"Forgotten" - A film by Gabriel Florit

[gabrielflorit]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/11022/1225205486.jpg



CAST
Sam ............................ Vanya Marinkovic
Bill .............................. Kevin T. Bennett
Pharmacist .................. Ron Holmstrom
Bar Patron ................... Gabriel Florit

CREW
Director / Executive Producer ........... Gabriel Florit
Writer ............................................. Matias Caruso
Producer / 1st AD ............................ Mike R. Foster
Production Designer ......................... Clifton Chandler
Score .............................................. Ismael Florit
Boom Operator ................................ Joe Boland
Grip ................................................. Scott Pugh
Makeup ........................................... Tess Weaver
Visual Effects ................................... Kris Swanson
Catering .......................................... Linda Laasch
Catering .......................................... Ryan M
Still Photography ............................. Brian Adams
Poster Design .................................. Dale Bryant
Production Assistant ........................ Jannell Brisson
Production Assistant ........................ John Carlson

STILLS
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2903464115_467a1d2c8d.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2903464101_810f98dc45.jpg


BTS courtesy of Brian Adams

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/2902743219_1dc618785d_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianadams/2902743219/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/2902735167_d51a6b2066_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianadams/2902735167/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2902735163_7fbf118514_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianadams/2902735163/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2902735159_2d4a2c423e_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianadams/2902735159/)

[gabrielflorit]

Props:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2816585351_8643e017d1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielflorit/2816585351/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/2816580983_a60e8e7834.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielflorit/2816580983/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2816579459_6e7dff53fc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielflorit/2816579459/)

Building a set in my friend's yard. Should be fun.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2817433912_2644459203.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielflorit/2817433912/)

[gabrielflorit]

Production journal
(more for my sake than anything else - I bet this will be boring boring boring)

July
18th: Read about a million scripts.
19th: Read another million scripts. One definitely stands out.
20th: Getting excited about this particular script. Contacted the writer, had very insightful conversations about the story.
21st: I'm liking this script more and more. Being in Alaska might not be a bad thing after all - we do have great locations.
22nd: Discussed script with Mike and Kris - we're not quite ready to commit yet. Fleshed out the production schedule. Due in 13 weeks! I'm scared. Script finalization deadline is the 30th.
23rd: More back and forth with the writer. This guy really knows his screenwriting. MoviePoet is such a fabulous resource! Thank you Chris M.!
August
27th: Have a script. Should have finished it much sooner.
30th: Website updated. Found a key prop. Still looking for locations.

[chapelgrovefilms]

Gabriel, you PM'd me asking to read the script for 'North of Hell'. I need your email address in order to send it to you.

David

.

[Simon Höfer]

Welcome to the fest! *poster* *poster* :D

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Cool! Keep us posted.

[ZFarms Productions]

best of luck to you!

[pauly_the_hitman]

Good Luck.
Pauly

[Tom Shortridge]

hey, just wondering if you'd already found your script.

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks people! I need to put up a production journal, to remind me I'm really doing this.

Tom, emailed you back.

[Norm Sanders]

Checking in so I can keep abreast of your film updates. Looking forward to it!

[ismaelflorit]

some storyboards and 00:00:00 to follow :thumbsup: .

[gabrielflorit]

Finally: I got a script! Today we setup a website and start the audition process.

[gabrielflorit]

Website updated. We posted an ad on craigslist last week - got a decent number of replies. Who knows what talent Anchorage holds! Maybe with Palin being picked as the VP now everyone will move up to AK from Los Angeles. We do call this place "Los Anchorage" after all....

Anyhow. I got an art director - he's a great guy, very meticulous. Tomorrow we get together for prop-hunting. I also need to: put up casting fliers all over town, and create a 2 second logo for my newly setup production company. Oh yes, and contact location scouts to see about renting a ... location.

[gabrielflorit]

Phew! This weekend has been busy busy busy. Set up a website, got another craiglist ad going, put up flyers everywhere, started receiving headshots/resumes, started calling about renting an audition venue (I think Out North, one of the local theaters in town, is going to give me a discounted rate - I was part of their Rocky Horror Show last year), I might have found a great bar to shoot in - BEFORE THEY OPEN, which is fantabulous.

What else... Oh yes of course, I'm building a set. I'm BUILDING A SET! How cool is that. I found a great guy, Cliff Chandler, he's a local artist and we'll be building a set right on his yard.

I hope I have enough time for everything. Good thing my girlfriend just moved to Boston. It wouldn't be fair to her, to not see her until Oct. 27...

How in the world do you married people do this????

[Chris Messineo]

Thanks for the shout out up above.

I'm so glad you found a script through MoviePoet and that script you found is awesome. I can't wait to see the finished film.

[gabrielflorit]

Well, thank you for advertising MP! I would have never found it otherwise. It's a great resource.

[gabrielflorit]

Updated production shots.

[gabrielflorit]

Found a great location for the bar scene, Club Paris in downtown Anchorage.

[gabrielflorit]

Auditions start this week - I'm so excited. We're no longer building a set, since we found the real deal - a very sweet location. I hope everything comes together - we only have one chance. Clif and I will be really busy in the next couple days, finding everything we need to dress the set.

[Simon Höfer]

Sounds great! Seems like it's coming together nicely! :) Wish you the best!

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks! This is so much fun.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice prop pics!

Glad you're having fun.

Cheers,

Mike

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks Mike! Yes, this is so much fun - but it really has taken over my life. I don't have time to do anything else. Oh well, at least I'm enjoying every moment. Plus I've been incredibly blessed to have found really talented people - my production designer is a great guy, he's doing the storyboards, costumes, set dressing, everything. Amazing guy! Today we sat at the one B&N in Anchorage, I told him what I wanted, and he drew the shot. What talent!

I smile when I think I'm MAKING A FILM!!!!!!!

[gabrielflorit]

Had the first audition session tonight. That was fun! Mike, my 1st AD, is such a great guy. He knows what he's doing - he's been in auditions a million times. Well, at least a dozen.

I'm pretty sure I got all three roles. 100% about the bartender (Bill) - I'm so glad to have Kevin on board, he's got such a movie star look. Tomorrow we audition the rest, and maybe some more on Saturday. Shooting starts next Sunday!

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats! Keep it going man! So are we going to see some headshots soon?

[ZazaCast]

Looks like it's all falling in place (no pun intended Simon). Keep pushing, I'll be watching.
...and please, lets see some of the cast & crew.

[gabrielflorit]

Yes, I really want to put up a headshot of Kevin. Maybe I'll do a still from the audition. Tonight I audition a couple more people, then either today or tomorrow I have a meeting with the modeling agency in town, supposedly there's a couple models with acting skills. We'll see.

[gabrielflorit]

My first day of shooting (ever!) starts in less than 7 hours!!!! I am so excited!

And so nervous.

[Simon Höfer]

Haha, don't you love that feeling? :D

Good luck on the shoot!

[AmyO]

How did filming go the other day? Any more shoots scheduled?

[gabrielflorit]

BTS added on first post.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Wicked BTS! I love the look that you seem to be creating.
Very nice. I'll be watching for this one.

Can we get some actual grabs? :)

Cheers,

Mike

[Mike Manning]

Damn that's some good looking BTS! I thought they were screen grabs at first!

[gabrielflorit]

Wicked BTS! I love the look that you seem to be creating.
Very nice. I'll be watching for this one.

Can we get some actual grabs? :)

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks! I'll see about getting grabs... I have no clue how to capture a still in FCP, I have to open the .mov up in QT. Any ideas?


Damn that's some good looking BTS! I thought they were screen grabs at first!

Thanks, but no way that could be a screen grab - Brian Adams, the photog, shot film on a Leica. You can see the film grain. The EX1 is a great camera... but it doesn't get that grain...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thanks! I'll see about getting grabs... I have no clue how to capture a still in FCP, I have to open the .mov up in QT. Any ideas?

In CS3 I just go File > Export > Frame.

See if there is some sort of frame export in FCP. I'm sure there is. It exports whatever frame you are looking at.

Looking forward to it.

Cheers,

Mike

[ZazaCast]

Gabriel, Really great looking BTS shots! I love the look and feel. This is sure to be a must-see for me.

[gabrielflorit]

Gabriel, Really great looking BTS shots! I love the look and feel. This is sure to be a must-see for me.

Thanks!!! I can't wait to be done with shooting so I can start editing in earnest!

[Matias Caruso]

Those BTS shots look awesome, Gabriel. Thanks for sharing. :beer:

[gabrielflorit]

Those BTS shots look awesome, Gabriel. Thanks for sharing. :beer:

Thanks Matias! I'm excited about this one. I love the script - should be a good story. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thanks Matias! I'm excited about this one. I love the script - should be a good story. :)Most important part as far as I am concerned. Best of luck.

[alex whitmer]

Those BTS are really great teaser morsels. Love the props as well. Has a nice period feel overall.

aw

[gabrielflorit]

Updated first post with actual grabs. No color correction yet - I need to go through my newly arrived The Art Of Color Correction book.

[Maximus]

Looks great! :beer:

[Simon Höfer]

Yep, looking good! :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2903464101_810f98dc45.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielflorit/2903464101/)


I'm assuming this shot will be adjusted somehow? Due to the huge light.

Grabs look awesome! Very nice.

[Susanne G.]

Hi Gabriel,

very good looking grabs. I especialy like your props - this tea box is lovely with its old charme. Do you also shoot outside in the snow? This snow photos give me the idea of a really interesting atmosphere. :thumbup:

Good luck.

Susanne

[AmyO]

Amazing grabs. That wide shot is so rich and textured. And great BTS. I grew up in Minnesota, and every now and then I miss snow. Your exterior pics make me a bit nostalgic. . .

[Mike Manning]

Great lighting in those grabs! I dunno how you do the acting AND directing thing... I can't handle it... enough stress as it is.. can't wait to see it!

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks everyone! I'm very excited. I hope I can do a good job with the edit.


I'm assuming this shot will be adjusted somehow? Due to the huge light.

You mean bring down the light on the right side of the frame? What do you think? Should I do that?


Do you also shoot outside in the snow? This snow photos give me the idea of a really interesting atmosphere.

Yep, we shot in the snow - it was cold! That was two weeks ago. We had to hike for 45 minutes. In the snow.


Great lighting in those grabs! I dunno how you do the acting AND directing thing... I can't handle it... enough stress as it is.. can't wait to see it!

Needless to say my acting sucks. My 1st AD, Mike (really more like my right-hand man) directed the hell out of me. Couldn't do it without him.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

You mean bring down the light on the right side of the frame? What do you think? Should I do that?


No. I meant the huge lighting device in the top right corner. Or is that part of the bar setup? It just kind of stands out. Not sure what that thing is actually??

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2903464101_810f98dc45.jpg

[gabrielflorit]

No. I meant the huge lighting device in the top right corner. Or is that part of the bar setup? It just kind of stands out. Not sure what that thing is actually??

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2903464101_810f98dc45.jpg

Ah, I see. Yes, it's part of the bar. The place is decorated like it would be the outside of a street in Paris - very interesting. I wonder - I like it in the frame, but you're right, it's so huge, it's more of a focal point, which is bad. Maybe I should bring it down quite a bit.

You might be onto something there.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Ah, I see. Yes, it's part of the bar. The place is decorated like it would be the outside of a street in Paris - very interesting. I wonder - I like it in the frame, but you're right, it's so huge, it's more of a focal point, which is bad. Maybe I should bring it down quite a bit.

You might be onto something there.
I love the shot! I just have very basic lighting gear and I thought it was some sort of very expensive lighting system.

Nobody else mentioned it. I would probably leave it. Besides, once the dialogue starts all eyes will be on the actors.

:beer:

[Mike Manning]

It does look like a fat chimera...
http://www.chimeralighting.com/common/images/hppict.jpg
I think as long as you can establish in other shots what it is in relation to the rest of the bar's decor, it'll be fine.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

It does look like a fat chimera...

That's exactly what I was thinking of. :thumbup:

[ismaelflorit]

It does look like a fat chimera...

I think as long as you can establish in other shots what it is in relation to the rest of the bar's decor, it'll be fine.


I agree, I looked over to my gf and said "Holy shit look he has amazing gear".

Now I can see how it could be like a Parisian light thing, old school lamp post thing as long as it's in context I don't think I would notice it tho. :furious3: I ain't flaming tho, the pictures looking amazing.

[MOVIE MASTER]

CRAZY GRAbs!

[Anthony Pierce]

BTS look fantastic. Great locations. Can’t wait to see your film Gabriel.

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks Anthony! The BTS shots were done by Brian Adams, probably the best photog in Alaska. He's got stuff published in Newsweek, Time, The Guardian (UK), etc. Yeah, he's good.

[gabrielflorit]

Just finished a rough edit of two scenes. It clocks in at 5:01. There's 4 more scenes.

Oops.

[Simon Höfer]

I know you can do it! :D

[Tim Joy]

Just finished a rough edit of two scenes. It clocks in at 5:01. There's 4 more scenes.

Oops.

:huh: It's time for the BIG axe. This is what I do-- Pretend I'm some big hollywood star director while I watch it and say, "cut That out, and THAT, and those five shots"....etc. Then, surely, all your babies will be cut to death, yeah, those REALLY awesome shots that you've always had in mind and were really fun and cool to shoot and took all day.... but they don't add anything to the story. GONE.

Then I cry :crybaby:, suck up the tears, and move on.

Good luck! Can't wait to see it.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Wow! Love the locations, this is looking great!

[gabrielflorit]

...those REALLY awesome shots that you've always had in mind and were really fun and cool to shoot and took all day.... but they don't add anything to the story. GONE.

Then I cry :crybaby:, suck up the tears, and move on.

Yes, I know what you mean. I think that's going to happen. But the light was so great on that shot! True, but it doesn't push the story forward. You're right. Gone.


Wow! Love the locations, this is looking great!

Thanks! I loved Aetas' locations, very epic.

[Simon Höfer]

:huh: It's time for the BIG axe. This is what I do-- Pretend I'm some big hollywood star director while I watch it and say, "cut That out, and THAT, and those five shots"....etc. Then, surely, all your babies will be cut to death, yeah, those REALLY awesome shots that you've always had in mind and were really fun and cool to shoot and took all day.... but they don't add anything to the story. GONE.

Then I cry :crybaby:, suck up the tears, and move on.

Good luck! Can't wait to see it.

Did I hear AXE? :D

[gabrielflorit]

I just realized something.

I MADE A POOPOOING MOVIE!!!!!! I MADE A FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Simon Höfer]

Haha! Congrats man! Feels great, doesn't it? :beer:

I'm not yet there though :D

[ZazaCast]

I just realized something.

I MADE A POOPOOING MOVIE!!!!!! I MADE A FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes you did...and I'm looking forward to seeing it! Congrats.:beer:

[clarkage]

Yeah great job man! Locations, BTS, all of it! Looks really good! There;s nothing more gratifying than actually FINISHING one of these suckers on time ;)

[Robbie Comeau]

What camera did you shoot this on Gabriel?

Robbie

[gabrielflorit]

What camera did you shoot this on Gabriel?

Robbie

RED Epic.

[jojopop]

Looks impressive. Best of luck!

[gabrielflorit]

Done.

My first film ever.

This is a really really really special day for me.

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats Gabriel! Looking forward to your entry :)

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks Simon! Likewise!

Arg. Compressor's estimate of 48MB was way off. My file came in at 57MB!!!! This time I'm going for a 42.47MB file, hopefully it comes in under 50MB.

[gabrielflorit]

Seems like I might hit a wall soon. I guess that's what happens when you edit non-stop for... let me count, oh I'm too tired to figure it out. Since Saturday noon. It's Monday. I want sleep!

But first things first. Compressor. Then Upload. Then Sleep.

[Rodney V. Smith]

No more sleeping! You made a great looking movie and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Now time for uploading right?

[gabrielflorit]

Compressor is doing its thing. Thanks for the kind words! I'd reserve praise until you watch it. Who knows, it might totally suck.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Bah! So just means the next one will be better, whether or not it sucks. You made a movie and that's worth a lot, just the entire experience. Relax: I'm sure it will be a good ride.

Now to see it projected on a 10ft screen....

[gabrielflorit]

Yeah. Can you imagine!? I did shoot in HD, so I could... find a benefactor and have him fund the 35mm transfer. Hmmmm.

[Rodney V. Smith]

oh not at all... we're projecting all of the films in a friend's screening room, so it will be a cool theater experience. Now gotta find the popcorn. Works pretty good for most of the films.

[gabrielflorit]

UPLOADING! Compressor gave me a 48.9MB file. I'm happy.

[MrKilloran]

Looks fantastic, I cant wait to see it, good luck.

[Danielleus]

Hey, thanks for stopping by our thread.

The BTS stuff makes me incredibly curious about this one. The props are also intriguing. Looks good, looks good. Congrats on getting uploaded. Can't wait to watch.

[Tim Joy]

Really looking forward to seeing this after following your progress all along.

[hoz]

Really looking forward to seeing this after following your progress all along.


me too!

[Matias Caruso]

Congrats, Gabriel. Can't wait to watch it. :thumbup:

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks everyone! Yes, I'm very excited to read the reviews. Be honest, people! Don't be nice! Be brutally honest!

[gabrielflorit]

Added poster and updated cast / credits.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice poster! This one is looking really good. Good luck!

PS- The banner is awesome!

Mike

[gabrielflorit]

Nice poster! This one is looking really good. Good luck!

PS- The banner is awesome!

Mike

Thank you! deedive did the poster and banner work. You should make sure to check out his (rather recent) thread for Hello, Hello. (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=151377)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thank you! deedive did the poster and banner work. You should make sure to check out his (rather recent) thread for Hello, Hello. (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=151377)
Already posted in it yesterday. :)

I love his work and am looking forward to it. It will be in my top 5 to view right off the bat.

[Edgen]

just wanted to stop in and say i'm anxious to watch your film. I've been following the thread for a while now. Those BTS photos rock! Imagine if you had that kind of lens on your film camera ;)

Good luck!
/j

[gabrielflorit]

Those BTS photos rock! Imagine if you had that kind of lens on your film camera ;)

No kidding. I think Brian has a Zeiss lens on that Leica. I want.

[Darkline]

grabs look good. I love isolated snowy settings, reminds me of the shining. (which is good!)

[Danielleus]

Poster's new, right? Newish? I don't think I've seen it before. But it's a beauty. Can't wait for this one. Lookin' good.

[Inexistence]

Nice bts shots and poster! Makes me want to light my scenes for the next fest!

[Mike Manning]

Bro, I don't know how I missed your grabs... but I just saw them and they look AMAZING!

[ZazaCast]

Oh... new poster & banner...NICE! This is your first film Gabriel? You're making it look too easy! Best of luck. Looking forward to viewing & commenting on it, hope you'll return the favor.

Cheers my fellow filmmaker!

[Maximus]

Looking forward to your film. One of the first I'll be watching!

[img]

Congrats on getting finished it is always a mad dash at the end. Cant wait to see it.

[gabrielflorit]

grabs look good. I love isolated snowy settings, reminds me of the shining. (which is good!)

Thanks! Yes, snowy settings is something we have plenty of in AK. Eery locations are not hard to find up here.



Poster's new, right? Newish? I don't think I've seen it before. But it's a beauty. Can't wait for this one. Lookin' good.

Poster and banner are new indeed! deedive made them for me - I love them! Make sure to check out his entry (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=151377).



Nice bts shots and poster! Makes me want to light my scenes for the next fest!

Thanks! Lighting is a lot of fun. I really enjoy that part - it's amazing what a couple of lights here and there will do. As for the BTS shots, well, that's all Brian Adams (http://www.baphotos.com/)' work. He's a pro photog, the best in Alaska.



Bro, I don't know how I missed your grabs... but I just saw them and they look AMAZING!

Thanks! I hope they don't give away too much - I had to pimp my thread, you were getting too much thread love! :beer:



Oh... new poster & banner...NICE! This is your first film Gabriel? You're making it look too easy! Best of luck. Looking forward to viewing & commenting on it, hope you'll return the favor.

Cheers my fellow filmmaker!

Of course! I'm viewing and commenting both your films. Yes, this is my first film. I got my camera in June. I learned a ton, which is great. Hopefully I can not repeat the mistakes on my next film. One of them: don't produce, direct, edit and act all at the same time.



Looking forward to your film. One of the first I'll be watching!

Thank you! I'm excited to see Dreamland. I can't wait for the viewing to begin. I'm losing it here.



Congrats on getting finished it is always a mad dash at the end. Cant wait to see it.

True that. I swear next fest I'll have a locked edit a week before submission.

[hoz]

True that. I swear next fest I'll have a locked edit a week before submission.[/quote]


ha, i want to say the same thing but i don't think i will ever be done enough to hand it in early. i would like to start earlier than i did though!

[Richard J. Johnson]

Looks Very nice. Lighting looks damn good. Can't wait to check it out.

[gabrielflorit]

Approved! Finally. I was getting worried.

Let the viewing begin!

[Matias Caruso]

What took you so long to pay the bribe? :grin:

[stinkpot]

Approved! Finally. I was getting worried.

Let the viewing begin!

Congrats! It looks like you put a lot of hard work into this film. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.

:beer:

[gabrielflorit]

What took you so long to pay the bribe? :grin:

Jack wouldn't give me his bank account info. I told him I have this friend in Nigeria with loads of cash... I don't know, that JDS guy. He's a skeptic, I say.

[gabrielflorit]

Congrats! It looks like you put a lot of hard work into this film. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.

:beer:

Thanks! I did indeed put a lot of hard work. I quit my job two weeks earlier than expected and spent almost the entire time in front of my computer editing. During one stretch I think I didn't leave my hole of a basement for three days. When I surfaced it was winter! Man AK can get cold.

[Brian Parker]

Hey Gabriel. Wanted to come check out your thread. Great poster and banner. I really like what you've done with the image and color for those. Also some great BTS shots and grabs. Looks like you got a hold of a great location. First film? Fuggedaboutit. I'm definately looking forward to this one. :beer:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Dood. The location and the lighting look AWESOME.

[Matias Caruso]

Well, you know this is gonna be the most biased review you’ll get, but here it goes anyway.

I think you did a very good job and I’m proud to be part of this project.

I haven’t got much experience in filmmaking, but something tells me that the first film from a director isn’t supposed to look this good.

The opening scene is amazing. Excellent location.

Loved Ismael’s creepy score, especially in the last scene inside the shelter.

One little nit about the transition from the scene with the pharmacist to the opening of the trunk: Maybe it’s just me, but I think that the screen remains black for a second too long. Maybe the film should be picking up pace towards the opening of the trunk?

Acting was good, but my favourite actor was definitely The Pharmacist.

The Stranger at the end really looked creepy; poor Vanya. :)

I wish you good luck, and hope you receive more useful feedback than mine from other experienced filmmakers. :thumbup:

[Chris Messineo]

Matias is correct. That opening is phenomenal. Seriously, the lighting in the shack is awesome.

I love this story and I thought you did a great job with it. The actress is wonderful and so is the pharmacist. I really dug their scene together. I wish the bar was a bit more shadowy, but that is a small complaint.

I think you did a fantastic job with this and I wish you the best of luck with it.

[Robbie Comeau]

Hey man.

Good job on getting this short done and uploaded. I thought it was a creative story, and the imagery was outstanding.

The lighting on the highway/road scene was very well done, and you had everything perfect there.

Thanks for sharing!

Robbie

[Mike Manning]

Hey man, it looks great!
Everyone's already said it, but I'll say it again anyway, that opening scene is phenomenal!
Really, technically speaking, I don't have anything to say but great job! It really looks awesome.
My critique really just concerns the story/script.
I feel like there's no real pay off at the end - no lesson learned - no climax.
It's like, and please correct me if I'm not getting it, this woman wants to forget her husband... so she goes to this box that makes you forget things, she opens it, and she forgets.
I guess i was expecting some kind of twist, or some kind of repercussion for wanting something as dangerous as the ability to forget. Maybe i was expecting the pharmacist to come back and tie it together.. I don't know. It didn't feel like there was the push-pull conflict that results in a climax of the protagonist either succeeding or failing.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh. As I said, technically it was fantastic... you set the mood so well I was engaged the entire time. I guess it just left me wanting even more! haha... great job man, congrats!

[Kholi]

Wow. The opening scene and everything in that location is incredible. Then, the fog on the road.

Very VERY sick images. I'm with blind above as far as everything else goes. I was a little confused by the story. The images? WHOA.

The stock EX-1 lens is incredible, man. Just really freakin' stellar opening shots. WHOO

[richke]

I loved the beginning but it faded after a bit. The actress lady bugged me for some reason, facial expression seemed over done. But the "Pharmasist" did a great job!

Nice looking film but the content of the script just bored me a bit.

[ZazaCast]

Interesting film. I LOVED the opening shot (and many others), this film just looks fantastic. The lighting in the shack/hut..awesome & moody. Good camera work in those shot too. Bar sceens seem too bright for a bar. The acting was good...the Pharmacist was spot on, great casting there. The woman...not so much, but nice job....and the guy at the bar? Just terrible! LOL...I kid ;-)
Really good film.

The problem I had was with the story...I just didn't 'get it'. You lost me at the end. I watched it a few more times...and either I'm dumb as a stump or I'm missing something earlier in the film? I know she was trying to forget...her husband I assume...but damn, it only took me a few shots to forget my Ex!

Keep up the good work and congrats to the cast & crew!

[disjecta]

I liked this one. The lighting was very well done. Some of the framing seemed a little off to me, especially on the bartender....but that's just minor stuff. I didn't really care for the lead actress, she made me think about the fact that she was acting throughout the film. The other actors were seamless.

Your entry was one of my favorites.

[Jason Miller]

beautifully shot

[darkrequiem1134]

ummm.....isn't this already a movie?

[Darkline]

if this is your first film then it really does not show.

To get it out of the way, I too had a few issues with the story. That said I was totally drawn in at the start. I love shorts that dont spoon feed you and the exposition tightly held to the chest. Your film had me leaning in all the time. The problem was at the end I felt just as in the dark as at the start. There didnt seem to be any consequences to the decision she had made.

Still, mood spot on. Shot selection great and the pace of the editing on the button.

For your first film you've got one near the top of the pile here. well done.

[heccky]

nice

[alex whitmer]

Some great stuff here.

SPOILERS

Establishing shot is very nice. The following shots of the woman are great and tie back in later. Nice non-linear story-telling, not an easy thing to do and keep the continuity clear.

The 'pharmacist' was the strongest actor IMO. Really added a nice layer to the whole. Felt a little like John Voigt's character in U-Turn, but good just the same.

Bar scene is nice. Like the use of the 'sparkle' from the glasses to contrast the dull woods. Not to get all Feng Shui here, but one of the ideas is to make the characteristics of different elements stand out by placing them with their opposites. Worked for me!

The payoff is nice, but little reference that we are seeing the same shmuck that throttled ten years of her life. I think the STD dialogue did little to help the story, and maybe instead some other referance could have done more, with out spelling it out of course. Just a thought.

Love the sound and lighting. Little too much black screen for me, but in all I really enjoyed this one. Solid story.

Looks bleak as hell up there.


AW

[galbach]

B-eau-ti-ful!!!!! The lighting was superb!! Good Job all!!

[Mike Manning]

Some great stuff here.
The payoff is nice, but little reference that we are seeing the same shmuck that throttled ten years of her life.

I just read this and watched it again. Knowing that definitely provides a little punch at the end, but unfortunately i think there really wasn't anything there to suggest that he was her husband/boyfriend of ten years. I think more could have been done at the beginning to explain that he cheated on her... and then that would have made more use of the STD line. I dunno, but I do know that it isn't clear enough and probably the source of a lot of people's confusion.

[hoz]

wow, what a terrific looking movie!


spoiler...

the outside shots with the shack are some of the best i've seen in any movie! where is that shack!? damn! it defines brutal! the road looked like it fell out of that Sean Penn movie, and the bar was great too. Awesome use of shot glasses and different things.

the acting was good i thought the woman did a fine job. the bartender was good. the drug dealer was fine. that said, no one really knocked it out of the park, but im not sure that hurt the film since it involved such mood from your locations.

the story was good, i figured the guy at the end was the same one who ruined her. only problem is he ought to have given her some sort of cue that he knew her. something wry or dark. i think that would've been more fun than having the bartender's reaction tell me.

also a small thing but the woman should've been wet and cold when she entered the shack, she wasn't even wearing a coat. not a big deal but it would really help sell the place you showed from the outside.

music was great!

i wish you had more time than 6 minutes, i would've loved to see where you would've taken the story.

really great job!!

[bosindy]

really liked many of the shots in this. The externals were great. Wonderful composition. The bartender was lit a bit too hot for my tastes. not sure I understood the ending until I read a few comments here. Good job, see you in Boston.

[gabrielflorit]

Well, you know this is gonna be the most biased review you’ll get, but here it goes anyway.

I think you did a very good job and I’m proud to be part of this project.

I haven’t got much experience in filmmaking, but something tells me that the first film from a director isn’t supposed to look this good.

The opening scene is amazing. Excellent location.

Loved Ismael’s creepy score, especially in the last scene inside the shelter.

One little nit about the transition from the scene with the pharmacist to the opening of the trunk: Maybe it’s just me, but I think that the screen remains black for a second too long. Maybe the film should be picking up pace towards the opening of the trunk?

Acting was good, but my favourite actor was definitely The Pharmacist.

The Stranger at the end really looked creepy; poor Vanya. :)

I wish you good luck, and hope you receive more useful feedback than mine from other experienced filmmakers. :thumbup:

Thanks Matias! I remember reading dozens of scripts. When I finished reading yours I knew this would look good. I think that's why I chose it. You're right about the screen being black for too long, several people have commented on that already. And I don't know about The Stranger - someone needs to give him acting lessons! :)



Matias is correct. That opening is phenomenal. Seriously, the lighting in the shack is awesome.

I love this story and I thought you did a great job with it. The actress is wonderful and so is the pharmacist. I really dug their scene together. I wish the bar was a bit more shadowy, but that is a small complaint.

I think you did a fantastic job with this and I wish you the best of luck with it.

Thanks Chris! The shack itself was awesome - it took my cast & crew 45 minutes to hike up there, one way. And it was cold, very cold. But definitely worth it. That's one thing Alaska has. Locations. I'll pass on your complements to the actors. Ron (the pharmacist) is actually in SAG. I think he's one of two SAG members in AK :) I hear you about the bar. I think at times I went overboard with the fog machine.



Hey man.

Good job on getting this short done and uploaded. I thought it was a creative story, and the imagery was outstanding.

The lighting on the highway/road scene was very well done, and you had everything perfect there.

Thanks for sharing!

Robbie

Thanks for watching Robbie! I was lucky with the road scene - foggy and overcast, which meant the sky was one big softbox. I did use a Joker for backlight, I'm glad I did that, it really brings her out.

[Richard J. Johnson]

That sony is sharp! looked great. There was a little too much black screen for me as well. Everything was well lit but when it cut to the CU of her at the bar it was little too dark compared to the bartender and not as sharp. Audio was amazingly crisp and the actors were on point. The Bill Clinton line was a little old to me but overall a great film. fantastic cinematography.

[gabrielflorit]

Hey man, it looks great!
Everyone's already said it, but I'll say it again anyway, that opening scene is phenomenal!
Really, technically speaking, I don't have anything to say but great job! It really looks awesome.
My critique really just concerns the story/script.
I feel like there's no real pay off at the end - no lesson learned - no climax.
It's like, and please correct me if I'm not getting it, this woman wants to forget her husband... so she goes to this box that makes you forget things, she opens it, and she forgets.
I guess i was expecting some kind of twist, or some kind of repercussion for wanting something as dangerous as the ability to forget. Maybe i was expecting the pharmacist to come back and tie it together.. I don't know. It didn't feel like there was the push-pull conflict that results in a climax of the protagonist either succeeding or failing.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh. As I said, technically it was fantastic... you set the mood so well I was engaged the entire time. I guess it just left me wanting even more! haha... great job man, congrats!

Thank you man! Coming from you that means a lot - I've seen your short and it's outstanding! Will comment in a bit. I hear you about the story. I have my own theories as to why it didn't pay off. Could be the lead's acting (I should have given different direction), could be the creepy guy's acting (I don't know how to act, no really). Thanks for the comments!



Wow. The opening scene and everything in that location is incredible. Then, the fog on the road.

Very VERY sick images. I'm with blind above as far as everything else goes. I was a little confused by the story. The images? WHOA.

The stock EX-1 lens is incredible, man. Just really freakin' stellar opening shots. WHOO

Yes, I'm in love with my EX-1. My gf says she's a film widow. I tell her I have another woman - her name is Sonny :). What fog? That's my monster fog machine. Kidding - yes we got lucky with that, 30 min. later that place looked like summer! Glad you liked the way it looks - it's what I'm most proud of. I think on the next one I'll find someone else to direct. I like DP'ing better, I think.



I loved the beginning but it faded after a bit. The actress lady bugged me for some reason, facial expression seemed over done. But the "Pharmasist" did a great job!

Nice looking film but the content of the script just bored me a bit.

Yes, Ron was great to work with, he knew what he was doing. I'm glad you commented - thanks for watching!

[gabrielflorit]

Interesting film. I LOVED the opening shot (and many others), this film just looks fantastic. The lighting in the shack/hut..awesome & moody. Good camera work in those shot too. Bar sceens seem too bright for a bar. The acting was good...the Pharmacist was spot on, great casting there. The woman...not so much, but nice job....and the guy at the bar? Just terrible! LOL...I kid ;-)
Really good film.

The problem I had was with the story...I just didn't 'get it'. You lost me at the end. I watched it a few more times...and either I'm dumb as a stump or I'm missing something earlier in the film? I know she was trying to forget...her husband I assume...but damn, it only took me a few shots to forget my Ex!

Keep up the good work and congrats to the cast & crew!

I hear you about the guy at the bar. What a no-talent clown he was! I'll never cast him again. :)



I liked this one. The lighting was very well done. Some of the framing seemed a little off to me, especially on the bartender....but that's just minor stuff. I didn't really care for the lead actress, she made me think about the fact that she was acting throughout the film. The other actors were seamless.

Your entry was one of my favorites.

Thank you! I'm a fan of your work on vimeo, your Canon XHA1 + Ultimate work is fantabulous, so your comments mean a lot to me. Interesting thing about the bartender, I see what you're saying, he should be a little bit more to his right. Thanks for the comments! I'm glad you enjoyed it.



beautifully shot

Thanks! :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Loved the opening shots! Crazy good!
Nitpick:
I felt that it almost looked like her and the bartender were in two different environments though, the lighting just seemed so different between them. I know she had her back to the majority of the light but I figured it would at least show on the edges of here hair? The lighting at the end (of her in the bar) seemed to match perfectly. Was the first bar shot of her done elsewhere? Different lighting?

Then you followed it with another wicked shot! Love that location, but wondered why she wouldn't have a coat?

Loved the payoff at the end even though I didn't quite get it at first.

Beautiful film. Nice work.

Mike

[gabrielflorit]

ummm.....isn't this already a movie?

I don't think so. Which one do you have in mind? It probably references other movies, there's nothing new under the sun.



if this is your first film then it really does not show.

To get it out of the way, I too had a few issues with the story. That said I was totally drawn in at the start. I love shorts that dont spoon feed you and the exposition tightly held to the chest. Your film had me leaning in all the time. The problem was at the end I felt just as in the dark as at the start. There didnt seem to be any consequences to the decision she had made.

Still, mood spot on. Shot selection great and the pace of the editing on the button.

For your first film you've got one near the top of the pile here. well done.

I beg to differ - I can definitely tell it's my first film, but who isn't their own worst critic right? Glad you liked the editing, I spent over a week on the editing. It's hard work! Thanks for watching - next time I'll be on top of the pile (as long as JDS doesn't enter) :)



Some great stuff here.

SPOILERS

Establishing shot is very nice. The following shots of the woman are great and tie back in later. Nice non-linear story-telling, not an easy thing to do and keep the continuity clear.

The 'pharmacist' was the strongest actor IMO. Really added a nice layer to the whole. Felt a little like John Voigt's character in U-Turn, but good just the same.

Bar scene is nice. Like the use of the 'sparkle' from the glasses to contrast the dull woods. Not to get all Feng Shui here, but one of the ideas is to make the characteristics of different elements stand out by placing them with their opposites. Worked for me!

The payoff is nice, but little reference that we are seeing the same shmuck that throttled ten years of her life. I think the STD dialogue did little to help the story, and maybe instead some other referance could have done more, with out spelling it out of course. Just a thought.

Love the sound and lighting. Little too much black screen for me, but in all I really enjoyed this one. Solid story.

Looks bleak as hell up there.


AW

The 'sparkle' on the glasses was Gene Boyda's idea, he runs AK Grip & Lighting, the only place in town for light rentals. I'm glad you picked up on that, it was a 1K with CTO, it does make those glasses stand out. Bars have so much eye candy it's nuts.

I find it interesting that people think the guy in the end is the same guy she forgot. I just had him being a jerk that she falls for, so we see her making a big mistake. But now I see how this wasn't clear. My bad.

[gabrielflorit]

B-eau-ti-ful!!!!! The lighting was superb!! Good Job all!!

Thanks! I really enjoyed your entry, it's my favorite so far! :thumbup:



wow, what a terrific looking movie!


spoiler...

the outside shots with the shack are some of the best i've seen in any movie! where is that shack!? damn! it defines brutal! the road looked like it fell out of that Sean Penn movie, and the bar was great too. Awesome use of shot glasses and different things.

the acting was good i thought the woman did a fine job. the bartender was good. the drug dealer was fine. that said, no one really knocked it out of the park, but im not sure that hurt the film since it involved such mood from your locations.

the story was good, i figured the guy at the end was the same one who ruined her. only problem is he ought to have given her some sort of cue that he knew her. something wry or dark. i think that would've been more fun than having the bartender's reaction tell me.

also a small thing but the woman should've been wet and cold when she entered the shack, she wasn't even wearing a coat. not a big deal but it would really help sell the place you showed from the outside.

music was great!

i wish you had more time than 6 minutes, i would've loved to see where you would've taken the story.

really great job!!

Glad you liked it! The shack is in Hatcher Pass, about an hour north of Anchorage. It's a well known backcountry skiing area, they get tons of snow well before it gets to freezing in Anchorage. I think the purpose of that shack is to provide shelter during wintertimes - but it's so worn out I think a snow cave would be warmer! Glad you noticed the lack of coat, we thought of that long after wrapping up principal photography. But I can definitely tell you she was very cold during the outdoor shots - it gets cold quick up here. Glad you liked the music, that was my brother's work, I'm a huge fan, I think it adds a whole lot. Thanks for the comments! :dankk2:



really liked many of the shots in this. The externals were great. Wonderful composition. The bartender was lit a bit too hot for my tastes. not sure I understood the ending until I read a few comments here. Good job, see you in Boston.

Thanks for watching - I can't wait to be in Cambridge, I'll make sure to call you up once I'm settled. I need to start working on the next dvx fest!

[alex whitmer]

I find it interesting that people think the guy in the end is the same guy she forgot. I just had him being a jerk that she falls for, so we see her making a big mistake. But now I see how this wasn't clear. My bad.

Well damn, that explains the STD dialogue. Here I thought it was a ref to cheating.


I'm going to watch it again with that in mind.

aw

[gabrielflorit]

That sony is sharp! looked great. There was a little too much black screen for me as well. Everything was well lit but when it cut to the CU of her at the bar it was little too dark compared to the bartender and not as sharp. Audio was amazingly crisp and the actors were on point. The Bill Clinton line was a little old to me but overall a great film. fantastic cinematography.

Yes, the abundance of black screen is something that has been noticed by quite a few people - I wish I would have gotten rid of a second here and there. The lighting mismatch you see is due to two things: 1) too much fog on her CU, and 2) I didn't open the barndoors of her key on the CU, which meant it looks like she's lit from the wrong side. There was just too much to do, we only had 7am to 3pm to do the bar scenes. Still, no excuses. I should have done better. I'm glad you thought the audio was ok, it's hard to do right. I'd rather DP than handle sound. Thanks for watching!



Loved the opening shots! Crazy good!
Nitpick:
I felt that it almost looked like her and the bartender were in two different environments though, the lighting just seemed so different between them. I know she had her back to the majority of the light but I figured it would at least show on the edges of here hair? The lighting at the end (of her in the bar) seemed to match perfectly. Was the first bar shot of her done elsewhere? Different lighting?

Then you followed it with another wicked shot! Love that location, but wondered why she wouldn't have a coat?

Loved the payoff at the end even though I didn't quite get it at first.

Beautiful film. Nice work.

Mike

Your comments are spot on, other people have noticed this as well. I had a 650W to the bartender right as bartender backlight and woman key. When shooting the bartender CU I closed the barndoors to limit spill on the counter, and I forgot to open them up when shooting her CU. This mean that her face was wrongly lit.

There's no reason for her not having a coat, except that I thought she would be so desperate she wouldn't even think of it. Obviously I was wrong, since tons of people picked up on that omission.

Thanks for watching!

[MrKilloran]

Oh Man! Do you have an enthralling entry here or what?!

This was bleak, in a good way of course, that shack's exterior shots look incredible as well as the road. Excellent job on the lighting!

I think the one downside of your film is the ending, which after reading some comments I get, but there was definitely some confusion over their relationship.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Your comments are spot on, other people have noticed this as well. I had a 650W to the bartender right as bartender backlight and woman key. When shooting the bartender CU I closed the barndoors to limit spill on the counter, and I forgot to open them up when shooting her CU. This mean that her face was wrongly lit.

There's no reason for her not having a coat, except that I thought she would be so desperate she wouldn't even think of it. Obviously I was wrong, since tons of people picked up on that omission.

Thanks for watching!Cool. Not a huge issue with me either way. Nice work!

PS- Can't remember, did you shoot this?

[gabrielflorit]

Oh Man! Do you have an enthralling entry here or what?!

This was bleak, in a good way of course, that shack's exterior shots look incredible as well as the road. Excellent job on the lighting!

I think the one downside of your film is the ending, which after reading some comments I get, but there was definitely some confusion over their relationship.

Thanks for watching! Alaska is a great place for exterior locations. :thumbup:



Cool. Not a huge issue with me either way. Nice work!

PS- Can't remember, did you shoot this?

Not sure of your question - I DP'd. Shot with a clean EX1.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thanks for watching! Alaska is a great place for exterior locations. :thumbup:





Not sure of your question - I DP'd. Shot with a clean EX1.Yes, I was asking for the DP. :)

Didn't see it listed on your first page, maybe I missed it.

Cheers,

Mike

[Tim Joy]

Very pro for a first timer! You obviously have nice gear and know how to use it. Image and sound were very good.
The opening was very strong in the imagery and sound/music.

I really felt the need for a camera move to get us into the bar, or a wide shot, more like those fabulous BTS pics. I think a wide shot where she is a speck in the frame could emphasize her desolation and loneliness better. You cut to CU's too quick to fit the pacing for me. Also, because of the 2.35 I felt you had too much headroom on the CU's a lot, and not enough chin-room. I would've backed off a bit.

I liked the script and the dialog, but I wasn't buying her tears at all. It's a heavy-duty emotion to play and she scratched the surface, but only that. If I think about times I've seen women in this state, or even myself, the tears always come in waves, set off by a thought or something someone says. This was all one level of tears. The other acting was pretty good, especially the pharmacist.

If there's one thing I would like to see from you, (I hope we see more, you definitely got talent) it's camera movement.

Well crafted first film, and technically superb. Keep at it.

[Noel Evans]

I thought this was very good. Well executed timing of cuts which really helped the mood. It never felt rushed and I felt immersed.

Very very good opening shot. Thats the best way to set up something people will continue to watch.

Visually I thought the exteriors were good. The cabin lighting was great. The bar lighting I wasnt keen on, just felt too bright and looked like there was a spotlight on the bar tender, as in it looked lit as opposed to natural.

Sound. The actual sound edit was pretty good, but I could clearly hear the effects of noise reduction, which would suggest your location sound wasnt what it should be. Something to watch in future.

I liked the story and whilst the finish wasnt BAM, it paced itself nicely IMO and worked pretty well.

Nice.

[Tim Joy]

Sound. The actual sound edit was pretty good, but I could clearly hear the effects of noise reduction, which would suggest your location sound wasnt what it should be. Something to watch in future.

Nice.

I meant to mention that too. I thought it was compression of the audio track (like mp3'ish-type artifacts), but it did go in and out.

[deedive]

loved the tone and pacing. good soundwork
love all the outdoor lighting (especially on the road with the pharmacist) and in the shack. I have to admit, i didn't know it was her boyfriend/problem siting in the bar at the end til i read some of the thread. In all great work:) Looking forward to more films.

[mjjason]

This is one of the first I have watched. Loved the opening shot. One of the best I have seen in a DVXuser film. Actually that probably doesn't do it justice as it would be up there with any great shot I have seen even in Hollywood films. The overall cinematography was beautiful throughout. The shot with the glasses, the shots in the cabin, the shots on the road; All great.

The story itself didn't fully grab me. I agree with some previous post about a sort of pay-off. This is kind of like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but that film played with the concept of forgetting someone and had a strong pay-off at the end. With this I kind of sensed where it was leading too at the end, particularly with the bartenders look but it didn't fully sell it for me. I would have thought the bartender would have said something knowing what turmoil the woman was in prior to that. Maybe the concept is that she is destined to repeat her mistake and by erasing her memory she never learns but I just didn't really buy that. I think mostly because someone would have stepped in. Like the bartender.

Also, I echo the comments about the lighting in the bar. The bartender was lit to much and there was alot of fog. The girls shot were better but they were not consistent with the bartender.

Overall, I liked the look of the film. Very strong style and great visuals. The story I think can be slightly improved, mostly for the ending.

[gabrielflorit]

Very pro for a first timer! You obviously have nice gear and know how to use it. Image and sound were very good.
The opening was very strong in the imagery and sound/music.

I really felt the need for a camera move to get us into the bar, or a wide shot, more like those fabulous BTS pics. I think a wide shot where she is a speck in the frame could emphasize her desolation and loneliness better. You cut to CU's too quick to fit the pacing for me. Also, because of the 2.35 I felt you had too much headroom on the CU's a lot, and not enough chin-room. I would've backed off a bit.

I liked the script and the dialog, but I wasn't buying her tears at all. It's a heavy-duty emotion to play and she scratched the surface, but only that. If I think about times I've seen women in this state, or even myself, the tears always come in waves, set off by a thought or something someone says. This was all one level of tears. The other acting was pretty good, especially the pharmacist.

If there's one thing I would like to see from you, (I hope we see more, you definitely got talent) it's camera movement.

Well crafted first film, and technically superb. Keep at it.

Thanks for the detailed comments, I really appreciate it. I agree with you about the lack of movement. Next film I'll shoot with a shouldermount. I also agree about the lead's performance, I now see how she could have used different direction from me - it's true that what she was going through should have elicited more powerful emotions. Thanks for watching! :dankk2:



I thought this was very good. Well executed timing of cuts which really helped the mood. It never felt rushed and I felt immersed.

....

Sound. The actual sound edit was pretty good, but I could clearly hear the effects of noise reduction, which would suggest your location sound wasnt what it should be. Something to watch in future.

Yep, I had to clean up the bar audio quite a bit. Next time I'll make sure the boom operator is closer, he was too far. I take the blame for that, I should know better. I'm glad you liked the edit, I spent hours and hours and hours on that. It's really tedious work, but so worth it. The eye always knows best!



loved the tone and pacing. good soundwork
love all the outdoor lighting (especially on the road with the pharmacist) and in the shack. I have to admit, i didn't know it was her boyfriend/problem siting in the bar at the end til i read some of the thread. In all great work:) Looking forward to more films.

Thanks deedive! I haven't had time to check out your entry, I'll make sure to do that in a day or two.



This is one of the first I have watched. Loved the opening shot. One of the best I have seen in a DVXuser film. Actually that probably doesn't do it justice as it would be up there with any great shot I have seen even in Hollywood films. The overall cinematography was beautiful throughout. The shot with the glasses, the shots in the cabin, the shots on the road; All great.

...

Overall, I liked the look of the film. Very strong style and great visuals. The story I think can be slightly improved, mostly for the ending.

Thanks for the comments! Alaska has lots of gorgeous locations - I think that helped create a certain mood on this piece.

[neosnare]

Cool film! As others have said, opening shot was amazing, as were the exteriors. Those snow shots looked epic. I would have liked to hear a little more ambient noise though, just felt a little too quiet, especially in the bar.

Looking forward to your next film!

[Maximus]

Gabriel, good job! I pretty much concur what's been said already, exterior shots look great, story was a little too vague, very good production design, loved the music.

You wanted a no holds barred critique, so here it is:

I thought the cast was your biggest problem. The pharmacist looked the part, but even his performance could have been better. Your female lead in particular should have been.

Second to choosing the right script, casting is the most important decision a director can make. Directors rarely get credit for great performances, but they will always be blamed for poor ones. And that's the way it should be. Having the best actors possible just makes everything so much easier. Gives us more time to come up with cool shots!

Your film was really good by any standard, but for a first film, it was outstanding!
Look forward to your next one. :beer:

[Robbie Comeau]

Dude,

I think the outside highway scene at the "pharmacy," with the lead actress and the man was the best scene in this whole fest, in terms of lighting, location, and cinematography.

This scene stood out so much, and the shots were so well composed.

Overall, the story didn't do much for me, and the lead actress wasn't the greatest, but she did her part good enough.

If this was a first time making a movie contest, I'd guarantee you the winner. But I think the main thing in this one, which is a personal pref., is the story, and that's what brought it down on this one for me. But, I am very picky with stories. Extremely picky if I must say.

I liked the bar scene, and the server played his part excellent.

Again, nice locations, and overall, the cinematography was my favourite.

Thanks for posting, I might even look at it again for some shot ideas for future projects.

Robbie

[pauly_the_hitman]

Great cinematography and the locations kicked ass. The story was odd and i guess I must say i didn't quite get it. other then that good job.
Pauly

[Susanne G.]

Very intriguing strory. The score underlined very well the heavy depressiv atmospere. Your actress was pretty good and I really loved the acting of the farmacist. The framing on the house in the snow was a very beautiful detail. Very enjoyable film - compliments! Here only some little minor things which confused me: the light during the dialog of the actress and the barman - I am not an expert on tecnical things, but it seemed to me that the barman had to much light in comparison to her. The other thing is that I felt the fade outs a little bit to long. All together - well done! :thumbup:

Susanne

[Dick Campbell]

nicely done, good telling. you get the ending without being obvious. overall, good photography. was distracted by the different lighting between the bartender and the girl in the early bar scene, like they were not in the same room.

[jefflebowski]

Wow, I'd say that was the best location I've seen so far. Beautiful filming and great acting; I especially like the pharmacist. I felt the story was OK despite previous posts. There is a little message to take away and that's about all you can hope for in six minutes. Nice job.

[stinkpot]

Oddly enough your best shot is at 4:20. Very cool look and feel Gabriel. You really captured the Twilight/Outer limits thing with your story and sound.

Can't wait to see what you come out with next.

:beer:

[Ben Sliker]

Carrying on the tradition from Timefest, the AIM sessions have returned, a live stream of whatever may come out of our heads as we watch your films. Here are Ben Sliker, Brad Mate's thoughts on "Forgotten."

11:35:27 PM Ben Sliker: got forgotten?
11:36:17 PM Brad Mate: yes
11:36:22 PM Ben Sliker: rdy?
11:36:37 PM Brad Mate: yes
11:36:40 PM Ben Sliker: 3
11:36:41 PM Ben Sliker: 2
11:36:42 PM Ben Sliker: 1
11:36:43 PM Ben Sliker: go
11:37:18 PM Brad Mate: is this the thing 2?
11:37:25 PM Ben Sliker: another box story ... hmm ...
11:37:30 PM Brad Mate: boxes are in this year
11:37:43 PM Ben Sliker: this bar has such bright lighting ... the bars i go to are a bit darker.
11:38:16 PM Brad Mate: i think the sun is having a drink on the other end of the bar
11:38:18 PM Ben Sliker: why have this awesomely wide frame if you are going to put the actor in the middle.
11:38:44 PM Ben Sliker: the lighting is also inconsistent between the two actors
11:39:01 PM Ben Sliker: the (screen) right side of here shoulder be whiter and brighter.
11:39:15 PM Ben Sliker: AWESOME FOG ... seriously. awesome setting.
11:39:36 PM Ben Sliker: who are these people?
11:39:55 PM Ben Sliker: ARE YOU THE KEYMASTER?
11:40:01 PM Ben Sliker: IM THE GATEKEEPER.
11:40:42 PM Ben Sliker: BLACK SPACES
11:41:11 PM Ben Sliker: not a fan.
11:41:51 PM Brad Mate: if she forgets the last ten years, wouldnt she forget about the box and keep looking in it when she wakes up?
11:42:09 PM Ben Sliker: that's quite a question ... unless she used it before 10 years before that.
11:42:16 PM Brad Mate: or freak teh poo poo out when she realizes that shes 10 years older than she was before?
11:42:35 PM Ben Sliker: maybe there's no mirrors in siberia, where they apparently are.
11:43:20 PM Brad Mate: well. i thought the actors fit the roles which is more than you can say about a lot of dvxuser films. i also thought the locations were excellent even though the bar was way too bright
11:43:33 PM Ben Sliker: it was nice to see a film that was shot and lit nicely, and had great audio.
11:43:55 PM Brad Mate: yeah it definiately had a nice quality to it
11:44:02 PM Ben Sliker: not sure about the edits and black spaces
11:44:33 PM Ben Sliker: as far as story goes, i think it took a long time to get to a very simple story.
11:44:36 PM Brad Mate: i think the story was a little lacking. even with teh plot holes just the whole box thing is played. and we are seeing it more than once in this fest
11:45:06 PM Ben Sliker: how did she know about the box in the first place?
11:45:17 PM Ben Sliker: cause all she went to that other guy for was the key.
11:45:42 PM Brad Mate: yeah, and if it wasnt her first time doing it who took the key back?
11:46:47 PM Brad Mate: and the bartender seems to knwo about the box...so why is he suprised when she comes back with a clean slate
11:47:02 PM Ben Sliker: you are making my brain hurt.
11:47:10 PM Ben Sliker: with your LOGIC.

Just grazed over the comments that have been made so far, so I apologize if I'm "the repeater" on anything. We really felt like we needed to know just a LITTLE bit more or a LITTLE bit less about the box for us to not have a bunch of questions in the end. But, of course, that's the paradox when you have a short that's about manipulating time. The repeated black spaces always says "trailer" to me, and is an editing decision i rarely make. You really made the most of some beautiful locations and set a high production value for yourself. Like we said in the session, it was nice to be able to watch a film and not have to make too many technical notes. (Which is probably why we came up with so many story questions.) I really can't believe that this is your first effort, I have a feeling you are going to be a force to be reckoned with in future fests (if not this one!) Cheers! :beer:

[Edgen]

I'm not sure I understood the film... but f'n a... beautifully shot. Putting this one in the 'gota see again' pile.

Congrats on entering and looking forward to seeing your next film.
/j

[King Cole]

Well shot, decently acted, well edited (except maybe minus the long black, but my film has chunks of black too), nice soundtrack. Overall a pleasant short to watch that looks very high quality. The story is a bit weak for me- lots of holes I can find. If you match everything else to a stronger plot you'll have one hell of a movie. Thanks for sharing with us.

JC

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks everyone for the comments! I promise to reply and finish commenting all the films in the next two days. I've been crazy busy moving - from Anchorage to Boston. Tomorrow and Tuesday I'll watch the rest of the entries.

[Danielleus]

Hey man,

Just caught the flick. I really enjoyed this one. It looked great. The outdoor stuff and the cabin was really really nice. The bar is also very nice as well. A very good look you have there.
I thought the acting was quite good as well. Parts of the way the pharmacist acted wasn't my cup of tea but overall very nice work. Good cameo too, btw the way.
I really also liked the way the story was unfolding. The cuts to black seemed a bit much and there was one near the end that seemed a bit longer than the others, but I though the story itself was getting well underway. I was really sucked in.
Unfortunately I felt that this was like 2/3 of a whole story. I wanted to see what the ending was and where it was all leading and I don't think it satisfied me. It just seemed to end a little abruptly. Is there a longer piece or did you want it to only be that long?

Otherwise I really liked this piece and thought you did a great job. THanks for sharing and I'm looking forward to your other pieces as well.

[Bryce A]

Yes. Great locations. Loved mile 30 and the shack. Music and mood were awesome as well. Your film was very good and you seem to have known that from the beginning. So, I’ll just throw a few things out and you can assume I thought everything else was great.

I had some problems with the script. There were a lot of extended dialogue sequences with too much shot reverse shot for my taste (in the bar, on the road) I would have liked to see the scenes a bit shorter or more varied in their approach.

Thought the blackouts were a bit long too. I kept waiting for premature credits instead of thinking about the impact of what was happening (forgetting,right?). I liked the idea of it, but felt they lingered just a tad too long.

To be really picky, thought the audio fade was premature at 00:48. I usually don’t care so much about these type of technical details, but it was noticeable enough to irk my attention away from the story.

Oh and compliments to Vanya Marinkovic and Ron Holmstrom. Really great work. Vanya delivered one of the strongest performances (if not thee) in the fest. The strain in her voice when she said, “Mile 30, I was told there was a pharmacy here.” was truly great. She’s the anchor of the piece.

Look forward to your next!

[leteeci]

Wow!!

What a beautiful photography in snow / cabbage and outdoor scenes!!! I loved CC, also!!

Maybe I wasn't so 100% satisfied with bar scenes. I felt that it was over-lit on the bartender side and under lit on the actress side. I would like to see one wider shot of the bar also, just to get full impression of the whole space.

Overall; very good acting and story also!! It is obivous that you took needed time to finish the job and didn't wait till the last minute!!

Congratulations!!!

:beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Yep, I enjoyed this film as well, mystifying and beautifully shot. The film held my attention through-out. Not much to add further to the technical comments mentioned, but certainly you created an alternative world as it were with your film.

Vanya Marinkovic the actress of the piece was very effective in cementing the power of your film (but the guy at the end in the bar - he sucked lol j/k no no you were very good too ;))

So well done - one of my favs.

[jpsheets]

Great job Gabriel, all your folks did a fantastic job, except for that bar patron guy, he sucked eggs. Just kidding. Really loved the look that you got out of your EX1. The only con I have about the film is that I wanted to see a more severe outcome for losing her memory, like maybe she goes insane or something. I keep thinking back to the Twilight Zone episode "Time At Last" where Burgess Meredith breaks his glasses at the end. Anyway, just my two cents.

cheers,

Jon

[Brian Parker]

Really good film Gabriel. There isn't much I can say that hasn't been said but there are some beautiful shots. Pieces, performances, locations, and sequences that all come together to make an awesome film.

The main thing I noticed was that there was a difference in the lighting between the bartender and the main actress. That's probably my only issue. Great job all around man.