'Aetas' - an Epic Medieval Tale

[Ken K]

I'm nervous... :undecided

I just hope people like Herman's new score... it originally had a Rick Astley score, but that got cut at the last minute.

[Mattykins]

Alright Shawn my man, here comes my review. First...It was simply beautiful.

First pass:

Opening shot, amazing, and that music is gorgeous. Exceptional. So incredibly moving. I enjoyed the rack focus up on the creature. Though not a fan of the dissolve on white. It sounded as if maybe some of the dialog was cluttered a tad in the beginning. A little hard to hear. But this was corrected coming in after the passing of your actress.

The latin was incredible. Absolutely incredible. Added a whole new sense to the film. Very glad you did that.

The cave shot was very nice too. Were those markings there or did you add them in?

And such a C.U.T.E sundial. It's so tiny.

By far, the scenery was amazing. I loved every minute of it. And the score was so moving. The RED has some amazing images. This was a fantastic epic. It really an truly was. Costuming was exquisite.

I really enjoyed the timelapse shot of the clouds. You really got a sense of the story though the images alone. Which is remarkable.

Quite the entry. Like I said Shawn - really amazing stuff.

[Drew Ott]

Nice short.

Visually, of course, it looked awesome. A pleasure to watch.

Story was simple and well executed. Maybe I would have liked to know more back story on everything, but that's hard to do in 6 minutes.

Great work. I can't wait to see what you put out next.

[bosindy]

*****spoilers******

This was visually stunning getting the most out of the camera and locations. I thought the performances were believable, given Latin raises the level of difficulty.

Ultimately the story was lacking conflict to build the drama of the piece. There really wasn't much to the quest and, for that reason, usually the protagonist will have to face some sort of trial along a journey such as this (the fresh blood on the sword made me wonder if a scene like this had been cut for time).

I thought the mythology could have been explained better as to where he was heading, the sun dial and the consequences of removing the cloak. It made the ending a bit confusing as to whether she was coming back to him or he was going to her.

The reunion at the end felt a bit drawn out and could have had more impact if the relationship between the two leads had been developed more deeply at the onset of the film.

all and all, well executed technically. I thought Herman's score was top notch and added substantially to the mood of the piece. I also liked the fellow in the Venetian mask and wanted to learn more about him. Congrats on getting a film in the fest.

Jim

[Existentialist]

Stunning, stunning, stunning score and cinematography. Beautiful film. Just lacked a bit of conflict and an antagonistic character for me,(I didn't feel "death" was enough) but it carried me all the way through.

Great job!

[Beat Takeshi]

Jim pretty much hit on what I was thinking in regards to conflict. I thought maybe it would be harder to find that little clock but I loved that it was so small. Amazing looking piece and I loved that it took us on that visual journey. I thought she looked a little young for him but I have daughters so that might just be my hang up. :)
She has amazing eye lashes and should do Covergirl commercials.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

She has amazing eye lashes and should do Covergirl commercials.I assumed they were fake. Might be wrong on that.

Beautiful movie! Very nice story as well.
I could have used a little more meat in the story than scenery but it still worked quite well. You should be quite happy with this entry.

Well done!

Mike

[Drew Ott]

Bosindy wrote exactly how I felt about the story.

[Brad S.]

She has amazing eye lashes and should do Covergirl commercials.

I didn't know they had mascara and fake eyelashes in the middle ages. :-)

Cool short, man. Awesome images. Beautiful score by Herman. Sword and Sandal flicks, alright!! I thought some of the dialog was a bit too "chesty" sounding, but whispering is extremely hard to record.

Great job, man. If there are any scenes that had to be cut, I really look forward to seeing the extended version.

[Postmaster]

Great cinematography Shawn.

Yeah, those Eylashes are a bit over the top but great cinematography - love it.

Frank

[Cazcam]

Awesome music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Thank you everyone who has commented so far! I was going to wait awhile to comment back but one thing must be nipped immediately,

Her eyelashes are real :-). Lol, funny thing to have to clarify. She's a gorgeous actress, a real natural beauty and superbly talented.

[Herman Witkam]

Awesome music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thank you everyone who has commented so far! I was going to wait awhile to comment back but one thing must be nipped immediately,

Her eyelashes are real :-). Lol, funny thing to have to clarify. She's a gorgeous actress, a real natural beauty and superbly talented.I guess it's the mascara that just makes it more obvious, probably the long lash kind.
Just seems out of place for the time. Just a minor thing though, no big deal.

[pia12254]

I liked the eyelashes/mascara! It totally drew me into her eyes...you are right, a natural beauty with seemingly strong acting chops. Just wanted to add I liked that element. Will try to comment more later. Good job! :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

When you think about it... the Egyptians had that sort of thing going so it's not against the realm of possibility. She is a natural beauty.

Cheers,

Mike

[Brad S.]

… a natural beauty with seemingly strong acting chops.

Yeah I noticed the eyelashes for a second and then went right back to drooling.

[Mobie540]

I likey this short. Great cinematography, I wish I was that talented.

If I had to nitpick something it would be the detail of the mascara your actress was wearing, her eye lashes looked weird and I saw her eyelid move when she was suppose to be dead.

[egyptianboxer104]

Where is the link? couldn't find it on the first page.

[Beat Takeshi]

I likey this short. Great cinematography, I wish I was that talented.

If I had to nitpick something it would be the detail of the mascara your actress was wearing, her eye lashes looked weird and I saw her eyelid move when she was suppose to be dead.

I never saw them as being made up with mascara, I just thought they were really long naturally. Kind of reminded me of a Venus Fly trap.

http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/library/webb/BOT201/Angiosperm/VenusFlyTrap.jpg

[ZazaCast]

Awesome film! Beautifully shot & scored... I love the opening shot. Latin was interesting, but I always have a problem with subtitles as it seems to draw you out of the moment (MHO).

Spoiler-----
The ONLY thing I can say is I would have liked to see a little more back story. I wanted to see the lovebirds frolicking around to see how 'in love' they were. I also didn't really understand who the man in the mask was? (maybe I'm just slow) And finally, although his quest was cool...I don't think it was enough.

But let me just say again....EXCELLENT story, great acting, costumes, locations, music, etc... I can only hope to make a film of this quality some day. I'll be watching this one many more times.

Congratulations to all involved.

[connorfilm]

great film. Those locations were fantastic.

[Troy Ruff]

Really man how much driving did you have to do to get all those great shots. Great job.

[Akira]

It looks good, the girl is gorgeous, I remember seeing alot of bugs flying around,

I would have to like to see more backstory to it all. cool costumes 3/5

[krestofre]

Shawn, you really have a great eye for composition. There were scenes in this film that blew me away in placement of actors, or angle of shots. I felt the pacing of this film was also a strong point with a lot of it feeling like a tone poem more than a narrative, which fit nicely in my opinion.

Gorgeous film.

The only small, small critique I had was that the volume of the dialog seemed a little low compared to the level of the music ... but my wife says I'm wrong and that it was fine, so take it how you will. :)

[Ken K]

Really man how much driving did you have to do to get all those great shots. Great job.
More than 1500 miles... all within the state of Oregon. :)

[Noel Evans]

No doubt the shots were great, one of the best scores Ive heard.

The story made me scratch my head a little. Some of the cut(eg at 3.10 I thought was a little too early and at 3.59 I thought could have been cut at 3.58:XX) and composition (eg 1.25 I thought could have gone a tad wider and more centered ) could be cleaned up a little. But it was great to watch.

One thing that stuck out (apart from all the great points) was I thought the grading was a little washed out. I had to do a double check and make sure it wasnt my mac screen, but even on a monitor it was the same. Not saying its bad, just wasnt to my taste.

But it felt like a quality epic piece.

[kurtmo]

Thanks for sharing this piece. I was looking forward to this. My kids and I enjoyed watching it. The piece felt very cinematic and put the audience in a cool world. We all loved the music, thought it was perfect. The sets were beautiful and well shot. I liked the overlay of the girl and the sky shot.
Stuff to work on: The story seemed a bit forced. It would be hard to sum up the story line in a sentence. I think the time was particularly tough for this piece, because it felt like the characters had a lot to them, but there just wasn’t time to explore them.
Great piece of work!

[jasonthewho]

Beautifully shot. Amazing locations. Great costumes. Really impressed how much work you guys put into this.

I had some issues with the editing of the beginning. I found the intercutting of the walking and the dying scene confusing. I actually wasn't sure if we were seeing the main character on his journey in the future, or the masked figure coming to them. I'll watch it again soon and perhaps can clarify my concerns better.

[conrad_johnson]

This thing was obviously shot well, mood, composition, everything!

The score was great! but I think it was a bit too much music. I'd like to see the music come out sometimes so when it comes back in there is more dynamic contrast.

Wow, long Eyelashes!

The one thing visually that I didn't dig is the contrast. The blacks are milky and the highlights are sort of in the upper midrange. I'd like to see you get in there ad spread it out considerably. It seems to affect the mood to me.

I had a hard time hearing the dialogue. It was too quiet and boxy compared to the music.

Great entry!

Thanks,
-Joe

[AJ Brooks]

Great work Shawn, Ken and crew!

The bugs in the forest actually served the shots. Gave it depth and "atmosphere" and something to gauge the speed by. Looks like those annoying flies knew what they were doing all along! :)

The first shot of the sundial and the final image...gorgeous!

Great working with you Shawn. You will have to let me know next time you have a project in the works because I want to audition. :)

Great work everyone!

[Mark Johnson]

I cannot thank you enough for the effort you expended on this. What an amazing film. Herman's score and the dialogue are incredible. The landscapes were million dollar locations and the wardrobe absolutely perfection.

Shawn, you have brought a whole new level of production to the community and I, again, have to thank you for being willing to put in 1,500 miles to bring these images to us. Desert, snow, forest, oceans .... my God this was astonishingly gorgeous.

And I am absolutely smitten by your lead actress. What a beauty she is and how wonderfully natural was her performance.

Ten out of Ten for me, man.

[sean90291]

This was exceptionally well done, especially considering that most Medieval fantasies are really corny. You found a very beautiful tone to the piece. Good choice using another language--what was that language?

I didn't totally get the story by the end--I'll have to watch again. But the look and feel, the costumes, the cinematography, were all the best of the fest so far for me.

EDIT: I should add that I agree with Noel that the grading could be pushed a bit more. I mean, I did actually notice that it felt washed out, not in a "desaturated look" but in sort of a lack of grading way. I'm finding with Red footage that I get used to the look of the RAW files and start to see saturation as being overkill, but in reality, the stuff benefits from more saturation and contrast than I first think. Just another opinion, but interesting that Noel noticed the grading too.

[AJ Brooks]

Latin.

[pauly_the_hitman]

amazing I don't know what else to say...The red is an amazing camera and you did it justice. Way to go.

[AmyO]

Had to watch this one first, and I'm glad I did. Gorgeous photography and I love that you showcased all of what Oregon has to offer (you should share this with the Film & Video Office). Everyone involved did a wonderful job, from the actors to the costume design to the score. My only let down is an echo of what others have said. I felt like the conflict and struggle to find the sundial wasn't really there, and that would have made this an even better film.

Awesome work guys. Hope to see you around town. :)

[Ryan Jones]

This film was very well shot! I especially loved the shot reverse shot between your masked man and the protagonist. Something i liked a lot about this film was that while it was the same time as all of the other films... It seemed longer, you really found a way to captivate your audience and i think a lot of it has to do with the way you composed your shots. Very nice exploration sequence as well.
Great work!

[Tim Joy]

Wow, it WAS epic. Is it the only film with a sun-dial?

Nice job. It's in my top short-list.

[artofsuntzu]

Gorgeous settings.

[Alex Jeffery]

Wow, this film is beautiful. I love how expressive the mask is, and some of the shots are absolutely breathtaking!

[wesley]

one of my favs, beautifully shot and the great score by herman really adds to the magic of this film!

[Blaine]

Beautifully shot, Shawn. It's a gorgeous travelogue for the state of Oregon, they should use it to attract tourists. I would have loved some of the color in the images to pop a bit more but that's just nitpicking. Herman's score was excellent. Really nice job, guys. :thumbup::thumbup:

[jpsheets]

Great Film! You get 5 stars just for that opening shot. Nicely done. Although it bothered me a bit when we first see the two main actors out of focus. I know you did it on purpose, but it bugged me. But other than that, great stuff.

best,

JP

[Zak Forsman]

just checked out your short, shawn. it's clear what you set out to do. and i'm basing my thoughts strictly on how successful I think you were.

I'd say you had some nice photography and some lovely locations. wardrobe, when it didn't betray its intended era, had some interesting flourishes -- the Kingdom of Heaven inspired mask for example. And certainly, the Red One added a professional sheen to the images, if not a bit washed out in some places. is this final color?

on the flipside, i thought the story was muddled, the characters unconvincing and the emotion was unearned. the use of dissolves and fades to white, which repeatedly evoked "the passing of time" to the point of tedium was uninspired. just my opinion. we all know this is a highly subjective art form and in this case, i simply didn't connect with anything here – which surprised me, i expected something more grounded and less esoteric from you.

would love to see you apply your eye for composition to something with a stronger narrative drive and more compelling characters.

[totitefilms]

Your movie has the best scenic scenes. I really like the time elapse scene. The costume is nice. The actress is beautiful. However the story is a little bit simple. You could also adjust the footages a little so they look more contrast. Overall it's nice movie. You did a great job!

[gabrielflorit]

Wow, what an amazingly beautiful film. I guessed this was done on a RED - I love the shallow DOF, and the bokeh! Phenomenal. She is truly beautiful, but even better, she can truly act. Great score!

No artificial lighting???? That's amazing.

Beautiful, simply beautiful. I'm off to watching it again.

[Susanne G.]

A very romantic story. The photography was great. All above very professional. But there is something I missed - I can't really say what it is - perhaps the film needs a little bit thrill. Lovely work!

Susanne

[Horncastle]

Absolutely stunning images. There wasn't a poor sequence among them, but the main character passing in front of the waterfall with the brown rocks was the best of the lot for me. Herman Witkam's music was exquisite. The acting was very good.

A truly beautiful film but, like many others, I felt the lack of conflict. You've done an incredible job fitting such an epic tale into six minutes, but obviously you have had lo leave some things unsaid. As I understand it, the main character takes Death's cloak. Since his sword is covered with blood afterwards, I imagine he kills him, at Death's own insinuated invitation, thus releasing Death from the burden of eternal life and taking on this burden himself. If this was what you intended, however, I don't think we were really made to feel this burden.

Nonetheless, a very wonderful and courageous short. I take my hat off to you.

[Zoidoid]

I know everyone else has said this, but it can't be stressed enough -- beautiful film, Shawneous. The visuals in this film are inspiring. The richness and diversity of the settings goes a long way in making this short film feel like a concatenated version of an epic feature film. When coupled with the tremendous score -- well, the resulting production value is impressive!

The opening of the film is far and away my favorite part. I think your male lead did a very nice, understated job. I loved the masked man, and sorely missed him throughout the rest of the short! What a cool voice. What a cool look! I got a very strong Faun-from-Pan's-Labyrinth feel from him. And I absolutely mean that as a compliment.

The middle portion of the film was beautiful to watch, but felt like it was just a montage of time passing. If it was meant to be an illustration of the hero's hardships on his quest to find the sundial -- well, I think it lacked that kind of impact. I would have loved to see something here that really made us root for the hero of the story. That way, your very pretty ending would have been the perfect conclusion.

Still, lovely job. I enjoyed it. Even moreso on the second viewing, probably because I knew more about what to expect and spent more time enjoying the images.

Congratulations!

[Craig Ryan]

Shawn, I enjoyed finally getting to see some of your work. Like I'm sure everyone else has said, the cinematography was wonderful; you really couldn't have picked more beautiful locations for this piece. I like the ambiance; the subtitles really added to the authenticity. And as others said, the score was phenomenal; I was looking for Howard Shore at the end lol. Really a great production all around and I'm glad you had a great time on the project. I'd say this definitely has an edge for quality!

EDIT: I guess I should add my most respectful nitpicking...If anything, I agree with others that the image could have popped a bit more...More color tones for the different locations maybe...you nailed the diffusion on that first shot of the female lead in the last scene though. Also I think more dirt and grit on the male lead could have been appropriate...that way the clean, diffused look of the end would have stood out more. I guess a more contrasty/hard grade on the previous scenes could also do the trick. But thats it as far as my nitpicking.

[snowleopard]

Good job Shawn, the film looks simply gorgeous. Really shows off the beauty of our state well.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Shawn, sir, let me start out by saying this: your locations were the shizit! Absolutely gorgeous. Coupled with the fantastic cinematography and wide shots...just amazing. I have been nothing less than amazed by what some have been able to do in just six minutes, great work! The story was mystical, the acting was superb, the shots were truly fantastic, the score complemented the film so well and, may I say, your actress was simply beautiful. I actually thought this was filmmed in some magical faraway land, and you can quote that for the...well...whatever you would need to quote it for. :grin:

A great short, 10/10 from me. Keep up the great work, man. Good job and good luck!

[Matt Sconce]

Everytime I watch this, i love it more. The scenes are beautiful and story is deeper than I thought. Did the girl kill herself because she thought he was dead (Slit Wrists)? If so, it explains why her sould will be lost, and why he has to become immortal and track her to the valley of gehenna to find that link to her. The ending cliff scenes with her dress blowing and the bird flying!!!! THEY ARE AMAZING! Also when she is looking at him when he wakes up she looks freakin amazing! her eyes are stunning. I LOVE this film. Definitely in my top 5 favs.

[jmc]

Simply amazing. The locations are as good as anything on the big screen, and the acting was subtle and real. The costumes, voice work, cinematography...just wow!

[Imaginate]

Well done you really did some exceptional work here. The actors , the costumes, the locations, the composition. Let me know if your ever planning a trip up to Vancouver it would be good to talk about collaborating on some future projects.

[Susanne G.]

Shawn,

it's all OK? Where are you? :crybaby:

Susanne

[Susanne G.]

Ups,

false alarm. I saw that you made comments on the other threads yet, after I wrote the last message. Sorry - I have to be more attentive before I write this kind of messages.

Susanne

[jojopop]

Epic and heartfelt... the locations, costumes and the acting were pretty amazing. The film carries with it an air of mystery and fantasy that I'm a sucker for...!

Very nice work!

[conrad_johnson]

Alright, Blane had a good point, it doesn't help anybody to sugar coat things so be forewarned: I'm going to say what I feel and you can take it or leave it, but it's how I feel at the moment and I'm working really hard to help people, not hurt feelings...

So here we go...

Opening shot is nice although milky. (not a lot of contrast)

Love the bugs flying around…

Montage shots, again milky and not a lot of color contrast I think you could up this in post.

The Latin dialogue I can’t hear at all. Music covers up everything.

Framing at 1:47 is too forehead heavy bring it down then follow the actor up, instead of locking down the shot.

Very nice framing at 2:14, adds the weight to the main guy while still including the female lead. Nice use of DOF too.

Nice shot at 2:58, but again washed out color and blacks. CC is key with the RED.

Lovely torch shots!!!

At 4:29 the dudes skin is ablaze. Watch the exposure. I know it’s sunlight, but his skin tones are going to total white and no skin color is left.

Why at 4:46 is the shot so soft? It looks like a soap opera. And again with the milkyness.

Score is great, very appropriate and nice sound choices.

I had a hard time with the story and wished it was as epic as the shooting was.

Good work though, it looked professional. And damn you and your awesome locations!

-Joe

[Mark Harris]

I would agree with others that the balance of landscapes to story was a little heavy on the former.

But I actually liked the story. I thought the actors were good and subtle and true.

I think what I missed in the story, would be some kind of payment for what he got. The masked man gives him the cloak, and whoever wears that knows no time. But man, why would that dude give up such a powerful instrument? If he was a God and this was Greek mythology, the wearer would live forever but his penis would fall off. Or if it was the Twilight Zone, he would always win at poker, but get bored because there is no thrill to the game.

I think this needs something similar. He needs to pay to get her back. And it doesn't have to be an ironic twist, but it's got to be expensive.

Does that make sense? Right now, it;s like: My girl is dead. Oh go here and she will be saved.

When I think it needs to be: My girl is dead. Oh go here and she will be saved. But you will never get to touch her again...

Anyway, I think all of the filmmaking elements are there, so I'm kind of brainstorming and nitpicking on the story points.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I'll now break my self-imposed silence to responses.

I deeply appreciate everyone who commented. If you have seen 'Aetas' and haven't commented, please do so!

'Aetas' is an act of love for me on many levels. I gave no explanations because I wanted to see how it was received without prep. I am curious how this translates to votes. Part of me thinks I'll be high and part of me, based on all these comments, thinks I'll disappear completely from even the top ten due to people being upset about eyelashes, flies and contrast ratios.

Everyone's critique is honest and worthwhile from their own point of review, I 'refute' none of them. If 'Aetas' didn't work for you, that's fine. Who am to tell otherwise? Instead I offer a simply explanation of what I set out to do.

On the wonderful comments on cinematography and music (which seem to be the majority of positive comments), thank you. I am continually amazed at what Herman did for us. Alejandra added such depth to the music with her vocals. On the cinematography, it was a joint effort between Ken and I. For instance, the opening shot and the sky timelapse were both Ken. We evenly split on most of the scenic scenes and I operated for most of the Tristan-Serapis-Elisiya scenes with Jerry Turner doing an amazingly organic job of pulling focus. It was a collaboration I shall long remember.

I set out to make an experimental film that was keyed emotionally and not intellectually, that played to love and feeling and floated about, buoyed by beauty and sadness, vastness and intimacy.

A key influence was 'The Fountain', which flows emotionally. As Ken and I tossed about the story we outright anticipated that people would not understand it the first time through. We hoped that it would be of such surpassing beauty that people would watch it several times and come to an appreciation of where we were going. The comments of msconce and krestofre were especially meaningful to me because they completely got it. I'd of made the entire film just for those two.

'Aetas' was indeed meant to be like a poem, without setting, fully in the moment. I am a huge fan of the poetry of antiquity and of medieval rennasaince, who's poems speak of deeds of love, loss and courage beyond measure. Often you don't know who the knight was, or why he loved his lady so, all you know is that he was willing to go beyond the world to find her.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Shawn,

Thanks for finally popping in. I will sya again I really loved your film. I watched it and I didn't care that it was vague, because it was so beautiful for that short time, that nothing else mattered. All that mattered to me was that love prevailed. I think that's what you said you were trying to accomplish, and it worked for me too.

[Duff]

Looks great visually, but the story was so vague it seemed almost like a preview as opposed to a movie itself. Girl dies; hero must go on quest to attain some rare item to bring her back, hero succeeds in end? I think the problem with a lot of epics is that they become too focused on the grandiose and ignore details that make films human and relatable. If you look at successful fantasies/epics like Lord of the Rings, the protagonists are very real despite their fantastic setting. We're able to identify with them and root for them in their quest. I feel this film was lacking that -- the characters don't feel human, they feel like abstractions.

Maybe that's what you were aiming for, but the story just doesn't draw me. Actually, what I think this would be awesome for (and this is intended as a compliment, since I love these things) is one of those history-channel programs where they have a narrator telling a story overtop footage of a reenactment. The footage looks great, but I need some sort of overbearing narrative structure to capture my interest.

[Brad S.]

If you look at successful fantasies/epics like Lord of the Rings, the protagonists are very real despite their fantastic setting.

Yeah but LOTR was over 9 hours long! Considering the time restrictions, I think that this film did a good job. I don't see how anyone could have lots of character development while still having a moving story in only six minutes. If you watch Fellowship of the Ring, it must take at least 20 minutes before we even get to the story of Frodo taking the ring away. Up to that point, we're mainly introducing the world that the Hobbit's live in.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Yeah but LOTR was over 9 hours long! Considering the time restrictions, I think that this film did a good job. I don't see how anyone could have lots of character development while still having a moving story in only six minutes. If you watch Fellowship of the Ring, it must take at least 20 minutes before we even get to the story of Frodo taking the ring away. Up to that point, we're mainly introducing the world that the Hobbit's live in.


Precisely :-).

To everyone who said "more backstory" "show us why", etc...I agree, but I couldnt show you any more than I did within 6 min. It had to be high level and abstract to encompass a story of such scope.

To truly do such a story justice would have been 6 min just for the 'finding the sundial' scene.

[Mark Harris]

Well yes and no. I don't think more backstory or explanation was an issue. Character IS action. So I think more immediate dramatic action would have added greatly and told us more about the characters in the process without weighing anything down.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Precisely :-).

To everyone who said "more backstory" "show us why", etc...I agree, but I couldnt show you any more than I did within 6 min. It had to be high level and abstract to encompass a story of such scope.

To truly do such a story justice would have been 6 min just for the 'finding the sundial' scene.

Shawn, I have to disagree with the folks who say you need more backstory. I don't really care who the hell these people are, where they are from or what they had for breakfast yesterday morning. All that matters to me is that they participate in a clever and good story, and that they did. You don't need to tell me why! I don't need to know why!

Your main character was in love and the only way he could save her was to travel and find the sundial. He did it and they lived happily ever after. I watched it and was touched because it truly was a gorgeous story. If anything, more bacstory would probably bog it down and make it cliche.

The way you did it was fantastic, it took on a sort of metaphorical feel to it. It isn't clear what happened to put these two people in this situation, but all that matters is they are there and now they have to get out of it; and they do. It is a true talent to be able to take ambiguity and make it beautiful, and that is a talent you certainly have, sir.

I know that there are a lot of people who crave backstory, who would kill for it. But what they need to do is focus on what happens, not what happened or what is going to happen or what time it is in Corpus Christie. Just what happens. Because once you say "To hell with the questions." you find yourself watching a very heartwarming piece about love and the lengths some will go for it. Not only was it inspirational, but it was encouraging. Thank you and good luck.

Keep up the good work!

[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 "AETAS"

now, normally our AIM sessions happened upon FIRST viewing, but Justin and I had both seen AETAS a few times before we did this one, so we had some thoughts prepared beforehand. and for that matter, there's not a lot of praise in there, cause we mostly comment on what we wanted to see, instead of what was already there and looked awesome. I'll save my praise for after the chat log.

spesliker (12:22:38 AM): ready?
happygobo (12:22:45 AM): ready
spesliker (12:22:46 AM): 3
spesliker (12:22:48 AM): 2
spesliker (12:22:49 AM): 1
spesliker (12:22:50 AM): go
happygobo (12:23:01 AM): those fades are mad fast
spesliker (12:23:16 AM): for sure
spesliker (12:23:37 AM): lotsa walkin ...
happygobo (12:23:46 AM): i think he could work his transitions in a lot better
spesliker (12:24:28 AM): nice costumes ... these people need to be dirtier tho.
happygobo (12:24:32 AM): way dirtier
spesliker (12:24:42 AM): not to excited about that overlay. wouldn't she still be looking up at him?
happygobo (12:24:47 AM): and when we get to them I don't really feel them in the enviroment
happygobo (12:24:57 AM): he could have shot this bit in my backyard
spesliker (12:25:06 AM): yeah, they have these awesome locations and chose a pretty average looking forest to have the meat of their film....
spesliker (12:25:35 AM): scary dudes voice needs to be ... scarier?
happygobo (12:25:43 AM): yeah
spesliker (12:25:49 AM): just sounds like "i'm talking to you from behind a mask"
happygobo (12:25:55 AM): it's actually the bun seller from the market in the next town over
spesliker (12:25:57 AM): be scared ...
spesliker (12:26:00 AM): lol, those guys are always creepy. damn them and their bread.
happygobo (12:26:09 AM): what's up with the quilted hood?
spesliker (12:26:21 AM): this part's like they picked the coolest locations and went "okay ... walk", none of this really means anything to me.
spesliker (12:27:02 AM): it doesn't feel like there was enough planning going into these shots.
spesliker (12:27:17 AM): and they just kinda threw it together in the edit room.
happygobo (12:27:20 AM): agreed.
happygobo (12:27:23 AM): I'm almost angry because these locations are awesome
spesliker (12:27:28 AM): with lots of fades and flashes.
happygobo (12:28:09 AM): and with some more thought put into their shots they could have made much better use of their setting, wonder what their pre-pro was for these settings
spesliker (12:28:13 AM): i don't get the insert crashing of the waves
happygobo (12:28:25 AM): man it's a metaphor
spesliker (12:28:43 AM): it's like ... intimate shot ... then way back out, then intimate ... then out ... the editing takes me out of it
happygobo (12:28:43 AM): the waves of their love crash on the rocks of mortality.
spesliker (12:28:58 AM): that's deep bro. he needed to lift her up in the air in slow motion ...
spesliker (12:29:05 AM): and there needed to be a sunset silhouetting them
spesliker (12:29:10 AM): and a slow dolly back
happygobo (12:29:32 AM): they hiked in didn't they?
spesliker (12:29:32 AM): that would have blown my mind. that shot says "cool location" more than it does "feel happy for these people" ... i feel like they are a piece of the scenery.
spesliker (12:29:36 AM): i think so
happygobo (12:29:51 AM): yeah, so hiking in some kind of dolly rig would have really blown my mind
spesliker (12:29:53 AM): pvc pipe don't weigh that much.
spesliker (12:29:57 AM): lol
happygobo (12:29:57 AM): that's what I would have done
spesliker (12:30:22 AM): a lot of that felt like forced symbolism
happygobo (12:30:50 AM): I told you what the symbolism was.
happygobo (12:30:57 AM): the waves of their love crash on the rocks of mortality.
happygobo (12:31:01 AM): the rocks...of TIME
spesliker (12:32:22 AM): i really wasn't "caught up in the beauty of the red" either. maybe it's just the rez i'm watching this in. I'm sure it's cool in 4k.
spesliker (12:33:27 AM): i'm feeling a little LOTR in the score tho.
spesliker (12:34:00 AM): the overlays were killing me
spesliker (12:34:24 AM): they were disruptive
happygobo (12:34:28 AM): oh snap that does sound straight out of LOTR.
spesliker (12:34:59 AM): guess i'm just not a fan of multiple fades of the same frame.

So, there you have it, that's what Justin and I wanted to see from your film. Regardless, congrats on one hell of a production, i didn't see really any "experimental" element in it, it seemed rather conventional for a epic tale as it was. Perhaps you can explain that a little more.

Framing and composition was at times, just awesome. And you know I love the timelapse. There was a lot in this film that flat out f-ing rocked, unfortunately the rest just seemed a little misguided for me.

I am jealous that you get to keep shooting on your red. infinitely jealous. please keep shooting at ridiculously awesome locations that deserve 4k. :thumbsup:

[Geoff_R]

Shawn, I can tell you took a lot of time prepping this film and scouting locations. I like the attention to detail with the costumes/props. You found some really great locations to photograph and it shows you stepped way outside to find these parts of the world. I thought overall, the cinematography was good, but there were a few instances were I felt comp/framing didn't par well with the previous shots. Most notably for me would be the locked down shot on your main character and the reverse being hand held on the character with the mask. Is the only lens you had the 18-50 zoom? I didn't see any shots that felt like they'd been shot with a long lens. I think I wanted more variety 'lens wise' in your shots.

I love the concept of the cloak.. very cool :) As a story itself, I think it would be more suitable to a longer format. I get all the points of what you were trying to say, but it didn't grab me emotionally.. I'd say this is mostly due to the short amount of time in which I have to associate myself with your lead. I didn't get the scope of his journey.. How long was he out there? Months, years, decades? I wasn't sure..

Your actors and their performances were good. I liked your lead but I found the character with the mask the most interesting.. Powerful and also a little frightening, good creation there.

The score absolutely rocks... Herman really took things to another level with this piece. I'm very impressed with all he has been doing lately and this is another great piece from him. Rock on, Herman!

[conrad_johnson]

Part of me thinks I'll be high and part of me, based on all these comments, thinks I'll disappear completely from even the top ten due to people being upset about eyelashes, flies and contrast ratios.

Don't be insecure about the comments, they are here to help you, not bring you down.

I'll have you know this was one of the films I gave the highest ranking to despite contrast ratios and eyelashes. So quit sweating the small stuff. Learn from that shizzle and become a better filmmaker from it.:thumbsup:

And honestly, yours will receive more criticism because there is no overall wrongness to it that they can critique the stuff that comes to them, rather than not knowing where to start, ya know?

[Ben Sliker]

Wow. Most of the criticism so far has been constructive. I thought your "AIM session" was just in poor taste. How is that in any way constructive? We spent a lot of time and hard work on this (everyone involved put forth 110% and Shawn put in at least 200%) and your little AIM chat commentary felt like a slap in the face.

I honestly don't understand what your reasoning was in posting that. Help me out here...

ken k and shawneous.

we were worried that if we released one of these with criticism built into it that it would be completely misunderstood. That's awesome that you worked really hard on your short. we all did. that really has nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, effort doesn't automatically equal an awesome film. I worked really hard on my first few shorts too, and let me tell you ... they sucked.

We did a detailed analysis (in real time) of EXACTLY what we thought of your film. If you didn't want to hear what we thought about your movie, you shouldn't have started a thread.

perhaps you didn't like the format of our criticism and some of it's built-in facetiousness and sarcasm. cause, in fact, it is constructive. Our session is by no means what you SHOULD have done, or that what you did was wrong, but what we would have liked to have seen in your short, or thought could have made it better.

So ... to paraphrase ... constructively.

In the beginning, We believe the fades in the beginning of the guy moving across the screen are WAY too fast, perhaps eliminating one would have better served the shot. (for the 6 minute constraint).

There's lots of walking in the beginning of this movie. A lot that doesn't really say much to us. Also, we felt there's not really any motivation for the fade in from black and fade out to black in these shots.

We thought your costumes were great. But in order to really sell the medieval look to it, we thought the two characters needed to look a little dirtier, a little grittier and their clothes a little more worn, especially the male lead.

I think the next point I explained in depth enough. You have all these great locations and chose a fairly ordinary forest to have the meat of the conversation. But i was wrong about the insert, she is looking up at the trees (remember this was in real time), but i'm still not a fan of the spinning trees overlay.

All of your shots, standing alone, look great, but put together, feel a little forced, with some fade transitions to hold them together. Especially between 3:24 and 3:42, it's a little messy. And when I say "these shots don't mean anything to me", i wanna know why. Why is he walking down this awesome path, why does his sword have blood on it, why is he covering his face, why does he need to find this waterfall and cave? There seems like there's no struggle in his quest, he just walks around until he finds it.

The last shot. I felt that your two characters look more like part of the scenery than part of the story. It's not complimenting them, they are complimenting it. It looks great, it just doesn't make me feel anything for your characters, more "That's some great scenery".

I thought your shots suffered from having to be squished into a 720x360 frame and from washed out compression. I'd love to see an HD or even 2k version of this, I'm sure i'd be more awestruck by the locations.

Shawneous also said that he set out to make an experimental film. From what I've seen, it looks fairly conventional (which IS NOT a bad thing). I would like him to explain more which elements he thought were experimental. Of course, these are all mostly technical quibbles as well. And of course, this is all our opinion, you are fully entitled to say "i don't give a spit what you think" and that would be that. My hope is that perhaps one of our ideas makes you think about Aetas in a different way.

And like I said before, there's a lot of stuff in this movie that f-ing rocked, but you already know these parts, cause when you played it back on set, you looked at each other, and said ... "that f-ing rocked", or "that was sex", or "we're going to blow the DVXusers away" (and so did we upon viewing it). So pat yourself on the back for that sh*t, it f-ing rocked.

Which officially ends the longest review we've given to someone in Timefest.


OR I can give you this kind of review.

DUDE!!! Your locations were awesome, the RED is such a great camera, way to make the most of it! Look forward to seeing more of what you guys do in the future.

Which, if having to decide between the two, would say that the latter is in poor taste.

[Ken K]

Now that was much more constructive feedback, thanks! :thumbsup:

I just didn't think two guys attempting MST3K-like commentary was that helpful/constructive/contributory. I appreciate the paraphrased update, though! That is what helps us. :)

[Ben Sliker]

you're welcome. :)

You were the litimus test for criticism in AIM chat. results noted.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

you're welcome. :)

You were the litimus test for criticism in AIM chat. results noted.

Results noted. I don't know why but that made me laugh. :grin:

[Drew Ott]

I'd like to see your aim chat if you did one for my film.

I like that kind of criticism.

[Mark Johnson]

Ben ...

Do us! Do us! .... You can give O2 any amount of ribbing/critique/trash talk you want too! I can see lots of material to work with myself!!!! Give it a go! Bag on us and sharpen your knives doods! I actually am entertained by this kind of back-room b.s. Imagine if we could mic all the viewing sessions!

So, please cue up O2 and let loose the dogs! We'll take what you got to give us!!!

[Blaine]

Imagine if we could mic all the viewing sessions!I'm glad we weren't mic'd at Luis' :lipsrseal

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Yeah it may be a bit much to expect filmmakers to take an MST 3K (or should I say 4K :) ) treatment of their baby very well while the hard drives are still hot.

But having said that, there's plenty of constructive stuff in there between the masks jokes, etc., which again, I think you can definitely expect some filmmakers to not love.

If you're one of the filmmakers' the best thing to do is think someone for their review and move on though, even if you think it's less than cool.
http://dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=125275

But you guys handled it pretty well from all sides while I was finding and moving the old thread / making this post :beer:

[Ben Sliker]

I'd like to see your aim chat if you did one for my film.

I like that kind of criticism.

we didn't, but we will now.


Ben ...

Do us! Do us! .... You can give O2 any amount of ribbing/critique/trash talk you want too! I can see lots of material to work with myself!!!! Give it a go! Bag on us and sharpen your knives doods! I actually am entertained by this kind of back-room b.s. Imagine if we could mic all the viewing sessions!

So, please cue up O2 and let loose the dogs! We'll take what you got to give us!!!

we we're chatting while you posted this, results coming soon.


Thread jack over, back to Aetas!

[Ken K]

Yeah it may be a bit much to expect filmmakers to take an MST 3K (or should I say 4K :) ) treatment of their baby very well while the hard drives are still hot.

But having said that, there's plenty of constructive stuff in there between the masks jokes, etc., which again, I think you can definitely expect some filmmakers to not love.

If you're one of the filmmakers' the best thing to do is think someone for their review and move on though, even if you think it's less than cool.
http://dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=125275

But you guys handled it pretty well from all sides while I was finding and moving the old thread / making this post :beer:
Yeah, that's why I had deleted my post and let it go... but Ben got me quoted before I deleted it. :P We're all good now, though. :beer:

I could definitely laugh at an MST3K treatment later and I'm sure Shawn and I would crack quite a few jokes about this if we had a commentary audio track, but yeah... still fresh. ;)

We honestly do appreciate all of the criticism thus far... it is beyond valuable.

[Mark Johnson]

Yeah, you and Shawn have been great sports. For instance, you guys didn't come hunt me down and shoot me when I did this poster for you:

http://www.archivisuals.com/aetas.jpg

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Everyone is giving Ken a bad rap here.

Ben: it's simple, we appreciate your thoughts and furthermore I appreciate that you took the time to not only watch Aetas, but to comment on it. The part that seems unprofessional and immature is the mocking aspect of your comments, the only pro filmmaker I could ever imagine saying anything close to what you did is a drunk Tarantino. The tone was of two kids, too cool for school, or like when a pretty girl walks in the room and all the other girls immediately start making fun of her.

I know Ken, he has a pretty thick skin (I try to insult him every time I see him) so for you to try and make it seem like he couldn't take critcism is rude and unfair. Your "paraphrased" one was better and more inline and we appreciate you taking the time, energy and thoughtfulness to do that.

On your comments, I agree that the male lead's outfit should have been dirtier (something Ken and I talked about in post) and that 720x360 is a crummy resolution for Red footage, the 50mb limit prohibited anything more. As for your comments on how our shots, characters and story failed to impact you in any way, that's a valid feeling. Some movies just don't impact people. The Fountain, which was our inspiration, had me in tears whilst another group of people in the same theater as me walked out.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Yeah, you and Shawn have been great sports. For instance, you guys didn't come hunt me down and shoot me when I did this poster for you:



Lol, love it Mark. Keep it coming! :-)

[Ken K]

Yeah, you and Shawn have been great sports. For instance, you guys didn't come hunt me down and shoot me when I did this poster for you:
<awesome poster>

Actually Mark, that was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. It still cracks me up! All of your posters have me in stitches, but this one totally took the cake. :grin: The text you have in there is the icing on the cake. LOL @ Epic Recycling.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Everyone is giving Ken a bad rap here...

Huh? I just reread the last three pages to figure out what you are referring to, and I don't think that's the case.

Everything / everyone, seems chill.

[Duff]

...or like when a pretty girl walks in the room and all the other girls immediately start making fun of her.

The modesty is palpable :)

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

The modesty is palpable :)

Oh not you too! Come'on, it was just an example of perceived attitude, please dont over apply my words.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Mark,

You never cease to amaze me with your posters and other PS work. I was cracking up at that. No, serously, cracking up - fall out of my fucking chair funny.

---------------------------

Criticism is a tough thing to give and take, and everyone has their own way of handling each aspect. Everyone will also have different perceptions of what others say (or in this case, type). This reminds me of the first script fest when someone gave my entry a very thoughtful and extensive critique, containing many negative criticisms. I came back with my response, not trying to defend my script, but just have a conversation about each of the points made. But then, many people felt I had been rude and was rejecting what was an extremely good review. That was not what I meant in the least and it took me a while to sort it out.

This situation is quite similar. Ben posted his AIM session, I don't think he was trying to be rude or condesending, but to some it came across that way. That's fine. These people voiced their thoughts. The problem is, like I prefaced this story with, everyone has their own perception of what others say which often leads to misundersandings and disputes.

As an onlooker, I think that Shawn is thankful Ben paraphrased his comments, and understands that Ben didn't mean anything by his AIM session. I think Ben will, in the future, ask before posting what is essentially (in my mind) a lighthearted take on a film that could very easily be taken the wrong way. I think if everyone just says "Okay, I understand" and puts away the pitchforks, everything will be okay.

Sorry for that post, I don't mean to poke in where I don't belong, but I just hate to see folks get into hot water with each other.

[Ken K]

I think if everyone just says "Okay, I understand" and puts away the pitchforks, everything will be okay.
Whew... you're lucky you said something! I was halfway to Coursegold with my dual-sided pitchfork sabre (Mark, I'll need a Photoshop of this, stat!). :)

[Mark Johnson]

Whew... you're lucky you said something! I was halfway to Coursegold with my dual-sided pitchfork sabre (Mark, I'll need a Photoshop of this, stat!). :)

Frankly, I was thinking a mob with dem rad torches was likely! I was looking again at your BTS showing how you made those ... whoa!!!

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I think if everyone just says "Okay, I understand" and puts away the pitchforks, everything will be okay.

No pitchforks, but I suppose I can quench my 'Aetas'(c) torch :-).

You hit the nail on the head, it's really not a deal at all, oh well. I guess all this banter because it seems we got our few dozen comments and the new ones seem to have stopped.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Whew... you're lucky you said something! I was halfway to Coursegold with my dual-sided pitchfork sabre (Mark, I'll need a Photoshop of this, stat!). :)

You were coming after me? But I have been nothing but cordial to all of you! :engel017:


No pitchforks, but I suppose I can quench my 'Aetas'(c) torch :-).

You hit the nail on the head, it's really not a deal at all, oh well. I guess all this banter because it seems we got our few dozen comments and the new ones seem to have stopped.

Well, it is hard to get these things under control when so many people take things so many different ways and run with it. I thought I would try to nip it in the bud for once and for all.

-----------------------

Mark, took another look at the picture and again couldn't control my laughter. Wow. :grin:

[Ken K]

You were coming after me? But I have been nothing but cordial to all of you! :engel017:
Of course not! I thought maybe you could film me doing Star Wars kid, only with a pitchfork. :D

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Alright everyone, group hug

[Ken K]

Someone has their hand on my bum.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Someone has their hand on my bum.

Mark! Stop it! What did I say about touching men's asses? :evil:

[AJ Brooks]

So much drama. Did I mention a bug flew into my eye on this shoot?

I may never be the same man again.

[sean90291]

re: a couple of the criticisms that others posted above.

the scary dude's voice was spot-on for me. "scarier" could have turned into cornier. as it is, the voice is resonant, it has gravitas, it's haunting, and it's good acting.

regarding the call for "dirtier" medieval clothes, I think you're falling into a trap of cliche. guess what, some people had new clothes in medieval times too!

i would fear that ken's medieval film would be all darth vader voices with faces covered in chimney-sweep soot. in other words, i'd barf. just too cliche.

Where Aetas succeeds so well for me is in its captivating tone. It's a poem in moving pictures. And it sets the period in Medieval times without getting corny. I don't think many DVXusers could accomplish that at all!

The story criticisms are pretty fair, but frankly I haven't seen a flawless story told in this fest yet, or any other fest. RPDM and From the Future A Musical are the only two that delivered fully on their writing and story for me this round. And it is way easier to critique a story than write one. Very few people can do it, no matter how good they get at pointing out other people's story flaws.

[Chuklz]

They say good movies don't make you think. Good movies make you feel. I think you accomplished this in spades.

I had issues with the opening shot, until I resized it up and saw it was a gorgeous perfectly framed cinematic shot. What confuses me is why at the end you went so close in as though you were shooting for television. It was just an odd transition in style in the back of my mind. Maybe it accomplishes emotionally exactly what you are going for.

I disliked the two scenes of the travelling time guy AFTER the first 'OTS' reveal of them. The jumping in time there was a bit disorienting in a bad way. I also disliked the abruptness of the of the cut from... my cloak to him walking down the road with the cloak. Seemed appropriate for a more subtle cross fade. Maybe thats just my taste.

I dont know if it's been touched on but the reflective nature of the awesome mask had us looking at the camera rig ;)

One element I really enjoyed was the fact that time walked from right to left, and in his journey you walked the main character from left to right.

There was that gorgeous storm you used as transition going right to left.

If you could have kept, or flipped the image so he continued til he found the sundial so he was facing right it would have tied that up so epically tight that I would gotten shivers.

Honestly the only other things I could see that would improve an already badass piece would be to add some cinematic camera movement during some of the scenes to punctuate the story. But this is even optional.

Honestly a top 3 piece. Fantastic storytelling. Incredible production design, and cinematography. The directing was wonderful as well.

Personal suggestions or wishlist-
I would have loved to seen a scene where he pours over a book in a monastary in his quest to find her, after the cave painting wall. That would have filled the search aspect for me.

I would have LOVED to have seen an old man in the armor after the cloak fell away... like he instantly died of old age. And then to have him restored to enternal youth by the seaside when the sundial turned to dust (not dirt ;) ).

[alex whitmer]

Hey Shawneous,

Took me this long to get this one to down load. Oh man, what a great film!

Music, shots, lighting, overall ambiance, and actors that really worked well together. Great, great stuff.

My only nit-pik is the close on the gloves. Up to that point everything has me in some distant past, but then all of a sudden I see gloves that look like they were made yesterday. From there I noticed other costume issues, like the scarf. Too fine a weave for 'olden times'. I could be wrong on this, I'm no period costume expert.

Next question ... where did you find snow in June? is it that cold over yonder?

Truly a beautiful film. And duly impressed.

alex

[Edgen]

One of the first ones I watched just to hear Hermans’ score in action. I was lucky enough for him to send me a link and I was so anxious to see it to picture. Herman, buddy, you did not let me down. Wonderful work and very powerful and heartfelt.
Ok, so you have a very expensive camera, some badass locations, and beautiful scenery that keep you captivated throughout the short. And.. you have a guy doing a LOT of walking. I kept thinking to myself.. “Where’s this dude going to walk next?”

Ooh, and then he gets to a couple laying on the ground talking crazy languages. Then you see an absolutely beautiful woman saying strange things with long eyelashes. Maybe it was here super neato headpiece?

As for the story, after the second time watching I think I may have gotten the story. He never actually found the timepiece, but rather searched high and low and that bastard in the cloak tricked him? So he walked everywhere for nothing… eventually died, and met her again in the afterlife? If so. Cool. I got it. If not. Shite. Maybe it’s a choose your own adventure story.

Looking forward to your next entry and inspirations to do something with bad ass locations such as this. Road trip!

Congrats on entering the fest shawn!

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

And.. you have a guy doing a LOT of walking. I kept thinking to myself.. “Where’s this dude going to walk next?”

Ooh, and then he gets to a couple laying on the ground talking crazy languages. Then you see an absolutely beautiful woman saying strange things with long eyelashes. Maybe it was here super neato headpiece?

As for the story, after the second time watching I think I may have gotten the story. He never actually found the timepiece, but rather searched high and low and that bastard in the cloak tricked him? So he walked everywhere for nothing… eventually died, and met her again in the afterlife? If so. Cool. I got it. If not. shi*e. Maybe it’s a choose your own adventure story.

Looking forward to your next entry and inspirations to do something with bad ass locations such as this. Road trip!

Congrats on entering the fest shawn!

Justin dude... :-)

Btw, the language is Latin.

[Aaron Marshall]

This film was gorgeous. The woman in it... whoa! Smoking!

I'm not sure if they would have had mascara back then. Her eyelashes were a tad ridiculous. She had a case of tarantula eyes going on. Maybe it's Maybelline. Maybe not, lift and separate.

The music, Jesus Herman, outstanding job! I was moved.

The locations you picked to shoot were stunning. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Justin, if you road trip it up, pick me up. I'm on the way.

[Maximus]

I find it amazing and quite illuminating that despite the high production values of your film; epic vistas, period costumes, great score, fine actors, the almighty RED, etc... , the most discussed element in this thread is a young lady's eyelashes! I believe there is a valuable lesson to be learned here.

As Shawn has made clear earlier in the thread, the actress was not wearing mascara, and very little if any makeup. Her beauty is all natural, including those dazzling, and distracting eyelashes.

Shawn, as a director, do you regret having chosen that particular angle given the unwanted attention it draws?

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Shawn, as a director, do you regret having chosen that particular angle given the unwanted attention it draws?

No, I don't feel that the comments about her eyelashes are valid. She might have been wearing a small amount of mascara (I'd have to go back to my makeup artist and ask) but it was both a small amount and she was for sure not wearing fake eyelashes (what people were accusing her of).

I love that angle because it shows the strength of her performance. I too noticed her eyes in the edit room but it was more 'holy crap, you can get lost in those eyes'. :-)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I think the eyelash thing has been blown WAY out of proportion. Sadly, I was one of the first to mention it. :(

She is definitely wearing mascara (you can see it) but the eyelashes are real. Not really a big deal and it did not alter my rating of Aetas.
Hopefully nobody else slighted it over such a small detail either.

Cheers,

Mike

[Mark Johnson]

I am a huge fan of that shot and I love the look of both her eyes and eyelashes. I think she's gorgeous and especially in that shot.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I think she's gorgeous and especially in that shot.Definitely!
:love4:








Don't tell my wife....

[Aaron Marshall]

The actress was a gorgeous woman, there's no doubt about that. She and Magda Ritz from Similo are the two most beautiful women I've seen in these fests. Hands down.

I think because of the high production value of this piece it makes every little thing more apparent.

I didn't read through any earlier posts in this thread. As a general rule, I don't. I feel disappointed from reading Maximus' post that everyone seems to keep mentioning the lashes. It's not that big of a deal. The fact that people do keep mentioning it -- in isolated cases -- makes it valid.

I loved the silver mask and the latin they were speaking. I could not believe this was shot in Oregon?! I still don't believe it. Great job!

[nitramlehcar]

This was by far my favorite entry. I loved every minute of it. I think if the worst criticism you get is for anachronistic eyelashes, that says a lot about the overall product. Amazing job.

[AJ Brooks]

...the most discussed element in this thread is a young lady's eyelashes! I believe there is a valuable lesson to be learned here.

I agree there is a lesson here...

It reminds me of the story of the french sculptor Rodin when he was making the Honore de Balzac statue...he brought in a pupil to look at the finished work and the pupil said "What cool hands!" (in french of course ;) )

He then ushered that student away and brought in someone else. They had the same response..."Nifty hands!"

After getting the same reply a few more times, he was infuriated. He grabbed an ax and hacked off the hands.

He then yelled at his students to remember that no one part is greater than the whole. (in french and there might have been some swearing in there)

So I guess that might be the lesson...

Or maybe ppl are obsessed with eyelashes and need to move on. :)

[ConspiracyPenguin]

I am going to be honest I had not noticed that there was sich bitter controversy over what is essentially a trivial fact. The film was fantastic, the eyelashes don't matter unless they are ten times the size of the girls face, which they weren't. Let's move on and not nit pick like this. I agree with AJ above. [/EYELASHES]

[Norm Sanders]

Hey Shawn, Ken, and team. First, Shawn, thanks for bringing to my attention that the fest was in play ... otherwise I might have missed this altogether! I just watched your film and really enjoyed it.

I'll start with the things I loved. I loved the story, or the idea here of love, and the timeless nature of it. One man going to the ends of the earth for his one true love. Awesome.

I LOVED the cinematography, but mostly only on the CU's. On the CU's the framing and look of the talent was just incredible. Some of it was lost to me, however, on the wide shots, and most noticeably the salt flats. While it's an incredible place visually, for some reason it just didn't flow with the rest of the film for me. That said, the time elapsed shot of the clouds there was another stunning moment.

Another nit pick would be with regards to the costume, or more specifically the huge clunking boots the guy was wearing ... just stood out like a sore thumb to me, almost like they were the size of Darth Vader's boots, popping out from beneath that cloak ... I'm talking specifically about at the beginning when the cloaked figure is walking across the salt flats.

Talent was great ... I really REALLY dug their performances. Great job on selection & working with the cast. Also, LOVED the foreign language you had going on here. Music was awesome as well, really adding to the overall feel of the film.

Highest rated film I've given so far. Again, nice job.

[Yo Daddio]

Great job Shawn and Ken! I heard about this project and was so looking forward to the finished result. I loved everything about it - from the acting with great emotion and in Latin to boot, the cinematography, the "deep" story, the sundial, and the creative use of Latin). Keep it up and best of luck in the judging!

[Susanne G.]

Congratulations to the Aetas crew and best wishes for the 11. July.

Susanne & Jason

[Simon Höfer]

You made it! Well deserved :) Congratulations!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Congratulations! Bets of luck in the next round.

[Zak Forsman]

you made it!

[Yo Daddio]

Congratulations Aetas and the whole crew. Top 8 the first time out, well done. Best of luck in LA.

[Mark Johnson]

Congrats Shawn and Ken!!! I was sure you'd be in the finals and am so glad you are coming down next week!

[Mark Harris]

congrats guys!

[conrad_johnson]

I wish you the best of luck and the longest of eyelashes in the next round of voting!

-Joe

[jeremytuttle]

Congrats guys on making the top 8! Well deserved.

[Horncastle]

Congratulations on making it to the last 8 and best of luck on the 11th.

Jason

[Blaine]

Congrats on getting into the top 8, guys...:thumbup:

[Zoidoid]

Congratulations on Aetas making the top 8! I'm personally hoping for a 6:30 minute version with 28 additional seconds of metal-mask-man being awesome and mysterious.

[majikfraug]

Can't wait to see more of this one! Congrats!

[Slimothy]

Good job dudes. Can't wait to meet everyone at the party.

[pia12254]

I wish you the best of luck and the longest of eyelashes in the next round of voting!

:grin:

As I said before...I liked the eyelashes! Glad it didn't keep you from making the Top 8! :thumbsup:

Congrats fellas! I'm glad your hard work and dedication has been recognized. In fact, after all you guys went through to get this made (hiking through rising tides, a dude in a heavy cloak carrying a flaming torch, driving into the remote desert...) maybe you should have called your film "Survival"! ;-)

All the best!

Daniel

[Edgen]

Congratulations fellas! You guys walked right to the top 8! ;)

Looking forward to hearing Herman's music on something other than my headphones. And of course the big eyelashes on the big screen!

[Ben Sliker]

way to rock the RED into the top 8 first time out! congrats! :thumbsup:

[pauly_the_hitman]

Congrats on making it to the top 8. Your film was one of my favorites visually speaking. Hope to see you in LA.
-Pauly

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Thanks to everyone for the kudos and a massive thank you to everyone who ranked us high and got us where we are. I am humbled and thankful that Aetas got to you!

For the LA screening (which I am thankfully flying down for) I just got done re-grading the whole thing. In color I altered the primary in for just about every shot to crank the contrast and added new secondaries to about four shots, it should really pop now! We're also fixing a few minor technical issues that a few people noticed. There's not enough time for a longer cut but I'm in talks with Herman about doing an 8 min cut for festivals!

[Blaine]

For the LA screening (which I am thankfully flying down for) I just got done re-grading the whole thing. In color I altered the primary in for just about every shot to crank the contrast and added new secondaries to about four shots, it should really pop now!Great news! I'm really looking forward to seeing your re-graded flick. :thumbsup:

[conlanforever]

Visually stunning, great soundtrack, I thought the actors were believable.
I just would have liked a little more from the story. A bit more conflict , the ending felt a little anti-climactic.
I liked the Latin, it really added to the atmosphere.

Overall it was a great job and I enjoyed watching it.

[Matt Sconce]

Thanks to everyone for the kudos and a massive thank you to everyone who ranked us high and got us where we are. I am humbled and thankful that Aetas got to you!

For the LA screening (which I am thankfully flying down for) I just got done re-grading the whole thing. In color I altered the primary in for just about every shot to crank the contrast and added new secondaries to about four shots, it should really pop now! We're also fixing a few minor technical issues that a few people noticed. There's not enough time for a longer cut but I'm in talks with Herman about doing an 8 min cut for festivals!

Man I wish I could be there! That will be Sweet!

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Its come to my attention that Victoria, my awesome actress, has read the entirety of this thread and noticed that people talked more about her eyelashes than her acting (for good or bad).

So I'm not fishing for compliments, but if anyone had any concise things to say about Hunter or Victoria's acting they wouldn't mind hearing. For those that already commented, thank you!

Personally, I was extremely amazed. To my chagrin, I learned they are both moving to LA later this summer to pursue acting there. D'oh! Directing them was pure pleasure since Hunter and Victoria have studied Meisner for years, they took it seriously and even attacked the Latin well. Now i need to raise money just to fly them back to be in my future movies :-).

[Noel Evans]

Congrats on the top8. I would love to see the new version.

[EP2005]

Here's my honest opinion of everything...

Visually, there's a lot of shots that i love that felt like you captured the moment or feeling perfectly, which is basically everything handheld. There's a couple shots i didn't like, just because they were too steady for me, as i dont like tripod shots, and felt like a handheld or crane/dolly shot would have been better. But this shows the power of the RED and the amazing images it can produce.

Storywise, i thought it started off strong, and by the end, i could tell you had a lot you wanted to say, but not enough time to tell it. The journey to find the key could have shown more of a struggle, or introduced some sort of conflict. Overall I felt like i needed more in the middle to really feel the impact at the end. I love a good medieval tale, and i think if you had an extra 5-10 minutes, you'd have a solid story.

and the acting was very well done. I loved the beginning and the lines were delivered well. I think the actress could have used a tear or two on her face, and the actor could have had some more anger in him, but they both delivered the lines perfect. It also helps that she's beautiful, and he looks like a Lancealot lol.

Overall a very pleasing short that needs 10 more minutes of story to be truly epic :)

[moonlitnite]

Hi Shawn and gang,

Thanks for presenting your unique movie - definitely rings of a big story, epic cinema and your excellent camera visuals steal the show. Since the actors lines were brief based on the minimalist story (others may disagree), it's challenging for us to give stronger feedback to critique the actors. For sure, they certainly gave strong performances within the confines of the script.

Cudos to you and your team for making it to the big league - well deserved. My only suggestion would be to brush up the storyline/script with a few non-linear events and varied pacing and more antagonist interventions; even within the confines of your existing footage, a few flashbacks and editing tweaks would add interesting treats to the audience.

Again, great job - awesome cinema!

Michael

[Cedric Akins]

I have watched this one five times. Great story and visuals. The acting was great as well.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I have watched this one five times. Great story and visuals. The acting was great as well.

Wow! That is very cool, I appreciate that. I am very glad to hear you enjoyed it enough to watch it 5 times :-)

[Zak Forsman]

cool meeting you tonight shawn.

[Matt Sconce]

Hey Shawn, just wanted to drop by and say congrats again for this amazing film! It was definitely in my top three, and I wanted you to know that.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

If anyone still cares, I thought I'd put up one last batch of BTS shots. These are pics that I didnt want to be seen unless people had first watched Aetas.

http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_beach3.jpg
http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_beach4.jpg
http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_woods3.jpg
http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_woods4.jpg
http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_woods5.jpg
http://www.brainspasm.com/red/Aetas/new_woods6.jpg

[GageFX]

LOL. What is that look on your face in the last shot?

BTW, showed Uetus to my fight guy: he LOVED it. I tried to convince him that it made no sense, but he wasnt buying it. He completely got it AND explained it to me. Now I understand too. http://www.buddy-icons.info/content/smileys/yahoo_beatup.gif


Cool BTS. Thanks for sharing.

And your girl does look good there. Although I do prefer my girls with not so much eye makeup. http://www.buddy-icons.info/content/smileys/yahoo_beatup.gif

[Tom Marshall]

And Brian explained it to me and I get it now too...

For what it's worth, I really liked it. I'm an actor, so I get into the character stuff, which is what I told Brian.

When I'm a really famous actor (:cheesy:), I'm going to have to get other people to read scripts for me to tell me if they're any good or not because all I seem to be able to do is focus on the characters and the interactions between them and how one feeds off the other. That's my thing and that's also why I'm not a writer. Point being, I thought the characters in Aetas did a great job of interacting with each other and that stems for great direction...

[GageFX]

Tom.... you got some brown stuff on your nose.

[Tom Marshall]

Thanks. I thought I got it all.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

You guys didn't get it the first time? Hm...I guess everyone can't pick out the metaphores like I can. :D

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

You guys didn't get it the first time? Hm...I guess everyone can't pick out the metaphores like I can. :D

Clearly a lot of DVXUsers didnt get it... :-/

[Mark Johnson]

You guys didn't get it the first time? Hm...I guess everyone can't pick out the metaphores like I can. :D

Penguin... As a writer, you better start using a spellchecker or I'm going to come up there...

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Penguin... As a writer, you better start using a spellchecker or I'm going to come up there...
Mark, you know you're welcome up here anytime. I am sorry, I am using an unfamiliar laptop and the keys are different than those at home so it is easier to make errors. On the home computer I have a spell checker but I am still trying to get into the habbit of using it. :D I type it out really fast and then just hit submit.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Anyone have any suggestions of festivals they'd recommend we submit Aetas to?

[CherryTime]

I Submit, Earthlings

[Blaine]

Anyone have any suggestions of festivals they'd recommend we submit Aetas to?I recommend the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Film-Festival-Survival-Guide/dp/1580650570/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217355193&sr=1-1) by Chris Gore. It's a great resource on festival entry strategy AND the festivals themselves.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Got our first film festival rejection, from Bend Film no less! Those f1cking f1ckers, I hope I never submit to them again.

[Norm Sanders]

Oh, you're not alone, Shawn. BERLIN was just rejected from them as well. They'd better have some INCREDIBLE films there. I'm tempted to travel there for the fest with a buddy of mine anyway, just to see the quality of shorts, but not sure.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Wtf? Berlin too?? Sheesh, I can be dang sure that Aetas and Berlin are better than at least half what they will screen. What's up with that? On top of that, no love for Oregon films I guess.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Got our second film fest rejection, from the NW FIlm and Video fest, I f1cking hate them.

[Matt Harris]

Got our second film fest rejection, from the NW FIlm and Video fest, I f1cking hate them.

Aetas (and Berlin) are solid shorts, you just have to retain confidence, know how good your product is, and shrug it off.

I can't tell you how many times i have composed music or painted something that got rejected by one critic only to be praised by another. It's impossible to forsee so just... don't take it personal.

[Zak Forsman]

i managed to get into Bend with IFHY. in fact, we screened tonight which explains why i'm searching the boards for this festival. anyway, the cool thing about getting in is you get all the contact info for the people who run the fests. next year, i'll definitely be trying to circumvent the typical submission route. shawn, if you want to give it a second go next year, i can pass that info along. it definitely helps to make a personal connection with someone on the inside.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Zak, I'd really appreciate that, either PM or email me nelsonentertainment@NOSPAMyahoo.com

[Zak Forsman]

PM sent.

[NOMADIC]

if it makes you feel better, I was at Cannes this past year, and while there were some killer films, there was A TON of really really really crappy films.... really crappy.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

if it makes you feel better, I was at Cannes this past year, and while there were some killer films, there was A TON of really really really crappy films.... really crappy.

I'm becoming VERY disillusioned with the whole film festival thing. Can you explain how they were crappy?

[Zak Forsman]

also know that its so competitive out there that even the films that do well, the ones you read and hear about, are getting rejected from more than half the fests they submit to.

[ChrisHurn]

I'm a little late coming in with this. I only just saw the film. Watched it through a few times. Very well shot, wow! Great locations, I loved the foreign (latin?) dialogue. Great. The masked guy gave a "Pans labyrinth" vibe - which was cool, I loved that film. The acting was great, this was a very well put together short. Great score, very very nice work.

Please let me know how this goes with other film festivals...I can't believe it didn't get into the festivals you mentioned, this is a really quality short, makes me wonder what would possibly get in! Ahh!

Chris

[Mark Harris]

I second Zak's statement. Don't sweat it. Most films go through a lot of rejections. I just got a rejection this week.

My friend colin is a short story writer. He's up to rejection #50. In fact, he's planning a rejection party to celebrate hitting 50. :)

Also, I'm sure this is not always the case, but from what Ive seen a lot of times at festivals is that production value often means nothing to them. So I don't think it's ever worth wondering what was so much better produced than yours.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Also, I'm sure this is not always the case, but from what Ive seen a lot of times at festivals is that production value often means nothing to them.
Does that mean I have a shot!? :grin:
I've yet to enter any of my films into Festivals, not counting DVXuser. I should probably give it a try.


I wouldn't sweat it though, keep trying! You'll get into a few for sure. :thumbup:

Cheers,

Mike

[Mark Harris]

Does that mean I have a shot!? :grin:
I've yet to enter any of my films into Festivals, not counting DVXuser. I should probably give it a try.


I wouldn't sweat it though, keep trying! You'll get into a few for sure. :thumbup:

Cheers,

Mike

I just mean I think many fests will choose something that speaks to their sensibilities before they will pick something that is shot well.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I know, I was just messing with you. :)

[sean90291]

The reason why you see some really crappy films at some really good fests is because of PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. Film fests get so many submissions, and they have years worth of personal favours to repay. So they fill up 80% of their programming with the films from filmmakers they know personally or have some other obligation to support. Which leaves VERY little room left for the "completely unknown" films that might deserve to be programmed. I hate that part of the process...but then I put myself in their shoes. If I was running a festival, wouldn't I also give special consideration to the filmmakers I've come to admire and know personally?

That said, I'm all for keeping a "list" of the people who rejected you, so when you're rich and famous you remember who they were. ;-)

[Mark Harris]

The reason why you see some really crappy films at some really good fests is because of PERSONAL CONNECTIONS. Film fests get so many submissions, and they have years worth of personal favours to repay. So they fill up 80% of their programming with the films from filmmakers they know personally or have some other obligation to support. Which leaves VERY little room left for the "completely unknown" films that might deserve to be programmed. I hate that part of the process...but then I put myself in their shoes. If I was running a festival, wouldn't I also give special consideration to the filmmakers I've come to admire and know personally?

That said, I'm all for keeping a "list" of the people who rejected you, so when you're rich and famous you remember who they were. ;-)

I am definitely a fan of the shit-list. :)

[Mark Harris]

What I keep wondering is if the growing means of web distribution is going to kill most fests out there. Seems like there are a million fests now that you've never heard of, and it's hard to imagine the benefit of going to most of them anyway, if you could reach many many more people over the web.

[sean90291]

I totally agree, Mark. The fests were originally a means for unsold films to get seen and find an audience. And especially with short films, the biggest reason to get them into a fest was simply to get new filmmakers seen (shorts were never really "sold" anyhow). So now filmmakers don't need fests to get sold (they can self-distribute with the advent of DVD/Blu-Ray and the Internet)--remember than 15 years ago, you needed a theatre to exhibit you and 35mm print (unless you were happy enough with VHS!). And shorts, well, we know that a good short can get seen by a million people online. No fest in the wordl could offer a filmmaker's short that kind of audience. Even if your short is seen by more than 500 people, you're probably doing better than any fest, as far as exposure.

[sean90291]

Oh, and I will say that one thing big fests do offer is the pedigree--you know you can put on your resume or on the DVD cover that your short was at Cannes. But I think in the not so distant future, there will be the equivalent honors from online exhibition. I mean, there's no reason that Sundance or Cannes or some new, respected programming committee can't give you a special award or recognition for an online screening. It's about being selected, not where or how it was exhibited that carries any weight.

(And I'm not saying that going to a great fest still isn't worth it--big screens with big audiences is fun--but I think the importance of a fest for reaching audiences and establishing a career is waning.)

[Norm Sanders]

Just caught up on this ... sorry for the frustrations, Shawn. Berlin ended up being rejected by about 50% of the fests it went to ... then ones it DID get in, it was very well rec'd, but others it just couldn't even get in the front door.

I'm buried at the moment, but plan to look at the Without A Box site again in the next month or so, to see what else I may want to do some rounds in. One thing I HAVE learned, is that I'm going to do early bird special, or nothing. No sense in paying premium dollars because I didn't get it in earlier ... not for a short, anyway.

[Inoran]

where can i watch this!?

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

I'm a little late coming in with this. I only just saw the film. Watched it through a few times. Very well shot, wow! Great locations, I loved the foreign (latin?) dialogue. Great. The masked guy gave a "Pans labyrinth" vibe - which was cool, I loved that film. The acting was great, this was a very well put together short. Great score, very very nice work.

Please let me know how this goes with other film festivals...I can't believe it didn't get into the festivals you mentioned, this is a really quality short, makes me wonder what would possibly get in! Ahh!

Chris

Thanks Chris, I really appreciate you taking the time to chime in!