"The Gift" a film by Dick Campbell

[Dick Campbell]

A story of compassion.

No guns, no gangsters. But don't take everything for granted.

Rights to the story have been secured, and the script is finished (as much as any script is ever finished).

Location is critical (a hospital room), but I have several leads working.

I'm looking forward to this fest, my second, and first as producer/director.

[alex whitmer]

A huge welcome. Love the teaser info.

[hazelwould]

Awesome Dick! Welcome, and good luck!!

If you need any help with anything let me know!

I hope I'll be able to complete an entry...

[Simon Höfer]

Welcome to the fest man! Looking forward to your film :)

[Matt Sconce]

Good luck on securing that location! I am excited to see where this story goes.

[Dick Campbell]

You bet, Aaron. I'm up for coming to Dallas again, too.

thanks guys.

[pauly_the_hitman]

Good luck sounds intriguing.
Pauly

[hazelwould]

Hey Dick,

So do you have a set DP for the project?

-AG

[Dick Campbell]

Aaron - no, and we're shooting for B&W. Wanna give it a go?

[Dick Campbell]

Woo Hoo! Hillcrest hospital has granted me a mockup rook for a one day shoot - we are a go!

[Marlon Ladd]

Good luck. Sounds like you'll have a really interesting story.

[hazelwould]

Hmm... What are your shooting dates?

[Mike Insane]

Welcome to the fest. i wonder, how many states are represented now? there has to be about 20 different states and a few other countries represented in this festival. Well add Texas to the list.

[Dick Campbell]

Looking to shoot the hospital scenes one day mid to late Sept. Need to concentrate on casting first:smile:

[hazelwould]

Ok. Just let me know the date... I can't fully commit because Sept. is such a crazy month. But I'd love to though. Just keep me posted.

I hope I'm able to finish my entry in time for the fest... :/

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Ok. Just let me know the date... I can't fully commit because Sept. is such a crazy month. But I'd love to though. Just keep me posted.

I hope I'm able to finish my entry in time for the fest... :/

same here, Looks like I'm booked the 20th & the 21st, then the 27th. and my sister is coming into town the 7th....so let me know I'd love to help ya!!

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

Auditions completed last night. I'll post cast pix when I get confirmations.

Tentative shoot date is 9/13.

[hazelwould]

Auditions completed last night. I'll post cast pix when I get confirmations.

Tentative shoot date is 9/13.

Ive got 9/13 off.. So hopefully it lands on that date! :)

[Dick Campbell]

Casting is complete. Principal photography will be Sept.13th.
I am pleased to introduce Andy Mullins as Mr. Wilson,
http://www.magicalmomentsmedia.com/Andy.jpg

Tom McHenry as Mr. Thompson
,http://www.magicalmomentsmedia.com/Tom.jpg
and Mary Anzalone as the Nurse.
http://www.magicalmomentsmedia.com/Mary.jpg

[Dustin R. Rogan]

excellent choices Sir

Rogan

[gabrielflorit]

Good-looking cast.

[Dick Campbell]

Yes, now I have to do them justice.

[hazelwould]

Looking good! Seems like steady progress is being made.

[Dick Campbell]

:( Shooting tomorrow has been postponed due to hurricane Ike. The hospital here has to stand by for patient evacuees. And things were coming together so nicely ...

you know what they say - if things are going really well, watch out!

Once I get everyone's availability, we'll reschedule.

[Simon Höfer]

Sorry to hear that! Stay safe!

[hazelwould]

:( Shooting tomorrow has been postponed due to hurricane Ike. The hospital here has to stand by for patient evacuees. And things were coming together so nicely ...

you know what they say - if things are going really well, watch out!

Once I get everyone's availability, we'll reschedule.

Man that sucks!

Keep me posted.

I'm actually going to hold off on mine. I don't want to rush it, just to have a film to turn in.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I hope I can help out on the rescheduled date. but that wont be till first week of October. Damn Ike! Tina aint here!!

Rogan

[Richard J. Johnson]

Woo Hoo! Hillcrest hospital has granted me a mockup rook for a one day shoot - we are a go!

congrats on that. They are impossible to get here.

[Dick Campbell]

back on for the 20th. only time I can the cast together - sorry Rogan, I know you're in Austin.

[Kyle Stebbins]

"you know what they say - if things are going really well, watch out!"

So true.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I will be there on Sat. Gary has something else to do. I will be with lights and bells on...well not literally with bells on but yeah...whatever. It'll be a busy next few weeks!

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

Principal photography completed today. Here's a couple BTS:

[hazelwould]

Man that looks awesome! I really wish I could have made it out!!!

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats man! Nice BTS shots!

[Dick Campbell]

anybody recognize the guy on the left side of the bottom pic?

[Simon Höfer]

Is it Rogan? :D

[Dustin R. Rogan]

That is correct Simon! Dick's was 1 of 2 DVX shorts I showed up to this weekend...I just got back from Austin with John Sheets short (jpsheets) I had an awesome time at both shoots. I almost felt like a filmmaker! (LOL) I can't wait to see how both come out!

Dick your shoot went extremely smooth! I can only hope that this coming weekend goes half as smooth as that one did! Great Job! Need any help give me a ring.

Now on to my chaos!

Rogan

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Grabs?

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

OK OK - gotta finish a client job first. maybe get some tonight.

[hazelwould]

Grabs? :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

OK OK - gotta finish a client job first. maybe get some tonight.LIAR! We want grabs!!

Well, you did say maybe. Still, that was days ago! :)

[Dick Campbell]

OK - finished the rough cut this morning - nine minutes! I'm in trouble.

I'll get some grabs tonight.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Wow 9 mins! Cant wait to see some grabs!

Rogan

[hazelwould]

Looking good! Any CC'ing done? Also are you going B&W?

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I really like the car grab! Wonder who the driver was for the camera car! *laughs to himself*

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

no CC'ing done on those grabs. the smooth edit is finished, and the score is almost all laid in, I just a new redo from the composer, and I'm in the can.

[Dick Campbell]

FINISHED! in the can. OK, don't touch it, leave it alone.

Now I can go read some other threads.

[Dick Campbell]

OK- I was rereading the rules thread again, and as I understand the comments on "promotion", you cannot have any grabs from the actual footage itself, so I'll see if I can get some grabs from non-used takes. The BTS I posted were from a still camera, so those are OK, I believe.

[Dick Campbell]

We are uploaded! :thumbup: to cast and crew.

Let the viewing begin.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Gratz Dick!

I sent you a text earlier, hope you got it. Good luck on the flick, I can't wait to watch this puppy!

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

I got it - keep me posted,

[Dick Campbell]

Alright!:beer: to all the good folks who got us here. Approved and ready to go.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Alright!:beer: to all the good folks who got us here. Approved and ready to go.Congratulations! :beer:

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Gratz Dick! I think it'd be best to have the viewing party on a weekend at my place. Let me know!

Rogan

[Dick Campbell]

Michael, thanks for the nod (I love your city btw).

[Dick Campbell]

Rogan - lets hope viewing opens for the weekend (that would be nice).

[gabrielflorit]

We want grabs! Pretty please!

[Dick Campbell]

OK - I'll have to get some from non-submitted footage. Maybe tonight.

[jasonthewho]

It can be from the movie, Dick.

[gabrielflorit]

Yes. You can even show us footage that didn't end on the submitted film.

[Dick Campbell]

according to something I read in the rules thread, you cannot have grabs from the actual submitted material - maybe I read that wrong. anyway, I can get other similar grabs.

[gabrielflorit]

according to something I read in the rules thread, you cannot have grabs from the actual submitted material - maybe I read that wrong. anyway, I can get other similar grabs.

I'm pretty sure you can post stills from the actual material.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

Dick if that were the case I think alot of the films would be DQ'd.

Rogan

[Brian Parker]

Nice grabs. Seems to be an interesting and heartfelt story. Looking forward to seeing it. :beer:

[Dick Campbell]

OK - so I was a bit paranoid about grabs. Here they are:

[Tim Joy]

Grabs look nice. Congrats on finishing this and I look forward to it! Hope the viewing opens soon.

[Dick Campbell]

thanks for the look (viewing is open! woo hoo)

[Zim]

Great job. I liked both the acting and the ending

[MrKilloran]

The acting was good, the ending was spot on, except I wish there was more shock or reaction from Mr Thompson when everything is revealed. The lighting you used for the B&W was exceptional.

[stinkpot]

I did like the black and white treatment but looking at your screen grabs I think I'd like to see it in color. Either way, it was a good flick and well put together. Great ending.

:beer:

[Richard J. Johnson]

Very nice. The boom and a light jumped into frame. the lighting was great. B&W was clean.

[Mile Bozicevic]

This one got very high on my judging list, perhaps the favorite one.
I really didn't saw that end coming, maybe that part is a little too short but all in all, great job.

[Marlon Ladd]

Good job on the story. It was simple, but clever and enjoyable. You might want to add more crash car sound effects at the beginning and I saw the boom at 3:48 in, which is an easy fix. Besides that, everything was pretty polished. The B&W looked good and seem to really fit with the theme here and the scenery at the beginning was quite nice. Nice work.

[alex whitmer]

Seems years ago I read this story, so I knew the ending. Nce to see it played out.


SPOILERS

I really enjoyed the opening scene. Put this film into character right from the start. Hospital room was a fun 'time cupsule' as well.

Acting started out very 'scripted' before it finally relaxed. I think Wilson helped get the others into a more natural rhythm.

Some of the dialogue was redundant - 'flat on your back' for example - and could have been better utilized to tell other parts of the story - like why was there no retutn call from the family. I felt that was left unresolved. Could have played that up.

Love the black and white qualities. Really felt I was watching some old episodes of television.

enjoyed it a lot.

alex

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I try to make it in every short I work on. That would be my arm you see on the boom...sorry Dick.

Rogan

ps Great look with the Black and white! looks very twilighty

[Dick Campbell]

thanks guys - I appreciate the critiques. I had a couple of those boom incidents and I thought I got them all. You would think after watching it a 100 times you would cathc that.

The B&W is my homage to Mr. Serling.

[Adam J McKay]

I liked it. I think it could have been a tad bit shorter, but overall it was a great piece. A really nice story you have there.

[galbach]

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

[ZazaCast]

I make it a point not to read the previous posts...so if I repeat, I guess it's something to think about.

First off...good film and I think you did a great job with it! I do have to say, I think I've seen this story before as I knew right where it was going. Loved the car! I thought the acting wasn't quite there...had a tough time believing them both. The score felt a little out of place (ie. not the proper mood). I also caught a glimpse of the boom somewhere in there.

Over all...really good job!

[gabrielflorit]

Aaaw man! What a great, heart-warming ending! I didn't see it coming.

Things I didn't like: some shots could have used an eye-light, their faces were too dark. The POV shot of the nurse telling him of the neighbours death was too washed out, I assume you had to bring up the exposure in post?

My main criticism is the acting. Given the fact that mister A had lots of broken bones and mister B was "very sick", they didn't sound sick at all. Matter of fact is they sounded rather healthy! I think you could have given them better direction.

I enjoyed it. Great ending!

[Brian Parker]

Great film. I enjoyed the story. I think the black and white really worked for it and added to the whole production. Felt like a clip of classic tv. Also liked the classic car at the beginning. Would have liked for there to be a little more emphasis on the ending, maybe a reaction shot. Overall, really good work.

[Weston]

I enjoyed this. Good looking black and white cinematography, good acting, and an enjoyable story. Someone may have mentioned it, but I'm pretty sure at 4:53 you can be heard saying "action". I also kind of wish that first shot would have gone on long enough for the car to pass by the camera.

Good movie though.

[Dick Campbell]

Appreciate the plusses. The other comments are right on also. (the "action" snuck in when I addded a cross fade transition to the audio and it sucked in the extra frames. its corrected now - thanks).

the car shot does pass by - I had to edit it shorter for time.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Very nice story. Loved the look, felt old.
Some of the acting was a little stiff at times, as if the dialogue was being read right from the script. I liked the guy by the window though, he seemed quite natural.

The opening shot was quite nice! I would have started it just before the car appeared so that we would have had more time to see the car get closer.

Loved the big reveal as well.

Very nice work.

Mike

[pauly_the_hitman]

I was kind of expecting something like the revel but you surprised me with how subtle it was. I may have chose something more like space or a post apocalyptic background. Good choice on the black and white, good acting. I enjoyed this one.
Pauly

[Chris Messineo]

I just wanted to say how much I liked the story on this one. It really felt like a good old fashioned Twilight Zone episode.

[John LaBonney]

Liked the story ending a lot, I would have liked to see you hang on to that shot a little longer to let it sink in. The beginning is interesting; what frame rate did you use? I would have liked to see a few more moving shots to spice things up a bit.

Enjoyed it, good work!

[Susanne G.]

This film took me by my emotional side - I was nearly crying at the end. The man who died did a great acting. I loved how he explained all the things which were happened in the park by his fantasy. The acting of the nurse was in the first scene in the hospital a little bit rigid, but afterwards it was more nurse-natural like. I had the feeling that your black and white film was very light gray and the white light irritated me sometimes. The score did a great work to underlined the tragic, but also human atmosphere. All together a enjoyable nice film - Thank you! :)

Susanne

[Dick Campbell]

frame rate - shot in 1080/24PA and exported at 24.

thank you all for taking time to comment.

[thetvirus513]

Interestingly enough I had just heard the story that this was based off of a couple weeks ago and put together a script revolving around the idea that I plan to make soon. I looked for an author online but everywhere I saw it it was posted with an author unknown. Anyways my script for it is much different but with the same general idea behind it. If that's not a strange coincidence for ya then i don't know what is! haha great film though I loved the choice to go black and white!

[Dick Campbell]

several people have told me they had heard variations of this story. Mine came from a devotional study book whose author, Moore, is listed in my credits.

[thetvirus513]

yah after seeing your film i went and looked him up, i found the book but obviously couldn't find the specific story in there as I haven't purchased the book I had heard the story practically just as you told it though, so it was interesting to see it put visually.

[Maximus]

The black and white imagery really gave it an old Twilight Zone feel. Your actors were well cast and believable. Good story with a message.

[hoz]

sweet story. good choice to use black and white. it really felt like something on A and E classics. well shot. well acted too. could see the ending a mile away but still liked it! i like the use of a brick wall too, this worked fine!

[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, and Justin Kuhn's thoughts on "The Gift."

Since for some reason, since we couldn't get Adium, AIM and iChat to all agree with each in one chat room, we had to go to an online chat room for the 3-person chats. After almost being molested by a forty year old man in a chat room for "privates" (ben read private chat), we managed to hop on to the chatzy client, which worked well. Note: Never search "free chat" in google and expect what you are looking for.

Ben: THE GIFT
Ben: by (awesome name) DICK CAMBELL
Ben: red?
Kuhn: rdy
Ben: 3
Ben: 2
Jebus: set
Ben: 1
Ben: GO
Ben: i feel like ive seen this intro before ...
Kuhn: TING
Jebus: yay for simple titles!!!
Ben: long time ago me and my brother kyle were hitchiking down a long and lonesome road.
Jebus: and he said...play the best song in the world
Ben: that guy just PWNED himself.
Kuhn: I guess that was an accident yeah
Ben: HEY MR. WILSON!
Ben: I'M COMING OVER TO PLAY!
Kuhn: when he moved the camera...no sound effects...?
Jebus: why dont you move me to another room bitch
Ben: it's a one room hospital
Jebus: is this hospital only one room
Jebus: GOD
Ben: NINJA'd!
Kuhn: fondle this
Ben: i wouldn't want to talk to that douche
Ben: YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF MY BOREDOM
Jebus: is this hospital run on solar power? how can they not run a tv in there?
Ben: HOW BOUT YOU STRAP A PLASMA TV TO THE CEILING ... STOP TELLING ME ABOUT YOUR WINDOW ...
Jebus: OH NO TURN OF THAT CLOCK IT WILL MESS UP HIS MACHINES
Ben: another timefest entry apparently.
Kuhn: god I'm really emphasizing with that guy
Ben: emphasizing huh?
Kuhn: i couldn't handle the boredom,
Ben: his true feeling come out
Ben: FLOATS?
Kuhn: there's no window
Kuhn: it's a brick wall
Jebus: ........HE CAN GET A TV NOW HE DOESNT NEED A STUPID poo pooING WINDOW
Jebus: HOW CAN HE SIT UP
Jebus: WTF
Kuhn: I guess it was a week later or whatever
Ben: justin did you call that or did you see it?
Kuhn: I called it
Kuhn: so called it
Kuhn: it's kind of an old story
Jebus: nice call. though it was a bit obvious. that guy could see a shi* ton out that window...
Ben: i'd like to emphasize how much i empathized with the protagonist.
Kuhn: fo sho
Jebus: nice
Ben: me grammer and speeling good
Jebus: lol
Jebus: lollercaust
Ben: seconds until justin catches on?
Ben: 1
Ben: 2
Kuhn: roflcopter?
Ben: 3
Ben: 4
Ben: 5
Ben: 6
Jebus: so never
Ben: 7
Ben: 8
Ben: 9
Ben: 10
Jebus: (he's making fun of you)
Ben: i give up.
Jebus: its a grammar issue
Kuhn: in the interest of expressing my thoughts as fast as possible with as little thinking as possible...
Jebus: interesting
Kuhn: so add an h
Kuhn: and get on with our lives
Ben: jesus, way to be debbie downer justin.
Kuhn: that's what they call me
Ben: *insert debbie downer SNL pic*
http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/wp-content/debbie_downer.jpg
Kuhn: NEXT SONG

Dick, liked this one a lot, good solid storytelling. Like I said with Anti De Presence, I'd rather see something that's familiar and done really well than something that's "completely original" but sucks. There were obviously a few logistics issues that we had problems with, but nothing that would detract from the piece as a whole. It engages you enough for you to forget any minor quibbles. Look forward to more! :beer:

[Dick Campbell]

ha ha, I love it!. thanks for all your efforts. your AIMs have been a fun part of this fest.

[Bryce A]

Liked the flick. Nice sweet gunless and gangsterless story (though there was death!). I really enjoyed Tom McHenry and Andy Mullins. Both had a welcoming quality that really made me feel like eating stove heated quaker oats by a warm living room fire while watching it snow outside a log cabin (yes, that's odd, but it's the feeling the film gave me). I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but effective. Nice job.

[Dick Campbell]

Thanks Bryce, appreciate the review.

[Darkline]

I liked this Dick. Good performances, great location and the script rolled along very nicely.

We did see the end coming a long time in advance (as you say mainly becasue its a spin on an old theme), but in some ways it didnt matter because it still had it's emotional impact when it came. I'm not sure what part of this is 'twilight', but nevertheless I still enjoyed it and thought it was a complete a well executed short.

I have to say at the end when he asked to be moved over to the bed near window, I thought he was going to start getting better and then they would bring in another near death paitent, and the story starts again but with him telling hte story. Maybe it's that bed that kills people!!!! lol But I guess that would have been total cheese - which is probably why I thought of it!

[Dick Campbell]

I already had the story, and when I saw the opening rules of Twilightfest ("Theme: Everything may not be as it appears"), I knew this one would be agood one.

Sorry you saw the end coming, I"ve enjoyed the reactions of folks who didn't. Thanks for the time.

[SparkyZa]

Very nicely done. Good story.

[Horncastle]

I see elsewhere that you ask for critique, so here is a late one, although I did watch and vote in time. The film was a pretty good one and got an above average vote from me. I enjoyed the intro scene with the car although I would like you to have hung on a little longer on the wide shot to let the car get a little nearer. The black and white here was a little flat - a contrast with the rest of the film (hospital interiors) where a lot of the shadow detail was missing: your whites looked good, but your blacks were a bit crushed which also pushed your skin tones a bit dark.
The nurse's first monologue seemed rather unnatural, as though it had been written to set up the story rather than as a natural conversation. Your two male actors did a good job. Near the beginning we see the window shutters closed - it would have been nice to see the nurse open them or at least to have had some sort of light change when the second patient was supposedly looking out of the window. Sorry, correction - you get this at 3:20, but all the more reason for having it earlier from 2:45 onwards when he explains he has a wonderful view out of the window.
OK - that all sounded a bit negative. You had a good solid story with a touching twist at the end, you chose a nice car and a great bit of road for the introductory scene and you actually managed to get hold of a real hospital room (either that or you did a marvelous job in setting one up) which gave us some convincing scenes. Good job all round.
Jason

[Dick Campbell]

OK - that all sounded a bit negative.
JasonNo, not at all. That's the kind of critique I want to hear.

I shot the exteriors and interiors with different scene files and the difference effect was intentional, so your take is interesting input. Good point on the window also. Thanks for taking the time.