tell me what you really think.

Thanks for your comment.

[Robert Eldon]

No, I didn't lose interest at all - I honestly think the script flows really well, and the married guy kinda hit at just the right time to add that little kick where needed to keep the story moving. Great work!

OK. Thanks. Phew. Just checking, because we've talked before about how long a 6 minute movie could hold our attention. :)

[Robert Eldon]

This was nice. I usually don't like nice, but this was good.
I think your 2 main actors really sold this. You sat back with the camera and you let them tell the story. Very nice work.

Cheers,

Michael, thank you for the 'nice' comments. It made me smile when you said 'I usually don't like nice, but this was good.' :)

Thank you for the comment about the actors. That was my intent and I'm glad you picked up on that. I hope there was enough expression without words to tell the story in addition to the dialog?

[Robert Eldon]

this was a nice feel good piece. I enjoyed it.

bosindy, if it made you feel good, then I did my job. Thanks for the review. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Michael, thank you for the 'nice' comments. It made me smile when you said 'I usually don't like nice, but this was good.' :)

Thank you for the comment about the actors. That was my intent and I'm glad you picked up on that. I hope there was enough expression without words to tell the story in addition to the dialog?
Absolutely! I can learn from this piece, and I hope to.
Nice work.

Cheers,

Mike

[Robert Eldon]

THE ARRANGEMENT -- Kholi stops by the florist! -- SPOILERTYPE

Lots of flowers! I'd be sneezin' up a storm. Hats off to a good location. Getting us user out of everyone's living room is a good thing in the fests. Another good thing is taking the chance on a linear tale that doesn't need to be twisty and turny. I'm all for it! When it comes down to this, execution is key and I think it's executed in a fair fashion. On audio, visual, and pacing. There's a few things that I want to touch on, but overall it's another good entry.

Kholi, I was hoping you would stop by the flower shoppe! I always appreciate your reviews (even with the honest, hard to swallow parts). Thanks! This story didn't have to take place in a florist shop, but I really liked the idea of the color and the flowers. The owners were very gracious.


Visually this is appealing because there's a lot of color to break up the monotony of every day life. Flowers EVERYWHERE and that makes it easy to watch. Did you have a lot of time to work inside of the location? I ask because at times I feel like the lighting really went flat. With so much to play with (I'm no DP, though, so take this with a grain of your choice spice) I feel like the sort'a flat lighting is a disservice to the robust colors in your short. Not DISPLEASING, perhaps a little more? That's food for future thought and, again, I'm NO DP (yet). Just think that more attention to light (if you HAD the time) and color pallet would've added to your story.

We only had one day (a long 12 hour day) to work in the flower shop when it was closed. I agree about the lighting. It's the one thing that could have been improved dramatically! I agree that the lighting could have provided a lot more contrast.


And thte STORY is what I truly want to comment on. Short doesn't have to mean "twist at the end". I mean there's a sort of twist here? But I get where you were going. It was about the linearity and, asimilar to another short in this fest, character realization. I'm glad that he realized that he had been doing what he proclaimed he could not in the beginning. Where I think it struggles the most is (and this is common) dialog: It's very on the nose and sometimes robotic.

What I wanted to present was the 'change' that the main character went through (in less than 6 minutes). And the Rose character changed a little too, because she finally got some flowers. Yeah, so no twist, just a change in character realization. I know it was a challenge for the actor playing Matthew to play awkward, but not robotic. I think it was a fun challenge for him! :)


There's a great moment when the other guy comes traipsing in Big Bad Girl Gettin' Wolf and "games" on the female. Of course we knew it wouldn't work, that's a given. That's FINE. The moments behind that... "That's how females want to be talked to" are great! It was on the nose and it's hard to say if it came down to line delivery or just the written word. Some of the dialog, perhaps, could've been played with in front of the camera while remaining the same on paper. It's something to think about in the future.

Yeah, the pick up guy, or in our script notes and shot list, the PUG. Could you expand on 'could've been played with in front of the camera while remaining the same on paper.'? Are you talking about the reactions, instead of dialog?


So, I didn't have any problems with what this was. It could've been the acting, which (not to be offensive at all) feels stiff and forced, especially in line delivery, that detracted from a perfectly fine idea. There are a lot of great moments throughout, the pacing is fine by me and it didn't feel like it ran too long at all.

Good go, Robert! Thanks for exhibitin'. =D

Thank you for your review. Always appreciated and looked forward to.

[Kholi]

What I meant about the "playing with dialog" was finding some of it in front of the camera. Allowing the actors to pull naturally while remaining in context. That is DANGEROUS a lot of the time but sometimes you find something better in it.

That's what I meant. Overall, though, it's another strong entry in this fest!

[Robert Eldon]

This is a very low-key, fine short. I could easily see this as a short shown on some kids show. The one part that distracted me was the window shots which were blown out, which didn't really fit the semi-flat interior lighting. I'm sure this was a budget issue and I can't really offer a cheap suggestion, but just a note. As was mentioned before, the lighting was semi-flat, but I honestly think it fit the story in its simplicity. A high contrast look wouldn't have been right for the light material.

Gohanto, thanks for your review! No excuses on the window shots. We were shooting on a rainy day, lots of clouds, and then... the sun peeked out! We could have ND'd the window but were short on time. If I could do it over again...



I think the only thing that this entry has going against it is that it doesn't really take many risks.


I'm not sure I understand what you mean? If you have the time, could you expand on this? :)


However, for what it is and the story you wanted to tell, I think you did an excellent job with this.

I'll take that 'excellent job' feather and put it in my cap! Thank you.

[Robert Eldon]

Robert...Robert...Robert. That was a sweat little film. The acting was good and it was well shot except for the blown out entrance which is incredibly hard to control in the digital medium. This would be a great Valentine's Day gift that any woman would appreciate...well maybe not Aileen Wuornos, but just about any other warm blooded American woman.

Good show.

Blaine, Blaine, Blaine. Thank you for your comments. I appreciate that coming from you. And I agree, that women will like this more than men. Although, I am partial to romantic comedies myself.

What an obscure reference to that 'Aileen' chick. Isn't she that serial killer woman? HA!

Did I just notice a Freudian slip? Did you say 'a sweat little film'? If this film made you sweat, then, well, I appreciate the sentiment. :)

[Robert Eldon]

Good feeling eh? It's like the first time you heard the Beatles...

Ok, I steal way to much off of Superbad.

Man, good job on the film. I loved it.

Hey Robbie,

I get the impression that you liked this? Thank you very much for the compliments and...

I saw your post about the 'hottest actress' in another thread. :) I'll pass that on to Jane! Thank you.

[Robert Eldon]

What I meant about the "playing with dialog" was finding some of it in front of the camera. Allowing the actors to pull naturally while remaining in context. That is DANGEROUS a lot of the time but sometimes you find something better in it.

That's what I meant. Overall, though, it's another strong entry in this fest!

Ahhhh! Got ya! I appreciate those words of advice. More for me to learn! Thank you again!

[Gohanto]

"I think the only thing that this entry has going against it is that it doesn't really take many risks."

I'm not sure I understand what you mean? If you have the time, could you expand on this? :)


Well, to use the most extreme contrast ever, Requiem for a Dream is a movie that took every risk possible. New techniques, intense and unique characters, enough motivation to drive characters insane, music that grabbed the audience and gave people nightmares...

Now, certainly not every movie needs be or even should be like that one. However, when I look at your short I see a very simple story I've seen before, told in a simple way, and there were no stakes to speak of if the guy left without asking the girl out. Simple stories are fine, but I like to see some innovation to the method they're told in so I see the same story in a different way (kind of like most Hitchcock movies, always simple plots, but they're always told uniquely).

Simple story telling methods are fine, but then the plot or dialog needs to keep me interested (Annie Hall would be an example of this)

Most movies are usually somewhere inbetween.

Now, again, I did enjoy your film and thought it was well done, but it just didn't grab me with anything like some other entries did.

[Robert Eldon]

This film just oozed of "cuteness", and I mean that as a compliment :)

Your actress had a nice look that really shone through on her closeups.

Jason, thanks for stopping by. Jane may be checking out this thread, but if not, I'll pass that on to her. Thanks, and before I reply any more, let me tell you how much I enjoyed your film. It really touched me on a personal level and I'll explain why when I post to your thread. Great job!


Kind of an odd cut at 3:45.

You know, I thought so too. I didn't have any coverage to transition that better. Good catch!


The character relationships (and as a side effect the story) had good depth and really fit the format and the time frame well.

The story within the time frame was one of my main goals! I remember something that JDS posted a while back about doing a short or 'flash'? film. I take that as a great compliment and yeah, I thought it fit the LoveFest theme, even if it was a little cliche'. :)


Again, (and I totally mean this as a compliment, so I hope you don't hate me for saying it) it was just really cute. I knew what was coming from the beginning, but it's not something I cared about at all, or felt like I was supposed to care about. It was engaging nonetheless.


I'll take cute! Sweet, charming... that was my intent. Thank you.


I don't have much to add to what looks to have already been said.

The piece stands on it's own entirely, and I just kinda found myself watching and enjoying it for what it was, without really thinking about the things to critique about it. And, I watched it with a subtle smile on my face throughout.

Good work. Thanks for sharing.

later,
Jason

Don't you wish you could just watch the people watch your film? Thanks for sharing the subtle smile on your face. That means a lot to me. :)

[hoz]

this was a nice film. a simple story told in a clean neat effective way. the acting was consistent with the look and for that i think the directing was solid as well.

did i like it? not sure. and maybe this goes to my taste more than anything, i guess i like things with more of an edge.

you told your story well though. the acting is good too, especially the store's clerk, she was cute in all the right ways. the shy guy was okay. maybe if he was a lot more hesitant to speak with her early on i might've bought more into the story. maybe there would've been a bit more of an obstacle for me to want to watch for, not sure. the store was a good place to tell your story too and you used the flowers effectively as a prop to further the story along. i do wish you warmed up the look though. the bluish tint to the film did not match up with the type of story i believe you were telling.

all in all though, nice work!

[Chris Messineo]

I went to my thesaurus to look up some other words than sweet, but none of them fit as well. This is just a very sweet story.

I thought it was a little slow and repetitive at times (looking at all the different arrangements), but I still enjoyed it.

I liked them both very much and it was fun to watch them find each other. A perfect Valentine's Day movie.

[Robert Eldon]

Well, to use the most extreme contrast ever, Requiem for a Dream is a movie that took every risk possible. New techniques, intense and unique characters, enough motivation to drive characters insane, music that grabbed the audience and gave people nightmares...

Now, certainly not every movie needs be or even should be like that one. However, when I look at your short I see a very simple story I've seen before, told in a simple way, and there were no stakes to speak of if the guy left without asking the girl out. Simple stories are fine, but I like to see some innovation to the method they're told in so I see the same story in a different way (kind of like most Hitchcock movies, always simple plots, but they're always told uniquely).

Simple story telling methods are fine, but then the plot or dialog needs to keep me interested (Annie Hall would be an example of this)

Most movies are usually somewhere inbetween.

Now, again, I did enjoy your film and thought it was well done, but it just didn't grab me with anything like some other entries did.

Gohanto,

I understand what you meant and where you're coming from. For this theme, I set out to create a story that was simple and charming. No 'twists', no 'risks', something easy to watch and yet, I wanted to create some empathy for the character(s) and show a change in character within the six minutes (something that I find more challenging than easy). I appreciate your comments. :)

[Zak Forsman]

bosindy, if it made you feel good, then I did my job. Thanks for the review. :)

no, i mean it. i'm a big softie. but i don;t know how to do stuff like this, without OVERDOING it... so in my own stuff, I retreat to minimalism. that, I know and am comfortable with. great work!!

[Robert Eldon]

this was a nice film. a simple story told in a clean neat effective way. the acting was consistent with the look and for that i think the directing was solid as well.

did i like it? not sure. and maybe this goes to my taste more than anything, i guess i like things with more of an edge.

hoz, thank you for your review. I like that you used words like 'nice', 'simple', 'effective' (that's a good one!) and thank you for the directing kudos!


you told your story well though. the acting is good too, especially the store's clerk, she was cute in all the right ways. the shy guy was okay. maybe if he was a lot more hesitant to speak with her early on i might've bought more into the story. maybe there would've been a bit more of an obstacle for me to want to watch for, not sure. the store was a good place to tell your story too and you used the flowers effectively as a prop to further the story along. i do wish you warmed up the look though. the bluish tint to the film did not match up with the type of story i believe you were telling.

Thank you for the compliments regarding the story and I'll be sure to pass on your comments regarding the acting, especially the 'store clerk' (yeah, but she's a florist).

One of my goals with this and for the future is to try to develop character early for a 6 minute movie. I think the location worked well and was a character in itself for this. Good pick up on the 'warm up the look'! That's something that I'm still trying to accomplish with this. To try to warm up the scene without loosing the color or saturation with the flowers. Hmmm?


all in all though, nice work!

Thank you again for your review and detailed comments. Much appreciated!

[Robert Eldon]

I went to my thesaurus to look up some other words than sweet, but none of them fit as well. This is just a very sweet story.

I thought it was a little slow and repetitive at times (looking at all the different arrangements), but I still enjoyed it.

I liked them both very much and it was fun to watch them find each other. A perfect Valentine's Day movie.

Chris,

First, thank you for taking the time to look up another word for 'sweet' in your thesaurus! That's funny. :) (and thank you for spelling thesaurus correctly!)

Wonderful that you found it to be 'a very sweet story'. Thanks!

I really appreciate the fact that you 'liked them both very much'. I wanted to create likable characters that the audience would have empathy for. I find it challenging to do in the course of a 6 minute movie and tell a complete story. That was my exercise for this fest, so that means a lot to me.

Yeah, I hope that it's a good 'Valentine's Day' movie. Watch it with a girl or your wife! :)

Thank you.

[Matty_g]

I'll agree with Chris about the flowers. It was a little overbearing at times to have all those colors on the screen. It distracted me from your actors.

For some reason it felt like night inside the store too. I know trying to work with lighting inside a store can be rough though.

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this or not but his line at the end is like "i bought these for the wrong person" was totally not what I was expecting to hear. I was hoping for "i bought these for you" or something like that.

Very cute, and simple story. I liked that.

[Robert Eldon]

no, i mean it. i'm a big softie. but i don;t know how to do stuff like this, without OVERDOING it... so in my own stuff, I retreat to minimalism. that, I know and am comfortable with. great work!!

Zak,

Thank you for clearing that up. I wasn't quite sure if you were being sarcastic? I appreciate your input. :)

I know what you mean about doing something that you're comfortable with. When we did Horrorfest, that was out of my comfort zone and I think I over did it in a 'cheesy' way. However, I do want to expand my experience into areas (themes) that I'm not as comfortable with. It's just more fun to do something and work with people that are 'on the same page' so to speak.

I've watched all of the entries, including your's and I'm trying to get to every one of them for reviews. I can tell you now, that your's in in my top 12 even though the title makes me uncomfortable and the subject matter is almost the antithesis of "The Arrangement". :) I'll be over to your thread in the near future to comment.

Best Regards,

Robert

[Robert Eldon]

I'll agree with Chris about the flowers. It was a little overbearing at times to have all those colors on the screen. It distracted me from your actors.

Matty_g,

If you're talking about the long dolly shot when they go through the different arrangements, that was originally supposed to have close ups and inserts, but I made the editing decision to keep the one long shot. I thought it worked better.

Knowing your excellent work, I think you will appreciate this. I had wanted a lot more shallow depth of field in those shots to keep the actors in focus. We were working with the 'paneling and glass' walls in the background and the colorful flowers in the foreground. With different equipment and more time, I think we could have composed those shots differently. That's what I love about shallow depth of field. I really appreciate your input on that!


For some reason it felt like night inside the store too. I know trying to work with lighting inside a store can be rough though.

That's a very interesting comment, because we did shoot some of it at night. And you're right on about lighting inside the store. Again, I know that you can appreciate the challenge of what we were working with. It was a cloudy day, but we had diffused sunlight coming in through the front of the store. It was changing as the clouds rolled by. There wasn't enough light using the store fluorescents (and those sucked anyway) and we didn't have enough of our own color temp balanced lights to use throughout, so yeah, lighting I think was our biggest challenge in this and something I plan to learn more about in the future.


I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this or not but his line at the end is like "i bought these for the wrong person" was totally not what I was expecting to hear. I was hoping for "i bought these for you" or something like that.

Very cute, and simple story. I liked that.

Actually, the lines at the end, starting when he's approaching her are:

Rose

"Is something wrong?"

Matthew

"Yeah, I bought these for the wrong girl... These are for you."

Rose

"Thank you... I love this arrangement."

So, he's answering her question (Is something wrong?) and then saying, because he realized, that he bought the flowers for the wrong girl, and then say's 'These are for you.' :)

'Cute and Simple', I'm glad you like it! Thank you so much for your comments.

[Chris Messineo]

Yeah, I hope that it's a good 'Valentine's Day' movie. Watch it with a girl or your wife! :)

I showed it to my wife and my 10 year old daughter (not a lot of films in this Fest I can share with her). Anyway, they both really enjoyed it.

[Robert Eldon]

I showed it to my wife and my 10 year old daughter (not a lot of films in this Fest I can share with her). Anyway, they both really enjoyed it.

Chris,

Thank you for sharing that with me. That makes me smile. I'm glad they enjoyed it! :)

[Blaine]

This was a sweet film. Normally, I don't fair well with sweet films but you did a good job on it. It looked good and was well acted for the most part. It was a tad hard to accept that your lead character has trouble with girls, though. In fact, on the second viewing I thought this was all an elaborate play by him to get to know Rose. That's based on some of his reactions to her and what I thought I saw in his facial expressions. The way he went about the flower buying seemed more to find out about her than to get something for the girl in the bookstore.

Now, none of that may be what you intended, but I liked it more on the second viewing because of what I perceived to be a very "slick" way of meeting the girl in the flower store. It takes the edge off the sweetness and makes it more interesting to me.

Okay, perhaps I'm WAY over thinking this and it is exactly what it portrays itself to be...a sweet little blossoming love story. And if that's the case, that's all right, too, because it was so well done.

[Robert Eldon]

This was a sweet film. Normally, I don't fair well with sweet films but you did a good job on it.

Blaine,

I knew that this wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I appreciate that you commented on it for what it is. This fest has had a great diversity on the theme of love and not every take on that theme will appeal to everyone, but I'm glad we can all comment on the films for what they are and even suggest when the idea doesn't appeal to us. Good stuff!


It looked good and was well acted for the most part. It was a tad hard to accept that your lead character has trouble with girls, though. In fact, on the second viewing I thought this was all an elaborate play by him to get to know Rose. That's based on some of his reactions to her and what I thought I saw in his facial expressions. The way he went about the flower buying seemed more to find out about her than to get something for the girl in the bookstore.

I find these comments very interesting. Everybody has a different take on what his motives are and if he has a pre-existing relationship or adoration for the girl. It could almost be whatever you, as the viewer, want it to be. Interesting?

My intent was for the guy character, Matthew, to not realize that she's a girl he's talking to, because it's just a matter of fact that she's a florist ('Yeah, but you're a florist') and he's there to buy flowers. Then she says 'and... I'm a girl'. It's a revelation to him at that point, then he's back to uncomfortable (beat... 'right').

The subtext for the girl character, Rose, is that she's one of those pretty girls, beautiful maybe, that guys think, there's no way that she would ever be interested in me, she's too pretty. So Rose never gets any flowers, and we can even assume she has a boyfriend, but, she doesn't have a boyfriend. So she meets a genuinely nice guy and... she gets flowers. Ahhhh! :)


Now, none of that may be what you intended, but I liked it more on the second viewing because of what I perceived to be a very "slick" way of meeting the girl in the flower store. It takes the edge off the sweetness and makes it more interesting to me.


I'm glad that you're able to see it that way and make it more interesting. :)


Okay, perhaps I'm WAY over thinking this and it is exactly what it portrays itself to be...a sweet little blossoming love story. And if that's the case, that's all right, too, because it was so well done.

I don't think it's 'over thinking' and I'm glad that you've thought about it at all. It's nice to know that people are wondering about the motives and questioning his intent. I like that!

I'm sure a pun is intended with 'a sweet little blossoming love story'. Can I quote you on that?

Thanks much,

Robert

[Blaine]

I'm sure a pun is intended with 'a sweet little blossoming love story'. Can I quote you on that?Glad you liked it. Feel free. :thumbsup:

[Kevin Lee]

I loved this film. Was it me or did the actor look a bit like Napoleon Dynamite? lol

Anyway well acted on both parts, kept my interest in how he was going to relay the not good at talking to girls part to her. You can start to see the interest in her early on. I tell you, the shots, the acting, the audio were A+ in my book. I also showed my wife and daughter, although they think these fests are "stupid", they watched, and enjoyed this one.

[mentatDUKE]

This was a cute film. I liked the actress a lot. Natural behaviors and emoting. A Sarah Michelle Gellar quality. Interesting setting for the story. A nice, wholesome movie.

I also think it's cool that you and your son make films together.

Good stuff.

[Robert Eldon]

I loved this film. Was it me or did the actor look a bit like Napoleon Dynamite? lol

Anyway well acted on both parts, kept my interest in how he was going to relay the not good at talking to girls part to her. You can start to see the interest in her early on. I tell you, the shots, the acting, the audio were A+ in my book. I also showed my wife and daughter, although they think these fests are "stupid", they watched, and enjoyed this one.

Kdawg,

Napoleon Dynamite! :) That is so funny. I'll pass that on to the actor (the actor is my son, who also makes movies and prefers to be behind the camera instead of in front of it).

Thank you so much for the comments and thanks for the good 'grade'!

That's so cool that you were sharing this with your wife and daughter. Tell them I really appreciate the fact that they watched and enjoyed this. We're expanding our audience!

Best Regards,

Robert

[Robert Eldon]

This was a cute film. I liked the actress a lot. Natural behaviors and emoting. A Sarah Michelle Gellar quality. Interesting setting for the story. A nice, wholesome movie.

I also think it's cool that you and your son make films together.

Good stuff.

mentatDuke,

Thank you for your comments. I'll pass on the compliments to Jane about her acting. She'll be glad to hear it! Sarah Michelle Gellar? That's interesting, I haven't heard that one. Hmmmm. :)

The location (setting) was a blessing and a curse. We had an authentic location for the story to take place, but had to deal with lighting and sound. They have these big coolers where they keep the flowers chilled and they sound like big refrigerators!

Yeah, it's very cool making movies with my son. I was making movies when I was 14. Now I'm... older and my son is taking film courses and making movies. One of his first films (short) was nominated for a Student Achievement Emmy! We actually worked on a film that he directed for Lovefest but couldn't make the deadline. It's still a great piece though and we'll have an audience after the voting ends.

Thanks for 'stopping by' and thank you for your review.

Best Regards,

Robert

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Robert, I just watched your film again. I just love this film. It is so sweet and sincere.

Your actors are wonderful. I just love the girl. (She gets my hottest woman vote as I tend to like the wholesome kind!)

The story is just charming and I found myself welling up again at the end.

I was really appreciating the music this time around. I don't know if I commented on that before, but the music is wonderful. AND THEN I SAW THAT JUSTIN WAS YOUR COMPOSER! WOW! What a different style than I have ever heard from him.

Justin, WONDERFUL MUSIC!!!

Robert, You should really be proud of this film. It is definitely one of my favorites!

Congrats again and good luck in the voting.

-Ted

[Bryce A]

Hey, good work. I found the story predictable, but nonetheless entertaining and engaging. The only suggestion I have is the pacing. Since I felt like I knew what was going to happen, i couldn't help but feel like it was being put off a little too long. Anyway, I don't mean for that to be negative. Just how I felt.

Otherwise, everything was great. The actors we VERY cute together. Good job with the casting. Oh and I liked how the clueless main was so impressed with the sleaze bag. Perfect example of the (usually) oh-so-wrong "so that's what girls want" thinking. Ha.

[JaneMichelle]

[QUOTE=RobertE;1189236]Jason, thanks for stopping by. Jane may be checking out this thread, but if not, I'll pass that on to her. Thanks, and before I reply any more, let me tell you how much I enjoyed your film. It really touched me on a personal level and I'll explain why when I post to your thread. Great job!


Yes, I'm checking out this thread ;) Thanks to everyone for the compliments and thank you Robert for being a generous and open director and friend. I always have a great experience working with you and Jaron and I look forward to progressing every day. I love nothing more than being on set, working on a character. Thank you for the opportunity.

May I throw in my 2 cents? Art and specifically film is such a blessing to have in general. I very much appreciate most of what people express--its great to see such a variety and I'm thrilled by everyones' talent and entry! I loved this film's story because it IS sweet, and a big twist or completely unexpected ending really wouldn't have suited the story for me. When I see a romance or romantic comedy I really hope for it to be happily ever after. If Tom Hanks didn't go back to the top of the empire state building to meet Meg Ryan, I might have died a very young girl lol! Its the hope and the smile I leave with after watching a "sweet" film that makes me love this film and grateful to play the girl next door.

On that note, I still love to play crazy insane or kick-butt superhero; even a man. Thank you again Robert, and I look forward to future projects with you.

Jane

[Robert Eldon]

Hey Robert, I just watched your film again. I just love this film. It is so sweet and sincere.

Hey Ted,

With all the sweetness that everyone is commenting on, we could make sweet tea or candy! :)


Your actors are wonderful. I just love the girl. (She gets my hottest woman vote as I tend to like the wholesome kind!)

Your compliment will be passed on to the actors and... I'll let Jane know that she gets the 'hottest' woman vote from you! I agree with the 'wholesome' kind.


The story is just charming and I found myself welling up again at the end.

I know that there have been the 'predictable' comments, but I like to think of it as an expectation and then a payoff. Give the audience what they want (with this kind of film anyway). Something I want to work on is giving the audience what they want and making the journey to that end enjoyable. Do you know what I mean?


I was really appreciating the music this time around. I don't know if I commented on that before, but the music is wonderful. AND THEN I SAW THAT JUSTIN WAS YOUR COMPOSER! WOW! What a different style than I have ever heard from him.

Justin, WONDERFUL MUSIC!!!

Ahhh! Maybe that explains the 'welling up'. I love what Justin did with this. We talked about the beats and mood and Justin just worked his magic. I think it was different from what he's done too! His stuff is so epic and orchestral. I think for "The Arrangement", that he captured the sweetness, upbeat, awkwardness and melancholy really well. And then the bass notes for the 'pick up guy', just makes it more funny!

I think it's interesting that you didn't pick up on the music the first time. That could be a good thing, because the music shouldn't draw attention to itself, but add a layer of emotion to the experience.

Agreed whole-heartedly, Wonderful Music! And when we talked about him doing this, he was still at Skywalker Ranch and wasn't able to get to this right away! So he cranked this out in an amazing short amount of time!


Robert, You should really be proud of this film. It is definitely one of my favorites!

Congrats again and good luck in the voting.

-Ted

I'm very happy with this! We made it just to make it and had fun. The fest is just the motivation. Thank's to all of the guys that put these on and the DVXuser members that review and vote!

[Robert Eldon]

Yes, I'm checking out this thread ;) Thanks to everyone for the compliments and thank you Robert for being a generous and open director and friend. I always have a great experience working with you and Jaron and I look forward to progressing every day. I love nothing more than being on set, working on a character. Thank you for the opportunity.

May I throw in my 2 cents? Art and specifically film is such a blessing to have in general. I very much appreciate most of what people express--its great to see such a variety and I'm thrilled by everyones' talent and entry! I loved this film's story because it IS sweet, and a big twist or completely unexpected ending really wouldn't have suited the story for me. When I see a romance or romantic comedy I really hope for it to be happily ever after. If Tom Hanks didn't go back to the top of the empire state building to meet Meg Ryan, I might have died a very young girl lol! Its the hope and the smile I leave with after watching a "sweet" film that makes me love this film and grateful to play the girl next door.

On that note, I still love to play crazy insane or kick-butt superhero; even a man. Thank you again Robert, and I look forward to future projects with you.

Jane

Jane,

What a nice surprise with you stopping by! :)

I really appreciate what you've had to say: "Its the hope and the smile I leave with after watching a "sweet" film that makes me love this film and grateful to play the girl next door."

You brought the 'Rose' character to life, so thank you for that.

I don't know if you saw the comment above about you having a 'Sarah Michelle Gellar quality'? So maybe with the next project, you can play a 'Buffy the Vampire kick-butt superhero' type?

You were wonderful in this and most of the members agree! Thank you!

[Edgen]

Thank you Robert! 'twas a fun lil film. Now... to get my arse in gear and join in the fun on the next fest. (which, btw, i'm sending you an email with my lovefest script that I didn't get a chance to make)

Jane, I enjoyed your performance in this film and perhaps have a chance to work with you on future projects. :)

Cheers!
/j

[Robert Eldon]

Hey, good work. I found the story predictable, but nonetheless entertaining and engaging. The only suggestion I have is the pacing. Since I felt like I knew what was going to happen, i couldn't help but feel like it was being put off a little too long. Anyway, I don't mean for that to be negative. Just how I felt.

Bryce A,

I've had a number of comments about the story being predictable and that's OK! With this kind of theme, I wanted to set up the expectations for the viewer and then pay them off at the end. I've thought about this a lot, and how I could have done this different, but if the guy character (Matthew) just left, and didn't come back, that would have been lousy! Or, if the two characters didn't get together, I would have been getting comments like, 'Dude, so what!' :) I started thinking about feature romantic comedies and I think from the beginning you have an idea that the main characters will get together (or you hope so if you like them) and you watch the movie to find out how.

I think Jane just added her .02 very eloquently!


Otherwise, everything was great. The actors we VERY cute together. Good job with the casting. Oh and I liked how the clueless main was so impressed with the sleaze bag. Perfect example of the (usually) oh-so-wrong "so that's what girls want" thinking. Ha.

Thank you so much for the comments. The actor is my son and Jane is... well... cute and a fantastic actress!

Yeah, I thought, well if Matthew doesn't know how to talk to girls, he would be impressed with the over confident forward 'sleaze bag'! Ha. Sleaze bag. That's funny. In our script notes and shot list, he was listed as the 'PUG' (Pick Up Guy).

Thanks again for taking the time to post Bryce!

[Robert Eldon]

Thank you Robert! 'twas a fun lil film. Now... to get my arse in gear and join in the fun on the next fest. (which, btw, i'm sending you an email with my lovefest script that I didn't get a chance to make)/j

Justin,

Your arse has been MIA on this forum a lot last year. Hopefully things have settled down for you so you can 'join in the fun' and make a movie! :)

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Very nice! First film I've seen in this fest that did a good effort at showing the start of a real relationship!

I love your opening frame, a great way to start with such excellent colors. Good choice of location. Too many of these fests take place in someone's apartment or on a street corner. Your actress is really quality

Oh, and the title threw me for a loop. I was thinking of a very different kind of "arrangement"...

[Edgen]

Justin,

Your arse has been MIA on this forum a lot last year. Hopefully things have settled down for you so you can 'join in the fun' and make a movie! :)

ha!! I was MIA cause I just became a new Papa this past December. Having a baby, moving to a new house, deadlines on other feature projects.... (a gf who thinks DVX is silliness, etc.)

Ya. no excuses. I'm in the next fest for sure damnit!

/j

[Luis Caffesse]

Robert - Nice work.
Well set up and well paid off.
It had a nice feel to it, and overall was very well shot.
I liked the punctuated dolly move as they went from arrangement to arrangment - nice way to keep it all in shot, keep things lively without drawing too much attention to the camera.

Overall I think you did a great job changing it up given that the whole thing is one location - didn't get visually repetative or boring - your blocking was well handled.

Storywise my only issue is that I could see the ending coming from pretty far away....
now don't get me wrong, I liked the ending - I just don't want to anticipate it while it's still a ways away. I think the pace could be picked up a little and that would give me less time to think about what might happen - some of the dialogue was a little slow in delivery, wiht a few too many moments of silence for my taste - these are the moments that I start thinking "okay, where do I think this is going." I think if the pace was picked up substantially I'd be engrossed in the piece and go along for the ride wihtout seeing the end as clearly.

But at the core this is a solid film with a nice and sweet story of love.
It play naturally and believably - which in my mind is a huge accomplishment for any film.

Nice work - keep it up
:thumbsup:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Nice Colors and opening.

Sweet simple story.

Liked the contrast with the nice guy and the skeevy guy. Also liked the contrast in scoring here.

Once or twice when there was no scoring I heard the room tone drop out between lines of dialogue.

Not much else to say except that the cast was charming and I enjoyed it. :thumbsup:

[Brian Parker]

Nice job man. Enjoyed this one. Casting was good and the actors did a good job. (liked her facial expressions and the main guy's posture was really good.)

Technically it was well done. Of course the color was good and made the visuals pop and the audio was decent.

While the story was slightly predictable, it was well told, charming, and never felt forced. Very good film.

[Robert Eldon]

Very nice! First film I've seen in this fest that did a good effort at showing the start of a real relationship!

Shawn,

Thank you for the review. Ha! I haven't really thought about all of the different takes on relationships! I've been looking at the films from the perspective of 'Love'.


I love your opening frame, a great way to start with such excellent colors. Good choice of location. Too many of these fests take place in someone's apartment or on a street corner. Your actress is really quality

Thanks for the comments regarding the opening and the location. I agree, that with so many films concentrated in one fest, it's good to have a different location! Although, there was another film that took place in a flower shop!

I know that Jane has been checking out the thread, so she'll be happy to see your opinion of her acting talent.


Oh, and the title threw me for a loop. I was thinking of a very different kind of "arrangement"...

You know, I had thought about the possible different meanings that one could get from the title. Curious, what 'different kind of arrangement' were you thinking?

Thanks for stopping by with your comments, I appreciate it and congratulations on your baby (Red). I've been following your adventures with Red on RedUser.net.

[Robert Eldon]

ha!! I was MIA cause I just became a new Papa this past December. Having a baby, moving to a new house, deadlines on other feature projects.... (a gf who thinks DVX is silliness, etc.)

Ya. no excuses. I'm in the next fest for sure damnit!

/j

Justin,

I didn't want to mention the details. I left that up to you. :)

Has your gf seen some of the entries? This is quality stuff on the DVXuser Forum.

Maybe we can hook up for the next fest... whatever it may be?

And thanks again for composing the score for "The Arrangement", It's adds a wonderful layer to the film and I really appreciate it all the more knowing that you had other feature projects going on. :beer:

[Robert Eldon]

Robert - Nice work.
Well set up and well paid off.
It had a nice feel to it, and overall was very well shot.
I liked the punctuated dolly move as they went from arrangement to arrangment - nice way to keep it all in shot, keep things lively without drawing too much attention to the camera.

Luis,

Thank you for your comments. I'm realizing how much time and thought it takes to review the different entries, and while I'm short on time, I'm going to try and comment on as many as I can.

You obviously have a 'filmmakers' eye while watching these. Thanks for the comment regarding the dolly move. I've called that my 'Scorsese' shot and have to hand it to the crew for pulling that off so subtly. It's a very interesting dance to have the camera moving with the camera operator, the dolly operator and the actors all in sync for a long take like that. I've learned to appreciate that in the other films knowing how challenging it can be.


Overall I think you did a great job changing it up given that the whole thing is one location - didn't get visually repetative or boring - your blocking was well handled.

Thank you for that. I tried to keep it simple, but interesting.


Storywise my only issue is that I could see the ending coming from pretty far away....
now don't get me wrong, I liked the ending - I just don't want to anticipate it while it's still a ways away. I think the pace could be picked up a little and that would give me less time to think about what might happen - some of the dialogue was a little slow in delivery, wiht a few too many moments of silence for my taste - these are the moments that I start thinking "okay, where do I think this is going." I think if the pace was picked up substantially I'd be engrossed in the piece and go along for the ride wihtout seeing the end as clearly.

This has been commented on a lot and something that I definitely want to work on. I'd like to hear some ideas on how I could have told the story without the audience 'knowing' where it was going. The 'pacing' comment helps.


But at the core this is a solid film with a nice and sweet story of love.
It play naturally and believably - which in my mind is a huge accomplishment for any film.

Nice work - keep it up
:thumbsup:

Another 'sweet' story comment. I appreciate that. I think when this is over, I'm going to count the number of times that the word 'sweet' was used for this film. That was my intent, so thanks. And I really appreciate the 'play naturally and believable' comment.

Best Regards,

Robert

[Robert Eldon]

Nice Colors and opening.

Sweet simple story.

Liked the contrast with the nice guy and the skeevy guy. Also liked the contrast in scoring here.

Once or twice when there was no scoring I heard the room tone drop out between lines of dialogue.

Not much else to say except that the cast was charming and I enjoyed it. :thumbsup:

Jack,

I was hoping you would stop by the flower shoppe! Add another count to the 'sweet' counter! :)

Skeevy? Don't know if I am familiar with that term? (Goes to dictionary...) Ah, it means just like it sounds (nasty, sleazy).

I'm glad you picked up on the change in score when the 'pick up guy' enters. It's a subtle bass line that actually can't be heard on a number of laptop pc's. Chalk up that change in score (and mood) to Edgen!

Thanks for the note regarding room tone. I really tried to work with the sound on this and I'm working on it even more before going to DVD.

Thank you for taking the time to watch and review my film.

Best Regards,

Robert

[Robert Eldon]

Nice job man. Enjoyed this one. Casting was good and the actors did a good job. (liked her facial expressions and the main guy's posture was really good.)

Technically it was well done. Of course the color was good and made the visuals pop and the audio was decent.

While the story was slightly predictable, it was well told, charming, and never felt forced. Very good film.

Champloo,

Thank you for your comments regarding the acting. I'll pass that on to the actors. Interesting comment regarding the 'main guy's posture was really good'? What did you mean by that?

I appreciate your succinct comment about the story in very few words and that it 'never felt forced'. I think there's a balance there in the pace and the acting.

Thank you so much,

Robert

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

...
I'm glad you picked up on the change in score when the 'pick up guy' enters. It's a subtle bass line that actually can't be heard on a number of laptop pc's. Chalk up that change in score (and mood) to Edgen!...
Well I just got my new reference speakers this week :)

[Robert Eldon]

Well I just got my new reference speakers this week :)

How cool is that? :beer:

I'm wanting to really get better with the sound. What did you get? How do you like what you've got and does it make a significant difference?

Thanks.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

yeah I do like em. I've got the smallest M-Audio's you can get that can still function as reference. You want ones that have wood in them and claim to be balanced. This won't give you the bass thump that nice computer system speakers do, but that's an artificial enhancement, reference speakers are like "calibrated" sort of, to put it in video terms. One thing, don't try to push the bass to what you might hear on your home entertainment system or it will be deafening when it is finally played on a system like that. Play some DVD's of similar genre to whatever you are doing on your computer through the same speakers and that will give you a sense of where to mix your low end so it sounds like you want it - ridiculously punchy for a blockbuster action movie, or more subtle for something like the arrangement.

Anyway here is what I got. Almost 80% because my space is limited (again they are the smallest you can get away with) and 10% because my budget is limited.
AV30's
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV30-main.html

Get these if you have the space / extra 50 bucks
AV40's
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV40-main.html

These are not the absolute best and there are ones that go up to $500 on the same website ... but they are what you want to get over the just for fun computer speakers that are bass heavy and not balanced.

I do serious mixing with headphones and then I would reference the speakers and compare back and forth.

[pmark23]

Nicely shot and directed. Camera moves were well executed. Lighting and colours were really good. Acting was great, though I had to watch a second time to "get it".

The story was predictable from the outset, but still sweet enough to induce coma shock.

Great film!

[Robert Eldon]

yeah I do like em. I've got the smallest M-Audio's you can get that can still function as reference. You want ones that have wood in them and claim to be balanced. This won't give you the bass thump that nice computer system speakers do, but that's an artificial enhancement, reference speakers are like "calibrated" sort of, to put it in video terms. One thing, don't try to push the bass to what you might hear on your home entertainment system or it will be deafening when it is finally played on a system like that. Play some DVD's of similar genre to whatever you are doing on your computer through the same speakers and that will give you a sense of where to mix your low end so it sounds like you want it - ridiculously punchy for a blockbuster action movie, or more subtle for something like the arrangement.

Anyway here is what I got. Almost 80% because my space is limited (again they are the smallest you can get away with) and 10% because my budget is limited.
AV30's
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV30-main.html

Get these if you have the space / extra 50 bucks
AV40's
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV40-main.html

These are not the absolute best and there are ones that go up to $500 on the same website ... but they are what you want to get over the just for fun computer speakers that are bass heavy and not balanced.

I do serious mixing with headphones and then I would reference the speakers and compare back and forth.

Jack,

Thanks for the info. I suppose that I should start a different thread to talk about reference speakers. I've had my eye on the m-audio BX5a, but now I'm going to have to find out the difference between those and the AV series that you mentioned. You say they have wood in them? Interesting. Thanks for the note on playing DVD's of similar genre. That's a great idea!

Best Regards,

Robert

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Well those are in a waaaay different league.

Maybe between the AV40's and the BX5a's is like the diiference between an A1 and an HPX500, or maybe it's the difference between an HV20 and and HPX500.

The diff between the AV 30's and vs the BX's would be like HV20 vs. Varricam.

The BX's will be a nice investment done right the first time. I got the 30's for budget and space limitations.

[Robert Eldon]

Well those are in a waaaay different league.

Maybe between the AV40's and the BX5a's is like the diiference between an A1 and an HPX500, or maybe it's the difference between an HV20 and and HPX500.

The diff between the AV 30's and vs the BX's would be like HV20 vs. Varricam.

The BX's will be a nice investment done right the first time. I got the 30's for budget and space limitations.

Oh! I thought there might be a difference with the AV's being 'reference' speakers and you mentioned the wood. Nice analogies. Ha! Thanks! :)

[Robert Eldon]

Nicely shot and directed. Camera moves were well executed. Lighting and colours were really good. Acting was great, though I had to watch a second time to "get it".

The story was predictable from the outset, but still sweet enough to induce coma shock.

Great film!

pmark23, Thanks for the nice comments. Any critique? Add another 'sweet' to the sweet counter.

Ha! Warning: Watching "The Arrangement" may cause or induce coma shock from the sweetness. Side effects may include onset diabetes, cavities, a general feeling of 'love' and/or dizziness. Do not watch more than 2 times every four hours.

Thank you pmark32!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Oh! I thought there might be a difference with the AV's being 'reference' speakers and you mentioned the wood. Nice analogies. Ha! Thanks! :)
Well they are all "reference" speakers (which means balanced with a flat response - I think) and all have wood (at least from the AV30's up) both features missing from just for fun gaming speakers.

And those analogies are just guesses. But that's my sense of the speakers.

Nice job on the film again. :thumbsup:

[Noel Evans]

Sorry Im catching up, but better late than never.

Very sweet entry. For my tastes a little too sugery. But thats just me.

His character was pretty strong, nerdish, struggling to talk to women etc. Hers though I found a little flat, and I was thinking to myself why does she keep saying arrangement? I know its the title of your piece, but once was enough. Just seemed a little unnatural.

Shots were pretty much all from the same side of the room, which made it seem a bit non dimensional and from time to time the lighting was a touch flat.

Overall a nice, touching piece.

[Robert Eldon]

Sorry Im catching up, but better late than never.

Very sweet entry. For my tastes a little too sugery. But thats just me.

His character was pretty strong, nerdish, struggling to talk to women etc. Hers though I found a little flat, and I was thinking to myself why does she keep saying arrangement? I know its the title of your piece, but once was enough. Just seemed a little unnatural.

Shots were pretty much all from the same side of the room, which made it seem a bit non dimensional and from time to time the lighting was a touch flat.

Overall a nice, touching piece.

Hey Noel,

Thanks for taking the time. Something that I've been short of.

I'll have to count the number of times that she says 'arrangement'. :)

She is a florist. Maybe they talk that way? I'll consult with the experts!

Yes, I agree that the lighting was a bit flat. We didn't have as much control of the lighting as I would have liked.

Thank you so much for stopping by and your review!

[Arrik]

Robert,

Excuse the late review. Great job with this one. I really enjoyed this. I think the characters/actors are what brought it home for me. Though, I felt the guy was a little too "duh" for my limits. Still he conveyed the nice, shy guy characteristic well. I liked the girl, especially her look. She really fits the role of the under-your-nose, subtle beauty kinda girl. The kinda girl that's perfect for this guy to realize he likes. I was rootin' for her to gain attention more than i was for him to find the gift of girl-gab. Not sure if that was your intention. I was involved with the story nonetheless.

I thought she would've been more surprised that he gave those flowers to her. She went right into "thank you" like its nothing new when she just told him earlier that she never gets flowers..... much more from a guy she just made an arrangement for.

I can appreciate the hurdles you had working in that location. It looked very difficult to get a variety of shots. You've already mentioned the difficulty of controlling light, especially with those huge windows.

All in all, well done!

[JaneMichelle]

Robert,

Excuse the late review. Great job with this one. I really enjoyed this. I think the characters/actors are what brought it home for me. Though, I felt the guy was a little too "duh" for my limits. Still he conveyed the nice, shy guy characteristic well. I liked the girl, especially her look. She really fits the role of the under-your-nose, subtle beauty kinda girl. The kinda girl that's perfect for this guy to realize he likes. I was rootin' for her to gain attention more than i was for him to find the gift of girl-gab. Not sure if that was your intention. I was involved with the story nonetheless.

I thought she would've been more surprised that he gave those flowers to her. She went right into "thank you" like its nothing new when she just told him earlier that she never gets flowers..... much more from a guy she just made an arrangement for.

I can appreciate the hurdles you had working in that location. It looked very difficult to get a variety of shots. You've already mentioned the difficulty of controlling light, especially with those huge windows.

All in all, well done!
Just Have to say, Arrik, I could still (a year later) kick myself in the butt for the way I said/played "thank you" in that last shot, completely agree and I knew it right away. I think it was a great learning opportunity (big lesson with small loss) as an actor to push through certain moments and stay in character :) Certainly won't happen again, Robert. Blessings! -Jane