"The Borders of Elysium"

[majikfraug]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/TheBordersOfElysiumSmall.jpg

[majikfraug]

CAST:
Lisa Michelle Rounds - LAURA
Gabriel Dowling - DAVID
K.C. Jones - BIKER
Heather Dowling - ALLISON FETTERS
Jeremiah Rounds - RYAN BANCROFT

CREW:
WRITER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR/SOUND DESIGNER/VISUAL EFFECTS: Jeremiah Rounds
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Tristan Carnahan
FLASH ANIMATOR: Tom Marshall

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/BrainSurgery01.jpg

[lone.smuggler]

Amazing Poster.

[Dustin R. Rogan]

I think i just poop'd myself alittle...very nice poster my man very nice
Good Luck! (not that you needs it) :D

Rogan

[ZazaCast]

Awesome...AGAIN! Poster rules. Welcome back...

[Mike Insane]

That poster is striking man. Really nice. Welcome to the fest.

[alex whitmer]

You set the bar high with that poster. I was beginning to wonder when we would see you.

a

[pauly_the_hitman]

Nice I can't wait to finish this one...
Pauly

[pauly_the_hitman]

Reserved for future Ramblings...

[Matias Caruso]

Very nice poster. Looking forward to this one. :)

[pauly_the_hitman]

Can I just say in advance how awesome this going to be...
Pauly

[ZazaCast]

Can I just say in advance how awesome this going to be...
Pauly

No. :) LOL!

[majikfraug]

Can I just say in advance how awesome this going to be...
Pauly
Not until you've seen it :) I appreciate the optimism. However, until it's wrapped I don't want any hype. I prefer to let the finished product speak for itself . . . for better or worse.

[ZazaCast]

Who are you trying to kid? I saw "Survival"...this is sure to be another great film.
I for one am really looking forward to it.

[MOVIE MASTER]

Looks good what happen to coyote dela nachos?

[John LaBonney]

Man, I don't know how you guys can work on so many films for this festival. Even with all the help you lent me I'm still pulling my hair out doing just one.

[majikfraug]

Looks good what happen to coyote dela nachos?
Well, I couldn't get anyone to make me a full prosthetic animatronic were-coyote costume for free. So... let's just say that one's on hold until I find a suitcase full of money on the side of the road :)

[majikfraug]

Man, I don't know how you guys can work on so many films for this festival. Even with all the help you lent me I'm still pulling my hair out doing just one.
It's easy: we don't sleep :Drogar-Dum(DBG):

[Larry Rutledge]

Woah! Awesome poster :thumbsup:

I really enjoyed Survival, so I'm definitely looking forward to this

[majikfraug]

Made some costume/prop purchases yesterday . . . including a human brain :-Dum(DBG):

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Made some costume/prop purchases yesterday . . . including a human brain :-Dum(DBG):Now that's what I like to hear! :)

Crazy.... are you making zombies or something? :zombie_smiley:

:beer:

Cheers,

Mike

[majikfraug]

Let's just say there will be blood. Lots of blood.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Let's just say there will be blood. Lots of blood.
Excellent..... :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

[Anthony Pierce]

Love the title. Looking forward to seeing your film.

[chaconkevin]

i have to definately work on this!!

keep me in the loop!
poster is amazazing

keep a look out for my PM's


p.s i had no idea how many Survival fans there were....

[Mike Insane]

So wait, Pauly is working on this one too? How many shows are you guys putting together and how many people are in your crew? Its seems like you're everywhere!

[majikfraug]

This will be the fourth one for me this time. If Kevin shows up, all five of the original Survival crew members will be there.
We start shooting mine tomorrow :)

So wait, Pauly is working on this one too? How many shows are you guys putting together and how many people are in your crew? Its seems like you're everywhere!

[Jason Sanders]

If you need an extra cam Im free tomorrow afternoon and evening.

[majikfraug]

We will be shooting from 5pm-8pm at the Allied Health building at Victor Valley Community College. Your help would be appreciated :) We are also going to be shooting Saturday-Monday at various times. Looks like Tristan is going to stick around and DP...

[Jason Sanders]

Alright cool. I can only help out on friday, I'll be in AZ all weekend. :( Is the college off of bear Valley rd?

[pauly_the_hitman]

Alright cool. I can only help out on friday, I'll be in AZ all weekend. :( Is the college off of bear Valley rd?

Hey Jason,
Yeah the school is off Bear Valley and the help would be awesome. I am sending you a PM with Jerry's phone number if you could give him a call that would be awesome.
Pauly

[chaconkevin]

i can be probably show up on sunday so let me know when the schedule is

[majikfraug]

Still working on the weekend schedule, but I'll keep you in the loop.

i can be probably show up on sunday so let me know when the schedule is

[pauly_the_hitman]

I can shoot after 8 tonight and I will let you know about tomorrow.
Pauly

[chaconkevin]

thank you sir


Still working on the weekend schedule, but I'll keep you in the loop.

[majikfraug]

Scenes 7 and 8 are in the can. Thank you Jason, Tristan, Gabe, and my wonderful wife Lisa. And thank you Kay at Victor Valley Community College for letting us use the lab!

[pauly_the_hitman]

Cool I am glad to hear it worked out. I can't wait to see some footage. I am working from 2:30 - 8:00 again. Sunday I work 11:00 - 5:00 so if you need me for anything in between or after or whatever let me know.
Pauly

[chaconkevin]

hows them schedules lookin?

[Simon Höfer]

Nice poster!

[MOVIE MASTER]

Well, I couldn't get anyone to make me a full prosthetic animatronic were-coyote costume for free. So... let's just say that one's on hold until I find a suitcase full of money on the side of the road



SHOOT I WOULD HAVE LOWN YOU ONE OF MY KIDS! GOOD LUCK
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/TheProwler/imagejpeg_1.jpg

[pauly_the_hitman]

How did the shooting go last night? Damn I hate work. My boss was still mad at me for missing so much work for all the fest stuff I have 4.5 hours next week so if you need me for anything let me know I will have plenty of time.
Pauly

[majikfraug]

Oh man, last night was another long one. But . . . WOW, it was worth it! Tristan got some amazing footage. It calls for some tricky compositing though. Gabe and Lisa were awesome as well, once again.

[majikfraug]

Oh, and since I haven't been online all weekend: Thank you Shirley at Cafe 247 for letting us shoot on Saturday night, and thank you K.C. Jones for letting us "pick your brain" on Sunday :D

[pauly_the_hitman]

cool I look forward to seeing it...

[John LaBonney]

Good luck on this one. Don't know how you guys manage to get around so much!

[Kyle Stebbins]

John, for some reason I always think of Chris Cooper when I see your avatar.

http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2003_Seabiscuit/2003_seabiscuit_024.jpg

[Tom Marshall]

Hey man, I don't know how I missed this thread, post-wise... :huh:

Yeah, finally getting a good look at the poster... it is awesome... :beer:

And for some reason, I always think of Freddy Kreuger getting hit by a car when I see Jeremiah's avatar... :cheesy:

[FDL film music composer]

Hello,
You need a score for your film?
I'm scoring for Project psyco-light and I've scored for timefest also (Reprieve)...i'm work on media and Tv www.soundiva.it (http://www.soundiva.it/) distro
these are some cue (for other tracks visit http://www.fdlfilmusicomposer.com/
http://www.fdlfilmusicomposer.com/public/horror.wmv
Let me know if you have yet shot or if you are interested on score
Best regards and good kuck for your entry

__________________
www.fdlfilmusicomposer.com
(http://www.fdlfilmusicomposer.com/fdlfilmusicomposer.com)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V3/images/statusicon/user_online.gif http://dvxuser.com/V6/images/buttons/report.gif (http://dvxuser.com/V6/report.php?p=1433998) http://dvxuser.com/V6/images/misc/progress.gif http://dvxuser.com/V6/images/buttons/edit.gif (http://dvxuser.com/V6/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=1433998)

[Robbie Comeau]

BTS? BTS? BTS? BTS?

Poster is awesome. Synopsis?

I'm looking forward to this.

Robbie

[John LaBonney]

John, for some reason I always think of Chris Cooper when I see your avatar.

http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2003_Seabiscuit/2003_seabiscuit_024.jpg

That's curious.

[majikfraug]

As soon as I can get my mom's network to accept my Mac. Stupid PC networks :(

BTS? BTS? BTS? BTS?

Poster is awesome. Synopsis?

I'm looking forward to this.

Robbie

[pauly_the_hitman]

I am hoping you are coming back today so we can get the rest of this shot. I have finished editing The Hitman but it sucks and I need your mad SKILLZ to polish it up. See ya soon.
Pauly

[Danielleus]

Is that the road from Survival?

I lliked that one and love this poster. I can't wait to see it. Expecting the same high quality work, so I know I won't be disappointed.



You guys better NOT disappoint. Or else...............................I'll be disappointed.

Good luck finishing.

[majikfraug]

Check page #1 for a screen grab :D

[ZazaCast]

Sweet grab....love the look of it. Thank you sir, may I have another?

[AmyO]

Nice grab. Can't wait to see the story around it. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice grab! :thumbup:
Is that the final CC? Like a bleach pass....
Looks good.

Mike

[eustace]

Dude. The screen grab looks rad! I dig the color.

So how's it all coming together for you? I'm freaking out mine's not going to get done.

[pauly_the_hitman]

Dude. The screen grab looks rad! I dig the color.

So how's it all coming together for you? I'm freaking out mine's not going to get done.

You better finish it or I will send Tom out to accidentally brake your wagon.
Pauly

[Gord.T]

Sorry if it's been answered, but who did the poster and are they a dvx member?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Awesome poster. Awesome grab, man.

What the hell happened to that dude's teeth?

Where are you in your production? Post I assume - what stage?

[Simon Höfer]

Whoa, nice grab man! I think this one is going to rock :D

[Erez Henya]

I am definitely waiting for this!

[majikfraug]

Sorry if it's been answered, but who did the poster and are they a dvx member?
That would be me, so . . . yes.

[majikfraug]

CAST and CREW updated on page number one.

[MrKilloran]

Looks Kick Ass.

[Jason Sanders]

Congrats, cant wait to see this one. It was fun.

[Pigspace]

I'm really looking forward to seeing yours as well as Pauly's.

[majikfraug]

New screen grab ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/LisaSaw.jpg

[Simon Höfer]

Now you got my attention :evil:

[Mike Manning]

Oooo a chain saw! You know MovieMaster is gonna be happy..haha

[Tom Marshall]

New screen grab ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/LisaSaw.jpg

Lisa looks evil there... :evil:

[Bryce A]

New screen grab ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/LisaSaw.jpg

yipes! i believe that's called product placement!
GREAT poster!

[pauly_the_hitman]

I can say. You guys will be amazed at how interesting this one is.
Pauly

[majikfraug]

yipes! i believe that's called product placement!
GREAT poster!
You think I should make them pay me for it?

[Tom Marshall]

You think I should make them pay me for it?

Absolutely! They might cover your whole budget. :)

[majikfraug]

Absolutely! They might cover your whole budget. :)
If they can afford a couple hundred bucks ;)

[eustace]

Dude. I can't wait to see this!

I'll be giving you a jingle soon to hear how the rest of it went. I can't believe we all actually finished.

[gabrielflorit]

New screen grab ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v409/majikfraug/LisaSaw.jpg

Is this green-screened? If not, how did you get her to be so well-lit?

[majikfraug]

That's sunlight and a reflector. (BTW, my little 5 way reflector is probably the best investment I've made besides my DVX -everybody should have one)

Is this green-screened? If not, how did you get her to be so well-lit?

[Tim Joy]

That's sunlight and a reflector. (BTW, my little 5 way reflector is probably the best investment I've made besides my DVX -everybody should have one)

Absolutely! It's like checking to make sure you're wearing pants before you walk out the door. Essential.

Can't wait to see this one.

[majikfraug]

"The Borders of Elysium" is officially approved! One step closer to viewing!!!

[pauly_the_hitman]

Yeah we did it man 4 out of 4 what an accomplishment. I am looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about them. Since they are so different it will be very interesting come the voting. Thanks for all your help you rock man...
Pauly

[Darkline]

Love the poster and really liked surival. The fact Primer is one of your fave films gives me hope too :-) Looking forward to it!

[Brian Parker]

Great poster and intense first screen grab. Based on the tidbits you guys a re dropping, it seems like it's going to be great!

[Michelle J. LaBonney]

Hey guys, just curious, what do you use for blood? Or is it a well-held secret? I am so curious because your blood looks so good.

[pauly_the_hitman]

Hey guys, just curious, what do you use for blood? Or is it a well-held secret? I am so curious because your blood looks so good.

Well we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you...J/K it is a nice little concoction my bother has formulated made from everyday thing you would find at your local.
A. Walmart
B. Target
C. Supermarket
D. All of the above

Stay tuned and the answer shall be reveled.
Pauly

[majikfraug]

Hey guys, just curious, what do you use for blood? Or is it a well-held secret? I am so curious because your blood looks so good.

Cheap 'n' Easy Blood Recipe:
1 bottle of cheapo corn syrup
1 bottle red food coloring
Cheapo chocolate syrup -add a little bit for darkness and opacity
A drop or two of green food coloring to make it a little less RED red
Add warm water to desired consistency

We use it for everything. :Drogar-Happy(DBG):

[pauly_the_hitman]

Cheap 'n' Easy Blood Recipe:
1 bottle of cheapo corn syrup
1 bottle red food coloring
Cheapo chocolate syrup -add a little bit for darkness and opacity
A drop or two of green food coloring to make it a little less RED red
Add warm water to desired consistency

We use it for everything. :Drogar-Happy(DBG):

We even use it to keep the crew awake instead of buying coffee and sugary stuff. And the kids love it to.
Pauly

[Michelle J. LaBonney]

You guys are the best! Thanks for the recipe!

[Michelle J. LaBonney]

Well we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you...

I knew you were going to say that!!!

[pauly_the_hitman]

I knew you were going to say that!!!


What kind of Hitman would I be if I didn't make sure even my closets friends don't forget who I really am...

[rustes]

Epic! Amazing Storytelling! You fit in so much in 6 minutes! Perfect! I think you into the next round.

[Richard J. Johnson]

Man that felt like It was 30 minutes long. Love the hair at the end. the Gore looked damn good too.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Hey! Great effects work. The time and effort you put into the props and such is very admirable. I won't give anything away here but I have to say that I loved the closing scene. Great impact!

I'll stop by with more later.

Great work!

Mike

[Zak Forsman]

that was very good. gross, but good. :)

[chaconkevin]

*film ends*
*kevin backs up from the screen*

wow......
*slow clap*

*wipes tears of face*


that was amazazing, all i could really say that was wrong with it(not even wrong just that i would try to do diff.) would be the music when lisa picks up K.C makes the whole short feel some what comical, and i litterally watched it like 6 times just to try and give some criticism.
the acting, the brain, the cinematography the editing dude everything was freackn dope!

the hair shot was ridunkelious. loved the ending to


oh p.s i never read the ending of the script on purpose just to get the suprise.

you delivered oh so well..

happy to be a part of this/

[galbach]

I loved it. Great look..Pacing. effects..... All supereb I dragged you into my "Facorites Folder" Good Luck!!

[KOHR]

I love seeing one of the lesser-hyped films turn out to be one of the best. I'd have to say that this one is among the top 2 in terms of pure story and character for me. I'd have to disagree on the criticism about the music, I felt like it basically told the audience "THIS IS A BLACK COMEDY." Which is essentially one of my favorite genres, so I'm probably a little bias here. The narration and music basically did it for me--

SPOILERS

Best line "turns out I'm not a very good brain surgeon" ...or something like that
Best moment- "offer them more pain than they can inflict on themself"-- IMMEDIATELY CUT TO CHAINSAW. Made me have a sincere "oh ****" moment

END SPOILERS

Anyway, I felt like you accomplished a lot in 6 minutes... felt very full and well paced. Other than that, the only serious criticism I have is that the gas-masked soldier guy really didn't do it for me. That whole... vigilante sort of part kind of threw me off in general. It just didn't feel quite as polished as the rest of the film. But besides that, AWESOME WORK! I loved it... gonna watch it again in a bit here.

[majikfraug]

I love seeing one of the lesser-hyped films turn out to be one of the best. I'd have to say that this one is among the top 2 in terms of pure story and character for me. I'd have to disagree on the criticism about the music, I felt like it basically told the audience "THIS IS A BLACK COMEDY." Which is essentially one of my favorite genres, so I'm probably a little bias here. The narration and music basically did it for me--

Anyway, I felt like you accomplished a lot in 6 minutes... felt very full and well paced. Other than that, the only serious criticism I have is that the gas-masked soldier guy really didn't do it for me. That whole... vigilante sort of part kind of threw me off in general. It just didn't feel quite as polished as the rest of the film. But besides that, AWESOME WORK! I loved it... gonna watch it again in a bit here.


Thank you very much. I'm glad you got that it was a black comedy. I was going for that feel from the very beginning and I'm glad it was picked up on :dankk2:
SPOILER-ish RESPONSE: The gas-masked soldier is supposed to be a guard at the base. The ending originally had a lot more to do with the soldiers at the base not being affected by E.S. because they were in on its creation...

A LOT had to be changed due to budget constraints, me shooting some stuff wrong, and thinking I could make it all happen in post. Learned a lot from that. My standard MO is: 1. write what I want to see 2. figure out what I think would work shooting-wise 3. spend a few days struggling to make it work in post 4. realize it ain't gonna happen and re-shoot.

I'm thinking next time I'll either write a bit less "expensively" (yeah right) or get some help in pre-prod. and/or get some funding :)

Maybe I'll post the original script in a while so you guys can see how much it changed. It's got some VERY different scenes.
Thanks!

[majikfraug]

I loved it. Great look..Pacing. effects..... All supereb I dragged you into my "Facorites Folder" Good Luck!!
Teacher's Pet is way at the top of my list too! I'm glad you liked.

[MrKilloran]

... claps... that was some incredible work. Your shots at the beginning, focusing on the silhouettes are what really got me, really drew me into the story.

Thought the "play doctor" scenes were dealt with well, utilizing a good amount of gore and humor to give us some laughs, especially the music that plays over that sequence, its funny.

The story was engaging and this bleak future was handled beautifully. For what you have here I think its one of the best. Great work!

[majikfraug]

So next time, my movie will be entitled: "AAA Movie: Please Watch First" :D

[ZazaCast]

Why am I not surprized? After your last entry in TimeFest, I would expect no less. BUT, looking at all the other films you helped-out on AND putting this one together? WOW, they sure know how to grow them out there in the desert! LOL.

Loved the story...and you make a great Doctor! The whole package just drew me in right from the start and kept me there till the end. The extreme close-ups, angles & camera movement was very well done. It's movies like this that make me wonder why I even bother entering these fests. If there's anything I can nit-pick, it would be the VO. I think it could have been read with a little more feel and at time felt like someone just reading a script. The sound of the recording could have been better too.

All in all, this has to be one of the best of the fest. I'll always be looking forward to your films in the future. Best of luck.

[majikfraug]

Why am I not surprized? After your last entry in TimeFest, I would expect no less. BUT, looking at all the other films you helped-out on AND putting this one together? WOW, they sure know how to grow them out there in the desert! LOL.

Loved the story...and you make a great Doctor! The whole package just drew me in right from the start and kept me there till the end. The extreme close-ups, angles & camera movement was very well done. It's movies like this that make me wonder why I even bother entering these fests. If there's anything I can nit-pick, it would be the VO. I think it could have been read with a little more feel and at time felt like someone just reading a script. The sound of the recording could have been better too.

All in all, this has to be one of the best of the fest. I'll always be looking forward to your films in the future. Best of luck.

Thanks!
Yeah, the VO was recorded October 27th, and edited into the timeline in the car, on the way to my brother Pauly the Hitman's house so I could use his internet to upload. Pretty much zero time for fixing audio issues. I spent two weeks on audio for Survival and was too busy getting pick-up shots to sleep the night of the 26th-27th. The final cut will have better audio, but I just had to get this one entered. Barely made the deadline as is :)

[sean90291]

Amazing production values. You have a great eye and great style. Very weak voice over, though. If you re-wrote and re-recorded a voice over, you could have an awesome film here. Because you nailed everything else. You have some serious talent, but I think you have to be cautious to cover for your blind-spots.

[hoz]

wow, you packed a ton into 6 minutes!!

spoiler



i loved the music! please don't change that. especially when she works on the dude's brain. your version of suicide/end of the world absolutely murders m knight's version ( maybe not saying much, but i do mean it as a big compliment ) you gave me something plausible to believe in. didnt care much for the gas mask guy either, but i read where you had to change things, so i would really like to see the original script! liked the different ways you showed things ( via TV or by how you showed the girl dragging her guy into the sleeping chamber thing ) and loved the ending with the hair, real cool!

this shows a ton of work, especially the brain part, what did you use for that?

[majikfraug]

Jello brains :)
I think I will post the original screenplay after voting ends.

[Susanne G.]

This story is fantastic and I like you as the professor. Your wife is a very good actress - I loved her crazy face expression when she enjoyed to cut her fingers and when she went in the desert with the motor saw to give the man the pleasure to have pain. The whole rhythm of the film is perfect. I personally had my problems with the brain operation scene. For this kind of scenes I need a cuscion where I could put my face in to not see it and have to jumped this part of the film. Your film is the only one where I need to do this and I don't think it was necessary to show that, but only a minor detail based on my personal taste. Excellent work - I enjoyed it!
:beer:

Susanne

[majikfraug]

Your wife is a very good actress - I loved her crazy face expression when she enjoyed to cut her fingers and when she went in the desert with the motor saw to give the man the pleasure to have pain. Susanne

Thank you, on behalf of Lisa (playing Laura, the main character). However, the actress in the second scene (the blonde cutting her fingers off) is Heather Dowling -the same character on the TV in the beginning. I was a bit worried, when I had cast two actresses who look similar, that this type of confusion would occur. :huh: Hope that clears things up.

[Susanne G.]

Thank you, on behalf of Lisa (playing Laura, the main character). However, the actress in the second scene (the blonde cutting her fingers off) is Heather Dowling -the same character on the TV in the beginning. I was a bit worried, when I had cast two actresses who look similar, that this type of confusion would occur. :huh: Hope that clears things up.

Oh, excuse me I am a little bit lazy this fest - I watched all films only one time and I really thought that there is only one female actress in the film. :Drogar-KnockedOut(D
Sorry I must be blind! I will watch it again.

Susanne

[Matias Caruso]

Amazing concept.

Similar to “The Happening” with the only (and big) difference that you offer a rational explanation to back it up.

My only “grip” would be that the story is too big in scope for a short; impossible to do the concept justice in just a few minutes.

But you did pretty well, nonetheless. Very enjoyable to watch.

I wish you good luck. :)

[Steve Strickland]

Man, this is one ambitious, clever, twisted piece of cinematic pleasure. What a great concept. Truly original. The last shot is pure genius. I'm slowly making my way through reviews, but Borders is definitely on my short list of the TwilightFest elite.

Really great attention to detail. The music over the brain surgery was an brilliant touch. So many different sylistic elements to one film. Have I gushed enough?:) I can sense we share a similar twisted sense of humor.

If there was one area I think could use improvement, it would be the VO. It doesn't do justice to your film. Maybe a re-record could help it blend in more with the vibe. As it is now, it kind of jumps out from the film a bit.

This, however, is a small, fixable issue to make your awesome movie a completely bad*ss awesome movie. I can't wait to see what you do next. Bravo!

[Mile Bozicevic]

This movie is really something. I can't believe you put all that story into just 6 mins. If I had the script and was directing it, I would probably say that's it's impossible to do it in 6 min.

Everything is just great, except the audio when mr. Scientist explains the Elysium. I hardly heard him there, and he talks a little bit too fast.

But that's just a minor detail-everything else is great. I just wonder would this be disqualified if on that part of brain surgery if you put same scenes with different music? Like this, it's kinda funny and interesting, but if it had a complete serious tone, lol...

Congrats, this is definitly among my favorites.

[majikfraug]

This movie is really something. I can't believe you put all that story into just 6 mins. If I had the script and was directing it, I would probably say that's it's impossible to do it in 6 min.

Everything is just great, except the audio when mr. Scientist explains the Elysium. I hardly heard him there, and he talks a little bit too fast.

But that's just a minor detail-everything else is great. I just wonder would this be disqualified if on that part of brain surgery if you put same scenes with different music? Like this, it's kinda funny and interesting, but if it had a complete serious tone, lol...

Congrats, this is definitly among my favorites.

Are you implying that it would be too graphic for an R rating? I thought of that too, but "Hannibal" had a guy eating his own brain, so I figured I was safe :)

[majikfraug]

Man, this is one ambitious, clever, twisted piece of cinematic pleasure. What a great concept. Truly original. The last shot is pure genius. I'm slowly making my way through reviews, but Borders is definitely on my short list of the TwilightFest elite.

Really great attention to detail. The music over the brain surgery was an brilliant touch. So many different sylistic elements to one film. Have I gushed enough?:) I can sense we share a similar twisted sense of humor.

If there was one area I think could use improvement, it would be the VO. It doesn't do justice to your film. Maybe a re-record could help it blend in more with the vibe. As it is now, it kind of jumps out from the film a bit.

This, however, is a small, fixable issue to make your awesome movie a completely bad*ss awesome movie. I can't wait to see what you do next. Bravo!

Thank You! Yeah, we must have similar tastes. Teacher's Pet is way, way up on my list too :)

[Dick Campbell]

appropriate to the theme of this fest, and a well done story.

[pauly_the_hitman]

appropriate to the theme of this fest, and a well done story.

Thanks for your comments they are much appreciated.
Pauly

[Mile Bozicevic]

Are you implying that it would be too graphic for an R rating? I thought of that too, but "Hannibal" had a guy eating his own brain, so I figured I was safe :)

Hm really...naah, you just got lucky this time. :evil:

Once again, congrats on this one!

[John LaBonney]

Jeremiah:

My first impression of this film was simply "wow!" A really original concept. I would love to read the script myself. One of the few in the fest that I enjoyed watching more than once. Brilliantly presented. I don't have a clue how you accomplished this in such a short amount of time.

I loved the scene where she cuts off her fingers. What a great look on her face (I had to tell Michelle to cover her eyes).

I think that the music, especially when Laura picks up K.C., is great.

The acting was outstanding throughout.

Care to share how you did the final shot?

I'm sitting here wondering how I could make a film with this level of depth. I can't. I wish I could, but I can't.

Bravo!

[pauly_the_hitman]

Jeremiah:

My first impression of this film was simply "wow!" A really original concept. I would love to read the script myself. One of the few in the fest that I enjoyed watching more than once. Brilliantly presented. I don't have a clue how you accomplished this in such a short amount of time.

I loved the scene where she cuts off her fingers. What a great look on her face (I had to tell Michelle to cover her eyes).

I think that the music, especially when Laura picks up K.C., is great.

The acting was outstanding throughout.

Care to share how you did the final shot?

I'm sitting here wondering how I could make a film with this level of depth. I can't. I wish I could, but I can't.

Bravo!

Hey John I am convinced that God only made a couple of people that could pull something off like Jeremiah and Tristan. I myself am lucky enough to get to work with them all the time and I still say WOW. I wish they would have had more time to help me with the hitman but I have now proved to myself that I can actually do it all myself but never wish to attempt that again. So I say to you sir write us a western and we shall film it and all will come and enjoy it....
Pauly

[majikfraug]

Jeremiah:

My first impression of this film was simply "wow!" A really original concept. I would love to read the script myself. One of the few in the fest that I enjoyed watching more than once. Brilliantly presented. I don't have a clue how you accomplished this in such a short amount of time.

I loved the scene where she cuts off her fingers. What a great look on her face (I had to tell Michelle to cover her eyes).

I think that the music, especially when Laura picks up K.C., is great.

The acting was outstanding throughout.

Care to share how you did the final shot?

I'm sitting here wondering how I could make a film with this level of depth. I can't. I wish I could, but I can't.

Bravo!

Thank you John! I'll share my methods after the fest :) Let's just say it took an overnight AfterEffects render. Send me a PM if you'd like some more detail before voting ends.

[stinkpot]

Epic use of six minutes. No more needs to be said.

:beer:

[Edgen]

I dug the film and it's concept. I can't say the same about the VO. (which i'm sure has already been stated)

Looking forward to seeing more films from you!

cheers,
/j

[Susanne G.]

Thank you, on behalf of Lisa (playing Laura, the main character). However, the actress in the second scene (the blonde cutting her fingers off) is Heather Dowling -the same character on the TV in the beginning. I was a bit worried, when I had cast two actresses who look similar, that this type of confusion would occur. :huh: Hope that clears things up.

I took time to watch your film the second time. I should be blind - definitely I saw now that there are two different actresses. I watched all films in three days and made myself little notices for every film. After watching all films I started to give comments. Probably I had more the story in general and Lisa with the power saw in mind and then thinking that the girl in the first scene is also her. I have to admit that this is a little bit embarassing for me :Drogar-KnockedOut(D and I will change my system to watch and comment on films next fest!

Susanne

[lawriejaffa]

Really nice film!

I quite enjoyed this and found it to be among the most ambitious of the films entered. The concept of the virus is really quite original! The finger chopping scene is effective (and is in itself like a homage to gleeful finger chopping scene from 'Suicide Club') a film id recommend too!

The production design, and edit held by attention throughout, and the actors performed well. Overall an excellent short :)

[King Cole]

Only watched it once, but I will watch it again.

Damn. You are quite a storyteller to fit that complexity into six minutes. I am simply blown away. I tell a story about a kid running and can barely fit it to time, you lay a near feature length story into 6 minutes like it's no big deal. I had no problem distinguishing between the two actresses, plus it makes sense that they are different roles in the story. I loved the music, definitely said black comedy to me. I never laughed out loud, but I was feeling your humor all the way though and it "worked" for me. The effects were good. Brain gore was too much for me, but probably necessary for your story and right in line with your humor. Acting was good, visuals were good, last shot was simply stunning. The more I think about this, the more I'm impressed. This better be near the top.

JC

[majikfraug]

Really nice film!

I quite enjoyed this and found it to be among the most ambitious of the films entered. The concept of the virus is really quite original! The finger chopping scene is effective (and is in itself like a homage to gleeful finger chopping scene from 'Suicide Club') a film id recommend too!

The production design, and edit held by attention throughout, and the actors performed well. Overall an excellent short :)

Thanks! Have you seen the sequel to "Suicide Club": "Noriko's Dinner Table"? I think it's even better than S.C.

[majikfraug]

Only watched it once, but I will watch it again.

Damn. You are quite a storyteller to fit that complexity into six minutes. I am simply blown away. I tell a story about a kid running and can barely fit it to time, you lay a near feature length story into 6 minutes like it's no big deal. I had no problem distinguishing between the two actresses, plus it makes sense that they are different roles in the story. I loved the music, definitely said black comedy to me. I never laughed out loud, but I was feeling your humor all the way though and it "worked" for me. The effects were good. Brain gore was too much for me, but probably necessary for your story and right in line with your humor. Acting was good, visuals were good, last shot was simply stunning. The more I think about this, the more I'm impressed. This better be near the top.

JC

Thank you sooo much. I really appreciate it. I would love to turn this into a feature, if the opportunity to do so came along. Have to finish my current screenplay before I start on another though :)

[Mark Harris]

Very well done. Definitely a film after my own heart. I would agree with others that the only real weak point was the V/O. I would encourage you to take the time to re-record it, maybe another actress, maybe just giving her more direction. I also think it's a little too much story for a 6 min movie, but then again, my films usually are too :)

Good work! I love watching your stuff.

[Darkline]

Hey MajikFraug,

sorry it's taken eons to get to review all these films.

Actually Border's was one of the first ones I watched. I thought you had a great story and a cool premise. There were some standout moments; the finger cutting, the brain prodding - it was a lot of fun. I think also the most ambitious of all the entries.

Ths was never boring, always fun, but I think the empathy for the characters may have suffered a little by fitting such a big tale into 6 mins; I seriously think this is something you could expand into a longer version or have other films set in the same universe. As it was, for me there was a little too much VO telling us what was happening. But I guess with the story you had to tell, there would have been no way around that.

Overall this was defo one of the most entertaining films in the fest. Great ending shot too.

Edit: So at the end when she says 'i wont let them get away with it' she trashed some wires and then goes into stasis. Am I right in thinking she is just going to blow the whistle if and when she wakes up in 10,000 years time, or did she actually do soemthing before she went into stasis?

[Robbie Comeau]

Yeah, get another actress to do the voiceover, (or her again, but direct her a little better). It took me off of the film.

I watched this a couple times, and I liked it the more I watched it.

Nice shot at the end to close the film!

Nice effects, and great job with the surgery part on the brain, looked really realistic!

Robbie

[majikfraug]

Edit: So at the end when she says 'i wont let them get away with it' she trashed some wires and then goes into stasis. Am I right in thinking she is just going to blow the whistle if and when she wakes up in 10,000 years time, or did she actually do soemthing before she went into stasis?

Yeah...that was an effect shot that had to be cut due to lack of CG expertise and time :) You would have seen her in a huge hall with hundreds of the Hybernation Pods. She walks down the corridor, cutting power to all but two of the pods (that's what she's doing with the axe).
As is, you kind of lose track of what it is exactly that she's doing.
Thank you for the comments!

[Darkline]

that would have been cool. If you can manage it I'd defo go back and put that in.

[majikfraug]

Yeah, get another actress to do the voiceover, (or her again, but direct her a little better). It took me off of the film.

I watched this a couple times, and I liked it the more I watched it.

Nice shot at the end to close the film!

Nice effects, and great job with the surgery part on the brain, looked really realistic!

Robbie
The VO was rushed, I only finished editing the morning of the 27th, and had to be sure of the final cut before I wrote the VO. We were both very tired when we recorded it -the morning of the deadline :) So yeah, plan is to work on it some more before submitting to other festivals.
Thanks for watching/commenting!

[majikfraug]

that would have been cool. If you can manage it I'd defo go back and put that in.

Thanks! Know any good composting/effects people? :D

[gabrielflorit]

This is in my top five. I'm in love. Who is she? I don't have the disorder, but I'd sure like her to show me how to run a chainsaw.

This one had everything - great story, great acting, great locations, great lighting, great sound effects, great music. Very well done.

[Bryce A]

The shear scope of the story told blows away preconceived notions of what can be done with 6 minutes. I’m just going to make a list.

Jumping around in the narrative was seamless.

The 70s feel made the production value obsolete. It didn’t matter cause it fit the aesthetic. I loved the feel, the locations, the brains and blood. Set the mood like no other. It was like watching a 70’s instructional video spliced with chainsaw and mixed with Aronofsky’s The Fountain. The shear vision and practicality of this piece blew away the bigger fest films.

All you actors were fantastic. Lisa Michelle Rounds, Gabriel Dowling, K.C. Jones, Heather Dowling, Jeremiah Rounds. Great work.

Sadism out of love and practicality was a tough sell and I bought it.

My only issue is that all of the above is achieved with a voice over. It’s a tool that leads to easy compression, but who cares.

8 films left to watch and your film is destroying the competition.

Good luck

[Tim Joy]

BEST transition from the dvxuser leader. Loved it!
The newscast was well done and really packed a lot of backstory into the top, great idea.
Loved the moment she uses the chainsaw to entice the guy. That was fun.

The whole dremel tool thing...oooo. I still haven't watched it. I can't, due to a weak stomach. Just the sound is enough to make me gag. Kudos on that.

I'm not quite sure the ending really packs a punch that this piece deserves, and one nitpick on the really cool effect in the pod- It doesn't start growing for like 20 years, then all of a sudden..boom? ( I didn't think of that till like the 4th or 5th time watching it, so not a big deal.)

I liked it a lot and it has a "future devestated world" aspect that is plausable, unlike zombies, which I consider to be only ever in (cheezy) movies.

Congrats!

[Michelle J. LaBonney]

So way cool!! The story idea was so original. I have no idea how you do it, but just keep on doing it!

(PS: I am sorry, but I had to close my eyes when the girl was cutting off her fingers...way too realistic! Some day when I get enough courage, I will watch it.)

[Mike Insane]

Wow, really interesting plot. This might be my favorite plot so far. I didn't buy the lead as an axe toting unwitting scientist but then again, maybe she was supposed to be just an everyday girl. either way I still enjoyed the film quite a bit. Good job.

[Brian Parker]

Really cool film. Liked the concept. The actress really pulled it off. My only issue is that her narration at some points seemed a little stilted. Other than that, it was really well done with high production value. Love the shot of her at the end in the hyperbolic chamber when her hair grows. Awesome job! :beer:

[majikfraug]

Great feedback everyone! I wish I could hear some more negative feedback to know what didn't work for people, though. Any takers?

[gabrielflorit]

Great feedback everyone! I wish I could hear some more negative feedback to know what didn't work for people, though. Any takers?

Sure.

Here's a shot-by-shot review of what I didn't like:

00:28, looks like he's acting the scientist part.

00:39-00:41, what does the ball have to do with anything? it's obvious you included it to satisfy the requirement. I think you could have gone with something a little bit more subtle.

01:22 her VO doesn't match her face. It sounds too... teeny. I mean, up to this point, dude you've got a 12/10 short. But then the VO comes, and she sounds like a teenager trying to be all-grown up, which is in contrast with the fabulous charisma she's been exuding up to this point.

01:35 her smile isn't natural, looks to me like she's trying to act.

02:22 oh. I see. The VO wasn't the intro woman's voice. That was confusing. I think you should have done something different here, it's jarring. When we see a character doing something, and a VO, the only natural thing for us is to assume the two go together.

02:31 his reaction isn't convincing, looks like he's trying to act surprised.

03:57 eews. I think you could have stopped with the gore by now. Too much and you run the risk of saying "look, I can do very convincing gore". It's too much. For me, at least.

04:18 "out of the field, and into the office" - she says it like a high schooler doing a documentary for a school project.

05:17 What??? No no no. Too easy. The leap she makes from trying to figure out the disease and understanding it's a conspiracy - it happens in 10 seconds? It's too jarring. Too quick.


There you have it. A list of EVERY SINGLE THING I could think of I didn't like. Notice it's a rather short list. That's because you have a killer entry here, and I'm bummed you didn't make it. She's perhaps my favorite female of the fest. She has an amazing look. Like a female Gael Garcia Bernal, you know? She can play melancholy like no other.

[majikfraug]

(edited so it doesn't take up too much space)
There you have it. A list of EVERY SINGLE THING I could think of I didn't like. Notice it's a rather short list. That's because you have a killer entry here, and I'm bummed you didn't make it. She's perhaps my favorite female of the fest. She has an amazing look. Like a female Gael Garcia Bernal, you know? She can play melancholy like no other.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Truly, this gives me a great place to start my re-evaluations and figure out what needs to change before Elysium goes on to other places.
Again: thank you!

[gabrielflorit]

VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! Truly, this gives me a great place to start my re-evaluations and figure out what needs to change before Elysium goes on to other places.
Again: thank you!

My pleasure! I enjoyed watching your film a second time. One day I'll be able to pull off what you do. One day.

[majikfraug]

Can't wait for the next fest. I thought I was gonna skip out on the next one, but LOSS-Fest is just too great of a theme :D

[John LaBonney]

Hey Jeremiah,

Time to explain how you created that final shot. I'm interested.

John

[majikfraug]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about that!
Here goes:
1. Create POD out of cardboard, spraypaint, and various other materials
2. Get a bunch of wigmaking hair and tie it together at one end
3. Arrange hair around actor
4. Roll Camera
5. Pull hair out of frame under actor
6. Reverse footage in FCP
7. Export to After Effects and do a bunch of compositing and junk
8. Render over-night
9. Throw it back into the final cut
10. Toss into a festival
11. Barely miss being a finalist :)

-Nothing to it :D

[John LaBonney]

Ah, very nice, thanks.

[majikfraug]

Fixing things and getting ready to enter "Borders" in other fests...finally.

[majikfraug]

6542898

The slightly modified version.