"The Five Worst Days in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton" - Jason Spinos

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Woot! Waco is Uploaded! No worries Jason, you got the cat in the bag!

[jasonthewho]

What I'm worried about, is that the cat is about to get let out of the bag.

[TimurCivan]

great location looks really good!

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Timur!

[Dustin R. Rogan]

haha...but its a pretty cat that everyone loves...not a mangy stray cat

[wesley]

poster title and grabs all look cool. looking forward to this one.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Wesley!

[jasonthewho]

The Forty-First Worst Day in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton

[jasonthewho]

Approved! Yay! Now I can go to sleep in peace. (I work the night shift.)

[Rodney V. Smith]

you'll never sleep in peace! never!

[Rodney V. Smith]

The 1 Millionth Worst Day in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton

Eternity had never seemed so long before. Bartholomew Saxton wishes he had told that guy with the video camera exactly what to do with the camera. Now he has to sit and wait for all of the other films to go through and then also sit through the long voting process.

Batholomew Saxton wasn't so sure his nerves could stand the pressure.

He decided then that the filmmaker was going to have to pay...

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I think the God Heads of DVXuser are staging something...you're the only one approved...I think they think its so awesome that they called the fest!


YEAH WACO!!!

[Susanne G.]

Hello Jason,

I saw that you have also a very young actor - Zack Emerson. Was it difficult to work with him? I am waiting to see your film now. I saw also that it is already approved - congratulations!

Susanne

[jasonthewho]

I think the God Heads of DVXuser are staging something...you're the only one approved...I think they think its so awesome that they called the fest!


YEAH WACO!!!

Not true... but I am glad I'm approved!

And Rodney, I think that's The Worst Day in the Life of Jason Spinos, a segment of my next, more personal film.

[jasonthewho]

Hello Jason,

I saw that you have also a very young actor - Zack Emerson. Was it difficult to work with him? I am waiting to see your film now. I saw also that it is already approved - congratulations!

Susanne

No, Zack was a very hard worker and always took direction. I just got lucky enough that his mom replied to my Craigslist ad!

[Rodney V. Smith]

And Rodney, I think that's The Worst Day in the Life of Jason Spinos, a segment of my next, more personal film.

Nope that's only the second to worst day. The Worst Day is when Kholi does his very insightful and thorough review...

[Matt Sconce]

Nope that's only the second to worst day. The Worst Day is when Kholi does his very insightful and thorough review...


HAHAHAHAH!!!!:nads:

[jasonthewho]

::Shriveled up in a ball of fear::

[Rodney V. Smith]

**dusts his hands off**
rodney: my work here is done...
**exits stage left**

I'm already a quivering ball of fear myself. Previous entrants all know to fear the truth that masquerades as the man named Kholi!

hmm that actually sounds like a good movie title...

[Dustin R. Rogan]

After getting a sneak peak at Jason's final cut of the flick, I am in awe! The kids got talent! You fellow Bart-Fanboys are in for a treat!

Rogan

[jasonthewho]

The Fortieth Worst Day in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton

[Rodney V. Smith]

Time ticks and we wait to see how bad Bartholomew gets it. poor dude.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I'm going to miss these updates.
At least I'll have the movie to look at. :)

Good luck!

[jasonthewho]

There's still a few more coming!

Although I'm not sure there will be one today...

[Herman Witkam]

There's still a few more coming!

Although I'm not sure there will be one today...

You should bundle them together! (In a PDF ebook or so)

I've read quite a few of them, but I have probably missed some of them too. It would be a nice companion piece with the film :)

[kurtmo]

Looks like a cool location!

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Looks like a cool location!

little does he know...waco...soul sucking....:kali:

[Heather]

Poor Bartholomew! I feel sorry for him and his sad life!

[BeccaBee]

Go Bartholomew Saxton!! :o)

[jasonthewho]

You should bundle them together! (In a PDF ebook or so)

I've read quite a few of them, but I have probably missed some of them too. It would be a nice companion piece with the film :)

When the fest is over, I'm going to finish writing the last 30 or so, then I'm going to try and compile it all into a book, The One-Hundred Worst Days in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton.

I'm looking into self-publishing it, probably through lulu.com

I've never done anything like this before, so if anyone has any helpful hints, I'd really appreciate it!


I'm really anxious to get this fest underway! There are so many films that I want to watch!

[Existentialist]

Bravo! Excellent short, great acting, hillarious lines, 10/10!

Good job!

[ZFarms Productions]

overall i really liked the film. i'm not usually a voice over fan, but it worked here. i thought the acting was decent, camera work was good, directing was good.

good job on the film!

[Mark Harris]

This was really nicely done. I thought the death scene and the childhood scene were the best. I don't know why, but they had some extra oommph. And I love how he was reading the same damned book!

I thought the acting was pretty wonderful. Really subtle and underplayed, effortless, a must on camera.

I tell you, it feels like the Texan's are bringin' it this fest, between you, Drew, and the Small Multiple dude.

Really, really nice work.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice job! I really enjoyed it.
The ending was a nice surprise considering the meat of the movie.

Got a few laughs out of me as well.

Great work.

Mike

[Mobie540]

Great storytelling short. Had a happy ending so to speak. Kid actor did a good job.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks for all the kind words guys! It means a lot to me.

[Rodney V. Smith]

thanks Jason. You didn't disappoint at all. Great composition leading up to some great moments (I loved the dad finding the baby in the garbage can), and very well executed.

Wished we could have seen the name with no eyes, but guess he didn't make the top 5.

Time for the feature now after you self publish? A graphic novel would be a great way to go with with series... into comic book form. It would make a great 4 part mini-series.

[Ben Sliker]

jason, this really was a charming short film. great combination of wry dark humor and depressing scenes. you find that weird place between sad and happy, the full range of emotion, congrats.

[pia12254]

Really stellar job Jason! I must admit, after reading the short stories leading up to this entry and being so amazed by the quality of the writing I thought to myself, "What a shame. This guy is so good at writing that his film is probably gonna suck! No one has that much talent in a variety of areas."

But, happily you proved me wrong! Good job with the Directing and the editing was well done. I agree with Mark that the death scene and the "finding the baby" scene were the best...I think the shot composition/pacing/VO/humor all worked together really well in those!

Good job man! Way to make Texas proud!

Signed,

"The Small Multiple guy" :)

[bosindy]

This film was on my short list because I thought your concept and writing leading up to the release was exceptional. I liked the the film as a off beat dark comedy quite a bit. I was hoping you would push it a little further. The boy and your lead gave solid performances. I look forward to seeing more from you down the road. nice work.

[ZazaCast]

WOW...what can I say...this was excellent! Great job in every aspect, wouldn't change a thing.

Cheers to the cast & crew!

[wesley]

love this one. great concept that's well executed. from the films ive seen so far this is my fav.

[Rodney V. Smith]

i'm just going to hang out on this thread until you agree to do the graphic novel.

**twiddles thumbs and whistles a jaunty tune**

[Dustin R. Rogan]

i'm just going to hang out on this thread until you agree to do the graphic novel.

**twiddles thumbs and whistles a jaunty tune**

psst...hes sleeping right now...he works from Midnight to 8:30amish...
(secretly points puck to TDRP thread...shh don't tell Jason...)
I think he is going to...can't say for sure.

Rogan

[Rodney V. Smith]

Dammit! I'll have to come back later then.

In the meantime, I've decided that I'm not wearing any pants today.

**heads over to TDRP**

[Alex Jeffery]

Nice, I really liked this one. The main guy (who is also in TDRP, right?) is incredible. I think he's a great actor, and he definitely did a good job in this. I loved the shot with the kid in the foreground and the butler standing behind him. Very cool.

[jasonthewho]

Nice, I really liked this one. The main guy (who is also in TDRP, right?) is incredible. I think he's a great actor, and he definitely did a good job in this. I loved the shot with the kid in the foreground and the butler standing behind him. Very cool.

Yeah, Justin is in both our films (he even makes reference to it in TDRP). He was also in Dustin's last entry Given, if you watched that.

Thanks for your kind words Alex, and thanks everyone else who commented.

[jasonthewho]

i'm just going to hang out on this thread until you agree to do the graphic novel.

**twiddles thumbs and whistles a jaunty tune**

Do you know someone who would want to do the art? I do a little drawing for fun, but I'd need a real artist.

I do love graphic novels... I take it you're a fan?

[jasonthewho]

psst...hes sleeping right now...he works from Midnight to 8:30amish...
(secretly points puck to TDRP thread...shh don't tell Jason...)
I think he is going to...can't say for sure.

Rogan

I just woke up... I really should be sleeping still, but can I help it if I'd rather watch Timefest films?

[Rodney V. Smith]

Totally a fan of graphic novels. It's what got me into filmmaking in the first place since I'm a writer and an artist. So I would try to combine the 2 into comic book form... film is the final realization of that, where I can set the scene visually and translate the story.

However a good graphic novel or comic book does have it's merits and can take a story to a great visual place. With the right artist who knows how to utilize the whole page and yet keep the flow of the story, you can have a great graphic novel on your hands.

One that would even translate well in black and white. I do know of a really good artist who just got published, but I don't know how busy he is. I'll check and get back to you, send you a link to his work and maybe a collaboration of some kind can be formed.

[Horncastle]

Jason,

We are both completely blown away. We're not really making comments yet so we'll both come back later, but we couldn't resist giving you our first congratulations.

Jason and Susanne

[jasonthewho]

Thank you so much Jason and Susanne! Looking forward to your comments and checking out your film.

[gabrielflorit]

I loved it! I was drawn in from the first second. Great story. That's what a good film should do, tell a story, and you did it exquisitely well. The camera got out of the way, there was no eye-candy to distract me, even the acting was very well done. Great! This is in my top three.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

In my top 10 great job guys!

Rogan

[pauly_the_hitman]

Not sure if I was supposed to find this so amusing but I did.

[Firemonkey]

Awesome job with this Jason, Wish I had the post requirement to vote for these, but you know you have mine, looking forward to the next fest to see what genius unfolds from your mind

[Zoidoid]

I love the fact that you managed to create a story that feels like a fairy tale even though it's grounded in reality. Some of my favorite stories could be described in that way.

The film, much each of the "worst day" posts leading up to it, has a charming sense of humor. The "killed by a cannon ball" line especially. I love how whimsical the whole thing feels.

Your lead actor was solid! The scene where he's carrying his bride into the bedroom is full of great little human nuances and details in the acting.

Oh! Skimming through the video I just remembered one of my favorite things about it. You have a great knack for closing a scene! The low-angle shot of young Bartholomew saying that he wanted the clock silenced. The cork popping. The awkward little scene at the end. Lovely ways to transition from one moment to the next.

Nice job! Congratulations!

[alex whitmer]

Spoilers







What impressed me most was the two characters who played Bart. They were really well matched, and certainly believable.

great shots, angles, and lighting, and most of all, a consistent, light-hearted feel all the way through. It never lost stride.

excellent job!!

A

[jasonthewho]

Not sure if I was supposed to find this so amusing but I did.

It's a dark comedy, so I'm guessing (hoping) the things you found funny were supposed to be.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks for the kind words gabrielflorit, Zoidoid, Alex, Dustin and Kelly! I really appreciate it.

[sean90291]

Wow, you actually found a young kid who can act. That's a feat! He was really quite good. Some great shots, and a great tone. I really liked what you were going for, but I felt the writing took away a lot. The voice over was so darn clunky and repetitive. The film didn't have a punchline either, and it seemed to be leading me to one. But again, a great concept, some great shots, lots of potential in the short. Some real help with the editing and writing could have given you so much more from the great stuff you had. I think your concept, your style and your location could have won you this fest if you'd nailed the story and editing! Oh, I gotta mention the opening shot with the garbage can is probably the best shot of the fest for me so far. I just wish the VO had been different while watching that scene.

[Susanne G.]

This is one of my favorite films. I think you did a really good film. The work of the DP, the lighting, the music, the rythm - fantastic. I like so much this intelligent story - it needs a lot of creativ talent to make someting like this. One of my favorite takes is just at the beginning when Mr. Saxton found the baby in the rubbish bin - the view from the rubush bin to Mr Saxton's face is fabulous. I am a big fan of details and I found a lot of in your film. There were also one or two moments when the atmosphere reminds me on the film "Green fried tomatos" - this is a compliment!
Very lovely and excellent film!

Susanne

[kurtmo]

Cute film. A different kind of timefest story. I liked the dolly shots. I felt that the Voiceover was a bit overbearing and took me out of context a bit. I wonder if there was a way to show the evolution without the voiceover having to explain?

Thanks for posting!

[alex whitmer]

I have not seen all the entries, but so far this appears to be the only one with a child actor. I write a lot of shorts with children's roles, but find most filmmakers are terrified of them (kids, not my screenplays, though I suppose both could work).

A recent forum discussion over in Zoetrope revealed just how removed 'grown ups' are from kids, and even had one brain-dead comment that 'they have nothing to offer'.

Hats off for not only writing a great role for a kid, but also for the superb acting/directing that gave him such a memorable role amongst the multitude here at the fest.

Alex

[disjecta]

This was a very clever film. It kept me engaged the whole time. While I found the acting to be a little stiff, there were some really good moments.

The camera movements suffered from some shaking which took away from their impact for me but I'm a perfectionist that way. The music was very effective, some parts towards the end reminded me of Thomas Newman...and that's a great compliment.

I found the movie both funny and touching and I liked the "pulp fiction" style ending that almost fools the audience into a happily ever after feeling but we all know it's anything but...

Nice job.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks for all the comments/criticisms everyone! Keep 'em coming!

[Matt Sconce]

I enjoyed this movie and thought it fit well with your stories. I missed the man with no eyes as I thought he may play a role, but I love the way you ended it. Good stuff!

[jasonthewho]

The Thirty-Ninth Worst Day in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton

[Tom Shortridge]

The whole "worst day in the life" stories thing has been reminding me of something, but I just couldn't put my finger on it until I watched the flick. It's very "Pushing Daisies"-esque for me, which I think is a great thing to remind someone of - I love that show, and the kind of black humor therein is evident here as well.

Kudos to you. Also, I loved the use of the cuckoo clock.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks for the compliments dopeyname101. I'm from Midlothian, VA originally, and my family still lives there. I've never actually watched Pushing Daisies, but several people have made the comparison. I'll have to check it out sometime. I hear it's good. Thanks for checking out the film and commenting!

[Gary Sconce]

Your adult actor was Cary Elwes-like. I enjoyed the way he played the role. Nice score. I like the fact that this is a tongue-and-cheek gallows humor comedy. The typwriter on the head reminded me of a Warner Bros cartoon where they drop an anvil. Nice work! :laugh:

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Gary!

Cary Elwes, huh? You know, I can see that. I actually think he's more Jim Carrey, and Dustin thinks he's Jared Leto.

All I ever get is Jason Schwartzman. But I'm okay with that.

[Duff]

This is a very solid short film. I absolutely love it up until the "second-worst day" out, at which point it went in a direction different from where I wanted it to. The first half was hilarious, but from that point onward it seemed more tragic than humorous.

I think the acting in this entry might be the best I've seen from this fest so far. I'm sure your direction has a lot to do with that. I honestly can't think of any technical criticisms for you, which is great. I don't like where the story goes, but that isn't necessarily a critique, simply a personal preference. Everything about this is well-executed. I love the presentation and the tone. Nicely done.

[Slimothy]

Hey guys,
I loved the quirky tone to this short. Really, it felt like a real movie I might watch on the tele. The scene of him discovering the baby was frickin great.

Acting was pretty good all around. I never really was taken out of it by anything. Just an all around solid piece. Good job mofos.

BTW: Loved the opening titles/graphics w/ the voiceover. Nice touch and very pro.

[mjjason]

This was the first film that I looked out for and it didn't disappoint. Great work Jason.

[jasonthewho]

This is a very solid short film. I absolutely love it up until the "second-worst day" out, at which point it went in a direction different from where I wanted it to. The first half was hilarious, but from that point onward it seemed more tragic than humorous.

I think the acting in this entry might be the best I've seen from this fest so far. I'm sure your direction has a lot to do with that. I honestly can't think of any technical criticisms for you, which is great. I don't like where the story goes, but that isn't necessarily a critique, simply a personal preference. Everything about this is well-executed. I love the presentation and the tone. Nicely done.


Thanks for the compliments! Actually the tonal shift was exactly what I was going for. That you start out laughing, and you end up crying (well, maybe not exactly, but sad at least). However, I totally get that it didn't work for you, and that's completely legit. I'm glad you enjoyed it otherwise! Thanks so much for commenting!

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Tim and mjjason!

[totitefilms]

I like the movie. The acting is good. The lighting and music are nice. The ending is a little bit weird to me. I was expecting the ending to be something that went with the theme of the movie. Anyway, your movie is one of the well made ones in this fest.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks for the comment totite!

[Horncastle]

Jason,

This was one I was really looking forward to coming back to and I'll say that the second viewing was just as good as the first. I loved it all really: script, dialogues, acting, location, lighting, camera work and art direction.

Your family tree intro looked very professional and then the opening scenes with the tracking shot and the view of the father looking into the bin set the tone perfectly. I have a little criticism with the 4th worst day: Bartholomew grabbing the typewriter doesn't look like a very natural movement to me. The 3rd worst day worked brilliantly. Young Bartholomew was excellent and he had some of the best lines in the fest ("The clock's broken, the stupid bird won't shut up" and "Richard, I want you to make that bird stop"). These scenes also had some great cinematography and I loved how you had Young Bartolomew's haircut.

I liked the ending too. Changing the tone and ending on a happy note was not misplaced here in my opinion - give the poor guy at least one nice day! And I thought the awkwardness in the meeting was just right.

Cheers
Jason

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Jason!

Yeah, I understand about the hand grabbing the typewriter thing. In the script, I wrote that he grabbed onto it as he fell, which I think would have made it less awkward. I can't remember why we didn't film it that way. It might have just been too dangerous.

Thank you for all the specific compliments! It's great to know exactly what worked for people.

[jpsheets]

Great Film Jason! Very ambitious and I loved the house. Looked really good. I was a little confused by what happened to his wife, but that's a small matter. Really enjoyed this one.

By the way, where in VA are you from?

cheers,

JP

[jasonthewho]

Thanks jpsheets! Yeah, I was trying to leave the wife thing a little ambiguous.

SPOILERS!!!!!!

What the audience is supposed to get (let me know if you got this much) is that on their wedding night, they realize that there is something seriously wrong with her. Then in the worst day, some time has passed and whatever is wrong with her has progressed, and she passes away.

I'm from Midlothian (near Richmond).

[Blaine]

What the audience is supposed to get (let me know if you got this much) is that on their wedding night, they realize that there is something seriously wrong with her. Then in the worst day, some time has passed and whatever is wrong with her has progressed, and she passes away.Got it. :thumbsup:

This was a pretty ambitious piece and I think for the most part, you did okay. My biggest complaint was that your 50 year-old Bartholomew didn't look anywhere near 50. It took me out of the movie so early that I found it difficult to climb back in. You either needed to use an older actor OR better yet, work a lot harder on aging him with make-up, which, considering the scope of the story would have better sold the age thing.

[jasonthewho]

My biggest complaint was that your 50 year-old Bartholomew didn't look anywhere near 50. It took me out of the movie so early that I found it difficult to climb back in. You either needed to use an older actor OR better yet, work a lot harder on aging him with make-up, which, considering the scope of the story would have better sold the age thing.

You're the first person to mention it. I thought I got away with it. :)

Yeah, the actor actually did his own makeup. I had tried to get a makeup artist, but failed. And I agree that an older actor would have been better, but with time constraints, and living in Waco, that was hard. Very legitimate complaint.

The biggest lesson I learned here was, don't write a character at all different ages of their life unless you have a really good casting pool or a really good makeup artist.

Thanks for commenting Blaine!

[Zim]

Good film. It had a nice pace and a good ending.

[Edgen]

I like these movies that end on positive notes. However, I’m confused on the second and worst days of his life. Was the second day where his fiancé got sick? Then the last where she died?

Your lead was a good actor. Good direction and good cinematography.

Congrats on entering the fest.

[jasonthewho]

Yup, you got it. That's what happened on the 2nd and 1st worst days.

Thanks!

[krestofre]

I enjoyed this film, but feel it would have been stronger without the narration. Upon multiple viewings it seems like I'm visually getting all of the information and if the only ancillary information that I'm given is the title cards proclaiming which day it is, the film plays stronger. The narration takes some of the mystery away from me, which is an element I enjoyed.

Still, overall a good film.

[jasonthewho]

I think there is narration that may be extraneous. However, I think there are several things that are necessary, at least, with the way I told the story.

In the opening scene with the family tree, I don't know if the graphics alone would make it clear that Bartholomew was not born a Saxton.

Without saying that the fifth worst day was the day he was born, one might think that Edward Saxton is Bartholomew Saxton, and that the fifth worst day in his life was when he discovered a baby in a trash can.

Without the line of narration prior to the day Bartholomew met Veronica, I think this day's inclusion may not seem fluid and might seem like an unexplained contradiction.

Mainly, I wanted the narration for the style of the piece as being more of a book, more of a story being told. Think the beginning of The Royal Tenenbaums.

I understand that the narration does not work for everyone though. I just think that without it, the way the movie is written, it would be incoherent.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I love Barty!!!

Rogan

[krestofre]

I think there is narration that may be extraneous. However, I think there are several things that are necessary, at least, with the way I told the story.

In the opening scene with the family tree, I don't know if the graphics alone would make it clear that Bartholomew was not born a Saxton.

Without saying that the fifth worst day was the day he was born, one might think that Edward Saxton is Bartholomew Saxton, and that the fifth worst day in his life was when he discovered a baby in a trash can.

Without the line of narration prior to the day Bartholomew met Veronica, I think this day's inclusion may not seem fluid and might seem like an unexplained contradiction.

Mainly, I wanted the narration for the style of the piece as being more of a book, more of a story being told. Think the beginning of The Royal Tenenbaums.

I understand that the narration does not work for everyone though. I just think that without it, the way the movie is written, it would be incoherent.

Fine points. I'm glad that you thought out the element instead of just having it in their for the sake of narration. It's just a personal preference issues, and I did not count it against your film.

Again, I enjoyed the piece and you did it well.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Krestofre!

I enjoyed your film as well! I'll head over and comment on it now.

[Danielleus]

Hey Jason,

Jut caught the flick. I really enjoyed this. It was a nice, fun story with an interesting narrative feel to it. Also, it's pretty nice to have a movie titled as negatively as your was end on a happy note.

I really liked how things were referenced at different parts of the film and then brought back into others (i.e. the clock, Veronica and Batholomew's wedding, etc.) I think that was good.

Lighting, score, camera movements all worked really well for me.

Overall I'd say a nice little piece that was fun to watch. Good work. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks so much Danielleus!

[BeccaBee]

Although this was really Jason's film...as someone who was largely involved in making the film on both sides of the camera, I just wanted to say that I appreciate all the comments on the film.

It has been great fun getting to be a part of creating Bartholomew and all of his mythology.

Yay Bartholomew Saxton!!

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Jason, this was one of the films I had been wanting to see since you first started pimping it around the forums. Sorry it took me so long to finally get to it. Excellent work! It was well worth the wait! My only issue was that some of the dolly shots were a little shakey, but other than that the story and everything was fantastic!

[jojopop]

Another of the fest that I really enjoyed, it's up there near the top of my list. It's a clever narrative structure that doesn't get lost in its concept alone, but is actually quite earnest and heartfelt. I felt really bad for the guy and that's very much to your credit. The last "day" of the film really sold it for me... a great way to end the film and a nice capper to your narrative... not something I foresaw so well done!

[jasonthewho]

Thanks Nick! Glad you finally got around to it, and that it didn't disappoint! I agree about the dolly shots. Something I'll be working on next time.



Thank you so much jojopop! Glad that you liked the ending and that you felt something for Bartholomew! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[Richard the Butler]

Richard the Butler here, a.k.a. Brian "Giant Puffy Head Floating Over Young Bartholomew" Tankersley. Just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to act on film, especially in such a well-produced project.

Jason, I love how the project turned out. It has a bit of a Coen brothers feel, which appeals to me, especially the baby discovery and Bartholomew death scene. Kudos to Kendall for his reaction take upon opening the trashcan.

Of course, I am biased, but I thought the acting was good all-around. Can't wait for the feature, for which I'll slim down a bit. Just let me know when I need to start training and what martial arts Richard needs to use.

MBT

[bmwergs]

I loved it! The format made it interesting the whole way through and I think it had a great quirky, off-beat vibe to it. Loved Bart. Also, it was great visually without ever drawing my attention to what you were doing with the camera - all the emphasis was on the story.

I felt like day #2 and #1 were too much the same, which made it a little confusing. That would be my only complaint.

[jasonthewho]

Richard the Butler here, a.k.a. Brian "Giant Puffy Head Floating Over Young Bartholomew" Tankersley. Just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to act on film, especially in such a well-produced project.

Jason, I love how the project turned out. It has a bit of a Coen brothers feel, which appeals to me, especially the baby discovery and Bartholomew death scene. Kudos to Kendall for his reaction take upon opening the trashcan.

Of course, I am biased, but I thought the acting was good all-around. Can't wait for the feature, for which I'll slim down a bit. Just let me know when I need to start training and what martial arts Richard needs to use.

MBT

Thanks for dropping by Brian! As for what martial arts Richard needs to use... All of them. All. Of. Them.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks bmwergs!

[jcemerson]

On behalf of the Young Bartholomew, I wanted to thank you, Jason, for doing such a great job on the film. Zack (in his words) "had a blast and it was totally cool!" I thought the entire film was very well done!! And the entire cast and crew that we came in contact with were just great to Zack and very professional! The Young Bartholomew scenes will look great on his acting reel. Hopefully those scenes will help him get some other parts in LA once we get there in August! :thumbsup: Thanks again for giving Zack a great opportunity!---

Candy (Zack's mom)

[Horncastle]

Candy

I thought Zack did a really great job. His scene was one of my favourites in the fest. Good luck in LA.

Jason

[Ben Sliker]

In the past few days, DVXusers Ben Sliker and Justin Kuhn sat down and chatted over AIM while simultaneously watching the same TIMEFEST films. We call them, "The AIM sessions". Here's their thoughts on "The Five Worst Days in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton"

This is a 'special edition' of the AIM sessions, Assistant Director Brad Mate has tagged in for Justin from the crew of JAM. Please excuse the stupid out of order time stamps by iChat.

spesliker (12:02:21 PM): ready?
TheBrad84 (12:02:32 PM): yep
spesliker (12:02:51 PM): 3
spesliker (12:02:53 PM): 2
spesliker (12:02:54 PM): 1
spesliker (12:02:59 PM): go
TheBrad84 (12:02:51 PM): i'd like to start off by saying this is my favorite title of the fest. it sounds like something vonnegut would write...
spesliker (12:04:00 PM): i never knew dropping stuff on babies could be funny.
TheBrad84 (12:03:53 PM): yes you did
spesliker (12:04:16 PM): sh*t ... you got me.
spesliker (12:04:25 PM): little shaky on the dolly
TheBrad84 (12:04:17 PM): love the title cards
spesliker (12:05:21 PM): the VO is soo close to where it needs to be
spesliker (12:06:02 PM): the butler needs to be british
TheBrad84 (12:05:52 PM): yes
spesliker (12:06:12 PM): apparently michael caine wasn't available
TheBrad84 (12:06:11 PM): the vo is so arrested development
spesliker (12:06:28 PM): KILL THE BIRD
spesliker (12:06:57 PM): this bedroom doesn't look very victorian
TheBrad84 (12:07:04 PM): yea, its quite a change
spesliker (12:07:45 PM): depressing, i'm soo depressed right now
spesliker (12:08:08 PM): and there's no babies to make me laugh.
spesliker (12:08:53 PM): this guy's moustache rocks
TheBrad84 (12:08:46 PM): yes its mesmerizing
spesliker (12:09:02 PM): hands down best moustache of the fest
TheBrad84 (12:09:06 PM): i dont know how you can have a bad day with a moustache like that
spesliker (12:10:18 PM): set design wise, that bedroom was a huge letdown, it made me forget about the awesomeness of the rest of the locations
TheBrad84 (12:10:35 PM): i dont really get the time period they were going for here. he's born in 1952 but the dress and atmosphere suggest something more antiquated.
spesliker (12:11:20 PM): yeah ... like turn of the century
spesliker (12:12:01 PM): some great acting/writing going on in this tho.
TheBrad84 (12:12:05 PM): yeah, very strong.
spesliker (12:12:28 PM): just needed a little push over the edge to make it great.
TheBrad84 (12:12:27 PM): some of the shots liek the shaky dolly and hand held took me out of the story
spesliker (12:13:37 PM): yeah, this kind of story needs either A. really well composed static long takes, or B. ridiculously smooth lateral dolly shots. They did a pretty good job with shot composition with the static stuff.
TheBrad84 (12:15:03 PM): i thought some of the framing really telagraphed the movement. like i dont mind if the framing is there because something is going to fill that space soon but it takes too long sometimes and seems weird.

Jason,

I think we got most of our nit-picky critiques out in the session, but I'd really like to say that this was very strong in the writing department, acting was up there as well. I absolutely love the depressing/dark/funny combination. I'm not quite sure that I would have thrown the "happy ending" in the short film, but it offered a nice rebound from the previous scene. The scenes that worked the best were the ones that were both depressing and funny. Try to bring that out even more, I think Bartholomew has at least another short film in him, if not something bigger, he's a great character.

That being said, some small improvements in production value would really make this film shine, most notably the dolly moves and bedroom set.

Great Job on this short, great use of the theme and very clever way to format the film. :thumbsup:

[jasonthewho]

I really appreciate you guys taking the time to do this! Thank you for your compliments, and I think all your criticisms were dead on.

[jcemerson]

Thanks (on behalf of Zack) for the kind words, Jason (Red Shoes). Zack loves checking out what people had to say about the film.
Thanks again,
Candy (Zack's Mom)

[Richard the Butler]

J- I'll work on the British accent for the sequel.

MBT

[jasonthewho]

Yeah, get on that Brian.


Or I'll have to replace you with Michael Caine.

[Matt Sconce]

Yeah, get on that Brian.


Or I'll have to replace you with Michael Caine.

Haha! :cheesy:

[conlanforever]

I reallly enjoyed this film. I watched twice, the first time I just went along for the ride through Bart's miserable life. I thought the story was original, it hit just about every note for me, darkly funny, sad, happy.

It looked great. The set and wardrobe looked authentic. The lighting was well done and I thought you had some really well composed shots. They helped tell the story without being obvious. The beginning and the death scene specifically. But I liked the shots with the boy and the butler as well.

The acting was top notch, especially by Justin and Zack, it seems its hard to find good young actors, but Zack did really well.

I liked that through all the misery(even though quite a bit was humorous), it actually ended on a happy note and it worked.

I don't have anything bad to say about this film and I tried to think of something, just so I could dish out some constructive criticism. lol

Great job! This fest is brutal if this didn't make it in the top 8.

[jasonthewho]

Thanks so much for checking out the film and for all the kind words!

Looking forward to reading your next Scriptfest entry!

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Jason wish you were out here mang! Gary and I are burnt. Much like the TDRP shoot...Luis gave us some soothing ointments...and we're both up way before everyone else...

Rogan