Too Late To Cancel

[Robbie Comeau]

Too Late To Cancel

Temp. Poster:

http://www.isarapix.org/pix59/1231140307.jpg

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Robbie

[Robbie Comeau]

Updates!

-A one man crew on this one. One of my two entries for Lossfest.
-Shot
-Editing now, halfway done the rough cut!
-Got a color grade in mind (see grabs)
-Rough cut done, approx. 4:40ish. LOOKIN' GOOD/
-Now that I got the cut, I'm gonna talk with the writer about adding more to the ending!
-Grabbed some sample music from Justin and it fits the film very nicely!
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Cast:
Simon Fisher- Matt Spataro
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Crew:
Written by: Jason Goldstein
Directed by: Robbie Comeau
Cinematography by: Robbie Comeau
Editing by: Robbie
Original Score: Justin R Durban
Boomer Operator: Keegan Nicol
Lit by: Robbie Comeau
Visual Effects: Robbie Comeau
Color Grading: Robbie Comeau

Robbie

[Robbie Comeau]

Grabs:

http://www.isarapix.org/pix54/1231136141.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix70/1231136242.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix3/1231136482.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix92/1231136513.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix81/1231136548.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix1/1231136594.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix41/1231140294.png

More to come...

Robbie

[Robbie Comeau]

http://www.isarapix.org/pix23/1231373150.png
http://www.isarapix.org/pix71/1231373173.png

Robbie

[stinkpot]

Nice color on the grabs. Looking forward to your film.

Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Nice grabs, Robbie. Looking good.

MAH

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks guys! :)

Mad updates!!

Robbie

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Robbie, good to see you're making more films. Your stuff keeps getting better and better. :)

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks Tom, means a lot.

Robbie

[Robbie Comeau]

Some minor updates :)

Wanting to change the film's title, just not sure as to what!

Robbie

[Robbie Comeau]

New grabs!

Robbie

[ConspiracyPenguin]

When did this happen?

The grabs look great, Robbie. I'm looking forward to it. :)

[Robbie Comeau]

It happened when I watched a lot of behind the scenes videos on Youtube of movies such as Twilight, and Transformers.

I HAD to shoot after seeing that...Any one else get mad inspiration from behind the scene videos?

I had this script for a while, and it fits the theme pretty well :)

Robbie

[Ki-Ki]

After seeing some of the twilight footage and trailer's, yeah.

But that's probably because I thought

'If that shi* makes it into the cinema, then why the Duck aren't I out there with my camcorder right now.'

[mattspat]

Haha yeah this film was very spontaneous. Rob pretty much told me he is coming to my place 10 minutes before and to review the script haha. It turned out really great though. I'm glad we did it. Good job bud.

P.S. The score is incredible...actually fits the film amazingly...all the right tones in all the right places.

[ConspiracyPenguin]

I had an advanced screening and am fairly pleased with the result. :)

http://www.isarapix.org/pix61/1231463822.jpg

[mattspat]

Haha. Good to have your approval man. How you doing on your film? Shoot anything yet?

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Nice grabs, Robbie! Another film that I'm excited to see. :thumbsup:

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Haha. Good to have your approval man. How you doing on your film? Shoot anything yet?

Nah, I haven't even written it yet. Although while I was eating dinner the Wii was on and I heard some background music that totally created the story idea I have been trying to come up with so, when I get a chance, I will start carving it out and see what happens. :) Thanks!

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks everyone!

Robbie

[SparkyZa]

What's up with this one?

[Robbie Comeau]

Done.

Just gotta get the leader. Thanks, I for got about it!

Robbie

[SparkyZa]

Looking forward to it!

Good luck,
Steve Zapinsky

[Noel Evans]

Getting some visual clues from those grabs. Really interested to see what you did with this one Robbie.

[Eric Meisner]

Nice Grabs... Good luck

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the comments.

Robbie

[ConspiracyPenguin]

Robbie, let me know if you want me to look anything over again. I'm glad things are going well.

[Robbie Comeau]

F'sho Nickolai! (Pronounced, 'Nick-O-Lie')

Robbie

[mattspat]

We gotta put a sweet ending on this....i have some ideas :P

[Robbie Comeau]

Like what?

Robbie

[Marlon Ladd]

How did I miss this one. Nice grabs, Robbie (especially the CU eye shot). Congrats on your progress!

[Rodney V. Smith]

this one was hiding. good luck you guys

[lordambrai]

Interesting film. I liked when he discovered Sarah was pregnant up until the end. But I didn't get a good enough reason as to why he would put himself in that situation. Otherwise, good production overall, just some strange writing ><

[Nick_Lee]

Interesting film. I liked when he discovered Sarah was pregnant up until the end. But I didn't get a good enough reason as to why he would put himself in that situation. Otherwise, good production overall, just some strange writing ><

WHOA spoiler! haha.

[jambredz]

yeah! dvx...i'm just exicted that i see a dvx film in here as a new dvx100b owner :)

erbody goin HD and all...anyway

SPOILER AHEAD

Yow Robbie..I agree with the poster above (lordambrai) ...i just dont get WHY he's doin what he's doing. Seems pretty melodramatic..like an attention seeker. Also in ur last film in the previous fest u allow the person to talk out the story instead of making us figure it out. thats the case with this again. "Sarah's pregnant" line. Just leave it at the picture...we'll do the rest:)
Something about the actor doesnt strike me as genuine. But i think he's getting better from the last one...so kudos. Its all about getting better right :)

Liked the colour grading
Really liked how it ended.

i like the look of ur stuff and it helps me to learn and learn about my dvx to get good filmic looks out of it. I thank u.

[Richard J. Johnson]

Good film. What happened at the end. great grading and I thought the lead was pretty good. Good job. I really wanted to see the hit though.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Robbie,

I thought the film build itself up in a strong dramatic crescendo. The proposition was interesting, and even though I've seen things like this before, you brought a style and design all your own. I thought that film embodied a strong color palette and the sound was very good throughout. I also thought that the lead, despite not looking or acting quite as disheveled (or laconic) as one might be in such a situation (especially after finding out about the doctor's package), I think the actor really held onto the role strongly. Definitely a solid work.

The music really seemed to hit the right notes for this one as well. Nice work! :beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Yep i think this film is a good effort but it doesn't quite work for me - and specifically its because,

- the story is told rather than shown
- the performance is utterly unconvincing unfortunately
- I could guess the pregnant ending / too late to cancel storyline from the start.

Now what i did like was the useage of the 'incamera' view - and the flashes to the characters eyes etc. The cinematography and composition was interesting and innovative - so the technical elements were positive.

It was just the melodrama (which i can love actually when done right) but the kind of lazy suicidal victim didn't really convince.

'Oh u know, i just feel a bit rough... bit meh... so you know, iiim just gonna well, kill myself, soon as i finish this chicken wing' - it was all a bit like that u know?

Anyway I commend you on making the film, but i suggest more focus on actor and script and less concern over technical precision :)

[Marlon Ladd]

I definately liked the film and your actor is always good and gave another excellent performance. I really liked the cinematography as well, but at times it seemed a little jumpy and I know that's what you intended. It worked very well at times, but there was a few times, like when he was just sitting it seemed to jitter for no reason. Oh, and a better sound fx would make it even more top-notch than it is. Good job again. You've got talent.

[Chris Messineo]

Spoiler Warning: I was watching this late at night and that gunshot at the end, totally startled me. Well done.

I thought this was a very clever idea - a great way to do a one person - one location film and still build dramatic tension.

All of the zooms and focus shifts started to be too much, but I know you were trying to keep the pace going and the visuals compelling.

Overall, I thought this was pretty good.

[warau]

I liked the concept and felt that you pulled it off. The combination of camera movement, music, etc helped carry the story along. To nitpick, the lead could have been a little more distraught and the difference in lighting between the eye CU and full face shot was too dramatic for me.
Nice job overall!

[ZazaCast]

Robbie, you know I'm a fan of your work and always look forward to your films...that said, I don't think this was one of your best efforts...and here's why:

1. I know what you were trying to do with the camera movement but feel it was just too much, especially when your actor was just sitting still.

2. Acting was a little flat and I still don't know why the guy wanted to kill himself...and if he really was in a deep depression, wouldn't the idea of being a father just make him want to kill himself more?

3. The story in general was told to us...too much spoon feeding. It could have benefited from a little less dialog.

4. The score. Although the score was excellent...because the rest of the film wasn't up to par, it seemed to be overly dramatic in my opinion.

This was a great effort for telling a story that's been told thousands of times before. I always love the look of your films. Grading is beautiful. Nice edit too...loved the cuts to the camcorder view, kept the movie moving in my opinion.

Keep up the good work and next time, beat Matt with a broomstick, get some tears in his eyes & the look of pain in his face...then we'd believe him.


...and tell me, who am I going to reach when I call the number clearly displayed on the cell phone as 'Sarah'?

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

...and tell me, who am I going to reach when I call the number clearly displayed on the cell phone as 'Sarah'?
My guess..... Sarah? :huh:

[mattspat]

Haha. I'm workin' on it guys. Only my second short film ever done! Didn't have time to plan for this one much, Robbie and I did this one spur of the moment so I kinda had to learn lines on the spot! NO excuses though! Still trying to prefect the craft and I am working on it....i still have a long way to go, I accept that and am welcome to any and ALL criticism.

Thanks guys.

[jasonthewho]

I liked this. The idea of hiring a hitman to kill yourself seems unlikely, but I was willing to go with it, and I was rewarded. The tension is high there in the last couple minutes.

The film looked great, and I liked the use of the CAM view. Some of the shaky camera and focus adjusting seemed unnecessary. I liked the raw look, but it was a little too much.

I think you did a nice job for the most part Matt. You are natural and don't push too hard. However, I didn't really buy your reaction to Sarah's pregnancy.

[MrKilloran]

The cinematography was great ... a bit too much handheld movement on some of your shots but I see what you were going for, but keep it steady sometimes and try to let the visuals tell the story every now and then not just the dialogue. I really liked the editing you chose, some great cuts back and forth from the cameras view and close ups. Great consistant grading. It was a good piece for a simple story. Nice job.

Matt - It wasn't terrible but it was not convincing either, you've done better. Try to play into the emotions of a scene a bit more.
beat Matt with a broomstick, get some tears in his eyes & the look of pain in his face...then we'd believe him. This works too :grin:

[mattspat]

Hey Jason,

Yeah I felt that line was really akward. I didn't like it either. But you are right I tried to go for the more natural feel. The problem with that is sometimes it becomes under-natural (which isn't even a word). Especially in a drama like this sometimes it works against you.



I liked this. The idea of hiring a hitman to kill yourself seems unlikely, but I was willing to go with it, and I was rewarded. The tension is high there in the last couple minutes.

The film looked great, and I liked the use of the CAM view. Some of the shaky camera and focus adjusting seemed unnecessary. I liked the raw look, but it was a little too much.

I think you did a nice job for the most part Matt. You are natural and don't push too hard. However, I didn't really buy your reaction to Sarah's pregnancy.

[Robbie Comeau]

...and tell me, who am I going to reach when I call the number clearly displayed on the cell phone as 'Sarah'?


Pretty sure it was Matt's house number haha.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

As Matt said, NO excuses is right, but it was rushed.

I did indeed call him and said that I'd be over in an hour to shoot this, and he says "what?"

So yea, planning could have been done to improve this piece, for sure.

Although, that's not a good idea to do whta I did anyway..I should have planned and took this film more carefully. Not being cocky, but Time In A Bottle is much better than this, look and story wise, only because I took that film with time, and had some crew in with me also!

Again, thanks for the feedback everyone. I mostly agree with you guys!

Robbie

[alex whitmer]

Agree with much of what has been said. The ending was known even before the leader was done, and 30 seconds into it, I knew where the shot would come from. Man, I kept hoping the phone would blow up or something totally unexpected.

Pretty off-the-shelf excuse for suicide. Not much reason to hope he somehow gets out of the jam.

Matt did what he could with the story. Performance-wise I wouldn't hold it against him. In the two films you've used him, I think he's been mis-cast.

He's a good looking guy with a talent more for action (Puck's film), so use him how he was meant to be used. If you've seen the film "Far and Away", that's a Matt role.

I don't dislike this film, but it feels more like you woke up with an itch to film something, looked around the house, called Matt, and bingo!

I'd call this one 'practice', like any good musician does with their instrument just to stay polished.

aw

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com


.

[ZazaCast]

My guess..... Sarah? :huh:

...wiseguy...:nads:
:)


Pretty sure it was Matt's house number haha.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

...wiseguy...:nads:
:)LOL! Thought you might like that. :evil:

[Blaine]

Robbie... I couldn't quite get on board with this one. There was never a time when I believed you character was distraught enough to commit suicide. And while I think I know what you were trying to accomplish with the camera movement, I found it incredibly distracting. The other problem I had with this was that him hiring a "hit man" felt like a contrivance to make the story work. I'd much rather him have found or hired "someone" to do it. It's just the way the whole "hit man" thing played out it was like he probably looked in the yellow pages to find one. I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't know the first place to look for a "hit man." I could probably nitpick the envelope from the doctor, too. I would have liked it to look a bit more official.

Other than that, I was fine with the story. The concept wasn't flawed, only the application. All that said, I think you did a very good job on the ending.

[Spear670]

I liked this film but I didn't understand why such a young clean cut guy would be suicidal. Despite the fact that he's so sure he's about to get fired and lose his girlfriend, the fact remains he's employed with a girlfriend. I understand some people are just troubled, I just didn't feel it. I loved the camera work though and I think the concept is fantastic, I just think it would fit an older more troubled character.

[SMarston]

while watching this movie i noticed that the ultrasound picture was of a baby of about 6-7 months, almost entirely developed. the idea of the story was heartbreaking a catchy but the picture really threw me, i didnt feel as conviced as i had hoped.

[Zim]

I thought it was a pretty good film. I might have made it shorter and not so much moving around.

[Geoff_R]

Robbie, interesting twist to a plot that is seen often... success in that regard....

Character/Story wise though I couldn't get into it. First off, it'd cost him good money to hire a hit man and I just wonder how that'd be logically plausible for a young kid with limited connections in the world to hire a hit man... this reminds me of a short story called 'No Comebacks' which is really interesting because it shows how difficult the process is to hire people to do these kinds of things. So for him to hire a pro, it would have taken considerable effort. So although it's an interesting twist (one I like), I don't feel it works for this scope of a story...

Acting was both up and down... there were good moments where the character really seemed confused and upset with himself and others were it felt as if he were reading lines. I didn't feel for his plight in the beginning, he didn't look like a man hanging by his last thread, of one who had surrendered to death as the only way out.

From a directing sense, it shows strong promise and intricate attention to detail. You have a well executed production with good camera choices, good pacing and good twists! I just think some aspects of the story, some concepts are too big for the setting and character themselves.

Thanks for sharing. Look forward to more from you.

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks Geoff.

I'm a fan of your work, and love the stuff you produce. I'll be in the L.A area next week so I'm hoping to connect with some of you guys.

Again, this piece was a tad rushed, but I'm not using it as an excuse, as it's my fault for rushing.

Thanks for the feedback.

Robbie

[imthinking]

I loved the concept of the story - the camera shaking was a bit much - Nice concept for sure!

[vnguyen972]

My only major problems were the cut to the CU of the eye when he was talking to the camera and the heavily used of shaky hand held camera work to create tension...

The acting needs a lot of work as the character isn't believable.

Thanks for sharing and please don't hate me for repeating some of these that'd been already pointed out by others...

[Brian Parker]

Got some good shots in there Robbie but I think that although it is effective at times, the film industry as a whole has subscribed to the "create tension with shaky camera" edict and we need to back away from it a little.

I liked the cuts between the movie and the suicide tape. The concept was decent and there were some good points in there but the story wasn't completely balanced. The main character didn't look like he was going through anything...he needed some stubble...some red rimmed eyes.

That being said, you had very crisp images and colors. The shots were very clean and vibrant. There's some good stuff here and I liked it.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Robbie, first rule of writing is this: write what you know. There is SO much in here that is based on speculation or "wouldn't it be cool if..." kind of thoughts, that it boggles the mind.

The good: you shot it well and quite interestingly. Very good. You used what you had. Got inspired and went out and shot something using only what you had available.

Good move and bad move.

You wrote a story that was way beyond your limited experience level and needed a lot more human reaction that neither you or your very capable actor had experienced. You may think you can relate to how it feels, but you don't have the slightest clue. This shows on camera from the very demeanor of Matt to his reactions to the news of the baby.

You woe-fully miscast Matt here. He's meant to play the pretty boy roles, the thugs, the action hero.. not the every man role that everyone can relate to. This script was written for an older character who has actually gone through life and has things to regret, mistakes he's made.. things that would weigh heavily on him and drive him to the poitn of suicide.

One does not wake up one morning and decide to kill oneself. It is a a gradual process, a breaking down of everything, total loss that is heart and soul breaking. This shows physically and mentally.

All of your visual indicators were all wrong. Yes I know you gave Matt an hour's notice. You should have given him a month. You certainly had the time to give yourself a month and find the right actor for this. The right actor would have brought so much humanity to it that we would have been heartbroken for his loss.. we would have felt it and bought into it completely and lost ourselves to the inevitable conclusion. You literally cast a BOY to do a MAN's job and that does disservice to you both.

Take a look at your script next time and before you convince yourself of how brilliant it is, do some research. Break the script down, and for every action and reaction there, ask your self "Why" and "How". Everything that is there is done for a reason and has a past behind it. This is part of character and script development and forms a more complete story from this process. You are able to answer the questions and fix the "I don't know" bits, by going out and asking other people who may have been through a similar situation.

"how do you hire a hitman?",
"can you afford a professional hitman, or have to resort to a thug who might or might not botch the job and rob you blind?",
"how hard is it to find someone who will take money to kill you and be able to finish the job",
"do hitmen really give a time frame for the murder?"
"how do people really react when they get news of their baby?" (believe me, it's not all smiles.. i believe "oh shit" is one of the most common utterances in the situation, and that's not always coming from the guy)
"how much does a person lose before they resort to suicide?"
"what mental state will someone be in once they've made the decision?"

All good questions to ask.

Next script, next movie, ask all of those questions, find out who your character is and why we should care if he lives or dies, and then if its an emotional role, give them a week to go over the role and discuss it with you, where you;re both understanding where the character is comign from, and more importantly what his journey is.

Filmmaking is more than pointing a camera and yelling action and you've shot enough of these shorts that you need to be delving into what makes a good film, what ties it all together.

It's a hell of a lot more than about how pretty your pictures look.

Good luck to you next fest Robbie. I think you're going to hit it out of the park and surprise us next time around, since you have shown tremendous growth.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Sorry, it's been pointed out to me that you didn't write the script for this. However the questions I raised still stand, and those are important ones you have to ask yourself aas a director and get your writer to do rewrites. If he refuses, scrap the project and move on, or hire another writer. Anything else is a bad reflection on you.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

I second Puck's advice. Some of these things really do need to be considered before the project even gets off of the ground. The topic of hitmen has been turned inside out by almost every indie filmmaker under the sun (I've even tampered with it a bit and still want to, although it's a VERY different approach to the single hitman style of Leon), and a LOT of questions need to be brought to attention.

When I was working on it, I did an immense amount of research in an attempt to keep everything realistic and believable, seeking out every detail to utilize in order to A) make a compelling character that people care for, and B) portray it as something that actually happens.

This is a writer's job: researching endlessly and knocking out an endless amount of pages. It doesn't end.

[Robbie Comeau]

Thanks for the big review Rodney. I totally get where you're coming from. Same with Lawsuit Boy.

Research is key I'm starting to understand, and every fest/film I make, I learn something to do for the next film/fest.

Now for the next fest, my goal is to do a lot of research. Done!

Robbie

[Rodney V. Smith]

Research the hell out of it and then wow us with your skillz. You know you got the skills, so now it's time to refine them. Whatever you make you can be sure I'll watch, and the shorter my review is, the more I LOVE it. :grin: One of these days Robbie, you'll get a review from me that's just one word, and you'll understand...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Well, it's obvious that I like your other entry with Kegan much more. :)
This one seemed thrown together as you have already admitted to.

The visuals are fine and the acting is decent. I just needed a better story.
And maybe a little calmer camera movement. I know that you were trying to create tension but it didn't really work for me here.

MAH

[Robbie Comeau]

Research the hell out of it and then wow us with your skillz. You know you got the skills, so now it's time to refine them. Whatever you make you can be sure I'll watch, and the shorter my review is, the more I LOVE it. :grin: One of these days Robbie, you'll get a review from me that's just one word, and you'll understand...

Incredible, or amazing?

Robbie

[Rodney V. Smith]

Incredible, or amazing?

Robbie

That's for your to decide. Give us amazing.

[TiJo]

I haven't read thru the postings on this thread. But this film was really well made I thought. The kid was good. Not great but good enough to keep me enaged. good job on this one.

[Norm Sanders]

Drat, I try REALLY hard not to read comments before I post my own, but when I clicked on the last page to post mine, there's Puck's HUGE comment, and I just had to read it cuz I respect so much what he says, as well as how he says it.

In fact, he pointed out things that I don't even need to comment on, so I'll simply second him on it, and point out what I DID like about this instead. :)

I LOVED some of the framing & camera movements in here .... VERY well done. My favorite being when we'd get a fresh close up of his face, with an incredible focus on his eye, coming out of the slow frame rate/web cam effect ... gorgeous.

The concept was cool too! Just, as Puck, Lawsuit, and probably others have pointed out ... the material has to fit the capability of the talent, not just in their actual ability, but in their believability in age, experience on life, etc.

I INSTANTLY recognized Justin's music in there, as I've listened to his works SO much (when I was in national sales & traveling, I'd litterally leave the laptop running all night with his music playing over & over in the BG).

[preston]

so i'm sure it's all been said by now, but i just finished watching this film, and i must say - i enjoyed it, from a technical perspective. well shot; looked good, sounded good. i didn't quite buy that he was suicidal, but i'm sure you've heard that in the reviews.

oh, one more thing - the title. not the best choice, once he said 'hitman' or whatever, that kind-of blew the ending right there. i would change it for sure, if you're going to show it anywhere else in the future.

good job, nice skills. :beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Oh, and I must add myself, that I literally JUMPED at the very ending with the gunshot & glass breaking....for whatever reason, the tension had built up enough for me, that it caught me off guard.

[Will Clegg]

Oh, and I must add myself, that I literally JUMPED at the very ending with the gunshot & glass breaking....for whatever reason, the tension had built up enough for me, that it caught me off guard.

Me too! That was a very effective ending.

I really didn't buy the acting in this one though - nothing about this guy suggested that he was actually depressed. Some art direction and hair/make-up work would have gone a long, long way in helping too.

[hoz]

good film! the story idea is good, didn't believe the actor much though but he sure did have a lot on his plate, from suicidal to learning he is a new dad, he had to hit the whole enchilada.. that said it must've been something else to act this whole film out. he didn't look suicidal, his confession to tape didn't sell me, although i think you did a great job in filming it. he got a bit better towards the end and i liked how you filmed the tension too.

good job!

[Chad_from_Chad]

I like the concept, but the elements are really familiar. Suicide is up there with rape to me, such a simple way to try and find an emotional connection. Child birth, chicks named Sarah, I don't know. The talent did really good in the emo segment, his video confessional, but once the intensity built up, he was an empty canvas. Keep going at it though, I look forward to seeing more from you.

[Susanne G.]

I liked both of your entries. I think really that the films all around were well done in all senses. I don't think that they are top notches, but I found they had a good quality, especially the story telling and I enjoyed them. Compliments :beer:

Susanne :bath: