My Soul To Keep - presented by Easy Water Films

[alex whitmer]

http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/my20soul20to20keep41-2.jpg


Official Poster by Mike Horrigan


(For those of you that don't see the face, step back a meter or two. Really pops out.)




Produced by Bryan Fitzgerald


Directed by Chris Johnson / Easy Water Films


Written by Alex Whitmer


Other contributors / crew TBA


_____________________________________________



What people might be saying about My Soul To Keep come October: Wow! / Great job! / Didn't do anything for me. / Not sure I get it. / Super! / Probably in the bottom 8. / Why did you hire that Chris guy? Should have asked around first!


_____________________________________________

[alex whitmer]

CAST

http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/lead.jpg

Our lead, the brilliant young actress Brooklyn Garrison

As Bere Van Rihn

[alex whitmer]

http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/everything-152-a70.jpg http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/everything-088-b-70.jpg


Sierra Sampley as Anais / Julie Sampley as Gabrielle

[alex whitmer]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Johannes_Vermeer_%281632-1675%29_-_The_Girl_With_The_Pearl_Earring_%281665%29.jpg/300px-Johannes_Vermeer_%281632-1675%29_-_The_Girl_With_The_Pearl_Earring_%281665%29.jpg


Costume concept




http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/costume-for-mstk.jpg







http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/soul20banner22.jpg

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Awesome! I'm going to bug you until I get the inside scoop!

Cheers,

Mike

[krestofre]

Alex, that was kind of you to put "Presented by Easy Water Films."

My side of the story is that Alex brought up the idea of partnering on a project and then provided a script that I simply couldn't turn down. Alex has also done an incredible job getting things lined up to make this film happen. This will be the second film I'm directing for TwilightFest and we're taking every precaution to make sure that neither film suffers for my division of attention.

[pauly_the_hitman]

Welcome to Twilightfest. Good luck.
Pauly

[alex whitmer]

Thanks Pauly.

a

[img]

Welcome and Best of luck.

[krestofre]

What people might be saying about My Soul To Keep come October: Wow! / Great job! / Didn't do anything for me. / Not sure I get it. / Super! / Probably in the bottom 8.

You forgot "Why'd you hire that Chris guy?" :laugh:

[Kyle Stebbins]

Love the title, guys.

[Simon Höfer]

Welcome to the fest!

[ZazaCast]

Hummmmm... very interesting. Best of luck!

[alex whitmer]

Producer signed on!!

aw

[alex whitmer]

Added our antagonist and one important featured extra. Still a few roles to cast.

alex

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I could have sworn I made a new poster for this entry. :huh:

:D

[alex whitmer]

Official poster up. A huge thanks to Mike Horrigan for a spectacular job creating it. Really captured the essesnce of the film.

Excellent feedback from Chris and this thing looks damn profesional.

Do they do Oscars for posters?

alex

[ZazaCast]

Looking good! Michael....great job on the poster.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thanks, guys! I wonder if I could make a cool banner out of it?

Here's a small version with a link to the larger one on the first page. Just click the small one.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/23237/1218552360.jpg (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1359837&postcount=1)

Alex, let me know if you guys want a banner. I'll see what I can do.

Cheers,

Mike

[alex whitmer]

We'd love one, as your time allows.

For those of you that don't see the face, step back a meter or two. Really pops out.

By the way, Michael, Brooklyn's mother thinks this angel face looks so much like her daughter, like she sat and posed for it.

a

[krestofre]

Brooklyn's mother thinks this angel face looks so much like her daughter, like she sat and posed for it.

a

I thought the same thing! I'm a little surprised to hear that didn't happen.

Mike, great job on the design. Thanks for all the effort and the work.

Next up: Casting session for the two remaining parts and location scouting.

[Zim]

I didn't notice the face. That is really cool.

[alex whitmer]

I didn't notice the face. That is really cool.


The whole 'now you see it, now you don't' really works. Great illusionary effect.

aw

[Jeff Anderson]

Oh wow I didnt see it at first and thought it was shadows from trees. Very cool effect. Nice poster. Looking forward to this one guys!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Emailing a first draft banner.

[alex whitmer]

two banner options added. Which do you like?

[ZazaCast]

Banner #1

[Jeff Anderson]

Yep, #1. Too hard to read the title on #2.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Yep, #1. Too hard to read the title on #2.
That's what Alex and I said. :)
My choice is below.



http://alexwhitmer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/soul20banner22.jpg

[krestofre]

Agreed. Banner 1. I think I have an e-mail from a few hours ago asking this same question.

Sorry about that, Alex.

[alex whitmer]

Agreed. Banner 1. I think I have an e-mail from a few hours ago asking this same question.

Sorry about that, Alex.

No, no - this wasn't out of impatience at all. Just curiosity and feedback. Glad everyone agrees on nu. 1.

Nice work.

alex

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Alex, where are you live? Are you in LA by any chance?

[alex whitmer]

South of the border, but headed to Spain soon.

Why - what you got going?!!

alex

[Jarrod Homer]

Dig the title! Best of luck!

[pauly_the_hitman]

The poster looks freaking awesome I love it. MAH did an amazing job.
Pauly

[Tom Marshall]

South of the border, but headed to Spain soon.

Why - what you got going?!!

alex

A few things have fallen apart for this fest and I'm sort of looking for stuff to work on... :)

[krestofre]

Want to fly to Springfield, MO? :laugh:

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

The poster looks freaking awesome I love it. MAH did an amazing job.
Pauly
Thanks, Pauly! :thumbup:

[Tom Marshall]

Want to fly to Springfield, MO? :laugh:

I would if I could! :)

[alex whitmer]

New photo of costume concept added up front.

aw

[Susanne G.]

Griet from Jan Vermeer - good taste! Seems an interesting film.

Susanne

[alex whitmer]

Yes, Vermeer! I have had a life-long love affair with this painting. I finally found a chance to borrow even just tid-bit from it.

aw

[Susanne G.]

I hope that you don't have only a life-long love affair with a painting!? :evil:

[alex whitmer]

It's complicated!

Hey, I have a few actor friends in your area. Let me know you ever need help in that area. I maintain an international actors resource as well. I'm hoping to bring this one to NY someday ...

http://guerro.wordpress.com/noemi-besedes/


I'm sure looking forward to see what you do for this fest. I really liked your last entry - a lot.

Alex

[Susanne G.]

What a beautiful complication?! Thanks for your offer to help. Regarding my non entry this time, please look message 71 in the thread from Pauli the Hitman.

Susanne

[alex whitmer]

Wow, missed that one. Bummer. Getting married is no small event. You're excused - this time!!

Well, in that case I look forward to your always-thorough and always-honest comments of the upcoming films.

alex

[Susanne G.]

I will do my best! :)

[bfitz]

Hi Everybody. Long time viewer, first time poster. Chris told me I should make an appearance on this post as my first official act as producer of the film. I told him I wanted a script first. The pages I received sparked my interest and imagination in a way that reminded me of nights spent hiding under my covers wondering if that noise was the wind or something else. I really want to see this film be something special and will do my part to see that the audience experiences what I did on that first read through.

I feel I know many of you already and look forward to continuing to learn from you and hopefully you from me. I've enjoyed your films and being a part of past fests.

Best to you all and I'll see you on the other side Chris.

-Fitz

[alex whitmer]

Hey Fitz, Alex here.

Looking forward to seeing this. Brooklyn is a great kid and a great actress. I'm sure you'll enjoy working with her.

First post! Wow! A big welcome.

aw

[krestofre]

I'll see you on the other side Chris.


Nice workin' with you Venkman ... er ... I mean Fitz. :beer:

[bfitz]

Chris and I think we may have found our composer. We both really respect his work and are excited to hear what he can do for the picture.

[bfitz]

A location is being scouted on Wednesday. It's a bit off the beaten path, but a definite possibility Will post pics asap.

-Fitz

[krestofre]

Yesterday Bryan and I scouted the first possible location for My Soul to Keep. Please, journey with me as we relive the event through snapshots and witty comments.

The location that we're looking for is a cemetery with a very specific look. To that end, Bryan found one that's in the middle of a state part. Founded in the late 1800's and pretty much not in use anymore. It sounded perfect, but there was a catch. Even though Bryan had been there before he couldn't remember where it was exactly in the state park. He had an idea, but wasn't sure. So, throwing caution to the wind, I loaded Bryan up with the camera equipment, grabbed a bottle of water, and off we went.

We started on a trail, which was nice. But then the trail ended, which was bad. Being undeterred by this turn of events we decided to keep going, stepping our way through all manner of vegitation and spider webs, all the while quoting lines from Raiders of the Lost Ark at appropriate times.

After wandering around for probably 40 minutes we happend upon a clearing with a map of the park.

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/1.jpg

Bryan expertly read the map, trying to reconcile it with his two-year old, hung over recolection of where this cemetery was. After deciding the next general direction that we would travel, we noticed this sign:

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/2.jpg

I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.

The good thing about the park map is that it kept us on a trail, so no more brush, wildlife, or Raiders quotes. Thankfully we happened upon this bridge:

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/bridge.jpg

Which allowed us to being a whole new seriese of quotes from Temple of Doom.

We continued on, seeing some pretty amazing scenery.

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/3.jpg

And after a while we arrived at the cemertery. Pictures Photoshopped for ambience.

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/4.jpg

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/5.jpg

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/scout/6.jpg

It's definitely an interesting location, but I'm not willing to pull the trigger and say this is where we're shooting yet. Once we mapped the way, it was fairly quick and easy to get to, but it's still quite a hike and lugging equipment up there doesn't sound fun. It also doesn't have all of the elements we need for the shoot, so we'd have to find a second location for some parts of the script. We're going to see if we can find one location that serves all purposes. We also shot some footage of the trek and I'll cut that together and get something online ASAP.

I'm sure Bryan will chime in with his own version of this story, but suffice to say I pretty much had to carry Bryan through the rough parts of the trails. There was also one point where he fell, getting his leg pinned under a rock slide and I had to amputate it and fashion a prosthetic with twigs, bark, and bailing twine. We saved the leg and once we got back into the city I reattached it with a needle and thread. He should be fine in a couple of days.

[ZazaCast]

There was also one point where he fell, getting his leg pinned under a rock slide and I had to amputate it and fashion a prosthetic with twigs, bark, and bailing twine. We saved the leg and once we got back into the city I reattached it with a needle and thread. He should be fine in a couple of days.

LMAO! :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[alex whitmer]

There was also one point where he fell, getting his leg pinned under a rock slide and I had to amputate it and fashion a prosthetic with twigs, bark, and bailing twine. We saved the leg and once we got back into the city I reattached it with a needle and thread. He should be fine in a couple of days.

What's that 'ol adage ...

You can't take the woods out of the man, but you sure might be carrying the man out of the woods.

Great job on the re-attach. Boyscouts really has added some great new tricks to their handbook. All I ever got was how to sew a sit-upon, and make a fire with a magnifying glass.

Love the pics, but yeah, I can see a few logisitcal issues: equipment haul, kids and moms, food and bears.

aw

[GaryinCalifornia]

I'm sure Bryan will chime in with his own version of this story, but suffice to say I pretty much had to carry Bryan through the rough parts of the trails. There was also one point where he fell, getting his leg pinned under a rock slide and I had to amputate it and fashion a prosthetic with twigs, bark, and bailing twine. We saved the leg and once we got back into the city I reattached it with a needle and thread. He should be fine in a couple of days.

Chris... wow and I thought just going to the doctor to have him remove the sewing from my head was dangerous... :laugh:

You can tell me all about it over lunch...

Just thought there is an old Civil War graveyard... north of town off of farm road 173 or 181... I'll look it up for sure... not to far off the beaten track (about a 50' hike)... just have to frame out the farm to the north... but it has tons of trees around it...

[bfitz]

Speaking of quotes from Temple of Doom... "What a vivid imagination."

This story reminds me a bit of Walter Mitty. Come on Chris, the last time your skin saw that much UV light was before You Only Film Twice was a twinkle in our eye.

Seriously though, Chris and I had a great time "exploring" the uncharted landscape before finding the clearly marked trail and have been paying for it ever since with chigger bites. On top of scouting the location of the cemetary we got to be kids again on an adventure, if only for a few minutes. :-)

I agree that although the location was beautiful and suits the feel of My Soul to Keep, it may be too remote to transport cast, crew, and gear. So we'll have to back burner this location for now and maybe just use it for some establishing shots.

We're lining up a couple of more locations to scout and will visit them sometime next week.

Fortune and Glory,
-Fitz

[bfitz]

Gary, If you can get more details on that location, I would love to have a look at it.

Thanks!
-Fitz

[alex whitmer]

Official costume in forth post. Sewn and ready!

Thank you Becky!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Costume looks great! You guys are rolling right along.

Good luck!

Mike

[Susanne G.]

Hi Alex,

what is going on? There are some news?

Susanne

[alex whitmer]

Shooting in about ten days, give or take. Trying to pin down a location. Everything else is ready!

Thanks for asking!

a

[Mike Manning]

Nice job on the costume! Looking forward to it!

[alex whitmer]

Thanks. There might be a tweak or two for the costumes, but that's more or less it.

a

[MOVIE MASTER]

Now why keep thy soul when it is so fun to loose it?

[alex whitmer]

After much nail biting, a location is finally locked - two days before filming! I think Chris must have seen every cemetery in Missouri.

Waiting on final adjustments to the costumes and we're on.

aw

[gabrielflorit]

How did I miss this thread? Looks great - and don't worry about the bears. Make lots of noise when you're in the area - bring lots of people, that helps with the noise. Don't hang out in salmon creeks either.

I only say that because up here in AK we've had plenty of bear maulings so far this summer. Ugh.

[Susanne G.]

After much nail biting, a location is finally locked - two days before filming! I think Chris must have seen every cemetery in Missouri.

Waiting on final adjustments to the costumes and we're on.

aw

I am very happy for you that your film is going ahead. Last minute film location - sounds like a really filmmaking experience! :laugh:

Good luck and also you have friends in Germany! :)

Susanne

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

After much nail biting, a location is finally locked - two days before filming! I think Chris must have seen every cemetery in Missouri.

Waiting on final adjustments to the costumes and we're on.

aw
Can't wait to see this one! Good luck with the shoot. :beer:

[alex whitmer]

Update:

Costumes complete. Nothing stopping us now!!


What am I saying? This is film, and I'm convinced Murphy stared out as a filmmaker.


aw

[Mike Manning]

Bah! Murphey Shmurfey!

[krestofre]

Sorry to have been so silent in this thread. Thanks Alex, for keeping things alive.

It's certainly been an adventure putting the pieces together for this film. I'd like to publicly acknowledge the incredible amount of work that Bryan has put in as the film's producer. Without him we wouldn't have a film. There's no way I could have shouldered all of the responsibility and prep work that Bryan took on and he brought so many things together for this film that it's mind blowing. After being turned down by every cemetery in Missouri he even built one for us to shoot in. Bryan has done an amazing job.

Well, the shoot is tomorrow and Saturday. I'd be lying if I said everything was ready, but I feel calm and prepared for the shoot and believe that everything will go smoothly. If a problem arises we'll solve it, because that's what we're paid to do ... speaking of, Alex, you did send that check, right? :laugh:

I'll post an update Sunday, or as soon after shooting as possible.

Chris

[krestofre]

Oh. And costumes have changed rather dramatically. Sorry for everyone who liked the old ones, but with some rewrites to the script, it's better this way.

[Susanne G.]

Very much luck for shooting. It is a pitty that you don't have any more the old romantic costumes. I already saw in my imagination a copy of Vermeer's Griet, but it should be a good film all the same. :thumbup:

Susanne

[krestofre]

Everyone is just going to have to trust me on the costumes. :)

[alex whitmer]

Enjoy the shoot. No doubt you guys have really put a lot of blood, sweat and tears (and $) into this production.

Can't wait to see what tidbits you offer up after filming. I might be sleepless a few nights.

Give my best to the kids! Wish I could be there.

alex

[ZazaCast]

Best of luck on the shoot! We'll be watching for BTS picts & grabs...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Good luck guys! This one (like so many) looks promising.
Should be a great Fest.

Cheers,

Mike

[krestofre]

Shot for six hours tonight. Went well. Three pages of script shot. Tired. Goodnight.

[alex whitmer]

Half way home!

Thanks for the updates even though you're exhausted.

a

[krestofre]

We wrapped shooting around 6:00 PM which was a full hour ahead of schedule. Yeah for us!

This morning started off on a slightly bad note. We had rain and suprisingly cold weather which fortunately only set up back about an hour. Then we had nothing but sun and surprisingly hot weather, so be careful what you wish for. Since my last two scheduled shoots were both canceled because of rain I was beginning to feel a little cursed and wondering what I did wrong, but it all worked out.

This girls were phenomenal to work with and were real troopers when patiently waiting for us to light a scene, or walk through direction. All three were a pleasure to work with.

I'll get some info up about the actor who played the role of Clarence as he deserves heaps of praise as well (and is, in fact, the person not behind the camera in the picture below).

And let me say that nothing helps a production more than a good producer, a good DP, and a good wife. Bryan Fitzgerald and Nathan Pope rose to the task of producing and DPing with both of them producing, what is in my opinion, some of their best work to date. It's always good when you look through the viewfinder of a camera and turn to your DP and say "You know what the scene needs?" And he's already five steps ahead putting together exactly what you were going to ask for. And my dear wife was on set the entire time providing any additional support across all departments. At times she handled 2nd AC duties, helped take care of craft services, aided with wardrobe and make up, and did anything else that was asked of her.

But I know that all of the good news and accolades do nothing to excite the DVXUser Fanbase. No drama. No one thrown off the set. Where's the fun in that? So how about an injury?

I hurt my knee several years ago and it has never been the same. Occasionally it will act up and I won't be able to move without a cane and a great deal of pain for a month or so until it heals. So when I woke up this morning and felt me knee going, I was understandably worried. I rigged my knee up as best as I could with a brace and bandages which helped me get through the day without too much affect on our pace. Though by the last shot of the day I wasn't very mobile and ended up directing it like this:

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/lazy.jpg

Anything to get the shot. :thumbsup:

I've got a pizza on the way. I'm going to put my feet up and rest. I'm not even going to think about the footage until Monday, then I'll get to picture lock as soon as possible to send off to the composer. Grabs and stuff will have to wait a few more days.

Chris Johnson, signing off.

[alex whitmer]

Wow! What a story! Elated things all worked out, the weather cooperated, and the knee gave you just enough to get through it.

You could not have picked a better Clarence. Perfect!!

Happy to know the girls were great. From the sounds of it, the entire experience was a pleasure for everyone - and nothing beats a significant other that is there for you. Can't imagine my life without mine (she secretly writes all my scripts).

Great stuff! We'll wait for the grabs when you're ready. Rest, wallow in success, and we'll see you when you're up and about.

Alex

[krestofre]

and nothing beats a significant other that is there for you.

Amen to that. I should had added to the story that she's also five months pregnant with our third child. If a five month pregnant woman is still willing to be your 2nd AC. It must be love. :)

[ZazaCast]

Congrats on the shoot! ...and a special tip-o-the-hat to your wife. She sounds like an awesome lady, make sure you take good care of her! Can't wait to see the results...after all, Alex is one of my favorite writers... or should I say his 'significant other'... the secret is out!

[krestofre]

I think I'm going to retitle this entry My Soul 2 Keep and reshoot with Prince in the lead.

Any objections?

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats on the wrap!

[alex whitmer]

I think I'm going to retitle this entry My Soul 2 Keep and reshoot with Prince in the lead.

We could make a music video !!


Hope your Sunday off was pleasant.

a

[Susanne G.]

The report sounds fantastic - congratulations! :beer:I am always happy to hear that shooting went well - it means that the ship is close in the habour!

Best wishes for the postpro!

Susanne

[pauly_the_hitman]

I will give a big kudos to wives of film makers my wife was sick as a dog this weekend and she almost killed me for having a crew of people in the house all weekend. A little advice never use your own house as a primary location wives don't like it...
Hope post goes well and I am looking forward to seeing this.
Pauly

[MOVIE MASTER]

Hell yeah pauly you should see mrs. Movie master she is a hell trooper straight out of hell!!!

[alex whitmer]

GRABS!!




http://thestarvingdramaturge.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/qqb-1.jpg


http://thestarvingdramaturge.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/qqa-1.jpg

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

GRABS!!


http://thestarvingdramaturge.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/qqb-1.jpg


I only see one, you lying son of a... :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

Looks great though!

:)

Mike

[alex whitmer]

Looks like the computer (not me of course) did a weird thingy with the post button thingy.

Oops

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Ahhh... now you've added more. :)

Sweet!

Looking great!

[krestofre]

Glad you like the grabs, Michael.

Alright, rough cut is finished. :)

It's 8:40 long. :(

Not much fat to trim either. This could get interesting ....

Chris

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Glad you like the grabs, Michael.

Alright, rough cut is finished. :)

It's 8:40 long. :(

Not much fat to trim either. This could get interesting ....

ChrisI was at close to nine minutes initially, I'm very close to six minutes now. I had to axe a vein to get there. I'm definitely doing another Director's Cut when all is said and done. It still works though, just not at the pace I would like. First time viewers will have no idea. :)

Keep at it! You'll get it down.

Cheers,

Mike

[Anthony Pierce]

Those grabs look great.

[Mike Insane]

So now is the time when I start reading everyone's threads that I haven't checked out before. I love the saga of how we all get to the point of finishing the films. It's like little bits of my own experience wrapped up in everyone elses. Filmmaking is definately a common experience shared by very few. I love th grabs. The first one is very nicely lit. I just got to cutting my pice and we started out around 11 min. So I understand the perdiciment of cutting it down to 6. I don't think when we are done that we will still have the stamina to do a directors cut. So, kudos to you.

[Neal Buconjic]

Alright, rough cut is finished. :)

It's 8:40 long. :(

Not much fat to trim either. This could get interesting ....

Chris

You'll find that Alex is an excellent partner. He was very dilligent at finding things in my film that could go without the story falling apart. We managed to go from 09:11 down to 05:49. I was convinced there was no way to get it to six minutes - glad I was proven wrong!

Good luck.

[krestofre]

Alex has skills in a lot of areas. I've asked him to give me one more pass with it and then I'Ll let him pull out his scissors. Since he's such an accomplished screenwriter, and editing is so closely related to the writing process, it doesn't surprise me at all that he's good at it.

I'm not worried about eventually getting it down to six ... Just a point of pride because I thought I was being economical with my shots. :)

[ZazaCast]

Grabs look great. No worries, you can get to the 6 minute mark...and if not, Alex will guide you there. I agree, he's a good one to have looking at it. Congratulations!

[alex whitmer]

Thanks for the kind words. Better than coffee (well, except maybe for that Starbuck's Frappa-whatever).


Editing can really make or break all that came before it. A film starts with a script and ends with editing, but it's all the blood, sweat and tears (and brushes with the law) in between that give a film its soul. Who knew a 1/4 second of facial expression could add or take away from a story in a final edit?


Look forward to seeing this one.

a

[krestofre]

I've got it down to 6:53. I actually love this part of the process because it forces me to see the film beyond my own sensibilities which tends to the "long take" side of the fence. Trimming it up always makes the film stronger. Anyway, fat is trimmed and I've exorcised one whole scene. I have a feeling where the rest of the time is going to come from, but want to get the opinions of Bryan and Alex before proceeding.

[alex whitmer]

We'll need a director's cut.

[krestofre]

Not sure about that. George Lucas and his Special Editions have me gunshy about ever doing multiple cuts. My expectation is that once we get My Soul to Keep down to six minutes that will be the film as it should exist. We'll see....

[Kyle Stebbins]

Chris -- Where's FREEFALL and how is it coming along??

* runs off to the thread.

EDIT: And I now have answered my own question! I'm a month behind on this one.

Sorry to hear of the postponement. I'm excited, just as well, for this film!!

[Kyle Stebbins]

Glad you like the grabs, Michael.

Alright, rough cut is finished. :)

It's 8:40 long. :(

Not much fat to trim either. This could get interesting ....

Chris

Man I was so afraid I'd run into the same problem. Thankfully my first cut of the film is sitting at 6:40. Whew!

Keep at it. I promise you'll find stuff that can be tossed.

[krestofre]

Yeah, I was disappointed that the schedule didn't work out for Free Fall. It's going to be an exciting film when we get to do it, and it's only postponed for a season. I put a trailer of sorts together for it for an expo that I'm attending. I should post that footage just for the heck of it.

The bright side is that I was able to focus fully on My Soul to Keep and the preproduction of this film was a lot more rigorous than any of us expected, so it was good not to be focused on more than one project.

I'm looking forward to your entry too, Kyle. I love the banner!

[GaryinCalifornia]

Who was your gaffer Chris... and see you tonight...

[krestofre]

Nathan Pope doubled up as DP / Gaffer.

[Mike Manning]

How was it working with kids? I've never tried directing a kid yet... frankly I'm terrified. Partly because of the bureaucracy involved with having a set-teacher, but mostly because... kids are kids. What if they get bored.. or cry! Haha...

[krestofre]

I should start with a caveat that these are exceptional kids, and they have experience acting and want to pursue this profession. It's not like I just asked some friends to donate their children. These are focused individuals.

That being said, they got bored. They wanted to play sometimes when we were ready to shoot. We mitigated that by having a crackshot crew so we moved relatively fast, and we had people on set not working crew to meet any needs the kids might have. Beyond that, I just treated them with respect, and plainly asked them to perform how I needed them to. It was no problem in the grand scheme of things.

If you have some specific questions I'll address them as I think this could be a valuable conversation for the community as a whole, but that's the short of it.

[krestofre]

Being a father also helps. :)

[alex whitmer]

Not that adults don't get bored or cry - or throw big hissy fits. No shortage of stories of actors stomping off, not showing up, prancing around like a princess, etc.

I have worked with pets better behaved than some adult actors.


It all comes down to professionalism, and age (and apparently species) does not determine that.

I have worked with several kids and never had a set teacher, but insist on a parent always present. Child actors show up like everyone else, do their job, and go home.

Nothing to fear.




a

[pauly_the_hitman]

Working with kids is great especially if they are your own as in my case no problems...(As he bites his lip) of course by that I mean fighting on the set, whining and throwing fits of boredom, and hearing I am hungry every five minutes. Just basic kids stuff so being a parent helps in the long run. Cool point to be brought up in the threads can't wait to see this one guys.
Pauly

[seansshack]

Interesting thread.

Don't know much about the fest. When do we get to see this short (and others of course)?

[alex whitmer]

October 27th.

Really an amazing collection of talent all wrapped up in these fests, from the FX, scoring, Dp, and on and on.

Stay tuned for a fantastic venture.

a

[seansshack]

October 27th.

Looking forward to it.....

[ZazaCast]

How is this one going? Updates please?
(it's getting hard to keep up with all the talent on this site!)
Looking forward to seeing this one.

[krestofre]

It's going really well. Running time is no longer a concern, just getting the best cut of the film is the focus.

Alex hasn't seen a new cut since ... Saturday? But there's a new one coming down the pipe really soon and I think it has worked out any remaining concerns that I had for the film.

[krestofre]

Dang, no replies since my last post. I've got to remember that drama sells. "It's going really well." What kind of post is that?

Here's the real story: The reason we don't have picture lock yet is because I had to enter rehab. I'm not proud of it, and it's not the first time. I hope to finally kick my breakfast cereal addiction.

When Alex heard about what happened he flew up to see me, which I thought was a wonderful gesture of friendship. Turns out that Alex thought the last cut of the film was awful and as he entered by room at the rehabilitation center, he sucker punched me. Something about "destroying his original script" or some such.

It was a hard punch and I flew back hard, flipping over the balcony (did I mention that my rehab room has a terrace and a lovely view of the lake?). Struggling to grab onto any hand hold to save my young and valuable life, I grabbed ahold of a piece of cloth. There, dangling high above the rehab center's spiked fence (for security) I thought to myself, "Piece of cloth? What's a piece of cloth doing out here?" So I looked up.

Turns out that I had grabbed ahold of Bryan's pantleg. Bryan was scaling the side of the center in full mountain climbing regalia trying to reach my window. In his backpack was contraband. That's right. Fruity Pebbles. (Apparently from a producer / director relationship, I'm much easier to control if I'm hopped up on Cap't Crunch, or the like.) This would seem a fortunate turn of events, except that the line Bryan was using was rated to his exact bodyweight plus three boxes of cereal. My addition was causing the lines to stretch and snap.

"Chris! Stop moving! You're making the lines go faster!" Bryan screamed.

"I'm not moving!" I said. Turns out that without realizing it I was trying to get the Fruity Pebbles out of his backpack. Rehab. Remember?

Suddenly Alex appeared at the edge of the balcony. "Alex, pull us up, man!" Bryan pleaded. Alex just shook his head.

"Not until you cut the picture back the way I wrote it!" Alex demanded.

By this time I has a mouth full of Pebbles and no longer cared that I could fall to my death at any moment. Bryan, realizing this agreeded with Alex. "Chris isn't with us anymore, so as producer, I promise he'll recut the film."

Alex hesitated, and the final climbing line snapped. We started to fall, then with Neo-like reflexes Alex grabbed Bryan's hand and lifted us to safety. Bryan sat on the balcony a long time, reflecting on the near death experience. Alex left, having accomplished what he set out to do. I ordered a gallon of milk from room service. When asked why I needed a whole gallon i simply replied, "I'm thirsty."

And that's what really happened.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Turns out that without realizing it I was trying to get the Fruity Pebbles out of his backpack. LOL! :grin:

Now post some grabs! :Drogar-Love(DBG):

[krestofre]

I open my soul to your people and all you want are grabs?!?!

OK. I'll put some more up today.

[alex whitmer]

Yeah, sorry. No room for happy stories without some drama getting there. And even with your fruity pebbles dangling by a thread, all they can think to ask for is grabs. Can you believe that?


As Chris and his pebbles tumbled eleven stories to certain doom, the crowd yelled 'Don't forget the grabs!'


But before all that came to pass ...


Alex, now all full of himself, marched out of the room. In so doing, he stumbled over a box that read 'Don't open until October 27th. When properly translated, Don't Open actually is the short form for 'don't open if somebody is watching'. Since Bryan and Chris were busy trying to save themselves, Alex looked in the box. When he realized Chris had taken his precious script, tore it asunder, and then reassembled it into something even better, Alex immediately demanded a bowl of fruity pebbles. 'But we have no milk' Chris feigned. 'Ya, what he said,' Bryan chimed in.


Undaunted, Alex pulled a magic cow from his pocket, pulled on the teat marked pasturized, and proceeded to fill a bowl with milk and fruity pebbles. A warm glow enveloped the room.


Pan back into rehab window where three miscreants calling themselves the Fruity Pebble Gang plan their next move.





.

[mattspat]

looks sweet....interested to see it....is it a fairy tale concept?

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I open my soul to your people and all you want are grabs?!?!

OK. I'll put some more up today.SWEET! :beer:
Now I have my fix. :huh:

[krestofre]

Grabs.

http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/grabs/Arabia.jpg

My Lawrence of Arabia shot.


http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/grabs/Clarence.jpg

A prominent character.


http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/grabs/BnW.jpg

Still playing with the look of this clip. It may not appear like this in the final film. I do love this look though and may have to use it on future projects.


http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/grabs/forest.jpg

This gives away way too much of the film. I hope Bryan and Alex will forgive me for posting it, as there's essentially no reason to watch the movie now.*

*Not true, this was sarcasm, please watch the movie.

[krestofre]

There! I hope you're happy.

[krestofre]

looks sweet....interested to see it....is it a fairy tale concept?

I wouldn't personally call it a fairy tale. But what I would call it might be showing our hand a bit much. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Grabs.



http://www.easywaterfilms.com/TwilightFest/grabs/BnW.jpg

My favourite!

Nice work. :thumbup:

[GaryinCalifornia]

So this is why you couldn't meet for lunch this week... : )

[krestofre]

Yep. I've tried lobbying Congress to change to a thirty-six hour day so I could get everything done, but all they wanted to do was give me $700 billion. I didn't really need the money, so I just went back home.

[Susanne G.]

My favourite!

Nice work. :thumbup:

My favourite too! There is a special atmosphere in this photo. I don't know really what it is, but it affected to my emotions!:)


Susanne

[alex whitmer]

Agree!

[krestofre]

We are now in the scoring phase.

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats!

[alex whitmer]

Excellent. keep us updated!


Before really paying attention to the process everyone goes through here, I never gave music in film much thought. Man does it really make a difference. Duh!

a

[krestofre]

Yeah, and composers usually look at you funny when you say "I need this in a week." So keeping them in mind at the beginning of the scheduling process, is a good thing. :)

[ZazaCast]

O.K., it's been 3 days...where's that score? How long could it take to record that accordion anyway?:)

....I know I'm going with a chord organ score for the next fest...I kid you not!:thumbup:

[krestofre]

Well Zaza, the score isn't coming together perfectly and the composer and myself have decided that what's missing is the sound of a 1487 harpsichord. We tried a harpsichord from 1488, but that didn't have the same accoustics as one built in 1487. So I've been scouring the globe trying to piece together a harpsichord from various parts from the year 1487 so that we can get just the right sound for My Soul to Keep. The past three days I've been in China, the Ukraine, and am posting this from South Africa as I attempt to barter for vintage cat gut from 1487 so that we can put the strings on the harpsichord.

It will all be worth it, I promise .....

[alex whitmer]

Dude, why didn't you go to Craig's list first? Found this morsel in the same time it takes to buy on-line tickets to China ...

FOR SALE

Mint condition 1487 harpsichord. Original cat gut strings and ivory keys. Will sell whole or part.

Perfect accessory for filmmakers and other artists. Serious inquiries only.

Note: High humidity may cause harpsichord to sound 1488-ish.







.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Dude, why didn't you go to Craig's list first? Found this morsel in the same time it takes to buy on-line tickets to China ...

FOR SALE

Mint condition 1487 harpsichord. Original cat gut strings and ivory keys. Will sell whole or part.

Perfect accessory for filmmakers and other artists. Serious inquiries only.

Note: High humidity may cause harpsichord to sound 1488-ish.







.
I just scored the last one! :beer:

Twaaaaaaaaaaannnnngggggggg..........

[ZazaCast]

I personally prefer the 1487+1/2 harpsichord... there was a terrible cat plague late in 1486 and it really affected the quality of the available gut. (It was also the first model to offer side-impact air bags...little known fact)

[krestofre]

Curse Craigslist! It was right there the whole time.

You guys make me laugh. :)

[Tom Marshall]

A harpsichord might have pushed you over budget though... :cheesy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Bach-Piano-ZUCKERMANN-GERMAN-HARPSICHORD_W0QQitemZ180284962662QQcmdZViewItem?_t rksid=p3286.m20.l1116

[krestofre]

Update:

I'm on a plane for LA tomorrow morning, which means I have to upload the film tonight in order to meet the submission date. I'll make it don't worry, but right now I'm finishing up the sound mix. It sucks to still be working on the mix the day that you have to submit the film, but I am once again reminded of how much fun the sound mixing process is. It's the moment that, for me anyway, I can sit back and say to myself "Hey, this is pretty good." Everything solidifies in the sound mix.

Anyway, back at it. See you guys at the finish line.

[alex whitmer]

A harpsichord might have pushed you over budget though... :cheesy:

http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=1157841982&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=3&campid=5336062087&toolid=10001 http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=1813497073&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=3&campid=5336062087&toolid=10001 http://cgi.ebay.com/US-Bach-Piano-ZUCKERMANN-GERMAN-HARPSICHORD_W0QQitemZ180284962662QQcmdZViewItem?_t rksid=p3286.m20.l1116 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5336062087&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2FUS-Bach-Piano-ZUCKERMANN-GERMAN-HARPSICHORD_W0QQitemZ180284962662QQcmdZViewItem%3F _trksid%3Dp3286.m20.l1116)


Only 26G! What a deal. Budget shmudget!

a

www.brooklyngarrison.wordpress.com


.

[Tim Joy]

Hope your mix goes well. Can't wait to hear it... and see it too.

[alex whitmer]

I feel like I'm missing out on all the fun with editing and sound and music and all that.

Course, writing is still the cheaper career path! The poor man's choice, and ironically writing keeps it that way!! Vicious circle.



Looking forward to seeing this one with its untold hours of 1:00 A.M. tweaks.


a




.

[Tim Joy]

I feel like I'm missing out on all the fun with editing and sound and music and all that.

Course, writing is still the cheaper career path! The poor man's choice, and ironically writing keeps it that way!! Vicious circle.
.

Yes, but without great writing, the rest is almost pointless, IMO. 3 Cheers to great writers! :beer::beer::beer: That's you Alex. How many entries did you write or consult on this time?

[krestofre]

And ... uploaded!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

And ... uploaded!
Well done!

Congratulations on putting her to bed. :beer:

Cheers,

Mike

[Tom Marshall]

And ... uploaded!

Congrats! Can't wait to check it out. :)

[alex whitmer]

Yes!


Huge congrats, to you and Bryan!!

[ZazaCast]

Congrats!

[Simon Höfer]

Yeah, congrats! :)

[gabrielflorit]

Congratulations on the upload! BTW, it took me a while to hunt your thread down - the link from the "Submission Status" links to "Free Fall".

[alex whitmer]

Yes, but without great writing, the rest is almost pointless, IMO. 3 Cheers to great writers! :beer::beer::beer: That's you Alex. How many entries did you write or consult on this time?

Missed this one somehow. Crossed eyes maybe. Thanx for the comment!

Agree, writing sets the ball in motion.

I worked on 8, 4 of which were as script consultant, or whatever they billed me as - coordinator, editor, sabotuer ...

And ...

2 original stories (ZaZaCast and Easywater) and 2 written for's (Drew and Neal). Two others didn't make it. One was pretty cool. I was working with a US soldier stationed in Afganistan, and he has access to an abandoned Russian fort complete with burned out tanks and demolished bunkers, left as is since the 70s. I guess the Captain or some other brass poo-poo'ed the film and that was it. Script was done, location ready, casting started. That's life.

Everyone here on DVX was absolutely great to work with. I should add this to the 'what I learned' thread, but for sure every filmmaker has their own style, and their own way of interpreting story. As a writer, it was yet another eye opener. All good of course.

I really didn't mean to take on this many projects, but in past fests (4) I have only signed on to one or two projects and they didn't make it to the fest, and of course I was pretty disappointed. Stuff comes up, as we all know, and so it goes.

Time fest was the first I had a film make it all the way, and I owe that to Drew. There was one script edit as well, but the rest kinda whithered away, so this year I hedged my bets and signed on to a bunch, and well, 8 out of 10 came through! I pretty much expected 2 or 3 out of 10.

I gotta say, nothing teaches better than seeing a film done. I can read (and write) all the books I want, but a finished film is gold.

So, a huge helping of gratitude to all those who let me be a part of the whole. What a ride (well, maybe not as exciting as a Roadrunner that goes really fast, but a great ride all the same).

aw

[Mile Bozicevic]

Watch out so you don't end writing ALL the next fest entries...
Anyway, happy to see all the films you got involved to. (even those as saboteur)

Good luck!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I worked on 8, 4 of which were as script consultant, or whatever they billed me as - coordinator, editor, sabotuer ...

:grin:

Saboteur.... that's a good one. :beer:
You helped me out quite a bit. Thanks again!

[krestofre]

Congratulations on the upload! BTW, it took me a while to hunt your thread down - the link from the "Submission Status" links to "Free Fall".

That's crazy. I'll PM Larry.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Brian Parker]

Looking good guys. Definately interested in seeing where this one is going. Oh, and extra props for working with kids. :beer:

[Jason Miller]

just watched my sould to keep, I loved the concept, and the lighting it looked beautiful, but the acting needs some work, but te concept was a great idea.


btw its links to freefall for some reason not to here

[darkrequiem1134]

sounds pretty intriguing...i'll have to check it out

[krestofre]

Alex is in contact with Larry to fix the link. I'm sure it was just an oversight, but we hope it's dealt with quickly.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Another First review!


Nice movie! The little girl, Bere Van Rihn (Brooklyn Garrison) stole the show. The other girl was very good as well.
I loved the shot of him reading by candlelight. Very nicely done.

The story was also quite good. I loved the wide open shot outside as well. Very nice. The audio needed some work here and there. I tend to listen with headphones to avoid outside distraction. There was some noise showing up in some voices but not in others, that can pull me out of the movie a bit.

Nice work overall.

Good entry.

Mike

[bosindy]

Thought this was a cute story. I think there are maybe two areas you could try to improve and really make an impact. The first would be in getting more natural performances out of the actors. Amateur actors intuitively want to indicate and "act" when they get in front of a camera. They feel if they are not doing something, they are somehow failing. There are many ways to combat this but taking a peak in the acting section may help. Good acting makes up for a lot so its always a great place to focus off the bat. Second I would try to make your audio a bit more consistent throughout. There were noticeable changes in the audio depending on the camera angle and location that became distraction. the complete absence of sound was as well.

Congrats on putting a film in the fest. I look forward to more from you down the road.

[alex whitmer]

Do you mean all the actors? One performance in particular?

Just curious. Some were stronger than others.

aw

[bosindy]

Do you mean all the actors? One performance in particular?

Just curious. Some were stronger than others.

aw

I would say the gentleman playing Clarance could have been helped more from a few insights. The kids were a little closer but had moments where a little more direction would have helped. You can see that everyone had worked hard though and gave a sincere effort.

[galbach]

Looking forward to watching this one... Need 50 posts to vote...

[ZazaCast]

Really nice job with a good story! I have to say I enjoyed this film and the cinematography worked for me (nice camera work) over all. I felt like it might have jumped around a bit too much which threw the pace off a tad for me. The opening shot were just beautiful. There's a funky looking shot at 1:07 that doesn't seem to match with the old guy watching her? I also picked up a couple of 'wind noise' spot here & there.

Over all...great job & congratulations to the entire team on a job very well done!

[alex whitmer]

I think Chris did a great job despite every cemetery in Missouri saying no to filmmaking. I see a few other films here with cemetery shots and have to wonder how the heck they pulled it off.

Thanks for commenting. Excellent observations.

aw

[krestofre]

There's a funky looking shot at 1:07 that doesn't seem to match with the old guy watching her?

My first experience with shooting day for night, and you're right, it does look funky. If I ever shoot day for night again, I'll know how to do it better.

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[alex whitmer]

Nice movie! The little girl, Bere Van Rihn (Brooklyn Garrison) stole the show. The other girl was very good as well.
I loved the shot of him reading by candlelight. Very nicely done.


Mike

I passed the comment on to Brooklyn and her family. They were very happy indeed. I honestly think she has a future on the big screen. She has a few shorts and a feature lined up for 09.

Sierra really played the bad girl well. Some of the footage that didn't make it show a consistent performance with the roll. When she gets 'discovered', film will have a great new antagonist.

The candle scene is my fave as well. Very Rembrandtian in ambiance.

Thank you for the comments.

aw

[krestofre]

The candle scene is my fave as well. Very Rembrandtian in ambiance.


You guys should have seen Nathan's face when I said "Ok, for this scene you need to light it so that it looks like all of the light is coming from that candle." :grin:

He did an incredible job lighting that scene (as well as all the others) and pulled off what you see on screen with a single 250 watt light, and a flashlight filtered for tungsten balance.

It's also my favorite part of the film.

[Drew Ott]

Reviewing while watching:


I love the opening. The extreme wide shots are very nice.

Great mood set early on.

The night time stuff doesn't look very real.

Acting is pretty weak. Transitions from scene to scene aren't very smooth.

Lighting looks great by the candle light.

Flashback scene is nice visually but would benefit from some audio and a better transition into/out of it.

----

Ok. I like the concept. I'm not 100% sure that I understood everything in the film, and I think this is mostly because of the delivery of the dialogue.

Pros: Tone. The tone/atmosphere is very strong and spot on. The images go well with the music and I enjoyed the feeling I had while watching.

Cons: The changing scenes aren't very smooth. The story jumps around a lot and it's sort of difficult to follow. The acting could also use some work.

Overall I thought this was a solid entry. Good work!

[Tim Joy]

Another fine script from Alex Whitmer.
I liked the opening sequence a lot. The space.............. the loneliness, and the intrigue all worked as one with the cinematography and music. It's refreshing to see big wide shots where a person is just a speck in the frame. Very cinematic and uncommon around here, probably due to the tiny LCD's we all look through. I liked how you faded in the ghosts- had me hooked.

My critiques are really two basic things- Tone and Emphasis.
The acting didn't quite fit the tone that you started off with, and I felt it could've used a stronger choice on how this guy feels about these ghosts popping up. Either scared, or intrigued, or wary, or something. It was pretty neutral.

There were quite a few very nice lighting setups, especially inside the house. The exterior day shots didn't quite fit the mood for me, again, I think it's related to that choice.

I had to watch it several times to figure out the story, and for me it all hinges on the lack of emphasis of key lines, the main one being- "These flowers are for my resting place, nobody ever pays me a visit" This line tells us what the story is about and she had her back to the camera and swallowed the line. I missed it four times. There were a couple other similar lines, but I think you get the point.

When I skip from the beginning of the movie to the end, I can see the transition you made from the desaturated look at the top, to the over-saturated look at the end. I think that's a good choice, and tells us that these girls are at peace now. It might've been more effective if all of the other ext shots were either at night, or on a cloudy dark depressing day, so the emphasis was stronger. I'm sure shooting schedules and realities of weather not being under our control (Damn!) would've made that tough.

The B&W moments I liked a lot.

Overall a decent short with potential still left in it in the areas of color correction, another take for those key lines, and maybe even more sound design to enhance the mood. Nice job.

[krestofre]

Thank you for the detailed critiques. They are a tremendous help to all of us in improving our craft.

[alex whitmer]

Reviewing while watching:


I love the opening. The extreme wide shots are very nice.

Great mood set early on.

The night time stuff doesn't look very real.

Acting is pretty weak. Transitions from scene to scene aren't very smooth.

Lighting looks great by the candle light.

Flashback scene is nice visually but would benefit from some audio and a better transition into/out of it.

----

Ok. I like the concept. I'm not 100% sure that I understood everything in the film, and I think this is mostly because of the delivery of the dialogue.

Pros: Tone. The tone/atmosphere is very strong and spot on. The images go well with the music and I enjoyed the feeling I had while watching.

Cons: The changing scenes aren't very smooth. The story jumps around a lot and it's sort of difficult to follow. The acting could also use some work.

Overall I thought this was a solid entry. Good work!

Hey Drew - thanks for the thorough reveiw.

There does seem to be a consensus the candle-lit scene is the strongest. And music choice is also strong.

Storywise there were some last-second adjustments due to the fact no cemetery became available. Really a shame - but that's film! In a nut shell we have one girl responsible for the other girl's death, and as as neither recieved a proper burial, they reamin stuck between two worlds, and the animosity between them continues.

The older gentleman lost his own young daughter, so he sees the ghosts as a chance to say hello to his family. In the original script before the scramble to make changes, the older man was the caretaker of an old cemetery, and all the caretakers before him were scared off by Anais bent on keeping Bere from ever resting in peace. Not finding a cemetery put a few dents in the overall fluidity of the story, but in the end I feel Chris did a great job with a field and a couple planks of pine.

Not sure if you mean ALL the performances were weak, or one or two in particular. Clarence was stiff, but I thought the girls did a terrific job.

Anyways, really appreciate the comments. Lot to apply to future films and writing.

aw

[pauly_the_hitman]

I think Chris did a great job despite every cemetery in Missouri saying no to filmmaking. I see a few other films here with cemetery shots and have to wonder how the heck they pulled it off.

Thanks for commenting. Excellent observations.

aw

Its called Gorilla film making, when all else fails just show up and shoot...


OK so here is my review of this one. Alex the story was awesome I wish this would have turned out more like I was hoping it would. The story has such a great beginning, middle, and end but due to bad acting and strange effects that killed it for me. It was obviously shot on quality equipment but the performances lacked any sense of reality for me and the period costuming didn't work. Even after all is said and done it was still an enjoyable story.
Pauly

[alex whitmer]

due to bad acting .... but the performances lacked any sense of reality for me


all the performances??

[alex whitmer]

Its called Gorilla film making, when all else fails just show up and shoot...


OK so here is my review of this one. Alex the story was awesome I wish this would have turned out more like I was hoping it would. The story has such a great beginning, middle, and end but due to bad acting and strange effects that killed it for me. It was obviously shot on quality equipment but the performances lacked any sense of reality for me and the period costuming didn't work. Even after all is said and done it was still an enjoyable story.
Pauly


Yes, good 'ol Gorilla film making. Sometimes that ends up your only option.

Glad you liked the story. Sorry the finished film didn't knock your socks off. I value your input with your film experience.

We'll get them next fest!!!

Maybe Tom will come out and dress up as a little girl. Loved him in Accidental Hitman!!

Thanks for viewing.

alex

[krestofre]

Its called Gorilla film making, when all else fails just show up and shoot...


Not on my watch. All of my I's are dotted and my T's are crossed. Any location is required to sign a location agreement providing permission. All shoots that I do are covered by insurance.

Aside from that I appreciate your honest review of the film.

[Mile Bozicevic]

That one was original and interesting, but I feel it could turn out a lot better.

First, the acting-I'm no actor or director to judge someone's act performance, but most parts in this film I didn't find convincing-it felt 'wooden', unreal. The parts where the man is alone are ok, but when it comes to dialogue, it just seems to unrealistic, the hosts are just intertwined where I cannot see the expressions when I expect it the most.

Next, I find a little odd that man didn't react to sightings of a little girl/s. I mean, some kind of reaction, they are after all dead, so some kind of surprise in his voice or stunning look would help by that matter.

At the part he's talking to the girl with a ball, his face is half-shadowed while her is clean under the light. I don't know if this was on purpose, but I somehow feel that it should be opposite; his face should be in light because we already know who he is and what does he look like, and she, the mysterious little girl who threatens him should have half of her face in shadow. I just find that more logical, but it's just a matter of taste.

A little nitpicking now:D-the music started at 04:40 instead 10 seconds earlier when that fade out->in came. It's not a rule, but that fade out has ended the night, ended that part of twist, and I think it's much smoother to lead us into another one with a music that starts even before the shots itself. That said, (I know you probably shortened the film to 06:00 min), it wouldn't be bad to leave a little of that black part with an easy fade in into music. I guess you wanted the music to start when he begins to work on her gravestone.

You shot a lot of dialogue outside while the wind was blowing-that is hard and unthankful job, but I think you pulled it ok-it's not perfect, but it turned out ok.

This movie is what I would like to call magical cause that's what story has in itself, the location outside is nice an relaxing and the piano music is really nice put in all of this.

All in all, I liked it, except couple of things mentioned up there.
AND I found this film as invitation to watch whatever the next one may be.

Cheers!

[krestofre]

A little nitpicking now:D-the music started at 04:40 instead 10 seconds earlier when that fade out->in came. It's not a rule, but that fade out has ended the night, ended that part of twist, and I think it's much smoother to lead us into another one with a music that starts even before the shots itself. That said, (I know you probably shortened the film to 06:00 min), it wouldn't be bad to leave a little of that black part with an easy fade in into music. I guess you wanted the music to start when he begins to work on her gravestone.

This was intentional, but your take on it is an interesting one, and not a comment that I expected. Thank you for sharing your point of view.

[Susanne G.]

Very nice story Alex and I also like the score. The acting of the older girl with the ball took my attention very well and I like the old man's character - he seemed to me like Pinocchio's carpenter, with his smooth reactions and warm hearted voice. But there was something in the film that it let me feel them very long. I am not sure, but maybe it was simple too much dialog there.
However - Compliments! :love4:

Susanne

[alex whitmer]

All kudos go to Chris !!

Score, lighting - his creativity.


Very interesting you should mention the old carpenter, Geppetto, because that is exactly who I had in mind when creating Clarence. I wanted this to have a little fairytale feel to it.

Most of the supernatural archetypes, symbols and themes have their origin in fairytales.

Very observant!

alex

[RobinFrank]

Sometimes it feels like there is too much character direction or/and the actors didn't respond enough to the script. There was a lot of attention created for the diversity of locations, some being wonderfully unique while others were too complacent.

On second viewing -I write these while watching them- the subtle direction of the script stands out; creating a aggressive picture of relationships and sexual deviancy in relation to all different kinds of common threads.
learn more about IMO by responding.

[alex whitmer]

Sometimes it feels like there is too much character direction or/and the actors didn't respond enough to the script. There was a lot of attention created for the diversity of locations, some being wonderfully unique while others were too complacent.

On second viewing -I write these while watching them- the subtle direction of the script stands out; creating a aggressive picture of relationships and sexual deviancy in relation to all different kinds of common threads.
learn more about IMO by responding.


Don't get this. Deviancy? No idea where you are going with that.

[Neal Buconjic]

A nice "heart warming" ghost story.

I really liked the first two shots, especially the second with the expansive wide shot. These looked great.

Mr. O'shea didn't seem too concerned that there was a ghost outside his window, stealing his flowers! This can be challenging explaining to an actor that his character is surprised or shocked. Often times what you'll get is something terribly over the top. If that's what you faced, then this reaction was golden.

I found the some of the editing early on to be very heavy handed. I can only speculate that you had to cut down the running time and didn't have a lot of editing options to go with while maintaining the arc of the story.

Going with the B&W look for the shots of the past worked very well. I did however, find the basketball inappropriate (at least it looked to me to be a basketball).

I thought it was a nice touch near the end to have Mr. O'Shea ask that the young girl pass on his love to his wife (without him actually having to say the words).

A warm film, despite being a ghost story! Nice job.

[alex whitmer]

Another fine script from Alex Whitmer.
I liked the opening sequence a lot. The space.............. the loneliness, and the intrigue all worked as one with the cinematography and music. It's refreshing to see big wide shots where a person is just a speck in the frame. Very cinematic and uncommon around here, probably due to the tiny LCD's we all look through. I liked how you faded in the ghosts- had me hooked.

My critiques are really two basic things- Tone and Emphasis.
The acting didn't quite fit the tone that you started off with, and I felt it could've used a stronger choice on how this guy feels about these ghosts popping up. Either scared, or intrigued, or wary, or something. It was pretty neutral.

There were quite a few very nice lighting setups, especially inside the house. The exterior day shots didn't quite fit the mood for me, again, I think it's related to that choice.

I had to watch it several times to figure out the story, and for me it all hinges on the lack of emphasis of key lines, the main one being- "These flowers are for my resting place, nobody ever pays me a visit" This line tells us what the story is about and she had her back to the camera and swallowed the line. I missed it four times. There were a couple other similar lines, but I think you get the point.

When I skip from the beginning of the movie to the end, I can see the transition you made from the desaturated look at the top, to the over-saturated look at the end. I think that's a good choice, and tells us that these girls are at peace now. It might've been more effective if all of the other ext shots were either at night, or on a cloudy dark depressing day, so the emphasis was stronger. I'm sure shooting schedules and realities of weather not being under our control (Damn!) would've made that tough.

The B&W moments I liked a lot.

Overall a decent short with potential still left in it in the areas of color correction, another take for those key lines, and maybe even more sound design to enhance the mood. Nice job.

Hey, finally getting back to this!! Very nice review. Not sure if Chris will revisit this one after the fest, but we have a few takes, including one of Bere delivering her 'my resting place' line form the front.

Not sure why more folks didn't do the long shots. They really are quite effective.

I think so far you are the only one who picked up on the change in saturation. It's an important background metaphor.

Lot and lots of good stuff in the review, thanks.

aw

[krestofre]

I did however, find the basketball inappropriate (at least it looked to me to be a basketball).


Thanks for your feedback Neal. Question on this. Did you find the ball an inappropriate element, or did you just not like the fact that it looked like a basketball to you?

The ball as a story element is intrinsically important in my opinion as it's a primary motivation for the children. All of the events that transpire really happen because of that ball, and it later becomes a link that Anais clings to as a ghost.

If it's just the look, then so be it. It was a leather ball, and not a basketball, for what it's worth. They didn't have basketballs in the 1700's. :)

[krestofre]

Not sure if Chris will revisit this one after the fest, but we have a few takes, including one of Bere delivering her 'my resting place' line form the front.


I thought that yeehaanow pointing that out was a very astute observation and definitely something that I'll investigate to see if that scene can be restructured.

[John LaBonney]

I thought that this was a lot of story to jam into six minutes, and I think that you managed it nicely. How many pages was the original script.

You've got some great shots in here, and some that don't transition so well.

I agree with the comments that have been made on the acting.

Good for you going with location releases and insurance. It's an expense and a hassle but the peace of mind is worth it in my opinion.

[RobinFrank]

I was reffering to some of the humor in the script. It had a few comical references in that vein. Maybe I'm just seeing that...damn, Im a deviant. :(

[alex whitmer]

I was reffering to some of the humor in the script. It had a few comical references in that vein. Maybe I'm just seeing that...damn, Im a deviant. :(

It might be the coffee you're drinking.

[Tom Marshall]

Alex, I'm going to try and get to yours some time this evening... :)

[Neal Buconjic]

Thanks for your feedback Neal. Question on this. Did you find the ball an inappropriate element, or did you just not like the fact that it looked like a basketball to you?

The ball as a story element is intrinsically important in my opinion as it's a primary motivation for the children. All of the events that transpire really happen because of that ball, and it later becomes a link that Anais clings to as a ghost.

If it's just the look, then so be it. It was a leather ball, and not a basketball, for what it's worth. They didn't have basketballs in the 1700's. :)

I thought it was a basketball... B&W and small viewing size playing tricks on my eyes, I guess. I have no issues with the ball as an element, I simply thought it looked like a BB and was out of place.

Issue resolved. :thumbsup:

[Brian Parker]

Nice work guys. Liked the story and the way it played out. Liked a lot of the shots, especially the wide open outdoors shots and the contrast of the tight indoor shots. Some of the lines had wooden delivery but the cast was likeable and did well. I'm kind of bouncing all over the place but I'm listing things as they come to me. I liked the way you crushed the blacks in the b&w shots.

All in all, it was an enjoyable film and I think you guys did a really good job. Cheers!\

[Bryce A]

I thought that this was a lot of story to jam into six minutes, and I think that you managed it nicely.

John pointed out something that slipped right past me. He's right. You fit a ton in there and it played out just fine. Like it's just SO easy. heh.

Otherwise
Nice thoughtful ghost story. I like that you chose a er… wholesome story. Is that the word? Anyway, that’s how it felt. I’m sure you’ve heard the acting is a bit stiff. But that doesn’t get in the way of the heart of the piece. Look forward to more.

[christa McGuire]

i so want to see that it seems totally awesome

[Dick Campbell]

beautiful photography, nice lighting effects on the interior shots. thought the male actor dialog was a bit stilted.

[Danielleus]

Hey,

Just caught the piece. I liked what was going on but didn't think it was as effective as it could have been.

I thought the actresses were good and they seemed to really throw themselves into the roles. The disappearing effect was good, albeit maybe a little overdone. The locations were nice and I thought the lighting was fine, except for what looked like something you shot day for dusk.

The story didn't really do it for me. It seemed to move too slow or there wasn't enough going on to warrant the length it took to tell.

But I liked the idea and thought it was a winner. Maybe it just deeped to be a bit short. But thanks for showing.

[hoz]

neat idea!

a lot of effort went into this, and it shows. the candle light shot, the daylight shots, the girls' clothes and such, and the story itself, nice!

story- i had a problem when the gentleman first saw the ghost take his flowers. he seemed annoyed. that made me think that either he already saw this ghost for sometime, or he himself is a ghost. his reactions carried the same way throughout the entire flick. it threw me off. true, he could be that seasoned old soul who is wise beyond his years but i don't know, i'd rather see him freak out a bit for awhile. my two cents...

the girls were terrific!

the story is ambitious! especially for 6 minutes, much credit for tackling it!