Ad Infinitum

[Zoidoid]

http://www.bonesrattle.com/AdInfinitumPoster.png


A Few Unfinished Screens

http://www.bonesrattle.com/adinfinitum/Screen1.png

http://www.bonesrattle.com/adinfinitum/Screen2.png

http://www.bonesrattle.com/adinfinitum/Screen3.png

[Zoidoid]

5.18.08

We shot this weekend! All day Saturday and a handful of hours on Sunday. Things went well! I haven't had a chance to look over all the footage, but it looks quite pretty. I should be able to post a few stills in the next couple of days. Hooray!

5.08.08

A few quick updates, mostly just to announce that we're still alive:

* Added a few crew members to the roster below.
* Shooting dates confirmed for the 17th and 18th of this month.

4.27.08

Now that the film is officially underway, I thought it would be a good time to announce ourselves properly.
Ad Infinitum is our six-minute homage to classic science fiction stories.

We'll be posting more information in the coming weeks. Until then, here's the current cast and crew information:


CAST

http://www.bonesrattle.com/HeadShot_Jono.png
Jono Mason as Rick

http://www.bonesrattle.com/HeadShot_Karl.png
Karl Hammerle as Noam


CREW
Olivia Kuan
Director of Photography

Pete Snyder
Sound Recordist

Bernard Hunt
Gaffer

Joseph Jesselli
Props Master

Elliot DiGuiseppi
Assistant Director

Justin Jesselli
Writer/Director

[clarkage]

Looks good! Welcome to the fest!

[ConspiracyPenguin]

I am intrigued. Welcome, and good luck!

[Zoidoid]

Short update to the second post.

Clarkage, ConspiracyPenguin -- thanks, gentlemen, for the welcome! I've been pretty eager to produce something ever since AdFest (which was almost a year ago already). Well, not just "produce something." Of course the goal is to produce something better than the last effort. Or, at very least, just have fun trying.

[Zoidoid]

I just wanted to check in and say that we wrapped on Ad Infinitum this afternoon. The shoot went pretty smoothly! After I've had some time to sort through the footage, I'll post some grabs. Very exciting!

[Zoidoid]

Hey! This is long overdue. I added three unfinished screen grabs to the first post. I tried to choose shots that give away as little as possible. We'll continue to post more bits of information as the fest draws to a close.

Thanks for checking in on us!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice grabs!

[Simon Höfer]

Oh, didn't see this thread. Welcome to the fest and nice grabs and poster! :)

[ZFarms Productions]

Looks really good. Can't wait to see it. Great screen grabs!

[Zoidoid]

Thanks for your interest, guys!

It's interesting how much different these screen grabs look on my laptop than on my desktop. I'm just now noticing this. I naively assumed that if I did color correction work on one LCD screen it would be "good enough." But now I'm noticing that the difference can be pretty drastic.

What do you guys use for a reference monitor if you don't have ... well, a reference monitor? What if I hooked up my computer to my TV? It's a CRT HDTV. Would that provide more reliable results? Curious.

[Existentialist]

Your guy Karl looks a bit like Luke Wilson, I'm sure he gets that a lot. :)

[totitefilms]

Your grabs look nice.

[Mark Harris]

Thanks for your interest, guys!

It's interesting how much different these screen grabs look on my laptop than on my desktop. I'm just now noticing this. I naively assumed that if I did color correction work on one LCD screen it would be "good enough." But now I'm noticing that the difference can be pretty drastic.

What do you guys use for a reference monitor if you don't have ... well, a reference monitor? What if I hooked up my computer to my TV? It's a CRT HDTV. Would that provide more reliable results? Curious.

I hook up to my HDTV and calibrate that.

Your grabs look like Primer. The actors even look like the Primer guys. Is this intentional? :)

[Drew Ott]

I really liked that.

Ending was just awesome. Acting was believable and shot selection/lighting was nice.

Really good story in my opinion. Great work. Can't wait to see what you make next.

[Mattykins]

And rolling...

Interesting machine. And man, that math...makes my head hurt just looking at it.

The score was nice. I really liked the dolly move as well.

Great colors. And mise-en-scene. Haha, I like the brilliant line. Acting was nice as well. I like how the score reacts with the action. Very professional. Interesting to know what camera she was shot on.

See, if I was his friend, I would run away when he says try it with me. It gradually builds suspense. And that is fantastic.

Random question, was that a tea kettle that you made the machine with? Probably nothing bad = famous last words.

Very entertaining short. OH NO! Hahaha, loved the ending.

I enjoyed it. Very well shot. Nice writing too.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Very good. I understand the ending but I have a few thoughts on it. I'll wait until later to post them and then we can discuss some of the possibilities.

I loved the banter between them as well.

Solid entry!

Mike

[ZFarms Productions]

very cool short! loved the ending. that was great.

the look of the film was very well done. i really enjoyed the lighting. acting was good. cinematography was good. editing was good.

solid short man. great job. i can't wait to see your next film! best of luck to you!

[guymanlymovies]

Really enjoyed this! The interaction between the characters was believable. I got the sense that these two characters were very different in their approach to ideas and science, but similar in their youthful curiosity.

I liked the simple, but effective camera moves.

The music was my least favorite. After a few minutes it became repetitive, but it was hardly a nuisance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this! As the time machine button was pressed, I was imagining some over the top or catastrophic outcome, but was pleasantly surprised at how simple (and comical) you kept the ending.

Great work!

[jasonthewho]

Really really good. Very nice cinematography, acting, writing, and directing. Very funny. I'd been interested to know how exactly you did the last shot.

One complaint would be that I'm not sure about the way you cross the line from the wide shot to their CU shots in the middle of the movie.

[Dougyfresh13]

what camera was this shot on and what were the settings, lighting setup, etc... i LOVED the way this film looked.

[Mobie540]

You and I have very similar films my friend at least my first draft of Interface was very similar to what you had. Initially I wanted to say get to the time travel test already but it's a good build up for your ending.

I thought you'd have multiple pairs of the two characters keep entering the room on an infinite loop.

I thought your loop effect was amazing.

[Moojangles]

WOOOOOW i've watched about 7 films now and this is by far my fav so far. The acting was great, really well put together. I'll comment more later, but i just finished watching it and had to say something!

[connorfilm]

I really liked this. It reminded me of primer. The ending was great too.

[ZazaCast]

Excellent film! Loved the look, the story, the acting, the lighting...
Congrats to all involved.

[pia12254]

Loved the ending! Enough said... :)

[jpsheets]

Great looking film! The lighting was great and the images were really clean. Only complaint was I thought the arguing was a bit forced, but no big deal. Congratulations on a job well done.

How did you do the dolly move at the end with the loop effect? I gotta know!

cheers,

JP

[Troy Ruff]

footage looked great, loved the color of your film and the ending was great. Also great score. Great jobs guys. :)

[Alex Jeffery]

Daaaaaamn dude. Loved it.

Very solid performances. Blew my mind with the dolly at the end! Great concept and good script. "...gave up." "Grew up." "Whatever..." Great script, loved those little moments. Excellent work!

[bosindy]

good acting, brilliant ending. Liked the banter. well executed in its simplicity. Good job!

Jim

[Bryce A]

competent and well made. Lighting is crisp, colors pop, camera is solid. The film didn’t grab me at first. A bit too much like “Primer” mayhap. But I did dig it by the end. It was fun to see a light-hearted movie, end up with a s.o.l. ending. Great acting as well.

[joshreluctant]

big primer fan.

[Justin Kuhn]

I liked this, well shot and a nice ending. The quiet horror of it. Lost me a bit in the middle with talking heads.

[Zim]

Yes it was really good.

[wesley]

love the camerawork and lighting, very clean and crips. Thought the directing was good as well, good choice of shots, the acting didn't seem that forced to me.

good job and good luck in the fest!

[sfoster]

Woops Posted a review on the wrong film! Fixed it.

[sean90291]

Good acting. Lovely shooting. Pace could have been picked waaaaay up until the ending, which is superb and really scares me. Though I did see the Hershey's commercial with the exact same premise/ending, (spoiler ahead--highlight to read): two guys make a time machine that loops them back a few seconds and they get trapped in a perpetual loop. Did you see it? Or is it just incredible coincidence. You still did a good job. In some ways you did some things better. The Hershey's commercial is here (http://youtube.com/watch?v=aWS4T14mE5k). Not referencing it to bum you out. You still did a "remake" well, even if you saw it. But it's so close in terms of concept that it could detract from your effort.

[Chris Messineo]

Great film. Filled with wonderfully quirky dialogue and stellar performances.

Like everyone else it seems, I loved the ending. Especially the way you shot it with the slow pull back. Fantastic.

Very well done.

[Zak Forsman]

OMG, best i've seen so far!!! nice punchy dialogue. i had suspicions of how it might end because of the title, but it was still effective. good lighting and lighting effects, nice prop work. actors were engaging. only issue was that sometime the camera wasn't necessarily in a position that helped me connect with the characters. trying bringing it closer to their eyeline, you'll see what i mean.

well done!

[clarkage]

Yeah I really liked this one! Totally one of my favorites in this fest! Great ending and I loved the simplicity that you gave the machine.

[Will Clegg]

Hey, this is definitely my favorite so far of the fest (watched about half of the films so far). That last shot is tremendous. Just really paid off in a big way - this is exactly what a short film should do, IMO. Well done.

[alex whitmer]

Excellent film. Everything worked, from the dialogue, to the age of the actors, to the music, lighting, etc. You really set the ambiance right on the money.

One location, two actors, and a basement full of treasures can really go far with the right creative synergy.

Alex

[pauly_the_hitman]

I really enjoyed this short it is my favorite time travel short of this competition. It felt like a very well thought out script and had a Primer type feel to it. Well done guys...

[Dustin R. Rogan]

In my top 10 great job guys!

Rogan

[AmyO]

I thought you were gonna go somewhere totally different with that whole 3 seconds thing. Not sure exactly where, but just not where you ended up. I saw it unfolding and just said "Damn! That's awesome!"

Camera work was excellent and the dialog was nice. I appreciated that most of it was bickering and not exposition so it kept the film moving and gave us a reason to wait 6 minutes for the button to be pushed. Nice work!

[Dustin R. Rogan]

SPOILERS (kinda)
I guess thats one way to live forever...a sucky way but still.

I did notice you crossed "the line", though i'm sure someone on here has said that


Rogan

[krestofre]

Brilliant! Excellent job.

Your actors had some moments of greatness, but a few moments of stiffness. Otherwise this was marvelously done.

[Horncastle]

Congratulations, a great film: a simple idea, very well executed. I loved the score, which fitted perfectly. The acting was good, the blond character had the "mad young scientist" in his eyes. The ending, though maybe you could see it coming, still worked really well and left a chill up my spine. An excellent interpretation of a rather overworked theme - great!

[Tim Joy]

I had a big smile pasted on the moment it opened. The music works beatifully and is done very well. In an instant, you know that something big is going to happen with that machine. Perfect intro.

The twist gave me an even bigger smile. Again, the music was perfect.

You turned a well crafted story into a great film. Awesome and inspiring.

This one is in my top list.

[Zoidoid]

You guys have been extremely generous with your compliments on Ad Infinitum! It's very encouraging to hear that people enjoyed watching it. And the thoughtful criticisms make the notion of "the next project" all the more exciting.

I definitely haven't been ignoring your comments, and there's some I'd like to address in more detail -- just as soon as I've had a chance to post more in other participants' threads.

Again, thanks so much to everyone who watched our film!

[Susanne G.]

Music, light and acting are wonderful - I love it. Between the time mashine films in this fest - this one is my favorite. I enjoyed it. Compliments.

Susanne

[alex whitmer]

Had a thought ...

You could add a scene to roll with credits, where the camera does a fast motion out the basement window and onto the street, where we see a person getting out of a car over and over, showing the machine worked well beyond the the confines of the basement.

a

[Mark Johnson]

Actually, that's a nice thought Alex. I was wondering myself about whether it would be more ominous to show it as a local phenomenon or whether it would be affecting the whole planet.

This is a perfect example of pacing in my mind. What a perfect story for this little slice of time. The acting is brilliant and believable. I loved the lighting - particularly the back lighting in some shots that create perfect rim or hair lighting on the actors. The sound was very good and I did like the score very very very much. At the very end the rising crescendo was great for the loop although I found myself wishing you had used the audio paradox known as "the barber pole" that creates an audio illusion of an ever ascending pitch (sorry for the geekishness here but this is such a great little film that will appeal to geeks very much).

My critiques are small ones. I found a couple of times that the lighting of the actors from below was not motivated by the master shots and, thus, called attention to itself even though it was gorgeous. The machine itself was a bit too atavistic for my taste and I would have preferred something a bit more bizarre without using so many antique analog dials etc. Even just putting a couple cheapo digital readouts would have helped sell it as something this guy would have put together himself seriously.

Brilliant piece. Easily in my top tier and definitely a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

[ilauzirika]

I liked this film, an i also agree about the end pull out scene, but even without that this is based in a good idea.

[Mark Harris]

This is fantastic. What i liked about it was, it felt long. And I don't mean boring. I mean, I looked at the timeline once and it was only at like 2 min. It felt full. That 2 min had a lot of stuff.

I love how it turned out too. So simple and yet so appropriate, esp considering the guy asked him: "You've thought all this through, right?" :)

And my favorite line: "Who else would just assume they built a working time machine?"

I thought the camera work was all very professional and good. Lighting felt a tad over lit to me at times, for a basement. Maybe like what MJ said, some of it not entirely motivated. But I had to watch it again to nit-pick that. The first time, i was just engrossed in the little world you created between these guys.

A suggestion story-wise. There was a moment when one guy says: "gave up." and the other guys says: "Grew up." I think you could have taken a little more time to expand on their relationship there. Just let conversation go a little more down that road and reveal more about them, maybe even why they deserve this fate.

Anyway, that's less a critique than a brain-fart brought on by the second viewing.

Great work.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

"Time paradoxes are a myth."

Fantastic short! Great use of the six minutes. The acting from the guy who played Noam was very good, and the guy who played Rick was not as strong but still decent. I loved the dolly shots and the music, especially when it would stop for a second and then pick up again. I would have liked if that technique was used a little more sparsly to create a neat effect and mood, but still great nonetheless. Good job and good luck!

[pia12254]

I really enjoyed this one! As some other people have said it has a Primer vibe to it which for me was a great thing (I loved Primer)!!!

The ending really was a great payoff which I think is imperative for a good short film...great job!

Daniel

[Matt Sconce]

This is in my top ten favs guys. I loved the whole banter and obvious strained but longstanding friendship. The ending was chilling but then I realized that if they really traveled back in time, they would remember they already pushed the button. Maybe they just created a time loop and ae constantly rewinding time. Perhaps his button did that instead? Awesome short! Love the cinematography. The line crosing happened but it did not pull me out of the story. You can cros the line sometimes and thought it was okay here.

[abalex]

I like this one, reminds me of a movie called PRIMER, acting was ok, actors looked good on camera, props, set dressing and lighting worked out really nice. Really like the ending concept of them going back and not being able to stop.

good job.

[Beat Takeshi]

I think this one is my favorite so far. I loved the acting in this and the pacing to me was excellent. The reveal at the end was perfect. I was like damn, they didn't think about that now did they. Great work guys.

[Mark T. Aro]

Hey Guys,

This film was a lot of fun.. I really enjoyed some of comedic moments in this. Not to split hairs, but splitting hairs, it seemed more like a time-rewind tale and note a back in time tale, but hey... who cares... it was still very entertaining and funny!

I especially like the gizmo with the tubes and such... very retro and cool.

Keep it put all... great job!

[Beat Takeshi]

Thats true, it would have just jumped 3 seconds back not rewind. I bet you would have saved hours of post from this little insight too. ;P

[kurtmo]

There is no such thing as a time paradox!

This movie rox! Great idea! Great execution!

Easily my fav! Thanks for sharing!

[Gary Sconce]

I'm with Alex Whitmer and Mark Johnson... you have yet to plumb the depths of possibilities in this story.

In a time machine, theoretically, those traveling in the fold or loop in time will still be in their linear time line. In other words, the two guys will know that they have traveled back and will not have lost their memories. The twist would be to have them think it didn't work and then pull back out the window and see all of the world flipping back three seconds over and over... :shocked:

Nice film and good work.

[jmc]

Loved the ending (although some of the suggestions for alternates are cool too). There were a few rough patches with the acting, but this is definitely one of the best I've seen so far.

[Matt Sconce]

Did I mention how much I loved this? Oh...well i do!

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Wow! Loved the payoff, very enjoyable. Great DP efforts too. The blond hair guy did a great job acting. The other guy (imagine this in a Borat voice) not so much.

[Imaginate]

I liked the story, It had a good payoff. I thought the camera work and lighting and score all worked hand in glove and was done very well. Through the story I wanted to get to the part and make the machine work and I think the story could have been stronger if the stakes were higher for it to work.. or higher stakes not to take part in the experiment.

[Helferc]

I actually watched this a second time because I really enjoyed the dialogue. It came across very realistic and it was really funny with him pointing at the board like his friend was going to understand any of it. Really great payoff in the end. Excellent film.

[hazelwould]

Great story! I really like the way it was shot and edited. I felt the acting was cheesy at times (especially from the British guy). But overall nice short.

[Troy Ruff]

Ya I agree I just watched it again, I really like this film, believable characters and acting. Lighting and the best part of course is the ending. love it man, I cant wait to see what you do next. :)

[Firemonkey]

Great job on this, great story and I love the lighting really adds to it, and the ending was great, wish I could vote on these things

[Zoidoid]

Every time I come back to visit this thread, I'm completely floored by your generous compliments and thoughtful criticisms. On behalf of everyone who worked on this project...

Thank you all so much!

I couldn't be more excited about the prospect of another DVXFest! Just ... as soon as I finish the polish on this one.

[jojopop]

First off, I absolutely LOVED the payoff. The last shot of the film kicked my ass. A great concept that just works so well. The lighting was also excellent as was the design of the machine. I really liked the retro look of it.

I felt the pacing was a little off -- could've been a bit quicker in both editing and dialogue. The piece was screaming for quirkiness and I felt like it didn't quite deliver...

BUT nonetheless, very cool piece. Great work!!

[Blaine]

This was a nice movie. The minute it started I caught the Primer vibe. My only complaints were the dark haired actor wasn't quite on par with the main character and the time machine itself seemed a bit underwhelming.

EDIT: Forgot to add that the payoff was excellent...made the whole thing worthwhile.

[Slimothy]

Zoidoid! Dude, this was one of the best payoffs of the fest man. I really think this was done well...I guess it should seem so obvious, but it really wasn't. That was a sweet pull back at the end as well.

Also, what I really appreciate is the simplicity of locations, actors, lighting etc. Nothing gets muddled or lost.

Great stuff dude, can't wait to see your next one.

[Erez Henya]

Hahaha, my friend. That was just great.

The script is brilliant and hilarious, the actors are excellent and a pleasure to look at, the lighting and cinematography are in general very good and the sound mixing is just phenomenal. I was listening to this using my studio headphones, and the surround illusion was purely successful. I did feel like I was there.

You are a great director and comedian, Justin, with very good attention to detail (the casting, set and costumes work beautifully together as one piece) and I cannot wait to see more of what you have to offer.

Thanks for that fun watching experience!

[Danielleus]

Hey Man,

Just caught the flick. Is anyone else having problems with it? For me it seemed like an encoding problem or something. Kind of stuttery. But rest was good. And I've downloaded it three times so I just had to watch it.

And I was blown away. I really really liked it. I thought the story was great, the acting believable and fun, the cinematography some of the best I've seen in the fest. The machine looked wicked yet retro and there were enough illusions of scientific "stuff" to make me believe that the guys knew what they were doing and the machine worked. LOVED that the machine lit up when they were priming it to work. Your attention to detail is really impressive and something I'll take to heart for my own films.

I also really really like your take on TIMEtravel. Who says that if you travel through time, or back in time, that you'll be you now or have any control. You're take on this was perfect and I just love it. And, well, you know, the final shot is perfect in it's execution.

And now, for the ugly. I only have a few criticisms (constructive I hope) of the film. And that has to do with the story. I just wish there was a way of pulling a lot of it together. I agree with Jojopop's comment that the pacing seems off and for me, I think that has to do with the story. For me it felt like they took one beat and carried it through the length of the film. I think you have wonderful elements that you've woven into script but you don't expand on them (the fact that they both seemed to be nerdy science buddies but at one point the dark haired guy out grew that, that he was with the girl, that their relationship is so strong that he left the girl he was in bed with at three in the morning to come see his friend's experiment, etc.)

You know, I just watched it again after writing that. I really like what you did with their characters and relationship. I just felt that this needs to be self-contained. And I don't think this is wanting stuff spelled out, I think it's just needing things to be stronger.

Story-wise again, I felt like these characters needed to earn (or deserve) their ending. Cause we like them. And don't get me wrong, the ending is wonderful. But I would've like to see it as the eventual outcome of something thematic in the film. But if I missed it and it's there, please let me know.

But I still love this film and all of the negative stuff is suppossed to be constructive. Please don't take it as knocking all the great things that are there but as the observations of one audience member who would like to see this film perfect and felt that these things could be improved upon.

It's a great film. Thanks for sharing. I eagerly await the force that is you up-coming films.

[majikfraug]

Close to perfect in my opinion. Great feel to it. I truly enjoyed the lack of exposition. The lines that are there give me all I need in the way of back-story. Sometimes less is more. People keep bringing up Primer, and I think a lot of what they are commenting on can be applied to that movie just as easily as yours, and I don't think either Primer or Ad Infinitum could get much better.
This is one of only a few in the fest that I have watched repeatedly, just for the pleasure of watching the story unfold one more time...one more time...one more time...one more time...

[MrKilloran]

Good film, the characters definitely have a nice chemistry together that adds to the friendship.

Cool idea and the ending was perfect, it was definitely a change in pace from a lot of plots about time travel.

[chstick]

Great story.

Moved a little slow, but maybe that added to the payoff. Nicely done.

I have about 20 more to get through, but 'story-wise' your piece is in my top 5.

Again, good job!

[John LaBonney]

Just to echo the comments already made, I thought it was very well shot. Very crisp and clean. Great lighting and solid casting and acting. Must have been nice to work with one location.

I liked the ending, especially how the shot moves out as they are stuck in the time loop. Was the zoom out done in post (please forgive my naiveté)? I'd really like to learn more about this ending shot.

I feel like a putz pointing out some of the things that I thought were slight negatives given the high quality of this movie. Although I liked their quibbling nature, I thought that their conversation was a bit long. Maybe a little too much buildup. I really like Alex's idea about showing a scene like people getting in a car over and over, showing that the time loop has affected everyone. I think that would really cap this film.

Great job!

[Eugenia Loli-Queru]

It was an ok effort, but not my favorite in the competition. The direction, acting and script could have been more engaging. And yes, it looks a lot like "Primer" which actually kind of bothers me rather than the opposite, mostly because even the two actors look physically similar to the Primer actors (white clothes usually with black ties, one blond and one dark hair). I am not saying that this is a rip off, I am just saying that it's not a super-new concept and cinematography. I'd say that this short is in the top-15 of the whole competition in my opinion.

[justin ewart]

It's Primer meets the Twilight Zone, but comedic. Well chosen music, and your lead character was pretty good but some of the dialog was pretty labored. I think the acting could have been improved simply by some more rehearsal off camera to make it more natural. I liked the lighting and your opening title. I just wish it wasn't so reminiscent of Primer, if not for that I think I would have enjoyed it more... I did enjoy the ending though, that part was a lot of fun.

[Chuklz]

"I wouldn't have called you if it couldnt have waited..." At this line you break the 180 rule. The blonde guy is facing to the left of the screen one second, and then is speaking to the right the next.

Because your production value is so high I dont think it's quite as noticeable as other productions but it's unmotivated by anything in the story so it's still jarring. I would guess it looked better due to the lighting continuity so that was a comprimise you chose.

I would have liked to have seen more smooth dollying, I think you could take it up a notch and been clearly the most badass piece of the fest with that, but as it is you're definitely top 3.

Your production value is phenominal. I love your art direction... the time machine with the practicals and the scenery. Costumes were perfect, makeup and actor choice. I think you can fix some the concerns with the acting/directing in the edit, just by squeezing off frames here and there. The actors were great the story was great. The pacing can be fixed in edit very easily.

The only real gripe I have aside from the 180 break, which I didnt mind too much, is the sound design at the end. Your visual loop says it all. The sound crescendo is just too much over the top. I felt like I was being beaten over the head with it. Something more subtle would make it perfect.

I think if you take another pass with the edit and change the sound at the end... you could lay waste to the festival circuit this year.

[Edgen]

Writing as I watch….
Love the opening music. The lighting and shots are looking promising. I love the blue gaffer tape on the floor. J The actors have a great prescense on screen, but I think just needed a little more direction from the director. If you would have taken a bit more time with them, I think they could really nail the parts. (Much needed work on the dialog). The guy gets up at 3:00 in the morning but yet has the time to put on his cool leather straps and style his cool punk hair do.

Good premise about the film, but the actors and dialog just needs more work. Also the last ‘3 seconds’ would have worked a lot more if the guy in blue was out of the way of pushing the button. Otherwise, he’s blocking the view.

The score and music was put together nicely.
Makes you wonder… will they ever get out of that loop and realize something strange is going on.

Congrats on entering. I actually kinda liked this one. (aside from pre-mentioned crits)

[totitefilms]

You did a very good job. I like the story. Acting and directing are excellent. The lighting is good also. Yours is one of the best movies in this fest. Congrats!

[Noel Evans]

Great payoff. Was worth watching every second to get there.

Wasnt many things to pick -

At 4.36 - medium shot - they were both almost lost to the edge of the frame. Just not my taste.

The audio had a lot of echo at times.

Dialogue wasnt always to my taste, and the brown haired actor was clearly weaker than the other guy, who played his part well.

I really, really enjoyed this piece. Very twilight zone in feel. I thought it worked very well.

[iSTy]

I liked this, although 3 seconds? Will they ever find out they are in a loop ;)
the acting was good, although I think the arguing at the beginning went on a bit too long.
thank you

[bmwergs]

I LOVED the ending. Brilliantly executed, and had a great build-up to it. Very clever twist.

[MDCFILMS]

One of my favorites so far!

[Richard J. Johnson]

Top 5 for sure. The payoff was excellent.

[Norm Sanders]

First, congrats on the top 8! It's what brought my attention to this film so that I could watch it, otherwise I'm sorry to say I would have missed it....

The film starts out EXPERTLY crafted, visually. Wow, gorgeous framing, movements, etc. It continues this for the rest of the film, although there were a few questionable choices with regards to OTS angles, but that's more taste than anything.

Sound was very well done, light use of score, and the story itself was fine until the ending ... then it became AWESOME. What a cool, and original concept ... the paradox being that they've now either locked them selves into that forever, or have literally stuck the entire world into that same paradox. Regardless, a powerfully original concept. Loved it.

Talent was good, though I liked the performance of the inventor a little better.

Great, GREAT job on this!

[Susanne G.]

Congratulations to the Ad Infinitum crew and best wishes for the 11. July.

Susanne & Jason

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Good job guys, well deserved.

[Mark Johnson]

Congrats guys. A beautiful film that deserves the accolades you are receiving.

[conrad_johnson]

Barring any infinite time loops, can't wait to see who wins!

Good job!

-Joe

[Blaine]

Congrats on your top 8 entry...:thumbup:

[Zoidoid]

Thanks for all the well-wishing! We're in awesome company, truly!

[Mark Harris]

congrats!

[majikfraug]

I'm so glad you're on the Top 8! Loved your film. Truly.

[pia12254]

Congratulations guys! I'll probably be watching the webcast from Texas and pulling for you guys (us "time travel" films have to stick together)...! :D

I know you are still enjoying the excitement of making Top 8 but I am looking forward to seeing what you do next!

Ciao.

Piatt

[Edgen]

Huge props to you guys for making it to the next round.

Cheers and beers and time machines.

[Yo Daddio]

I liked it! Good luck in LA.

[Ben Sliker]

just re-watched the end of this again, can't get over how awesome it is. great payoff guys. congrats on top 8!

[pauly_the_hitman]

Hey guys congratulations on the top 8. I really enjoyed the film it is one of my top favorites in the fest. Good Luck. Hope to see you all in LA.
-Pauly

[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 "Ad Infinitum"

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 (11:39:56 AM): do you have ad infinitum?
TheBrad84 (11:39:45 AM): yes
spesliker (11:40:03 AM): YAY!
spesliker (11:40:16 AM): ready?
TheBrad84 (11:40:15 AM): yep
spesliker (11:40:30 AM): 3
spesliker (11:40:31 AM): 2
spesliker (11:40:32 AM): 1
spesliker (11:40:34 AM): go
spesliker (11:40:42 AM): sweet opening title.
spesliker (11:41:08 AM): again with the antiquated time machines. RADIO SHACK PEOPLE.
TheBrad84 (11:41:10 AM): radio shack would still be antiquated.
TheBrad84 (11:41:15 AM): they like dollies as much as we do
spesliker (11:41:19 AM): AND WE LOVE THE DOLLIES
TheBrad84 (11:41:12 AM): true that
TheBrad84 (11:41:46 AM): its a little creepy
spesliker (11:42:11 AM): i'm scared of basements
spesliker (11:42:25 AM): ack shadow on face
spesliker (11:42:47 AM): i feel the story takes a little while to get off the ground
TheBrad84 (11:42:36 AM): floor lighting
spesliker (11:42:51 AM): another hot sh*t dolly shot.
spesliker (11:43:16 AM): they apparently have lightbulbs in their pants, or that board is glowing.
spesliker (11:44:27 AM): the hair lighting is phenomenal
spesliker (11:44:39 AM): YOU CAN'T PLAY GOD AND WIN NOAM
TheBrad84 (11:44:31 AM): lol
spesliker (11:45:10 AM): that's why he's got a GF and you don't Noam
spesliker (11:45:20 AM): and yes ... i looked up the characters anems.
TheBrad84 (11:45:16 AM): seriously. who names their kids noam? big chomsky fans?
spesliker (11:45:38 AM): epic fail on spelling of name by ben
spesliker (11:46:01 AM): all the sudden it actually sounds like a basement.
TheBrad84 (11:46:12 AM): creepy
spesliker (11:46:43 AM): idiot ... that should have been a sigma X^2 ...
spesliker (11:46:51 AM): HE BUILT A TIME REWINDER INSTEAD!
spesliker (11:47:43 AM): thoughts?
TheBrad84 (11:48:37 AM): the payoff made the view worth it. thought the rest was a little bland in acting. dollies were excellent. writing was good, especially the "giving up/growing up" line.
TheBrad84 (11:48:59 AM): score was nice
TheBrad84 (11:49:09 AM): sound mix could have been better
spesliker (11:49:57 AM): i've written up some notes, but story-wise, i described it as pretty "safe"
spesliker (11:50:39 AM): i think the giving up/growing up thing could have carried more emotional weight if they explored it more
spesliker (11:50:55 AM): tell us more about the characters, who they are vs. what they are doing
TheBrad84 (11:51:24 AM): i agree
TheBrad84 (11:51:46 AM): i feel the other character was just there to carry a 5.5 min convo

We really enjoyed this film. That's first and foremost, it was really fun to watch more than one time. The production value alone would be worth a second watch. To carry my thoughts from the session, I think the issue I have with the story is that it is very safe, and by that I mean it doesn't really branch out emotionally or story-wise into any specific area. You touch on a whole lot of small elements about these two characters, but never really tell us much more than that. I think you could have chosen one or two elements in the movie and expanded them more vs. trying to get them all in. For instance, the majority of the front end word play is comprised with fairly standard concerns, e.g. Rick is annoyed he's up at 3 AM, annoyed at Noam's arrogance, disbelief in time travel, concerns about what will happen, what most anyone would feel in that situation. And then right before they push the button, you throw an emotional bomb out with the "giving up/growing up" line, something that would carry some real emotional weight between these two guys, and it's brushed aside right away. ACK! Would have really liked to seen some sort of story line develop between these two, instead of the more (by comparison) superficial conversation they do have.

But like I said, this movie was fun on repeated watchings. I kept wanting it to work out for them even tho i knew what was going to happen. And you guys are dolly masters, would like to know your setup. Congrats again. :thumbsup:

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Congrats on the top 8 guys!!

[conlanforever]

I really enjoyed this one. The ending was great and the build up to it was nicely done. I thought the actors did a good job.

The lighting was well done and the editing. The soundtrack was kind of a non entity for me.

Really good job.

[PK Gillock]

I liked it! Very interesting twist on time travel.

Great job and congratulations on being in the Top 8.

[moonlitnite]

Hi guys,

Ditto here - well written, sweet/novel ending (in retrospect, very fitting title), interesting lighting, practical props, and inspired Indie lighting. Perhaps the camerawork could use a few tweaks for added creativity, but everything was solid and supported the theme. Same on the audio/music, just right for stong Indie.

Thanks for sharing your unique entry - ALL STARS for creative entry.

Michael

[Cedric Akins]

Wait a minute... 3 seconds? ....Wait a minute... 3 seconds? Wait a minute... 3 seconds? Wait a minute... 3 seconds? Wait a minute... 3 seconds? Wait a minute... 3 seconds?

Did he make an escape button? :D

[Cedric Akins]

Who was the gaffer? I know this is a strange question, but I am very interested in how the lighting was done.

[Zoidoid]

We really enjoyed this film. That's first and foremost, it was really fun to watch more than one time. The production value alone would be worth a second watch. To carry my thoughts from the session, I think the issue I have with the story is that it is very safe, and by that I mean it doesn't really branch out emotionally or story-wise into any specific area. You touch on a whole lot of small elements about these two characters, but never really tell us much more than that. I think you could have chosen one or two elements in the movie and expanded them more vs. trying to get them all in. For instance, the majority of the front end word play is comprised with fairly standard concerns, e.g. Rick is annoyed he's up at 3 AM, annoyed at Noam's arrogance, disbelief in time travel, concerns about what will happen, what most anyone would feel in that situation. And then right before they push the button, you throw an emotional bomb out with the "giving up/growing up" line, something that would carry some real emotional weight between these two guys, and it's brushed aside right away. ACK! Would have really liked to seen some sort of story line develop between these two, instead of the more (by comparison) superficial conversation they do have.

Haha! Thanks very much for the AIM session, guys. I enjoyed it, and especially the thoughtful criticism at the end.

The production value is largely due to Ad Infinitum's pretty awesome DP and Gaffer, Olivia Kuan and Bernard Hunt respectively. They were a pleasure to work with and very patient with me.

I'll agree that the dialogue does come off as 'playing it safe.' In retrospect, I think that's because I wanted write something sort of light-hearted and whimsical instead of taking the dramatic route. As a result, some portions of the film lack a certain weight.

I went overboard with the conversation, ultimately. My greatest fear was that the film was going to come off too talky. And in a few places it was. This was my first experience with writing dialogue and it's taught me a great deal. It's funny because I'm always thinking about how my favorite moments in movies are largely dialogue-less. Perhaps I used the dialogue as too much of a crutch to establish character and plot.

Anyway. Just musing. Thanks again!

Who was the gaffer? I know this is a strange question, but I am very interested in how the lighting was done.

The crew is listed in the second post. The gaffer was a guy named Bernard Hunt and the DP was Olivia Kuan. They were a great team -- able to improvise very nice shots despite my lack of proper planning and pre-production. If you're looking to get a project off the ground in the NY area, I'd look 'em up! Olivia's website can be found here:

http://www.oliviakuan.com/

If you have some specific questions, maybe I could get her to post about it here!