"Last Touch" - a Norm Sanders film

[Norm Sanders]

DIRECT DOWNLOAD OF THE FILM TO VIEW: http://dvxfest.day7studios.com/loss2009/Last_Touch-Norm_Sanders.mov


TAGLINE: Opportunity Only Knocks Once
TAGLINE (alternate): How far would you go for true love?

LOGLINE: A guilt ridden husband, begs forgiveness from his wife for the car accident they were in; praying their current circumstance could be changed.


http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/images/poster3.jpg



CAST
David Kubiczky ................. Rick
Megan Powers ................. Dawn
Tim Jaeger ........................ Dr. Stone
Shelly LaFrance ................ Female Nurse
James Donaldson ............. Male Nurse


CREW
Norm Sanders ................... Director / Producer / Editor / Story
Jeffrey R. Hawley .............. Writer / Story
James McGuire .................. Story
Steven Dempsey ............... Directory of Photography
Justin Durban .................... Composer
Steve Waters .................... Chief Electrician
Jared Rogers ..................... Swing / Grip
James Donaldson .............. Associate Producer
Alan Smith ......................... Boom Operator
Stephanie June Johnson ... Makeup Artist
Shelly LaFrance ................. Location Manager / Prop Mistress / Wardrobe
Simon Höfer ...................... Post VFX Artist

[Norm Sanders]

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008
Principle Photography of "Last Touch" shot & wrapped

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Steven Dempsey, Director of Photography, captures all footage & gets it into U.S. Postal system for delivery to Norm Sanders, Director, to begin rough cut.

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
Norm receives hard drive from Steven. Will begin editing after Thanksgiving. Temporary poster posted, as well as thumbnails/screen grabs of non-cc'd footage.

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Norm begins sorting footage for rough cut. Rough cut edit begins.

Monday, December 15th, 2008
Norm still laboriously works through rough edit, while in the midst of looking for work ... and Christmas shopping (an awesome combination!). It should be noted that Norm has a very linear editing process, so by the time the 1st draft is cut (rough cut), it's usually pretty close to a locked edit. Hoping to have the locked edit out for further post work within the next week (Score/VFX). Have rec'd extremely positive feedback on the edit, thus far.

Saturday, December 20th, 2008
Have uploaded the full edit for review by Steven, and to get a second eye on the film. Current run time is approximately 8 minutes. We'll have a full length cut, and I'm quite confident we can have a solid 6 minute cut of this as well for the LossFest. Once the locked edit is in place for the full cut, I'll immediately cut the 6 minute version (1-2 days, tops), and send both to Justin, having him score the 8 minute, then lap that in hopefully without too much work for the 6 minute version.

[Norm Sanders]

Non-CC'd screen grabs. Click on a thumbnail to view.

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/ball.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/ball.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/closeup.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/closeup.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/dawn.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/dawn.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/dawnrick.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/dawnrick.jpg)

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/doc.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/doc.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/docnurse.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/docnurse.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/rick.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/rick.jpg)...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/rickphone.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/rickphone.jpg)

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/thumbs/room.jpg (http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/room.jpg)


Due to limitation of 9 images per post, click the following links/posts to view random BTS pics:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1481000&postcount=36
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1481000&postcount=37


Additional Frame Grab(s)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1497054&postcount=57


Previous temp poster by Steven Dempsey
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1498863&postcount=60



Check back for more updated BTS soon....

[Norm Sanders]

What camera was this shot with? Canon XHA1 with Letus Ultimate and Nikon primes.

Did anything weird happen [while filming at a reportedly 'haunted location']? No, but it's a cool story. See the following post: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1478364&postcount=23



More Q&A to come....

[Brandon Rice]

wow... excited :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Hey, Norm! You're not acting in this one?
Can't wait to see the grabs! I see that you have already shot this puppy. Nice work. :thumbup:

Simon and Justin on board = Awesome.

Really looking forward to this one.
Best of luck, man.

Cheers,

Mike

[disjecta]

I have to say I love working with Norm. He has the exact same sense of dry wit that I do and it makes both of us appear like we are little evil elves on set :)

This was a very ambitious shoot but we managed to get everything done. I've got a tungsten tan on the back of my neck to prove it. A good cast and crew is important to the final film, of course, but they also make it a much better experience in production. What a great bunch of people, all willing to jump in and do whatever was necessary to get the job done.

Although I was completely fatigued at the end of the day, when I woke up Monday, I wanted to do it all over again...so that's saying something.

[Brandon Rice]

Steve shot this? Wow... didn't realize... double awesome!

[Tom Marshall]

It's about time! :)

Good to see Steven was the DP. He's a madman. :evil:

Oh cool, Simon too... I'll look forward to see what he brings to the table...

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

What camera was this shot with?

[disjecta]

Canon XHA1 with Letus Ultimate and Nikon primes.

[Tom Marshall]

MADMAN!!! :evil:

[AmyO]

Dude! That was fast. Looking forward to seeing this, Norm. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Canon XHA1 with Letus Ultimate and Nikon primes.I've seen your work. Didn't realize you were on board as well.
The hype factor just jumped a few more notches. :thumbup:

Post the grabs!! :)

Cheers,

Mike

[disjecta]

Jeez guys, no pressure....

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, Steve, it was awesome being able to work with you again, this time in a more direct fashion (for everyone else, my first & only other time was on Fat Monster's Vienna Music Video Shoot, where I was in front of camera only).

And nope, I'm not in front of the camera at all on this one. Simply wanted to focus more on directing only, and see how it turned out from all my past experiences, where I've tried to balance both sides of the lens with acting as well. Quite frankly, I don't think I had the guts to try & tackle the material that David was so adept to anyway ... it was a VERY challenging role. Everyone was pretty spent at the end of the shoot.

I'm working too, right now, but will do my best to get some grabs up that Steven sent me before the end of the day. Steven, you're more than welcome to post something here, if you want, and I'll do up the front page with some thumbnails, etc. later.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice grabs! LOL, the ball was last Fest. ;)

Nice makeup on the head wound as well. Great framing.

Cheers,

Mike

[Norm Sanders]

Yeah, this was clearly the script we had HOPED to shoot for TwilightFest, but since the subject had already dealt with the idea of loss, we got it approved for LossFest ... worked out perfectly, since actual production didn't start until after the 17th (took us forever to obtain the hospital location - WHICH, BTW, we found out is supposed to be haunted - this, of course, was AFTER we started setting up, lol).

[pauly_the_hitman]

Nice looking grabs can't wait to see the finished product.
Pauly

[Tom Marshall]

...we found out is supposed to be haunted - this, of course, was AFTER we started setting up, lol).

Wow, did anything weird happen??

[Norm Sanders]

No, though the cast & crew continually tried to scare the crap out of me, sometimes a little successfully, I might add.

In a nutshell, it's the 3rd floor of a decommissioned hospital, with the bottom two floors still used for clinic stuff, etc. All of their surgical, ICU, etc. has been moved to a brand new facility, this one having been built in the 60's. The section we were in was a NeoNatal (sp) facility, with four surgical rooms for infants, etc. all facing in towards each other (imagine standing in the center of a circle, with these doors surrounding you, each leading to a room that either saves your child, or they die in)...

So needless to say, there have been deaths, possibly a lot, I'm unsure, that have occurred over the years on this floor, and specifically in the room(s) we were working in ... to the extent that the security guards will NOT come up to this floor alone, as there have been too many incidents that have happened of sightings, objects moving with no one touching them, etc. We spoke to multiple guards, and they all had their own personal stories about it, and/or the ones they've heard.

One guard, the morning of our shoot, said he quit going up there about 2 years ago. His last time was when he had walked past all these doors, ensured they were locked, and simply went to the end of the hall to check another door. He walked past them again on his way back out, and all four doors were unlocked, and wide open. He never heard a sound, and he was the only person not only on the floor, but in the entire building at the time.

Okay, I'm offline for a while ... looking forward to updating this more soon, as well as working on a BTS montage video of the day!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Yeah, this was clearly the script we had HOPED to shoot for TwilightFest, but since the subject had already dealt with the idea of loss, we got it approved for LossFest ... worked out perfectly, since actual production didn't start until after the 17th (took us forever to obtain the hospital location - WHICH, BTW, we found out is supposed to be haunted - this, of course, was AFTER we started setting up, lol).
Great location find! :beer:

[teresadecher]

Norm,

The grabs look awesome and super intense! I can't wait to see this; I always enjoy your work :)

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

One guard, the morning of our shoot, said he quit going up there about 2 years ago. His last time was when he had walked past all these doors, ensured they were locked, and simply went to the end of the hall to check another door. He walked past them again on his way back out, and all four doors were unlocked, and wide open. He never heard a sound, and he was the only person not only on the floor, but in the entire building at the time.

Okay, I'm offline for a while ... looking forward to updating this more soon, as well as working on a BTS montage video of the day!

That sort of thing intrigues the shit out of me. If I were him, I'd get me a chair and sit up there and defy the ghosts to do something impressive. I attempted to do a sleepover on the third floor of the Victorian Mansion (where the lady died) but didnt get it to happen.

[Brandon Rice]

Norm, grabs look good... can't wait to see the film.

[Rodney V. Smith]

oh wow. can't believe i missed this thread. NIce job on the location and the shoot. The screen grabs look super. Can't wait to see this film.

[Norm Sanders]

Updated the front page. Steven, I could only fit 9 images (will figure a fix later), so feel free to delete some of yours, if you want to from the 2nd page.

Oh, and thanks everyone. Like I've always said, "Surround yourself with people more talented than yourself", which I've been blessed enough to be able to do more than once, this time being no exception. :)

[ZazaCast]

This looks great! Can't wait to see it. I guess you'll get the prize for being the first to wrap. Awesome location.

Cheers!

[Norm Sanders]

This looks great! Can't wait to see it. I guess you'll get the prize for being the first to wrap. Awesome location.

Cheers!

Thanks. :) But, even if they were giving a prize out for it, I could never let us accept it ... we just lucked out that production hadn't began yet!

[Lost Skies]

(took us forever to obtain the hospital location - WHICH, BTW, we found out is supposed to be haunted - this, of course, was AFTER we started setting up, lol).

Great screengrabs!

I had to laugh when I read this- we shot a short out here in Utah in a rehabilitation center on an unused floor. It was a fantastic location- but the staff had also told us that the upper floors were haunted.

[Simon Höfer]

I'm a little late in here... really looking forward to work on this project!

The screen grabs look great! Top notch work as always :)

[AmyO]

Great looking grabs. Excited to see it come together. :)

That's funny about your hospital location. Would have been good for "Picture". As it was, we shot in an unused maternity ward at a small hospital-turned-rehab center. We thought it was fitting.

[stinkpot]

Just saw the grabs... they look great!

I can't wait to check this out.

:beer:

[Derrick_SA]

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/ball.jpg



Norm did you read the rules of this fest, there is no ball requirement in this one, he he he he.

just kidding, the grabs look awesome!

- Derrick

[Norm Sanders]

Welcome to the thread, Simon! :) Glad to have you aboard this project, and looking forward to getting the clips to you.

Amy, I've yet to comment on your film PICTURE, but I'll tell you here for now ... it's by far your best work yet. I really dug it.

Thanks, Stinkpot ... hope to deliver on this one. For anyone that's seen WHERE SILENCE FALLS, I really think this one is a jump from that, ESPECIALLY on the performances with the new cast.

Derrick ... um, yeah.... about that. :) It just fit the story too well, so we left the ball part of the script in. I know folks will get a kick out of that, I'm sure.

[Norm Sanders]

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/1.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/2.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/3.jpg
http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/4.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/5.jpg

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/6.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/7.jpg

[Norm Sanders]

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/8.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/9.jpg

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/10.jpg...http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/11.jpg

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/stills/web/12.jpg

[Simon Höfer]

Awesome BTS Stills Norm!

[disjecta]

More BTS from my phone:

http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/1.jpg http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/2.jpg

http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/3.jpg http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/4.jpg

The Beast....
http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/5.jpg http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/6.jpg

At Walmart the night before. Norm gets a brain cramp trying to decide which M&Ms to buy.
http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/7.jpg http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/10.jpg

We experiment with slow shutter speeds to try to emulate the supposed ghost on the 3rd floor. We failed miserably.
http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/9.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Not sure how to get photos into a grid or table on this forum like Norm has done so maybe someone can shed some light on that little trick.

More BTS from my phone:

http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/1.jpg


Indieslider... NICE! :thumbsup:

[disjecta]

We didn't end up using it :undecided

[Brandon Rice]

Aw sad... nice device.

[Norm Sanders]

At Walmart the night before. Norm gets a brain cramp trying to decide which M&Ms to buy.
http://www.pinelakefilms.com/last_touch/phone/7.jpg

HA, he's not kidding!! I was trying to decide between the special Christmas color edition, or the normal brand. I went normal & saved a few pennies. :)

[Geoff_R]

Just saw this now, awesome! Excited to see another film from you, Norm. Nice stills so far and looks like some solid production/set design as well; great location. Keep the BTS coming in!

[Ted Arabian]

Way to crank it out!

Thanks for the BTS.

Congrats on the new film.

[Robbie Comeau]

The grabs look very filmic. Good job man!

Robbie

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks Geoff, Ted, and Robbie. I was going to begin working on the footage today, but instead just found out on a 5:30am call that I've been layed off due to a massive sales re-org within FedEx Office. OUCH. Second time being layed off since April of this year. At least it's a decent severance package.

Anyway, today was about feverishly getting my resume out to a bunch of places. Tomorrow, I'll hopefully dig into the edit. :)

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

hey Norm, I'm really sorry to hear that. I wish the best for you. The job market should look a lot better after first of the year. Until then, just think of it as a nice four week vacation!

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, Shawn. The package is actually solid enough that we're financially going to be okay until around mid-March, if need be ... though I HOPE to land something much sooner, obviously.

In the meantime, I edit. :) Which I'm working on it right now....

[Mark Johnson]

Boy ... anything that involves Norm and Dempsey, well, I'm down. Seriously, you guys are two of the most talented people I know. Moreover, when I look back at the first year of Fat Monster I truthfully can say that the shoot we did with both of you on Whidbey Island remains my favorite. Lastly, I have come to appreciate and cherish the friendship I have with both of you. Had I known you were going to be shooting this I would have made a serious effort to come up. If the two of you find yourself on a project again do not fail to let me know.

[Norm Sanders]

Hey, thanks, Mark! We both had a great time with you too, although Steven does nothing but trash talk you & Tim, I personally love you guys! ;)

Steven and I had a good time working together, I believe, and I'm truly pleased with what I'm seeing ... so yeah, the next time we work together, I'd for sure love for you to be a part of it. Sorry we didn't give you any notice on this one, I just thought you'd be busy with your own short.

[disjecta]

Hey Norm, I thought you said the footage sucked. :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

[Norm Sanders]

I know ... I just like to upset you, and was trying to see if I could hear a quiver from your voice ... but you didn't break. Drat!

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Norm, sorry to hear about the layoff man. Time are indeed tough. You'll find something soon, don't worry about it. :)

[Mark Johnson]

Hey Norm,

I assume you had CoffeeBean on the set. None of that overpriced overhyped Starbucks, eh?

[Norm Sanders]

HA! And you of course know Steven's got an in with Starbucks, I'm sure. ;) Though the cheapskate wouldn't get me his discount! Wait, that makes ME the cheapskate for asking for it, lol. Anyway, yeah, we had a pot of Starbucks on set.

[Norm Sanders]

This frame absolutely won't make it into the film, as it's between takes, but I just liked the angle, and thought I'd toss it in here for you. It's closer to the CC that I'll likely have in the final, but still not final as of yet. Though I didn't adjust the framing up a tad for the eye line, you can see this will be in 2.35:1. I was torn on that vs. 16x9, but I like the added room of up/down movement for eye line. We'll also output this to 720P, although shot in 1080P, which will give additional room for subtle moments such as slight dramatic push, pan, etc.

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/grabs/bed1.jpg

[disjecta]

Looks good, Norm. Is that you with the scar?

[Norm Sanders]

No, I thought I'd step up my game as an 'actor' this time. I'm the one in the bed with the tubes in my nose. :)

[Norm Sanders]

Updated the poster & signature to reflect the current fest. The poster was updated by Steven as well. The original had too much of a love story vibe, and while this certainly has a love aspect to it, it's not a walk through the daisies as the first poster may have lead on to believe. :)

I'm parking the original here.

http://www.eefilm.com/lasttouch/images/poster.jpg

[Norm Sanders]

Have delivered the full edit, with some SFX and CC to Steven for review.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Have delivered the full edit, with some SFX and CC to Steven for review.Nice job, Norm. Must feel good to be so ahead of the game. Time for a second entry maybe? :)

[Norm Sanders]

Ha! Not a chance, Michael. :)

[Norm Sanders]

I DRAAAAAGED my heels on this one, after we shot it, so my apologies to the team. Just severe mental distractions with looking for work, etc., and I found it difficult to finish the little touches I wanted for a locked edit.

That said, the film is now with three different people, getting different aspects worked on for final post:

Justin Durban is currently working on the score.
Simon Hofer is currently working on the FX
Glenn Scott Lacey (Post Sound Mix pro & composer, thanks to a lead from Steven Dempsey) is currently working on a professional post mix of all the audio, sans score.

[ChrisHurn]

Norm,

Just checked out the thread and saw the grabs etc. Looks great.

Can't wait to see & hear it!

[Simon Höfer]

Hey Norm, didn't you get my newest PM? Sent you a link to the updated version.

[Norm Sanders]

Hi Simon, I rec'd it day before yesterday. Sorry for the delay. I DIG it ... but before having you make further refinements to it, I passing it by Steven Dempsey as well, and haven't heard back from him yet. Get back to you ASAP on it.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

What's up? I thought you guys were in? Still no submission.

Cutting it kind of close... :)

[Brandon Rice]

Looking forward to yours Norm!

[Norm Sanders]

Yeah, cutting it close, I know. I had been trying different settings ALL day yesterday with Quicktime to try & get it to NOT wash out the film, but it just does. Something about QT7 Pro, that when I take a file & render a h.264 out of it, it seems to INCREASE the gamma a tad, and make the colors subtly more bland than the original.

But, I've given up on that, and may just make a WMV available too, if they're cool with that. If not, still plays & sounds fine ... I'm just being picky. File size came in at 49.6MB, perfect.

Uploading now....

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Yeah, cutting it close, I know. I had been trying different settings ALL day yesterday with Quicktime to try & get it to NOT wash out the film, but it just does. Something about QT7 Pro, that when I take a file & render a h.264 out of it, it seems to INCREASE the gamma a tad, and make the colors subtly more bland than the original.

But, I've given up on that, and may just make a WMV available too, if they're cool with that. If not, still plays & sounds fine ... I'm just being picky. File size came in at 49.6MB, perfect.

Uploading now....Crap! Talk about cutting it close!
Nice job. :)

[Norm Sanders]

OMG, you're not kidding! I can't believe I just saw this, but only now realized the time cut off was 11am this morning. Sheesh! It's actually still uploading this very second, so we'll see if it makes it I guess.

Yikes ... I've always been used to midnight, etc. as a cut off for uploads, voting, etc.

[Postmaster]

Congrats Norm. Looking forward to see your entry.

Frank

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

OMG, you're not kidding! I can't believe I just saw this, but only now realized the time cut off was 11am this morning. Sheesh! It's actually still uploading this very second, so we'll see if it makes it I guess.

Yikes ... I've always been used to midnight, etc. as a cut off for uploads, voting, etc.
I think as long as you start uploading BEFORE the deadline you are good.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)

[Brandon Rice]

Norm, I have a solution for you!

[Brandon Rice]

JUST PM'D ya dude!!!

[Chris Messineo]

I hope this makes it - I'm looking forward to watching it.

[Norm Sanders]

Brandon, thank link you sent me with the QT tutorial is awesome, thanks. Only thing concerns me is once the correction is made, if I go to pull a frame from it, the frame grab comes out with that backwards XRay/negative effect? Too late to replace the DVX submission, as I barely made that anyway (rec'd confirmation it's approved).

So, while I was the first person to film their short & have it in the can, I think I'm also the last one to get their film officially submitted. Amazing how personal life stuff can get in the way!

[Simon Höfer]

Congratulations Norm! Really looking forward the finished version!

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, Simon. Your FX work is AMAZING in this, and I think you'll really dig the final audio mix & score. :)

[Noel Evans]

Norm, looking forward to it as always. Good luck!

[Postmaster]

Damed! :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

I already knew it when I saw the grabs.

There goes first place.

Congrats Norm - phantatstic job.

One of my rare 10-Stars. :beer:

Frank

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Wow! Incredible look and feel here Norm. Good pacing and three solid turns of beat.

A few things that give me a bit of pause. The age gap...at first I was wondering if she was his daughter. There appears to easily be upwards of 15 years between them. Granted, that's possible, but still. Second, what injury is possible for such a young girl to sustain that would take days to kill you that modern medicine couldn't stop? Someone my age like that is either going to die in trauma...or live. Heck, my buddy was beat to hell in a car wreck and he lived, a quadraplegic, but he lived. Everyone was acting as if it was end-game cancer, whilst talking about it being a car wreck.

But GREAT look and feel, loved the cinematography, the music, etc. Solid edit too. Tons of work went into this and it solidly shows.

[Norm Sanders]

Wow Frank & Shawn, I'm flattered thank you!

Shawn, you've brought up some good points. I didn't think there was too visible of an age gap, but perhaps the makeup made the character of Rick look older (he's REAL hard to guess age in person)....

Good question on the car/injury part as well, as it's been discussed around my house with my wife, friends, etc. My only thought to that was that internal injuries are tricky & unpredictable things. Perhaps liver failure, bleeding from the spleen that can't be stopped, or who knows.

That said, neither of these are things I can really explain in the film, so if it's taking people out of it at all because they're wondering about it ... well, then that's something I need to learn from & plan better for in the future on the next project. :)

Thanks again for the feedback guys! Frank, any specifics on what you loved?



For any future posts on here, this thread is for everyone on the cast & crew to be able to see what worked & what didn't, so if you have specific feedback, we would LOVE to hear it! If the feedback is generally positive, let us know if there's still at least ONE thing you think could have been improved ... or in contrast ... if the feedback is generally negative, let us know at least one thing that DID work for you. :)



I've JUST downloaded every single film, am transferring them to my flash drive, and will begin watching tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing your films as well, and getting you some feedback!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Great work, Norm. The Twilight Fest theme really comes through but it's amazing how well this works for Loss Fest.

The SFX shot that Simon did was right on the money! Very well executed.

As for the accident.... there are plenty of internal injuries that are difficult to deal with, I just assumed this was the case. There is only so much a surgeon can do. Sometimes people can recoup, sometimes they can't.

The payoff at the end was excellent. Very well shot as well.

Both actors were great but the male lead really stole the show at the end.

Nice work!

MAH

[Brandon Rice]

Norm,

this is by far your best work yet. I think you had a chance to really direct this time, since you were behind the camera the entire time.

The one thing that didn't work for me was also the age gap as Shawn mentioned above. I believed everything else though, and was along for the ride the entire time. It had my heart thumping when he held her hand, good work Norm! One of the stand outs so far!!

[vnguyen972]

OMG powerful performance from the leads for sure! great looking film, great direction ... very well put together! I really enjoyed it! The age gap was visible but wasn't giving me any issue...

[kyrre]

I liked this one a lot!

Great performances, nice shots, lighting and great editing. Nice job directing this!

I just have a few comments. I don't know, but it felt a little cheezy with that added visual effect when they first hold hands and switch. Also, given that the story was a little strange, off - the music was perhaps a little intrusive and slightly too sentimental?

Again, great work!

[Kegan]

What a fantastic short. I was engrossed in this from beginning to end. Your actors were fantastic, it was well directed and well edited. Really brought up a great point about how actions speak louder than words.

My favourite so far!

Kegan

[Chris Messineo]

Wow, that was dark. I love dark movies and this did not disappoint.

There are two twists in this film and I loved them both. Really it was the last twist that made the whole thing work for me. Great ending.

I thought the actors were very good and the effects work was spot on.

Well done.

[Blaine]

Solid outing, Norm. I'm glad you didn't take it where it looked like it was going...the swap. That would have been just too predictable.

There were times when the acting didn't quite do it for me. I thought it was a bit overwrought with the whole taking the kids to six flags exchange. Just felt a little soap opera-ish. But overall the acting was there.

Loved the Doctor. Nice and creepy and to the point with his question. Makeup-wise, Rick's injuries looked much worse than Dawn's. I thought she looked much too nice for having been in such a bad accident. Kind of like the movies you see the women wake up and their makeup is perfect. This is just a nit, though.

Overall, I thought you showed a steady hand directing and got the story across. The framing and look of the short was very good, too.

Since this is the first competitive short I've watched, it'll be the benchmark.

Once again, this was a solid outing for you. Your best since, "Where Silence Falls." :thumbup::thumbup:

[Richard J. Johnson]

Great film. It looked fantastic. The Dr. was creepy for sure. the way you pushed in on him made him even more so.

The final scene was fantastic.

[davidlh]

Hey man, great job! I just watched it, and the ending really got my heart racing! I loved it!

[ramsaur]

Wow, this film was great! The ending really made my heart pump. The music and the acting was great!

[Geoff_R]

Norm, well this is my favorite work I've seen from you thus far. From a Directing pov, it's both your strongest in relation to shot choice and performances. (I haven't seen Berlin) so keep that in mind :)

David Kubiczky was great... I really enjoyed his performance and he's a strong, dramatic, convincing actor. They are going over heavy, emotional stuff and it's so ridiculously easy to turn cheesy and be over the top... So many actors/directors would mess this up bad... but you guys didn't :) So, excellent work on that end, the both of you.

Megan did an excellent job as well. I wish I could say more on her performance but I think she did exactly what she was intended to do; support Davids performance. She doesn't over do him and just adds to his pain, tension and drama.

On the flipside... even though I've heard it said that they are similar in age, the makeup on David makes him look to old for her. Meanwhile, her makeup makes her look much younger... the apparent age gap was for almost too much for me and there were too many times where it just took me out of the story. I just didn't believe that she could be his wife, a daughter perhaps, but not his wife. It sucks that little things like that can grab your attention... but with shorts, we've got such a limited time to show it all and it's kind of like first impressions, we formulated an opinion, a random thought and it's hard to ignore later on... you're constantly fighting that initial thought. So, yes, you hope as the story progresses, people forget about those things and just concentrate on the story, but those initial reactions take longer than six minutes to forget about.

Nicely shot by Dempsey, very fitting and in sync with the rest of your vision. Durban nailed the music similarly.

Storywise, to be honest, I didn't like the ending at all (and I typically go for more dark endings myself)... I like the 'transfer'... but I wish he'd gotten what he asked for... I understand the holding/clasped hands thing as maintaining this tension and urgency but it was almost a little too much for me... I really believed he cared for his wife and believed him when he said he wished he could trade... so it was hard for me to accept that he would suddenly do what he did. It contradicted him in so many ways, the actions didn't seem to fit the character which now existed in my mind. I'd rather see him take it and redeem himself.

But like I said, still my favorite from you :)

[Chantellyssa]

Hi Norm- Chantelle Nelson here. I'd really like to chime in...

The beginning really caught me- I liked it a lot. Not a fan of the husband's acting, but I believed her character.

I really did not like the last half at all. He kills her??? I understand that the doctor sort of gives him his wish- I got that.

But I didn't like how you executed that idea.


Solid outing, Norm. I'm glad you didn't take it where it looked like it was going...the swap. That would have been just too predictable.

I disagree!

I do not feel that it would have been too much to do the swap. In fact, I would have liked it a whole lot more- the fact that he kills her? I can't get over it- it seemed so sudden. "I can't love you" was so over-dramatic and sudden.

Also, the rings flashing? Seriously?

Sorry, Norm :) I just had to be honest...

I thought it "looked" great though- lighting, etc. So I'll give you that.

-Chantelle

[Marlon Ladd]

I liked the film. I thought the performances were really good and everything was well shot and lit. The ending was totally not what I expected and very dark, but those are the kind of things that make us different. This is why it's fun to watch indie films, because you'll get something that surprises you.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks everyone for the honest feedback, MUCH appreciated! I'm glad that people either LOVE the film, or well ... not hate it, but you get the idea. The fact that it's polarizing people vs. leaving everyone in a "meh"/bland state, is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It means it struck something in the viewer, whether good or bad, and left an impact of some kind.


Really brought up a great point about how actions speak louder than words.

That's EXACTLY hitting the nail on the head, Kegan! We could have delivered the 1-2-3 scenario, and given the viewer what's expected once the Dr. comes in after he states he wishes [WARNING - SPOILER AHEAD] he could trade places with her, but not only would it have just fulfilled what we assume would happen, thus making it predictable, but also wouldn't point out that it's easier to say something than actually do it. In this case the husband truly loves his wife & has good intentions, but when push comes to shove he simply can't do it & panics, self preservation kicking in.

Since this was originally written for TwilightFest (never began production during that time, due to location issues), this theme really sticks well with that genre, because TwilightZone episodes were very often where someone has an opportunity to do something heroic, but falls short due to one human natured flaw or another. It just worked out perfect for us that the script would also work for LossFest!


There are two twists in this film and I loved them both. Really it was the last twist that made the whole thing work for me. Great ending.

Thanks, Chris, that was our "rope-a-dope", trying to feed the audience what they thought was the obvious twist, only to hit them with another even more shocking one. Glad it worked for you.


Loved the Doctor. Nice and creepy and to the point with his question. Makeup-wise, Rick's injuries looked much worse than Dawn's. I thought she looked much too nice for having been in such a bad accident.

Thanks Blaine for ALL of your feedback! Tim (the Dr.) will love hearing these comments, as well of course David & Megan. As for the makeup/injuries, I TOTALLY get what you & others are saying. Of course, having to explain a point on anything is futile, because it shouldn't have to be explained, so I won't ... just thought I'd take a second to point out an interesting analogy: These wounds, or wounds like them can mirror human life. Often times we look at someone and think from the exterior that they've got it all together, when inside they're dying, an absolute wreck ... and then we're surprised when they commit suicide, etc. Then there are other people that we look at and on the outside seems like SO much is wrong, yet they've got this deep, unexplainable peace inside of them, and while that on the outside may be a mess, their core is whole. Eh, okay, maybe stupid analogy, but it's 2am now, so why not? :)


Great film. It looked fantastic. The Dr. was creepy for sure. the way you pushed in on him made him even more so.

The final scene was fantastic.

Thanks, Filthrich! I think I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but we shot this in 1080, so it allowed me some GREAT leway in working with this in a 720 project, so I could readjust framing if needed, add some pushes, pulls, dolly, crane movement etc. that was't there in the actual production.


On the flipside... even though I've heard it said that they are similar in age, the makeup on David makes him look to old for her. Meanwhile, her makeup makes her look much younger... the apparent age gap was for almost too much for me and there were too many times where it just took me out of the story. I just didn't believe that she could be his wife, a daughter perhaps, but not his wife. It sucks that little things like that can grab your attention... but with shorts, we've got such a limited time to show it all and it's kind of like first impressions, we formulated an opinion, a random thought and it's hard to ignore later on... you're constantly fighting that initial thought. So, yes, you hope as the story progresses, people forget about those things and just concentrate on the story, but those initial reactions take longer than six minutes to forget about.

Geoff, I respect your opinion a LOT, and have taken this to heart, as well a lot of the other comments that are coming on here from everyone. While I don't regret in the least my choices for the cast on this, I do wish I had paid better attention to the make up, so as to have reduced the appearance of age difference between them. While it may not be a big deal for some, it's something I'm hearing enough now that it is a concern, and is something to keep in mind in the future when working with the MUA, etc. Love your attention to detail in the feedback, and you've got an excellent point above, on the how/why. Much appreciated.


................ Not a fan of the husband's acting.........


I really did not like the last half at all. He kills her??? I understand that the doctor sort of gives him his wish- I got that.

But I didn't like how you executed that idea.

Thanks for the feedback, Chantell, which I truly do value. Like any film, actor, etc....some will resonate well with people, and some won't. If I were to follow the happy ending angle and/or have the husband follow through with it & sacrifice himself, I fear there would be too many people saying it was predictable instead.

That said, I'm fully aware that literally EVERY film I've done has had a dark/twist ending of one kind or another. I desperately want to do a comedy next, and then you'll get your happy(ier) ending! :)


"I can't love you" was so over-dramatic and sudden.

In the script it doesn't say "I can't love you", and I know that's not what he was intending to say here, and don't believe it was, though it certainly DOES sound like it! :) David really got into this performance, and was flat out exhausted after filming it just a few times ... so that was to some extent genuine panic and mixing of words you're hearing coming out at that moment.


Also, the rings flashing? Seriously?

Seriously. Although for the full cut I'll ask Simon if he can tone down the actual flash to much more of a subtle glow. I initially didn't know what exactly I wanted in that first cut of the hands coming together, and I asked him to throw something together we could talk about. He came up with the suggestion of the rings glowing, which I liked ... it also then shows that much more dramatically the rings going black as the transfer takes place in the second shot.

[warau]

Wow, this was a powerful film! I really liked the ending, caught me by surprise as intended. This was a nice story that was well executed, one of the top 3 I have seen so far in this fest in my opinion.

[ZazaCast]

Really enjoyed this film...loved the twist at the end! After seeing it, it really was a TwilightFest film more than a LossFest film to me. If there was anything I can comment on, it would be that some of the acting wasn't quite there, but acting as if you're on your deathbed isn't easy. (he looked like he was hurt worst than she did)

I liked the look of this film and the score worked well in building the emotional aspect.
Great job to all involved!

[Lawsuit_Boy]

I'm also glad this film didn't bog itself down in the "swap" notion that it was hinting at. That would have simply been too much.

The film was very technically savvy and featured some solid cinematography from disjecta and the sound was captured well. I thought that the story, though cliched and overdone, still resonated a bit and kept the film from coming off as droll. The aspect of the doctor picking at the man's brain was nice to see, but I feel like it just felt too "on edge" and immediate. With little back story, it's difficult to judge the doctor character and why he felt it was necessary, in front of the woman, to tell the man how he felt.

The acting had moments of great clarity and natural heartache, but I felt that it frequently, in the second half of the film, began to peak into the stratosphere of melodrama and overcooking. But luckily, it never fully got there and the actors pulled it back down to reality. It's just that a certain amount of discomfort with the scene was visible from time to time.

I think it is a solid film, but I genuinely felt a manipulation occurring. That said, I still really enjoyed watching it and I like the moral and ethical questions it raised. Kudos for that especially! :beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks folks for the continued feedback! :thumbsup:


The film was very technically savvy and featured some solid cinematography from disjecta and the sound was captured well.

Jon, thank you SO much for the detailed review, awesome! Mr. Dempsey knows his craft well, and was a joy to work with. On the audio/sound capture, that's actually nearly all owed to Glenn Scott Lacey, our post audio/mixer SFX guy that Steven knew & put me in touch with. Glenn's forte is as a TV/Film composer down in LA, but also does an incredible job mixing and was really able to save our audio on this!

Alan Smith, our boom operator, did a great job on set, getting the best sound he could, but we had some technical issue with the mic & to this day STILL aren't really sure what happened. While recording we could see that the bars were hardly registering on the camera, so there was some concern but we had to push forward (we used a AKG 480b hyper cardiod). When I got to post and uploaded the files, nearly all of the files were flat lined in the audio mapping section! With tons of boosting we were able to hear the dialogue, and then Glenn came in & saved it from there.

To say that the final audio sounds even 300% better than the original would be an understatement. Again, I'm very blessed to have worked with the team (meaning EVERYONE, both cast & crew) that was involved with the making of this little film.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Thanks folks for the continued feedback! :thumbsup:



Jon, thank you SO much for the detailed review, awesome! Mr. Dempsey knows his craft well, and was a joy to work with. On the audio/sound capture, that's actually nearly all owed to Glenn Scott Lacey, our post audio/mixer SFX guy that Steven knew & put me in touch with. Glenn's forte is as a TV/Film composer down in LA, but also does an incredible job mixing and was really able to save our audio on this!

Alan Smith, our boom operator, did a great job on set, getting the best sound he could, but we had some technical issue with the mic & to this day STILL aren't really sure what happened. While recording we could see that the bars were hardly registering on the camera, so there was some concern but we had to push forward (we used a AKG 480b hyper cardiod). When I got to post and uploaded the files, nearly all of the files were flat lined in the audio mapping section! With tons of boosting we were able to hear the dialogue, and then Glenn came in & saved it from there.

To say that the final audio sounds even 300% better than the original would be an understatement. Again, I'm very blessed to have worked with the team (meaning EVERYONE, both cast & crew) that was involved with the making of this little film.

Well all of the great work they put in definitely paid off. It really was a pleasure to watch and listen to.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Alan Smith, our boom operator, did a great job on set, getting the best sound he could, but we had some technical issue with the mic & to this day STILL aren't really sure what happened. While recording we could see that the bars were hardly registering on the camera, so there was some concern but we had to push forward (we used a AKG 480b hyper cardiod). When I got to post and uploaded the files, nearly all of the files were flat lined in the audio mapping section! With tons of boosting we were able to hear the dialogue, and then Glenn came in & saved it from there.


That sounds like a classic mic/line mismatch or a lack of phantom power.

[alex whitmer]

I like the direction you took this. I was expecting the old 'switching places' story (which can also work when done well), and was pleasantly surprised by his 'solution'.

Man, I'd hate to live with that guilt. Jerk!

Nice acting, liked the makeup, liked the mysterious doctor. He added just enough push forward without stealing the show.

Nicely done.

aw


www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com



.

[Noel Evans]

Norm, really liked the story. I thought the actors held the piece together quite well. ANd agree with Alex regarding the Dr above.

OK I expect a lot when I see your shorts, thats the bottom line. And for me there was some disappointment in this one because of that. And Ill tell you why. For me the shot angles became old. Throughout the entire piece we were looking at these people from the same angles and as the drama unfolded, I expected the intensity of the piece to rise. For me it did in the acting, but felt all the other elements that could have assisted in this werent really there. I almost felt purely like an observer watching from the same side of the bed as everything unfolded. There was an added angle - as seen at 4.49, my issue there was when I felt we need to be in tight feeling it, we were pulled away to the widest shot of the entire piece, it was fine in the final shot to let us see the end scene with all the components.

Still rated high for me and I did enjoy it. I felt like you missed the opportunity to really punch it home. I want to reiterate, my comments to you come with the utmost respect.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks Alex & Noel. Drat, Noel, was hoping to hit it out of the park on this one for you!

I agree there was certainly room (although not time-wise in the actual day of shooting) for us to mix up the shots & add some further variety. As it was, once the action started to unfold, I added closeups & movement that wasn't originally there by zooming in on certain shots, changing framing, etc. ... because even during the action, we had limited shots/angles, mostly due to time.

Thanks again for the feedback, which I also take with the utmost respect. :)

[dag.saetran]

Great shot film, and well directed. The doctor popping in was a nice addition to the overall storyline. But it had been fun if he was a douche like House in the series. I think the girl did a good job. And it is cool to see some quality make-up. Amen brother

[Mark Harris]

Hey Norm.

After dealing with some amateurs in another thread, I'm pleased to come here and discuss work with a professional.

This mostly worked for me. I think the DR. blew everyone off the screen for his sheer ability to DO NOTHING.

All actors were good though. I did not mind the make-up. I mean, I did not stop long enough to wonder if it was fake, I just took it and let the story play. So it did a fine job.

Obviously all of the elements are pro and your team kicked it.

But the thing I wanted to mention was the moment where she was holding his hand.

The way that moment was shot veered away from cinema, into soap opera. The way it is, it is just this long bit of people struggling. Where to think cinematically, I think that bit called for an elongated moment. I think it would have delivered a lot more power. Right now, it almost became funny to me, as they just struggled and whined there for what seemed like forever, without any real build up for me, or weight given to the moment. I think it's something to think about.

The glowing rings are way goofy and diminish the moment I think. I think it's better off without.

Great work, as I've come to expect from you.

[pia12254]

Norm,

I love the professionalism you bring to every project you do! I remember when I got your Berlin DVD a while back I could not get over how well-executed every aspect was. I think this film carries that same quality.

I like the fact that you kept the story "simple"...didn't have to show a ton of different crazy locations. Just let the story develop as it needed. As others have pointed out I loved the twist...I really thought he was gonna die (which was sad in itself). Then you realize how selfish he really is and it turns everything on its head! I was really surprised that it went where it did but I liked it because it raises a kind of moral "gray area" that I find challenging!

Overall, great job!

Daniel

[hoz]

norm,

good film! really pro looking and sounded clean and strong. some rambling thoughts as they occur to me ( forgive the spacey review!)

The makeup on the woman was great and i really liked her acting a lot. she was very believable. good lead! good directing with her too!

The other lead was okay. I think he was a bit too much at times, not sure why, maybe because he said things that, to me, in real life would be more likely to be acted out but not said. one example- " You're awake!" And then he runs to the wife. He should've just run to the wife- my opinion anways. this to me would make the story more film and less tvish. his acting was strong at the end though after the switch and this looked difficult to pull off, kudos! i didn't read the thread but how many takes did you need to get the ending?

the doctor was solid for what he needed to do.

as for the story- saw the switch and the reverse coming but it still worked. the story is sad and disturbing but so is life sometimes, right?

good film!( i said that already, sheesh!)

[Norm Sanders]

Hey you folks, thank you for the continued great feedback, and I'm really glad to hear that this film has resonated well with the majority of those who've commented so far!

Mark, regarding the hand holding ... were you suggesting to hold the hand longer, or less focus/time on it? Felt too rushed for everything to start happening once they touched? Once I understand better what you're saying here, and if I hear further of the same thing, then there could be room to make some edit adjustments (as the audio/score guys want to kill me) for the final full cut.

Hoz, I get what you're saying on "You're awake!' ... our reasoning for it was because of what he was saying on the phone, which he'd never say if he thought she was awake, listening ... so he was surprised. That said, however, I get what you're talking about .... I too don't care for it if dialogue is expository.

------SPOILER ALERT BELOW------

We took the film in chunks, specifically because we CHANGED the makeup as we went along (not sure who's noticed this yet), so as she improved her bruising lessened, and as he worsened his cut got worse, etc. By the time we got to the very end where he does the deed, he was already getting tired (on average did 2-3 takes per angle) as it was an intensely building moment that he had to jump back into time & time again (as well as Megan). By the time we did the very final portion of that, we couldn't have done it more than 3 times, max, most likely only 2x. There were plenty of times that I thought we may have had something on just the 1st take, but I love having that 'safety' take, just in case, and everyone else was on board for that as well.

You saw the switch AND the reverse coming???? Oh man! :)

Thanks again for all the thoughts, and again to everyone else who's taken the time to comment. Those of you who've commented on the film & have submitted one as well, you're my first priority to watch & comment on, and I'm working through them now!

[Mark Harris]

Mark, regarding the hand holding ... were you suggesting to hold the hand longer, or less focus/time on it? Felt too rushed for everything to start happening once they touched? Once I understand better what you're saying here, and if I hear further of the same thing, then there could be room to make some edit adjustments (as the audio/score guys want to kill me) for the final full cut.



I'm referring more to a film technique, where you actually slow down time to focus on the moment. Like the moment Indie gets up to the idol in the first scene of Raiders. Time slows down there, as he weighs the sand, the dude behind him gets giddy, he thinks, etc. Spielberg actually slows that moment down to give it dramatic weight.

Or this guy does it well in the slamdance contest I'm in. Watch his short(it's only 4 min and GOOD), at the point where the voodoo doll is going to stab itself in the heart.

http://www.slamdance.com/videos/products/740.html

You can see that in realistic time that all would take a second. But cinematically, he drew out the moment to build tension. I've often heard this referred to as the elongated moment in film.

These are only two examples. You find it everywhere.

I was saying I think your hand-holding moment might have benefited from this kind of treatment. Right now, you spend a long time on that part, but it doesn't add the same kind of dramatic effect for me.

[Brandon Rice]

I see what you're saying Mark... like maybe adding some looks and beats before the actual hand holding happens?

[Norm Sanders]

Ah, I get it now. When I first started reading what you were saying, Mark, I was thinking literally slowing down the footage 50%, etc. ... but it's about the anticipation of what's GOING to happen ... making the audience cringe, feel the pressure/anxiety of the moment, etc.

However, I question that in this moment because unless we KNOW or EXPECT something of importance from when they touch & hold hands, how would there be any anticipation? Maybe if the Doctor specifically stated something like "Now go, touch your wife", etc. ... anything so that we would know or expect something of importance/significance to occur.

Thoughts? I just don't know if people would expect something to happen there or not, until we're actually showing it ... then again, I'm so close to the material I could be blind to what you're talking about.

[Mark Harris]

You might be right, but I still think it's worth the time to experiment with in the cut and see. If you have he shots to do it.

[hoz]

------SPOILER ALERT BELOW------

We took the film in chunks, specifically because we CHANGED the makeup as we went along (not sure who's noticed this yet), so as she improved her bruising lessened, and as he worsened his cut got worse, etc. By the time we got to the very end where he does the deed, he was already getting tired (on average did 2-3 takes per angle) as it was an intensely building moment that he had to jump back into time & time again (as well as Megan). By the time we did the very final portion of that, we couldn't have done it more than 3 times, max, most likely only 2x. There were plenty of times that I thought we may have had something on just the 1st take, but I love having that 'safety' take, just in case, and everyone else was on board for that as well.

You saw the switch AND the reverse coming???? Oh man! :)

more spoiler stuff--------------------

i only saw what was coming because, to me, the doctor said what he did in the way that he did. to me, the doctor was too obvious. i read what mark harris wrote about the hand holding and to me he has a point. but i was okay with it. i think that the only thing i'd change is to have the doctor look into the patient's file or something while he spoke. that way you can have him say almost anything you want and it will look and feel realistic and smooth. doctors always look at files or something else, they're too occupied to freeze in on anything for more than a moment or two. my thoughts anyways.

i thought the end was cool, the man practically squeeled for his life! and yeah, i asked how many takes because it did look exhausting! congrats on pulling it off as well as you did.

[Matt Sconce]

WOW on your movie! It tore me up and I liked it. I hated that guy but at the same time it makes you think about your own motivations. Good stuff. -Matt Sconce

[Matt Sconce]

I also must say that I thought I knew what was coming but what actually happened twisted my brain up. It was a "Holy Crap" Moment.

[Will Clegg]

Norm, this film was really well done but I just didn't buy the ring glowing effect. It felt so out of place to me in this drama of raw emotion. I think the score undermines the story a bit too - at one point I distinctly remember thinking that it feels like a Lifetime movie, and I think that was completely because of the soundtrack and lack of variety in shot selection.

That said, I was really glued to the film and I think it's a great concept - maybe the best story idea in the fest. Images were brilliant, as expected from Steven. Good luck to you.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks for the continued feedback, folks!

Matt, you saw the switch coming, but did you see the reverse switch as well (the double whammy, that made you go"Holy Crap")?

Will, you think the ring glow is too much (I agree, it's too strong & will be toned down), or do you think ANY even hint of something supernatural happening spoils it? I feel there needs to be SOME kind of precursor to the next shot that shows the veins, etc.

[Will Clegg]

Maybe it would work with just a subtle sound effect? I don't know. I really liked the shot of the veins that followed, I guess I thought it was strong enough on its own...

[Rodney V. Smith]

Norm you completely changed my entire perception of what was going on. I went into this thinking it would be some soppy melodrama, possibly well written, hopefully well acted and definitely with some gorgeous footage.

Dude you blew my fucking mind.

I still can't believe you turned everything on a dime like that, but you did write this for Twilightfest, so I should have expected something. However since it was adapted for Lossfest, I expected drama. You;ve completely changed my perception of what good drama really is.

I loved most of the shots in this film. The ones during the struggle didn;t really work for me and could have felt a littl more "epic"... bigger in scope than what you actually captured. Location and time may have prevented this, but more movement would have been nice to see. Not shaky cam.. that's used way too much to ramp up the tension. Just something more cinematic that lends more importance to what's going on.

The glowing ring was a little too much for me. I think the sound and the veins effect would have worked all by itself.

Great actors, good direction, great story. Definitely one of my top favs.

[Sprocketboy]

You have a good vibe going here. The story, acting, lighting, editing, and sound are all excellent. Everything appears to be in place and well planned, but I feel its too controlled, like a soap opera with two or three cameras to cut back and forth on. I have a feeling you had a limited time in the hospital and thus needed specific shots to tell the story and get out. During the hand struggle, I can imagine an overhead shot that moves quickly into the two hands trying to pull apart. During the final scene (I will not mention, so not to spoil), I wanted to see more CUs of hands, breathing tubes pulling taunt, or even snapping and flying up in the air on the recoil, legs kicking, his hands gripping the pillow tight, etc. All these things are cinematic and would give the end more impact. It looked to me you had between 4 to 6 setups, and that's pretty scant for a 6 min film. On the other hand, it has a Twilight Zone production value to it, and it would have made sense to enter this in Twilight Fest. Overall, I liked it. The story is very interesting, the actors had my attention, and the sound is fantastic. It worked. Good luck.

[Nick_Lee]

Wow. that was freaking intense. Awesome acting, especially towards the end. Nice sound, composition, lighting, and dialogue. Not much criticism to give which I suppose is a good thing. haha. Very nicely done man.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks guys, very much appreciated!

Puck (Rodney), thanks so much for watching, appreciate the input as well! Point taken, the glowing rings need to go ... I'll see if the entire glow is gone, or if we can reduce it enough to where it's still there, but barely registering on the conscious level. VERY glad we were able to catch you off guard with this one, and change your perception. :)

Sprocket, some good input on the closeups. While I don't have any footage of the hoses being pulled taught, etc., I may have some other various footage that I could over lay here & there as cut aways, without impacting any sound/score in that section, and can still manipulate the footage some since it was shot in 1080, and we're out putting to 720 ... so there's headroom to play with the shots some as I've already done.

Nick ... awesome, thanks! :thumbsup:


I know the cast & crew are really appreciating ALL of the feedback, but are of course always overjoyed to hear the positives that worked.

[orchidsofwrath]

asdfakleoema[pf dude...

My critiques:

-Please in the future, try to make your films less incredible, because when I watch films that awesome it makes my brain hurt and makes me feel bad about my own skills.

-I really didn't like how your film was virtually flawless... flaws add character you know.

-please stop displaying so much raw talent. Its unnerving.

Hah no my only serious crit (AND THIS IS EVER SO MINUTE) would be to either remove the line "I thought I could make that light" or exchange it with something a little harder to understand/more subtle. Idk just something about saying it outright like that seems like its a little unnatural in terms of what a real person would say. And it wouldn't neccessarily take away from the story if you didn't reveal what the accident was at all.

[Norm Sanders]

Lol, thanks Orchid, much appreciated. :) I'm still working through nearly half the films, and will check out yours next & respond. Again, thank you.


asdfakleoema[pf dude...




What's that mean?


Hah no my only serious crit (AND THIS IS EVER SO MINUTE) would be to either remove the line "I thought I could make that light" or exchange it with something a little harder to understand/more subtle. Idk just something about saying it outright like that seems like its a little unnatural in terms of what a real person would say. And it wouldn't neccessarily take away from the story if you didn't reveal what the accident was at all.

I COMPLETELY agree with what you're saying, though I'm not sure that line is something that wouldn't be said by someone in a similar situation. While he should certainly not spell out "when we were in the car, blah, blah, blah" ... stuff that she already knows & therefore doesn't need to spell out, this is a very specific thing that's eating him up inside, and he feels horribly guilty about. To speak what's on his heart like that .... well, seemed natural at the time, lol.

Now that I think about it, I'm starting to agree that perhaps it was a TAD expository, not sure ... but I'm certainly not defending it now. :) Anyway, at least for the audience to know it was a car accident, would explain the bruises/cuts, and the sides of the faces that the most visible damage is on for the respective person, etc.

Again, thanks so much, and good input on that last part!

[MrKilloran]

Sorry this took so long ---

This looked great, some good editing decisions and framing.
Almost got a little soapy but the emotion felt real and natural enough to push it beyond something like that. Your lead looked like he was showing some genuine concern.

The make-up for this was good, on him, looked like he should be in the bed.
Great use of score to play off emotions, it worked well.
Saw the twist coming, did not see the double whammy, so good show. :beer:

[Robbie Comeau]

I thought I commented on this. Sorry!

Interesting film. Nice look, and great acting!

The story was a little confusing, but it's probably just another watch.

I didn't like ths "You're awake!" line...Felt weird and cheesy.

Other than that, you and you're characters seemed to set the mood really good and it felt very real!

Robbie

[timbook2]

this was good! I just saw it now and must say: awesome twist to the story, which I like!
I like if the story draws you to some supposition and then twists you around like that and takes an unsuspected turn.
the doctor was the best actor :-) the wife wasnt as convincing as the husband but the whole story was round and wicked!!

this is one of the best films IMO the loss theme is a bit too visible on too many levels but hey, you got me with that final part:Drogar-Dum(DBG):

[TiJo]

I felt this film was the most technically sound. Just enoyable from start to finish. Th grab at the end was very good and believable.

[MyFilmPro]

Hey Norm,

I really enjoyed this film. It drew me in.

It was well shot and the actors did a good job.

I liked the story, or rather the question it posed, but it almost came about too quickly... I would like to see this concept explored in a bit longer film, so that the real psychological aspect of what he was facing could be explored rather than simple panic.

The idea of having to choose your love or your life is a real mind #&@*, and I found myself thinking about this film for quite a while after watching it. Good job!

[Tim Joy]

Good film Norm.

I liked your story. Right up my alley with the supernatural stuff. I wasn't expecting the twist, and good one on that.

Personally, I felt the lighting/ grading, although realistic, was too bright for this darker story. Also, I thought the music was totally wrong for this piece. It played on the overly sentimental range and was trying too hard to set a mood that I wasn't feeling, especially right off the bat. Maybe if you had more than 6 minutes you could properly set the tone and the music would then work.

The frenetic part definitely built the tension, but I would've liked to see more of a 2-shot so we get more interaction between the characters. You built the tension by some rapid cutting between their close-ups, which worked, but I think maybe a dirty hand-held 2-shot might've been more effective. ??

The acting was pretty good, but I think could've gone a little deeper into pain/ hurt/ anguish/ regret. A difficult place to get to consistently for sure, and I commend you and your actors for a convincing portrayal.

nice Job! :thumbup:

[chriscurl]

Hi Norm, thanks for taking the time today to comment on my movie, your comments were definitely appreciated.

First of all let me say I liked your film alot, I have not read any previous posts in here so I sure most of this is already known by you before you even finished or has been posted about but hopefully something new will come from it! I admit when it started I thought it was some schmaltzy drama but it switched gears and I liked that alot. I thought the two main actors were good, the main guy especially once things started going bad.

There were a few things that pulled me out of it, seems like she should have been in rougher shape if she was close to death, she was still pretty and noone looks good in a hospital bed, especially when they are about to die, I don't know what the right answer there is though, less movement? less lucidity? perhaps sting her with bees so she swells up?

Something about the doctor bugged me, I think it was that he just appeared out of nowhere, in hospitals, those floors are loud so we should hear him coming in maybe? Whether it is just footsteps or even a door. As it is feels like a play almost, he steps into view, says his lines and steps out.

Something I noticed the first time I viewed was once he starts smothering her his hands are free, so would that have stopped the transfer? or was the initial touch all it took? Something that had me wondering.

And at the very end it looks like he turns around to look for the while before he backs up into it, maybe he was just looking around freaked out but it SEEMS like he is looking for the wall so he knows where to fall.

Man, that looks like I didn't like but thats not the case at all, it also looks like I think I know what the hell I'm doing, and that's not true either! I am just trying to nitpick to hopefully provide some helpful info since that's what you asked for haha!

Good story and direction, and I hope I have been helpful. So what steps did you take to get access to that hospital? Did they make you have insurance?

[Morox]

Well shot, but I feel like the grading could have been darker. The atmosphere was a little too light for the darker nature of the film. I feel like the ending was crammed in a little too fast. The point in which he turns on his own lover seemed to happen too quickly and was hard to really feel the impact of what was happening. The music could have been a tad more dark and ominous to really capture the feel you were going for. It felt a little too light for my test.

This probably sounds like I did not enjoy it, but that's certainly not the case. It was a very solid piece. Good work!

[Brian Parker]

Wow...really good...really messed up...but really good. I enjoyed this short throughout. Beautifully shot, directed. Great colors and lighting. Rich sound. The actor's performances were spot on.

The big thing about this film for me, is the story. We starte with what could just be a drawn out death scence but then progress into a supernatural redemption tale, and then progress into a dark tale about sacrifice. The progression was very natural and fluid. Very well done.

All in all, no complaints about this one. Enjoyed it immensely. Great job!

[Austinv]

Well lit which was the first thing that caught my eye, good colour tones, the sound editing was a little off for me. There was hardly any background noise which made it feel more dreamlike. The acting was on point, kept me interested right until the strange shocking ending.

[Norm Sanders]

Awesome feedback, folks, THANK YOU!!!

I'm scurrying to get through all the rest of the entries myself now.

Yeehawnow & Morox. I get what you're saying on the lighting, however in this case I did it on purpose. I wanted to set people up for one mood, and then hit them with the unexpected. I wanted the look & feel to be in stark contrast to what was unfolding in front of them. Chaos, in a sense.

Similarly with the music. Although Justin kept things a little 'cleaner & lighter' than I initially envisioned, I liked what he had done because it again added additional contrast (as you've pointed out). So instead of everything meshing together, one propelling the other, I wanted to have kind of a canvas of contrasts, so to speak.

Chris, you are VERY perceptive & REALLY watch things. Nice eyes! Yes, their hands DO let go. It was unintentional, but it was also the best take & I hadn't noticed that until more closely going through the footage in post. I guess the struggle was so intense (and real, as she's litterally getting smothered to a degree), that they weren't able to keep their hands together.

Scoring the hospital location took a while as there was red tape to go through, etc. Which is the reason we never got started on this for TwilightFest, but thankfully the script fit for LossFest, so we were able to move forward once the location became available. This was the 3rd floor of a decomissioned hospital, which is also reported to be haunted (security guards won't even go on this floor). We had the run of the floor, and ended up choosing one of four neo-natal (sp?) surgery rooms, where you can imagine countless lives passed here over the years. We were all spooking each other out at times (mostly the cast & crew trying to have fun at my expense!).

The room we used (as had all of them) was totally stacked nearly to the ceiling with old storage, furniture, equipment, etc. We pulled everything out & dressed it, as you see it. They required no insurance, thankfully.


You've all been immensly helpful, so again HUGE thanks!

[MrKilloran]

Scoring the hospital location took a while as there was red tape to go through, etc.

Just curious, how long did it take you and how did you finally manage to get a hold on it?

[Spear670]

This was a very good film and I have to say that I really felt the guy's pain and confusion at the end. It was a wonderfully uncomfortable experience!

[preston]

Norm, here's my review of Last Touch:

story- while simple in scope (one scene, ~real-time, small cast), it is interesting and immediately drew me in to what the couple is going through. you tell a good deal of how they got there without sounding overly expository.

things obviously change when the Dr. enters. (i'm not sure why, but) he seemed a little creepy; maybe that's just me. moving on...

when he takes her hand, boom- everything changes and it seems the Dr. has in fact cast some 'voodoo' spell on the guy for what he said about switching places (conditions) with his wife. (i might be waaaay off, sorry if i misunderstood).

ok, so when he takes her hand and the wedding bands glow, i think that is enough of an effect to portray what is about to happen. the next effect on the skin (+sound effect) is definitely cool and very well done, but it took me out for just a split second. in this instance, i think less is more, and more just just a bit too much. not that big of a deal though, just a little freaky!

on to the rest of the story... at this point, all bets are now off. i don't know what's coming; i'm along for the ride. what i thought was the twist becomes a set-up for the climax/new twist, and i really didn't see that coming. even when he was resisting, i thought they would end up actually switching places and everyone would be amazed/dumbfounded as to how it happened. i thought he was actually going to sacrifice himself for his wife... great, twisty/twisted ending.

cast- great acting throughout. nothing will take me out of a film faster than bad acting, so it's good to watch something where the acting doesn't get in the way.

casting- how do i say this without offending someone? ... they didn't seem like they matched as a married couple. the guy seemed/looked much older (not that there's anything wrong with age differences in marriage). it just felt like a role for a younger actor. i'm feel i'm being rude, which is not my intent, but it would have been a better connection (for me) if he was around the same age as the wife. i apologize for any offense.

tech stuff: pro all the way is all i can really say. everything (as far as i can tell) was flawless. your system (talent, experience, equipment, effort, over-all production value) is a well-oiled machine. the photography, audio, editing, - everything was appropriate and executed very well. man, even your compression/encoding was exceptional! i don't know how you did that.

final words- please don't put too much stock in what i have to say, because i am really just a beginner at this whole craft. this is my second dvx-fest, which means only my second film of any kind, so i might not be the best "judge" of these things. i hope to some day be making films at your level.

thanks for putting the time and effort into make a solid film, and good luck in the ratings - i'd like to see this one in the next round! :)

[Maximus]

I thought your ending was great. I certainly didn't see it coming.

Really sums up that old expression, "Talk is cheap."

Good job. :beer:

[tykrusch]

That conclusion was very cool, right out of left field! I like how the story took a more cynical route when it could've been fluffy and nice. Hope that doesn't speak too much on my character :huh:. Great job, thanks.
:beer:

[jasonthewho]

This is such a polished film. Everything has had so much thought put into it, all the way through the various stages of production.

It's kind of a heavy-handed film. It does exactly what it means to, and very effectively, but the story, the character of the doctor, and the base concept come off a little heavy-handed.

Besides that, there's not much to criticize.

Your actors are excellent. The male lead is so unique, love his look/voice/acting style.

Cinematography is great. Nothing too flashy, but just the perfect angle for each moment.

There's been some discussion (from the few comments I've read) about the taking of the hand moment. My opinion is to lose the ring glow and go straight to the effects shot where the sickness passes into him. Getting rid of the ring glow I think would help take out a little of the heavy-handedness.

I feel like it's unclear slightly why she can't let go of his hand. I don't know what it is, but there seems to be some operative piece of dialogue missing. Maybe just "I can't move it!" from her? It just threw me a little. Is the idea that both their hands are basically frozen together by whatever supernatural force? I guess I'd just like to be able to tell EXACTLY what's happening.

The second twist is SO PAINFUL, but I mean that in a good way. It turned your film into something unique, and I definitely did not see that coming.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Congratulations!

[kyrre]

Congrats man! Well deserved! :beer:

[Blaine]

Congrats, Norm. :beer:

[Tim Joy]

Way to go!!!! Congrats!

[pia12254]

Nice Norm! A huge congratulations on getting into the ominous "Round 2"! Definitely deserve it...

Good luck man!

- Daniel

[Zak Forsman]

well done norm! you're always a fav!

[disjecta]

Congrats, Norm :)

[Norm Sanders]

Hey everyone, thank you SO much for the additional feedback, and especially to Preston & Jason for the recent, more in-depth reviews!

Also, thank you to everyone for the congratulations. I was REALLY starting to sweat it for a while there as I saw people posting their favorites & not seeing LAST TOUCH listed anywhere in the mix. Almost like watching the polls of past presidential elections ... Democrats speaking up loudly, then suddenly Republicans quietly put in their votes (please, I'm not trying to make any actual comparisons here, lol).

Steven, thanks for the congrats, but it's to you too, as you were a CRITICAL piece to this film, and since eveyrone raves about the look/feel ... well, MUCH of that is due to you, so thank you. :beer:

Zak, thanks! I'm still waiting/hoping for some detailed feedback from you! Would sincerely look forward to your thoughts.

[Sprocketboy]

Congratulations, Norman. A job well done.

[Postmaster]

Congrats, Norm.
Last Touch really deserved to be on that Top10 list.

Hope you make it to the last round.

Frank

[lordambrai]

I loved how everything looked. Well light, good effects/sound/production value. But the ending sort of got me confused. I like the supernatural spin that you gave the whole thing. Very twilight zone (I remember an earlier post saying this was for Twilight Fest, so duh on my part), and the twist is very morbid which normally I would like, but in this context it confused me.

Maybe it was that I knew the film was supposed to be winding down and that the character was now experiencing something supernatural so late in the film that I wanted a supernatural solution to the whole "swap" thing that was going on. I felt that while the husbands natural survival instincts should kick in, it would have to operate on the new supernatural element that was introduced. Maybe, have a condition to the effect of, once the deal or swap begins to occur breaking/backing out of the deal would lead to the wife or his death instead of everything reverting back to the way things were. I don't know... I have no answer to this... and I've been writting this for too long.

But don't get me wrong! I loved how everything was done! The sound/cinematography/editing was amazing! The actors were also top notch. It was the plot that didn't quite suck me in, but I am a particular sort of viewer, don't take my criticism to heart since I probably represent only a small minority of viewers. Loved it nontheless and I believe your film will end up probably in the top ten. Cheers

[Kdawg]

Wow Norm! What a great story. Very well done man, I just stared at the screen for a minute after it was over. Course it could have been the beer I just had. You make the festival worth waiting for with a film like this. Major props to the make up artist. The make up was better than most hollywood productions. What an inspiration you are to us with this.

[Brian Parker]

Congrats Norm! Good Job!

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, everyone, MUCH appreciated ... of course, as I've tried to state before, the thanks truly goes to the cast & crew. Our gaffer, Steve Waters, sent me a congrats back via email (I blast emailed cast & crew immediately after finding out), and I replied that I honestly wonder sometimes just what the heck a director is even needed for, because truth be told I can't do even HALF of what each person brings to the table ... so without them, the film would be nothing.

Frank, I think you're my biggest fan. I love you. And I mean that in a SO-not-gay-sort-of-way. :beer:

Kdawg, I'm speechless, thank you! I'm going to take some of what you said & put it in the quotes section! I also had to email our MUA, Stephanie June Johnson, what you said in case she's not been keeping tabs on this thread. :)

[JCVR]

great use of just one main location. I liked the fact that it was so few camera set ups but created something really compelling

congrats and best of luck!

[MrKilloran]

Congrats Norm!

[John LaBonney]

Well Norm, I think that you've reached a level of professionalism with this film that is a bar for many of the rest of us to try and reach.

Should I even bother to make minor nitpicks? The score was good, but I'm not sure that it matched the emotions quite perfectly and I think some more intensity in some places could have really benefited the film and put it over-the-top. The only other thing that bugged me was that the gash on the guy's head was so massive that I can't imagine they wouldn't have put a full bandage over it instead of those little band-aid thingies--I mean it's practically an open wound.

Loved the acting, the photography, and the great story twist.

Congratulations on making it to the second round!

John

[Jimmy Moss]

Hey, great film.

I thought it was shot beautifully and it was really professinal. Real attention to detail. Only thing I thought was lacking was the script. It was a good concept just not executed to the fullest extent. By that I mean I did'nt really belive the ending when it happened. He seem so sorry for her but then didn't really hesitate to take her out at the end. Building a little more tenstion I think would have helped.

[aFox]

Whoa, weird and shocking, but i thought the acting wasn´t that good.

[Mike Manning]

Hey man. Congrats on reaching the finals. I have to say though, I have mixed feelings about your film.

I thought the acting was a little weak... it made the husband come of insincere (though I guess deep down he was), but I don't think that's the intention. My interpretation is that he was sincere, until literally faced with the reality of what he's asking for.. then he buckles. So the acting kind of muddles that whole irony... though it still comes across... just not as well as it should.

Technically speaking it was very well done. While i was skeptical of the performances, I still got goosebumps when all the crazy shiz was going down... very creepy.. props to that.

But yeah, good job, congrats on reaching the finals.. and good luck placing at the top!

[triplej96]

Wow amazing cinematography! Simply loved the look of your film. Nice subtle effects too! Great work.

[hioctane]

B Plot/Continuity
A- Character Development/Acting
B- Music/Singing
A- Directing/Editing
B+ Cinematography/Special Effects
Overall B+

A touch of Twilight Zone here. Good tone and feel and a Disturbing ending.

[imthinking]

Congrats - my wife who could care less about technical loved the plot and the feeling - she said she was really into the story and didn't care about the technical ups and downs - I believe this is what any filmmaker is after!

[Chad_from_Chad]

Really liked the doctor, he had a genuine creepy in a good way sort of vibe to him.

[gabrielflorit]

Great photography (composition/lighting), good idea, but the dialogue kept pulling me out. For example, "You're awake!". Who would say that. We don't need to hear it either, you're showing us his excitement at her awakened state, and we've seen her awake. Also the acting I didn't buy at all - she looks way too healthy and stable to be near death, and I could tell he was trying to look sorry. My favorite part was the doctor, really solid acting skills, he definitely brought a lot of nuance and mystery to his scene.

Now the idea - a great one, really. What would happen if all of a sudden I'm feeling my life drain away and I know the solution is to kill the person that's killing me. Hmmmmm. Food for thought there. So your film stayed with me and it elicited thought. Which is really good. Congratulations!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Great looking film. Some of the dialogue was too exposition heavy and not really information that the audience needed to know - like the details about the red light. The characters already know that stuff so they don't need to say it to each other. Also all we need to know is that he feels responsible. We don't even need to know if he's right about that or not. Unecessary to the story and falls under the category of things the author feels like the audience needs to know but doesn't. As such some of the early dialogue would really challenge any actor.

I'm of two minds about the line where he says how miserable he is. My first isntinct is cut that sucker out of their. It's SOOOO unnatractive, selfish, and distasteful for a husband, especially one who may be responsible for his wife's near death condition, to be telling her how miserable he is. Really turned me off to his character and pushed me out of the peice. If he just tells her he would do anything to change places with her and we see that he's hurting, that's enough. It's always better to see these things and have them unspoken in dialogue anyway. Let the actors play it. But here - ugh such a gross thing to say IMHO. My only other thought on it is that, well, in the end he does turn out to be a douchebag. So maybe it's consistent. But I still think you should cut it. Makes the end less of a surprise if you keep it and pushes me out in a bad way early on.

Very well shot and edited. A Solid piece of work, which is no surprise.
:beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Jack, et al, thanks for the additional, and SPECIFIC feedback! I've been caught up in other things since the fest wrapped, so haven't taken time to reply until now.

I'm looking at making some cuts/adjustments now to the full cut (before adding the book ends I took out, to make the 6 minute max time), so we can get it out to other festivals, based on the consistent feedback I'm hearing on some of the lines.

Jack, always respect your opinion, so giving much weight to what you said above.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Re reading it now, it come off a bit over-harsh I think, just because I was in a rush and trying to get the reviews out.

It does look really great and it's a cool concept and pretty solid in general. The poster and key art and such is really nice too.

[Simon Höfer]

Talk to you tomorrow Norm! Off to bed now.

[Norm Sanders]

Re reading it now, it come off a bit over-harsh I think, just because I was in a rush and trying to get the reviews out.



Nah, it's all good, Jack. When I all cap'd "specific", I meant it as in I appreciated it (I mean, isn't that what we all want, vs. generalizations?), not that I thought anything you said was harsh or overly brash in the least.

So again, much appreciated, and value what you said. Have an email off to the writer, pointing to those specific things, as well as other consistencies that I've seen in feedback ... since I'm so 'community' in my actual onset production of a film, I keep that mindset all the way through final post as well ... though I still call the final, I like to give folks a voice for their opinion before I make changes, etc.

Simon, look forward to it, thanks!

[Norm Sanders]

Would look forward to some feedback from anyone who may check up on this thread:

Jack brought up some great points, much of which is being taken into account for a final edit on the full cut. However, I'd like feedback from folks on one thing Jack mentioned, that I'd like to see if it's ringing true for others as well.

He states that when the lead says "I'm miserable...", that it's a whiny, selfish thing to say, as he should be concerned about the wife, not stating how he is feeling. However, the intent of that line was to let her know how guilty he feels, how much he loves her, and therefore how much anguish he's feeling over her being in there ... not really to call attention to "look at me" sort of thing, but to show he cares, and wishes so badly that things could be different.

So, for those of you reading this, and have seen the film, which was did that section ring to you? Selfish, and a rotten line to say, or did it seem to you that he cared, incredibly so, and made that section more moving?

Would love your thoughts, and thanks for your time! :)

[jasonthewho]

For me, it seems a little on the nose and unnecessary. And yeah, I can see how it also can come off as selfish. "YOU'RE miserable? I'm dying, you insensitive prick!"

I definitely think that it would be no loss to the story to cut it, his sorrow and regret comes across in the performance.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Jack has a great point. You might as well lose the line. It works without it. If you had a moment of hesitation or anguish on his face then that says more than the line.

[Norm Sanders]

Without waiting for the final FINAL touches from the sound guys (Justin on the music, and Glenn on the final sound mix/design), I went ahead & sent the final revised FULL cut (approx 8 minutes ... a final ending not seen in the DVXuser cut) off to the Action On Film festival, along with three other older short shorts I've done over the past couple of years. If they choose to show them all, I'll have four showings down in Pasadena this year, and also hopefully four extra credits to add onto IMDB. :)

I still have THREE more shorts that I could eventually submit to that fest, but they were my first works & I'm not sure I want anyone to see them, lol (even though all the original DVXuser crowd has, since the first short I ever made was for the DVXuser Zombie fest!).

[iSTy]

I know this is a tad late, but I've just watched this short and thought it abs brill, so many people say 'I wish i could be suffering instead of you', but, like the doctor said, how many mean it?
although I wasn't too keen on the acting, the storyline was good.

Thank you, and Good Luck with the AOF fest :)

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, iSTv, for watching & on the feedback!

Just rec'd notification that LAST TOUCH is an official selection at the AOF Fest, and will be screening this year in Pasadena, somewhere between July 24th and July 31st.

[iSTy]

Excellent news, all the best for that :)

[Norm Sanders]

For anyone attending the Action On Film Festival, in Pasadena, CA: Where Silence Falls will be screening on Tuesday, July 28th in the 6pm block, at Academy 4.

[Norm Sanders]

I just rec'd notification today that the extended cut of LAST TOUCH was accepted into the 6th Annual BendFilm Festival, which will be held in Bend, Oregon from October 8th - 11 (Thursday-Sunday). The schedule hasn't been set yet, but as soon as I find out when LAST TOUCH will be screening, I'll try to let you know, for those who may be interested in driving down & checking out the festival. I know several filmmakers who've been rejected in the past from this festival, including myself when I submitted the much higher production level film BERLIN ... which was rejected in last year's submission to them. So, LAST TOUCH making it kind of feels like a big deal. :)

More about the festival can be found at www.bendfilm.org (http://www.bendfilm.org)

[Zak Forsman]

bendfilm has a new programming director this year.

[Sprocketboy]

Congratulations, Norm. Good news is always welcomed news!

[Rodney V. Smith]

Hear hear. Great news. You should kick a significant amount of ass there.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks guys!


bendfilm has a new programming director this year.


Hmm, so what's that mean? :)

[Zak Forsman]

new person making final decision on what plays, means person with new taste in movies, means win-win scenario for norm!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Congrats Norm.

heh heh leave it to Zak to have the inside scoop on ANYTHING festival related!

Zak is my hero.

[Gary Sconce]

Berlin was an absolutely wonderful film. I am flabbergasted that they rejected it, Norm. It is great that a new set of eyes has seen fit to include your film Last Touch. I look forward to seeing it.

Your level of talented creativity is what any festival wants.

Congratulations! :beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks for the kind words, Gary, and good points Zak! If it's not too late (i.e. based on production date of BERLIN), perhaps I'll submit it to them again next year....

Regardless, I'll be submitting both to the Portland International Film Fest (think it's their 33rd year), which is less than 20 minutes from where I live ... will be the first time I've submitted anything locally, so keep my fingers crossed on that one.