"Stupendous" a Beyond Reality Picture

[armisiano]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1234757444.jpg


OFFICIAL TRAILER IS HERE!!!
"STUPENDOUS: THE TRAILER" (http://vimeo.com/3233100)
http://vimeo.com/3233100



01/09/2009
"Stupendous" is the story of a superhero coping with the loss of his powers.

01/14/2009
Well preproduction is off and running. We have locations secured, a script finalized that I'm VERY happy with (I think it's hytsterical, dry, I love it), and audition listings were posted and actors are being scheduled. I was even able to secure the local Time Warner Television Studio as the audition location (thanks to my knowing the director of programming, it's free of charge). So yay. Auditions are Tuesday the 20th, will post the cast list when finalized.

01/17/2009
So I finished the "first draft" of an animated nighttime news type background to be used during a breif news broadcast. Please share thoughts on it. http://vimeo.com/2867116

Also, have nearly finished construction of a portable set (it's a bus stop). Basically I needed a bus stop, didn't like where any were, but liked a location and felt it needed one, and that way I don't have to worry about a bus coming every 15 minutes. When it's complete I'll post pics.

I'm so excited, I'm fully booked for auditions from 5 to 9 pm on Tuesday. We've got a good turn out this time, let's hope all goes well. Would love to post screen tests of final choices, but don't want to ruin the first viewing of the film by people already knowing a big chunk of the dialogue. Ah well. Maybe I'll just mute them.

01/19/2009
Just finished the poster (see above). About 9 hours of straight work, but totally worth it. Stitched together using nothing but photographs I've taken, I'm pretty happy with it. For anyone who doesn't get the tagline, the original "Superman: The Motion Picture" tagline was, "YOU'LL BELIEVE A MAN CAN FLY". Since no one is cast yet, you'll have to ignore all the scrawl info at the bottom, most of it is just silliness to take up space for now. Nevertheless, Ta-Dah.


01/20/2009
Finished the bus stop (SEE SECOND POST). To date the largest prop I've ever made. In fairness though I'm only 3'2", so it's bairly 5'. In all honesty, I always feel a little awkward showing behind the scenes and making of stuff before the final project is seen. I dunno, I think it sort of takes away from that wonderful mystique about movies we all love so much, the illusion. Ah well, whatever. I know it's fun to watch things develop, and besides, illusion? Who am I foolin' on this site? And yes, I was facing the sun for this photograph, hence the dissappearence of my eyes.

Oh, and, auditions are in less than 5 hours, I'm excited and nervous. Let's hope there are so many stellar choices it's hard to decide. Hope. Hope. Hope.

1/21/2009
Auditions went well. There were some tough decisions to be made, but they were made over Denny's greasy greasy food. The main cast includes the following:
In the role of Mr. Stupendous, our hero, our lead, JAMES COTA. In the role of Diane Laude, our secondary lead, the news correspondent, MEI-LING DOWNEY. And in the role of Brian Donaldon, news anchor, a small but important part, THOMAS L. CRAIN.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233989492.jpg

There are still several very small roles (a few extras and one role with a line) yet to be cast.

01/22/2009
In trying to emulate the poster a small bit during a particular shot, I have gone to some lengths with color correction and matte work. Here are some low res before and after screen grabs.
Also the poster's been updated with the actors names now added to the crawl at the bottom.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1232629897.jpg

1/24/2009
FRUSTRATION!!! Here it goes, the list of things that suck:
- Okay, so, firstly, organizing people's schedules sucks.
- The fact I have no rehearsal location sucks.
- Tonight I tried setting up some lights to do a green screen test, to discover I have burned out bulbs. Tomorrow I have a gig from 8am to 4pm (no lights needed thank god) but then a gig from like 5:30 to 10, in which I NEED LIGHTS! And the drive from location A to location B is a little over an hour. Also, there's a REALLY good chance that no place in San Diego will have 3 SYLVANIA 500W 3200K bulbs.
- Today I bought a small LCD HDTV from Best Buy to use as an external monitor (I'll be shooting a large chunk in a home, outlets everywhere), only to discover that the one I purchased, discounted a little due to previously being opened, is MISSING A REMOTE AND ALL CABLES AND PAPERWORK!!! IT'S JUST A TV!!!
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

01/25/2009
Today went really well. We had the first meeting with Barrie Kaufman, our costumer (you can see some of her work HERE (http://fablesbybarrie.com/)), a little upset I forgot to bring the camera for some BTS photos. Also had our first read through/rehearsal (remembered the camera this time).
I'm the one with the clothing and hair style of an 8 year old. The guy with the light colored sweatshirt on is the producer, Ryan Cerutti.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1232955707.jpg

01/28/2009
Got SO much accomplished today, and it all went REALLY easily (I'm scared). Got three, count em' THREE locations secured! Also got a couple extras cast, including Julie Benitez, and Griffin Benitez (both of whom should be awesome). Secured our stunt coordinator, Dominic Sherman. Bought some supplies for a green screened part of the film, and even managed to return that impulsively purchased Best Buy used TV with comfort, speed, and ease. Did a little rewriting of the script, and (sad to say) discovered that the budget is EVER CLIMBING. Ah well.

Two of the three new locations featured below. Location scouting photos taken with cell phone.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233196862.jpg

01/30/2009
I am happy to say Damian Sanchez, the extremely talented composer who put together the phenomenal score for my last film, "Sixty Seconds" (I love what he did, it suited the film perfectly) will be providing his skill to this project as well.

01/31/2009
4 things. First, the bench for the bus stop is almost done (SEE PHOTO ON SECOND POST). Well, actually it IS done, painted and all, but I only have a picture of it in it's naked form. The really cool thing about it is it's made to be transported and is disassembled with ease into 4 separate pieces (back, seat, and 2 legs). Secondly, finished work on a simple logo for a fake news broadcast.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233409729.jpg

Thirdly, we finished casting the remaining 8 or so extras. And fourthly, finished a mock up news microphone utilizing the above logo and some other supplies as well.

01/31/2009
All superheroes need an action figure. I've used files and whatnot to get the nose down to the right shape, and painted the eyes to more accurately represent James, our actor. I still need to do work to the jaw and chin. But hey, it's coming along. Funny thing, this may never even be seen on camera, I'd be surprised if we manage to stick it in the background somewhere. Right now though I have some down town. The next rehearsal and meeting isn't till Tuesday, so I've had about a week to just work on all the random little things as you've seen in the thread here. (See action figure pictures below on 2nd post)

02/03/2009
Second rehearsal went really well. Below is another rehearsal collage. First Mr. Stupendous costume fitting was together, went well, some notes were given and adjustments will be made. I'm looking forward to that. No pictures will be posted of the costume though I think before the first viewing date. Also, more work has been done on the Mr. Stupendous action figure, more sculpting of the face, work on the nose, jaw and chin to make it resemble our actor a bit more. I forgot how much I enjoy sculpting. Pictures of that to come some time soon.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233708141.jpg

02/08/2009
Found some time to do some work on the Brian Donaldson news segment. Still have to adjust some things, and add some more news type graphics, but it's off to a good start, here's a before and after shot below.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1234157709.jpg

Also, I needed some extras. In fact, I needed some teenage extras. How do I do this? THAT'S RIGHT! TO THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA DEPARTMENT!!! Some of my lovely teen extras are featured below, there may be one or two more yet to come. They are, in order from left to right:
Julia Lusitana, Rocio Arrieta, Craig Merker, Karla Zambrano, Andrew Jesse, Ivy Crocker, & Meg Smith
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1234158480.jpg

02/10/2009
Today was the last rehearsal. It went amazingly well, I'm so proud of my actors. A collage of some photos from the rehearsal is posted below in the next post, as well as a fun picture of James and Mei-Ling.
Also, the final Mr. Stupendous costume fitting was today, it too went very well, but no pictures were taken.
Finally, Kim Seidl is being kind enough to work as our on set photographer during the shoot. You can check out her website here: http://kseidlphoto.com/blog/


02/14/2009
Been SO BUSY LATELY!!! So productive though. Shot footage on the 11th, went well, very short clip but VERY funny. Much thanks to my highschool supporting players mentioned above for helping out. Will post screen grabs soon, hopefully tonight.

The main shoot was tonight (well, last night, as it is now 3:30am). Also went amazingly well, I think the footage is absolutely beautiful, very flattering to the actors, so everyone looks great. And everyone did a great job. This was the scene between James Cota (Mr. Stupendous) and Mei-Ling Downey (Diane Laude), the one they've been rehearsing for 3 weeks. The shoot took a long time, people arrived at 6, everyone and everything was FINALLY ready and got started around 7:45, broke for dinner at 9:45, and wrapped around 1:45. It's always so crazy to me the footage to final cut ratio. I have about 2 hours of footage for what is a three minute scene. Oh editing. How you will torment me so.

I will have some screen grabs from that as well hopefully by tonight. Sadly no behind the scenes photos till probably next week, as I have a photographer now getting them all who plans to just give me the whole bundle of pics when shooting wraps, which is Wednesday the 18th.

Anyway, I have to get up at about 9 to start tomorrow's shoot. WHEW!


Reserved.

[armisiano]

Decided to post some of the images and things I've used for inspiration for myself and others.
There's a part in the film featuring a walk on appearance of a homeless shopping cart lady (what film is complete without one?), and our lovely actress Julie Benitez is not only gracious enough to play this small role, but also put together her own costume and shopping cart prop. So I sent her the following two collages as inspiration. I DO NOT own the rights to these images, they were found via Google image search. As you will see I labeled specific things I liked about them.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233307240.jpg http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233307226.jpg

These images were sent to the costume maker, Barrie Kaufman. The first is a black and white version (I want you guys to have SOMEWHAT of a fresh experience watching the film) of a first-go rough idea of a possible costume design. Well, I wasn't happy with it, I really drew it just to show basic color choices. So the second image is a collage of aviation pins (which I fell in LOVE with the look of), which was used as inspiration for the look and design of the costume in some weird way. The final design is pretty cool and I'm very fond of it. The overall design is supposed to have a somewhat classic old school DC comics 1930's & 40's feel to it.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233307815.jpg http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233307255.jpg

ALL PROP/SET PIECE PHOTOS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THIS POST.

01/20/2009 (BELOW)
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1232484201.jpg

01/31/2009 (BELOW)
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233408397.jpg

01/31/2009 (BELOW)
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233455138.jpg


02/10/2009
Rehearsal collage:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3271200686_981968fe07_o.jpg

If this production were to have a Christmas Card, this would be it.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3271200586_208f910861_o.jpg

[armisiano]

Reserved for BTS shots during shooting (shooting Feb 6th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th & 18th) & SCREEN GRABS.

02/06/2009
Shooting Day 1 - February 6th, 2009

Shot Thomas L. Crain's portion of the film, playing news anchor Brian Donaldon. Below is a photo of the setup with items noted, below that, what I call a wanna be screen grab. :)

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233964060.jpg
1. A 500W work light diffused by a thicker umbrella shining up onto the small green screen on the wall behind our actor. The other lights (note "5") lit it pretty well from above, this under light was to balance it out and hide any shadows cast by wrinkles.
2. One of the sound blankets. Placed much farther forward than it appears in this photo, the 20mm lens used to take this picture seems to distort our perception of the distances between the objects in this photo.
3. Microphone, actually much closer to our actor than it appears in this shot.
4. Stone grey felt was used to drape over the table half and act as a counter top. Why felt? So that it doesn't reflect the green screen behind him.
5. 2 3200K 500W bulbs. They were a bit higher up than they appear in this photo. The video camera's shot is basically looking right between them.
6. Sound blanket #2. I totally forgot my clamps at home, and ended up using vice grips from a local garage. They worked. You'll see at the base of the light stand that this blanket is clipped to a bag of sorts. That is a 10lb. sand bag that cost me only a few cents. At home depot you can buy a 40lb. bag of sand, as well as individual smaller empty bags FOR sand, all for under $2. After tying off the top, throw it into a plasic bag and seal it, and don't have to worry about any fine sand leaking.
7. The ol' DVX100B with LEX and Nikkor 85mm.
8. The ambiant light coming from the obercast sky outside bounced a nice soft cool light that worked as a sort of mild extra fill.

Fake screen grab below.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1233964015.jpg

02/14/2009
SCREEN GRABS! FINALY! The following screen grabs have not been color corrected yet, just resized.
Below we see our hero being prepared for his big prime time interview.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/3279480227_12fa553e1a_o.jpg

We see our camera readying and out host opening her segment.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/3279480347_25edf163bc_o.jpg

02/25/2009
A photo of me on camera while shooting the trailer has surfaced, and, looking damn sexy in it with that gear, it is now my favorite photo of myself.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/3310032476_7b06bf6b9d_o.jpg

02/28/2009
Got the behind the scenes photos today from our on set photographer, Kim Seidl, who did a FANTASTIC job. I have nearly 800 photos from her, it's incredible. Below are 9 that were chosen for this blog update. In case anyone hasn't noticed, I have intentionally avoided showing pictures featuring Mr. Stupendous, as we'd sort of like his presence in the film to be a very fresh experience for all watching. Yes, he WAS seen in the trailer, but we feel that's enough for now. After the premiere more BTS photos will be posted featuring him, which'll be easy as he's in 99% of them.

The photos below are labeled 1 though 9, and below that I have written what each one is. Enjoy, comment, and have a STUPENDOUS weekend.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3599/3316335580_161547e1e2_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3316335700_7e3242737b_o.jpg

1. Griffin Benitez, getting ready for his closeup as The Boy.
2. Our producer Ryan Cerutti demonstrating for the cast how to properly hang awkwardly from a dead tree. Thank you Ryan.
3. A hero's hair is a very important thing. Note the piece of tissue on his face that hasn't been removed since shaving moments before. Sadly no tissue is featured in the final film. You can also see sound proofing blankets all over the walls behind everything.
4. Me looking at pictures taken of the lighting setup we created a week earlier before shooting, trying desperately to recreate it. You'll notice my right hand is my light bulb hand.
5. Mei-Ling Downey (plays Diane Laude) sits on set in her gorgeous lighting laughing along with the rest of us at some stupid thing someone did.
6. From left to right, Rick Struble (production assistant), Ryan Cerutti (producer), and Anthony Misiano (writer/director) all smile with joy at a comedic moment going VERY well.
7. The incomparable Julie Benitez here in costume and with her fantastic prop, both of which she was left completely responsible for, playing our sexy homeless shopping cart lady. Look at the visual notes I gave her featured in the previous post above, and see how great a job she did. And to top it all off she was hysterical. Always a plus.
8. Rick Struble and myself getting a wide shop of a stupendous incident.
9. Lastly Mr. Stupendous at his apartment. Note the boots resting comfortably on the table, the news on, and the action figure proudly atop the electronics.

[cinealma]

Sounds great. I have that story idea written down in a notebook. I'm very interested to see what avenue you go down with it.


Cheers!

[stinkpot]

This sounds promising. Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

[aravance]

Very cool concept. I really like this idea.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Really enjoyed your last entry.

Good luck!

MAH

[warau]

I love the poster! Looking forward to the film, sounds interesting.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Nice work on the poster! Seems like it will be a fun viewing. And I got the Superman: The Movie reference. :beer:

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice...very very nice. the poster fucking ROCKS!

[Maximus]

Great premise! Excellent poster! Look forward to seeing your film.

Best of luck!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

LOL! Great stuff. Love the poster.

Good luck!

MAH

[Susanne G.]

I enjoyed very much your last entry, especially the props and colours were great. I am looking with great interest forward to watch this one. :thumbup:

Susanne :bath:

[armisiano]

Funny thing about the poster, it totally makes me think of a big budgeted special fx type film, when really what I'm making is a very dry contemporary comedy. :) I think it adds to the humor.

[RodThompson]

Yeah, so like, this guy I know is totally making a movie about the exact same thing. :beer: Lol! Looking forward to see a comedic view of the subject matter.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=156363

[warau]

Your poster is awesome and I like the bus stop! This looks like a fun film, I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

[armisiano]

Your poster is awesome and I like the bus stop! This looks like a fun film, I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

Gracias.

[Rodney V. Smith]

uber cool! i'm ready for my world to be rocked! is it March yet?

[pia12254]

Dude, I would love to see a little "Making of" or even a series of still showing the process both of designing your poster and compositing the sky in your screen grab. What program are you doing your compositing in?

Even a grab of your workspace would be cool!

Looking forward to your film!

Daniel

[Rodney V. Smith]

Dude, I would love to see a little "Making of" or even a series of still showing the process both of designing your poster and compositing the sky in your screen grab. What program are you doing your compositing in?

Even a grab of your workspace would be cool!

Looking forward to your film!

Daniel

hear, hear! Do a podcast or something. Show us what's going on behind the scenes with you. one podcast is enough, cuz this is an exciting lookign project.

[armisiano]

Dude, I would love to see a little "Making of" or even a series of still showing the process both of designing your poster and compositing the sky in your screen grab.

hear, hear! Do a podcast or something. Show us what's going on behind the scenes with you.

Thanks guys. I would love to, but honestly, it's such a tedious and inefficient process (the way I do things), I don't know if I have the patience to go back and take 2 dozen screen grabs of me making it and write explanations. This may sound lazy, I'm really sorry, but since I entered the fest so late (fest announced November, I decide to make something mid January) I'm working round the clock on production. But thank you for the encouragement.

[Rodney V. Smith]

you know... I had considered using the tagline from Superman on my movie, but then decided on something funnier. Glad to see your take on it. It really works very nicely.

[RodThompson]

1/24/2009
FRUSTRATION!!! Here it goes, the list of things that suck:
- Okay, so, firstly, organizing people's schedules sucks.
- The fact I have no rehearsal location sucks.
- Tonight I tried setting up some lights to do a green screen test, to discover I have burned out bulbs. Tomorrow I have a gig from 8am to 4pm (no lights needed thank god) but then a gig from like 5:30 to 10, in which I NEED LIGHTS! And the drive from location A to location B is a little over an hour. Also, there's a REALLY good chance that no place in San Diego will have 3 SYLVANIA 500W 3200K bulbs.
- Today I bought a small LCD HDTV from Best Buy to use as an external monitor (I'll be shooting a large chunk in a home, outlets everywhere), only to discover that the one I purchased, discounted a little due to previously being opened, is MISSING A REMOTE AND ALL CABLES AND PAPERWORK!!! IT'S JUST A TV!!!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!



The Jaws robot sank a lot.
Star Wars was nearly scrapped half-way through production.
Poop happens! But it makes ye strong!

"Here's to swimmin' with bowlegged women!" (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001727/)

Rod

[Erez Henya]

That's going to be interesting!

[chriscurl]

1/24/2009
FRUSTRATION!!! Here it goes, the list of things that suck:
- Okay, so, firstly, organizing people's schedules sucks.
- The fact I have no rehearsal location sucks.
- Tonight I tried setting up some lights to do a green screen test, to discover I have burned out bulbs. Tomorrow I have a gig from 8am to 4pm (no lights needed thank god) but then a gig from like 5:30 to 10, in which I NEED LIGHTS! And the drive from location A to location B is a little over an hour. Also, there's a REALLY good chance that no place in San Diego will have 3 SYLVANIA 500W 3200K bulbs.
- Today I bought a small LCD HDTV from Best Buy to use as an external monitor (I'll be shooting a large chunk in a home, outlets everywhere), only to discover that the one I purchased, discounted a little due to previously being opened, is MISSING A REMOTE AND ALL CABLES AND PAPERWORK!!! IT'S JUST A TV!!!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!




I hear ya brother, as a fellow kinda superhero filmmaker I can tell you that:
1. Yes, scheduling does suck.
2. Rehearsals? what's that? (Rod, you better not blow this...no pressure.)
3. The biggest problem I have found when producing something you are also directing is that I spend so much time dealing with the small BS (cuz someone has too) that actually directing can take a back seat, yesterday it seemed like that was about 10% of my day.
Good luck man, hope you are able to overcome all of your obstacles!

[jasonthewho]

I am VERY excited about this one.

[armisiano]

01/31/2009
Updated. See first post.


I am VERY excited about this one.

I know how you feel. :)

[armisiano]

1/31/2009
Updated with Mr. Stupendous Action Figure. See first post.

[Rodney V. Smith]

dude, the action figure is way too cool. that ROCKS man.

[Richard J. Johnson]

This one is on my must see list for sure. You are crazy with the props.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Lovin the banner. Nice work.

[J. Erik Reese]

wow, I can't wait to see this!

[armisiano]

This one is on my must see list for sure. You are crazy with the props.

:D It's all in the details. ;)


...that or it's not at all, but luckily my content is pretty good too, so in my off days I can obsess over those little details.

[Richard J. Johnson]

:D It's all in the details. ;)


...that or it's not at all, but luckily my content is pretty good too, so in my off days I can obsess over those little details.

Could you make a filthrich rich action figure with the kung-fu grip and hip thrust turbo action?

[armisiano]

Could you make a filthrich rich action figure with the kung-fu grip and hip thrust turbo action?

I already have my friend.







I already have.

[armisiano]

I have a question that needs answering, it will help this production. It is posted at the end of this thread: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=153871

Please help out if you can. Thanks.

[longshanks]

really nice poster, did you do HDR photographs to achieve that look? also, when do we get a trailer for the movie? :)

[armisiano]

really nice poster, did you do HDR photographs to achieve that look? also, when do we get a trailer for the movie? :)

Thanks. Nope, just lots of photoshop time. Sadly no trailer will be seen before the premiere. 2 reasons, 1, it's a comedy that's about 5 minutes long, if I make a 30 second trailer I'll probably have to waste all my jokes and it'll kill the viewing experience. I mean shorts are basically full-length-trailer length anyway, right? And 2, I'm not done shooting till the 18th, and then have a video shoot and editing job immediately afterward before I get to edit my own film, so the odds are I'll finish this one RIGHT on time for submission cut off. Sorry.

[armisiano]

02/03/2009
Updated. See first post. Some things rearranged, see second post.

[armisiano]

02/06/2009
Updated. Screen grab and on set BTS shot w/breakdown. See first page, 3rd post.

[armisiano]

02/08/2009
Updated. Screen grabs before & after. See first page, first post.

Hmm, I'm noticing a trend here, I think I'm the only person still commenting on this thread. Ah well. Somebody's got to. :cool:

[Rodney V. Smith]

no worries, i'm still here. nobody's commenting on mine either, but i think that's cuz they're all out shooting... or something.

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice news footage shot. you gonna add some CNN scrolling and stuff at the bottom?

Is this for on screen during the movie, like on a television set in the film? or actually full screen?

[armisiano]

nice news footage shot. you gonna add some CNN scrolling and stuff at the bottom?

Is this for on screen during the movie, like on a television set in the film? or actually full screen?

Yeah, more stuff will be added. Crawl and what not. This will be seen ON a television that we the audience will see in a room.

02/08/2009
Also, another little update was added, the cast extras!

[Rodney V. Smith]

i love the attention to detail you're going through here. including the action figure and everything. Reminds me that I have to get started on my art department stuff for this week's shoot.

This is going to come out looking quite fantastic. Helped by the amount of time you have to tweak the few elements here and there. Good one on ya mate!

[Erez Henya]

Looks beautiful, again. I hope it's all going by the plan!

[jasonthewho]

When I was in high school drama, I would've wanted to be in your film. Nice extras.

I think the amount of people commenting on each other's threads is down in general this fest. Not sure why.

[armisiano]

02/10/2009
Updated. See first 2 posts.

[warau]

I am really looking forward to this, you have put a lot of work into the details! So.... where can I preorder my Mr. Stupendous action figure?

[armisiano]

I am really looking forward to this, you have put a lot of work into the details! So.... where can I preorder my Mr. Stupendous action figure?

With me via a PM. Although I will warn you, they're $250 each and don't ship for about a week.

[RodThompson]

02/08/2009
Hmm, I'm noticing a trend here, I think I'm the only person still commenting on this thread. Ah well. Somebody's got to. :cool:

We should co-op to bump each other's threads. lol

[Rodney V. Smith]

I think the amount of people commenting on each other's threads is down in general this fest. Not sure why.


even the mods are MIA

[RodThompson]

I say fear.

Unfiltered FEAR.

[Rodney V. Smith]

I got fear in a can right here if anybody wants some. free for only $19.95...

[warau]

Can I get some fear in a can in a bundle with my Mr. Stupendous action figure? Sounds like a great deal! Only $269!
Is there a discount if I buy in bulk?:)

[armisiano]

02/14/2009
Updated. Shot a bunch. See first post.

[jasonthewho]

Glad your shoot went well. Can't wait to see some grabs!

[armisiano]

02/14/2009
UPDATED WITH SCREEN GRABS!!! WOO-HOOO!!! See first page, 3rd post.
These are the first revealed screen grabs from this project, hope you enjoy.

[jasonthewho]

Nice! His hair is the best one. So Superman.

[Mark Harris]

even the mods are MIA

Yeah, seems like a very small number of people being active in this one...and have heard nor hide nor hair of a mod in some time, even when I asked the same question 3 times in the rules thread...

[armisiano]

"STUPENDOUS: THE TRAILER" coming very soon!

[armisiano]

"STUPENDOUS: THE TRAILER" in fact, coming TODAY!!!

[Rodney V. Smith]

booyah and all that jazz. lets have some trailerage dude.

[armisiano]

02/15/2009
UPDATED: "STUPENDOUS: THE TRAILER" is online and ready for viewing! Check first post, toward the top just under the poster. You can't miss the link. Hope you're amused, it's a comedy. :)

[Rodney V. Smith]

Muhahahahahahahaha

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice reveal by the way. our first glimpse!

[Sprocketboy]

I just read most of your thread, took three steps backwards and fell on my bum. Stupendous production value and a great concept! I like the way you work. I'll be the first one in-line to see this film on-line.

Without a doubt, you are a prop-o-holic. Go to a clinic near you. You might find me there.

[rslarkin]

My role in Stupendous (volunteer PA) ended on Sunday. Thank you Anthony for a valuable opportunity to learn, plus plenty of fun too.

Didn't plan to be in front of the camera (bald guy in the trailer), but with your eye and the awesome quality of the DVX, the cringe factor wasn't nearly as bad as expected.

Looking forward to seeing the completed film and all the other LossFest entries.

[RodThompson]

Trailer looks good! Can't wait to see Producto el Finito.

[armisiano]

So, shooting wrapped on Wednesday, sorry no updates have been posted. I'm just waiting now to get some of the behind the scenes photos from our photographer. I've also begun editing, and will hopefully be done in about a week or so.

I'll be honest: I wanna update a lot more often, but I feel like I shouldn't if I'm not offering up some sort of entertaining material/stimulus (i.e. photos, audio, or video clip). Maybe I'll do a video update, I dunno.

[Rodney V. Smith]

glad you;re wrapped dude. how's the editing coming along? have you got a rough cut yet?

[armisiano]

02/25/2009

Random photo of me looking all cool and director-ee added to the bottom of the third post, first page. Lots more behind the scenes photos to come soon.

[Marlon Ladd]

Wow, Armisiano. Everything here looks great! You're the man!

[armisiano]

Wow, Armisiano. Everything here looks great! You're the man!

Wow, thank you. I've always wanted to be The Man. So, now that I'm The Man, does that mean everybody pays up to me? Should people watch their back because I, The Man, am out to get them? Is it true that I hear everything you say? Or am I too busy "beatin' down the brotha-man"? God, there's so much pressure being The Man. I don't think I wanna be The Man anymore. But thanks again.

Who wants to be The Man next?

[Rodney V. Smith]

Hye Armisiano, I heard you were out to get me... oh damn, am I too late and youre no longer the man? Can I have a go?

[Marlon Ladd]

Okay, fine then. I guess I can be "The Man" for awhile. I wonder what I'll do with all my power?? Damnit! Can't really think of anything - maybe I'll make people call me, sir.

More to come later. LOL.

[armisiano]

02/28/2009
Lots of BTS photos with notes added to the third post, first page. Check'em out and comment. Thanks. :)

[Sprocketboy]

Great BTS photos! Are you using a 35mm adapter on your camera? Apparently you are. On the first page, it says, LEX with Nikkor. Is that a Letus? I'm kicking myself in the head (which is really hard to do) for not using one.

You have a "stupendous" looking cast and crew.

[armisiano]

Great BTS photos! Are you using a 35mm adapter on your camera? Apparently you are. On the first page, it says, LEX with Nikkor. Is that a Letus? I'm kicking myself in the head (which is really hard to do) for not using one.

You have a "stupendous" looking cast and crew.

Thanks. Yup, Letus Extreme. I quite enjoy it. If it makes you feel any better I'm kicking myself in the head daily realizing I'll never be able to afford anything high def. I feel like I'm one of the only people submitting for this fest in SD. Why do I feel that way? Because it's true. I'm worried that people will judge some based on that, not the fact that it's standard def, that's a conscious notion, I mean the subconscious things, like the lack of picture clarity and color quality of 4:2:2 sampling. So feel free to kick yourself in the head sprocketboy, you're not the only one.

[armisiano]

OH SO VERY VERY CLOSE TO BEING DONE!!! I CAN TASTE IT! Just need to do some audio work, shouldn't take more than a few hours, and then some last minute tweakings. I hope to finish it by midnight tonight. WOO-HOO!

[Rodney V. Smith]

woo hoo back at you dude. feels good don't it?

i'm almost finished with audio on "Keeper of the Lost" as well.

[Eric Meisner]

Just wanted to Chime in and say I really enjoyed your Trailer, I watched a couple the other day...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Thanks. Yup, Letus Extreme. I quite enjoy it. If it makes you feel any better I'm kicking myself in the head daily realizing I'll never be able to afford anything high def. I feel like I'm one of the only people submitting for this fest in SD. Why do I feel that way? Because it's true. I'm worried that people will judge some based on that, not the fact that it's standard def, that's a conscious notion, I mean the subconscious things, like the lack of picture clarity and color quality of 4:2:2 sampling. So feel free to kick yourself in the head sprocketboy, you're not the only one.Where did you place last Fest, if you don't mind me asking? I just don't remember this concern from you last Fest.

I do remember helping you with some compression problems though. Although I think the way it was captured didn't help. Something was off.

Your teaser looked fine to me though!

You have some nice gear so don't fret.

Cheers,

MAH

[armisiano]

woo hoo back at you dude. feels good don't it?

i'm almost finished with audio on "Keeper of the Lost" as well.

Yeah, I just wish I wasn't so OCD with audio. Several of my scenes are purely post production sound, which means foley, dubbing, and a few credit card charges to sounddogs.com, but it's totally worth it. I love creating audio for a scene and having noone have ANY idea that it's all purely fabricated. :)


Just wanted to Chime in and say I really enjoyed your Trailer, I watched a couple the other day...

Thanks. Me too. It's pretty much just an introduction to my kind of humor. I hope everyone was amused. The movie should deliver a few good laughs.


Where did you place last Fest, if you don't mind me asking? I just don't remember this concern from you last Fest.

I do remember helping you with some compression problems though. Although I think the way it was captured didn't help. Something was off.

Your teaser looked fine to me though!

You have some nice gear so don't fret.

Cheers,

MAH

12th place. This one will do much better though, I can guarantee it. :)

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

12th place. This one will do much better though, I can guarantee it. :)So... what are you worried about? :)

12th place in last Fest was pretty good placement, it was a tough group.
This Fest may be easier. I expect fewer entries this Fest, that means less competition.

Good luck!

[warau]

Finally watched the trailer, looks great! I am looking forward to the film. Anyone who makes their own action figures has my vote.

[armisiano]

Did I say midnight last night? I meant 2pm today...

[armisiano]

Well, looks like just like the last fest, I'm having trouble with exporting. Something's gone awry (though a completely different problem then before) and I'm gonna be out of town from right now till I get back on Friday. So hopefully I'll get to export the dang thing and upload it to the fest. If not, it's been fun. Wish me luck.

[Susanne G.]

I love your trailer - very funny. Something like 'Superman' in LossFest. I am looking very much forward to it. Good luck :thumbup:

Susanne :bath:

[MrKilloran]

My two cents - The trailers great, quite silly, can't wait to see the rest!

[armisiano]

Alright. It's uploaded. :)

[armisiano]

Movie website hopefully coming soon. I'm gonna start working on it right away and try to have it up in a couple weeks. Wish me luck. :)

[Postmaster]

Good Lord!
Real english type of humor, if not to say Monty Pythonesk.

Very good Sir.

Frank

[armisiano]

Wow Frank! Thanks! I love Monty Python. That's a fantastic compliment, nearly stupendous. :) (I haven't seen your entry yet, but I do plan to comment as soon as I do)

[Postmaster]

....and your lead looks so Incredible

http://www.nndb.com/films/057/000068850/the-incredibles-1-sized.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3271200586_208f910861_o.jpg

Cheers mate :beer:

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I don't want to hear you complain about SD vs HD again. This looked fine. :)

The audio was off though. The voices just didn't match up to the audio perfectly. Maybe not throughout but for the majority of it. At least on my setup. I'll try it on my Mac later.

Now, The story was great! Loved the lead actor as well. He was stupendous! :)
The tree scene was hilarious! Great audio there.
The music theme was very good.

Funny stuff.

MAH

[Richard J. Johnson]

Great lead actor. He has the chin for sure. I loved how he was a little too fat for his suit.

The DVX looks great here. You really know how to use it. Congrats on this one.

The audio thing was there but it did not take away from the experience for me.

The reporter was good too. and this really needs a sequel.

Amazing Boy-Effing hysterical

[armisiano]

The audio was off though. The voices just didn't match up to the audio perfectly.


The audio thing was there but it did not take away from the experience for me.

D@MN!T!!! See, this blows my mind! The audio on the actual film is perfectly synced. I'm an audio nut, I spend weeks sometimes fine tuning and perfecting it. For some reason when I export it as an mp4 it does this weird like 6 frame delay with the audio. The thing is though, when I upload clips that have this same issue (when I export mp4) to vimeo, they playback perfectly, so I figure it's just my system not liking the format. Maybe we all have Vista, and this OS doesn't like it, I don't know.

When I export any other format the audio is perfect, PERFECT! But I can't seem to get the file under 50mbs in any other format without it looking uber-compressed.

I just worry for two reasons, 1, it's a comedy, timing is EVERYTHING, and if the audio is off, it messes with the timing of the comedy, I KNOW this. And 2, I worry that this exporting issue will directly effect how people rate it.

Ugh.

It just feels like months of effort, tireless effort, and money from the pockets of an unemployed artist, were wasted.

I need a drink.

Anyway, I AM happy you all are finding it funny. I think it's darn hilarious (then again it is MY sense of humor, I better think it's hilarious).

[seductivepuppy]

i liked how he lost his powers. haha.

[armisiano]

i liked how he lost his powers. haha.

That bit alone was one of the main reasons this project came to be. When the image flashed in my mind I couldn't stop laughing.

[Chris Messineo]

I feel so bad for you about the audio sync. Still, even though I noticed it, it didn't really distract from my enjoyment of the film.

I could tell a lot of love and care went into this movie and I thought it was very good. It is a wonderful idea for a comedy and I thought the humor was great. I especially liked your lead actor - he was so sad and had these big puppy dog eyes - I thought he was perfect. The cat rescue was my favorite part (along with Mr. Stupendous throwing popcorn at Amazing Boy).

Very well done.

[Rodney V. Smith]

I'm king of the world!!

I'm still chuckling over this. Dude I feel you on the audio export issues. You;re right: sound is a major thing and people lose points over it... like MAJOR points. Some of us do take the whole film into consideration and rate according to that and the level of enjoyment taken from the film.

Your film entertained me all of the way through. It was well paced and I felt sorry for poor ol' Mr Stupendous. You put a lot of effort into this and it shows.

Easily one of my favorites.

[jambredz]

yay..another dvxer ...that alone has my excited...same with robbie's entries(new dvxuser here :))
yeh so i liked this one...lead perfect for the role. I mean my only gripe is that it just kinda left me hanging..and not in such a good way. i wanted more...like some kinda hint that he;d get it back or encounter with... Amazing boy is it?! like just when they encounter..nothing has to be even done really... THEN leave me hanging :)

Good work

[MrKilloran]

Had some friends over, peeking over my shoulder to catch this one. We all thought it was hilarious. Some favorite moments: Losing powers, Amazing-boy, the pauses Mr. Stupendous would take with an awkward look on his face if he didn't know how to answer a question.

The audio issue, never really caused a distraction for me, I felt the timing was still in-tact. This is one of my favorites so far, Great job making the DVX look good. Very entertaining. Hear-hear for "ComedyFest" :beer:

[Geoff_R]

Thought this was quite funny :) Enjoyed your lead actor and premise a lot. I didn't pay too much attention to the technical aspects on this one. I was more into your character and story. You told a lot in a short amount of time and it didn't feel rushed. Excellent pacing. Thanks for sharing!

[lawriejaffa]

Yep the sync thing is a pain im sure but like somebody else mentioned, it didnt detract from my enjoyment of the piece and it was really very amusing. It was also well acted, finely shot, nicely lit and with uber composition muhaaha... uber indeed *ahem*

One of my favourite scenes has to be 'im kind of the world' - and the performance in particular by the superhero (or ex superhero) really sealed the deal.

Well done, and im sure this will be among the favourites. ;)

[armisiano]

i need to let everyone know how sorry i am for this freak accident that happened with the audio sync during export.

Mis-communication occurred and i was mislead into thinking that the audio issue was only something i personally was experiencing on my computer.

I am so very sorry for this, and nearly devastated that this has happened.

I sincerely apologize.

[lawriejaffa]

I only hope that God can forgive you for what you've done armisiano... it's him you should be asking - not us... ;)

[armisiano]

I am an obsessive compulsive who has edited and designed sound for nearly 8 years. I DO NOT allow mistakes to happen, it's as simple as that. The fact that this has occurred really bothers me.

[Jeff Anderson]

Wow! I loved this!! To me comedy is a genre that is just difficult to nail especially if you're trying to appeal to a large audience. You nailed it though. Don't worry about the whole audio sync thing. It really didnt bother me at all. The audio quality as well as the cinematography and nice clean look totally made it a non issue (at least for me) I think.

Really really loved the ending and the reflection shot of him. Editing was great as well. The whole story and pacing kept me interested and laughing. Especially the part where he got zapped by lightning and just left her with that awkward silence of an answer. Fantastic work all around man. You should be quite proud of this one. I would be!

[Lawsuit_Boy]

You know, this scenario actually reminds me of Magnolia, or at least the interview itself. The visual effects shot of the lightning strike really cracked me up! The whole thing did, really. I thought the lead was fantastic, as was the interviewer. I was a little tossed by the sound lagging behind the images near the beginning, but it got better. The whole thing had this dry dash of sarcasm, satire, and clever humor that I just fall sucker to so fast.

I'm curious to know if it was inspired at all by Magnolia or interview scenes that evolve like it. Was there any influence? Or perhaps just an after-the-fact concurrence?

So, besides sound problems (lagging ADR and occasional lack of sound between cuts), this film was right on the money. Great work! :beer:

Forgot to mention that I thought the opening sequence of the crew and Mr. Stupendous getting ready for the interview was cut extremely well.

[Sprocketboy]

It’s Great! Did you really expect me to say, it’s Stupendous?

You really have a knack for putting something professional together. Every shot, the lighting, editing, music, costume, props, acting and directing is Grade A, except for the news cameras, but you already knew that. This felt like it was pre-planned carefully, and that is what makes a great filmmaker. To envision what you want and then get it is next to impossible in a collaborate medium like filmmaking. I strive for it all the time, and never get exactly what I want. I have a feeling you did. Super fantastico!

Oh yeah, if no one told you yet… your sound is out of sync. Doh!

[armisiano]

I was a little tossed by the sound lagging behind the images near the beginning, but it got better...So, besides sound problems (lagging ADR and occasional lack of sound between cuts)


Oh yeah, if no one told you yet… your sound is out of sync. Doh!

Yup. If you read back a couple posts you'll see me mentioning this. The sound actually turned out perfectly. I'm very OCD with sound and do not allow mistakes like this to happen. For some reason when I export as an MP4 this occurs, and I just assumed it was just my system playing it back oddly, because when I upload to vimeo for example, it goes away. I'm quite devastated that this has happened. Believe it or not there was no ADR except in the lightening scene and cat scene.


You really have a knack for putting something professional together. Every shot, the lighting, editing, music, costume, props, acting and directing is Grade A, except for the news cameras, but you already knew that. This felt like it was pre-planned carefully, and that is what makes a great filmmaker... Super fantastico!

Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it.


You know, this scenario actually reminds me of Magnolia, or at least the interview itself. The visual effects shot of the lightning strike really cracked me up! The whole thing did, really. I thought the lead was fantastic, as was the interviewer... The whole thing had this dry dash of sarcasm, satire, and clever humor that I just fall sucker to so fast.

I'm curious to know if it was inspired at all by Magnolia or interview scenes that evolve like it. Was there any influence? Or perhaps just an after-the-fact concurrence?

...Forgot to mention that I thought the opening sequence of the crew and Mr. Stupendous getting ready for the interview was cut extremely well.

I will finally come out and admit it, yes, Magnolia was a big part of the visual influence for this. I also watched a number of Barbara Walters interviews on youtube to figure out set dressing and to see what kind of mics were used. Though the mics our characters are wearing are merely props/costume pieces, I noticed that even now Ms. Walters lapel mics are quite large and obvious.

Shooting all those shots for the opening sequence was so much fun. My personal favorites are the makeup brush collecting powder, LOVE THAT SHOT, and then the silouette or Stupendous being powdered as we rack to Diane Laude.

Thanks for all the positive comments by the way. I really hope the exporting issue won't affect the final score. I'm tempted to find a way to fix this problem, I don't think we're allowed to upload it online yet though (vimeo or something of the like). If we are I think I might and try to redirect people there so they can enjoy the film with the properly synced audio.

[vnguyen972]

Like Sprocketboy said, the sound is out of sync... I thought it was just me or maybe the compression but other than that, it was a nice little film about a superpower human who lost his power... production value is at best... and some funny moments there... great job!

[armisiano]

Like Sprocketboy said, the sound is out of sync...

Yes.

Yes it is.

This has been discussed at GREAT length on this thread and I have tried DESPERATELY to explain why this is.

[Zak Forsman]

genius, man. loved your treatment of a fallen superhero. at the end, i want to see so much more... i wanted to see him trying in earnest to be a hero again, despite having no powers and fighting to regain his dignity at the same time. its crazy, but i really felt for him. great, great work.

[armisiano]

genius, man. loved your treatment of a fallen superhero. at the end, i want to see so much more... i wanted to see him trying in earnest to be a hero again, despite having no powers and fighting to regain his dignity at the same time. its crazy, but i really felt for him. great, great work.


Thank you so much. That means a lot to me coming from you, I love your work with characters and human stories. :) I haven't gotten to watch "Model/Photographer" yet, but as soon as I do I'll comment and give you some thoughts. Thanks.

[Zak Forsman]

well, it's pretty clear to me that you are the real deal. very glad to have you as part of the dvxuser community.

[kyrre]

Just finished watching this one. Congrats! Very entertaining! Well shot, cut and directed. Not to mention - cast. Your lead had the perfect blend of classical handsomeness and nerdiness. I was actually a little sceptical at first (another failed-superhero movie). But this one was different and stood out.

I pretty much liked everything about this short and I want more. Definitely one of my favorites in this fest!

[ZazaCast]

Excellent! Very well done (and I won't mention the audio thing...D'OUGH... I just did...sorry). Enjoyed this from head to toe, especially the way he lost his powers...too funny. Keep up the good work, I'll be looking forward to your next film.

[alex whitmer]

Enjoyed this one start to finish. I think your interviewer and your hero were so well matched. Both really brought a lot to the story. Nice acting that never felt like acting.

They deserve some kudos.

Fun story all around. Love the 'groupies'. Very funny.

alex

[Marlon Ladd]

Hey, Armisiano, I enjoyed your film. I thought it was very funny and even though it was a comedic piece, you could really feel and identify with the hero's pain. That would be very tough. His whole costume and everything and they way he stood in it had me laughing. When he gets up to leave the interview and his cape swoops by the chair - I don't know if anybody else thought that was hilarious, but I did. I also liked the effect of him getting knocked out of the sky. I just keep wondering what kind of ending would be better here. Haven't come up with anything, but it seems like there should have been more of a resolution. I don't know - could just be me. Good job.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

I will finally come out and admit it, yes, Magnolia was a big part of the visual influence for this. I also watched a number of Barbara Walters interviews on youtube to figure out set dressing and to see what kind of mics were used. Though the mics our characters are wearing are merely props/costume pieces, I noticed that even now Ms. Walters lapel mics are quite large and obvious.

Shooting all those shots for the opening sequence was so much fun. My personal favorites are the makeup brush collecting powder, LOVE THAT SHOT, and then the silouette or Stupendous being powdered as we rack to Diane Laude.



I knew it! Haha, really though, I'm just such a PT Anderson nut that if I hadn't identified the influence, I would have slapped myself silly. I thought you did it very well without doing a shot for shot reproduction.

Those are all great shots. That whole sequence was terrific.

[CLockman]

I like the Bruce Campbell-ish lead. I like the trailer a lot more though

[singleframe]

great casting -- especially for your superhero!
definitely see you put lotta time/effort into this project from day one. great job!
like someone said earlier it felt cut off, but that's a good thing..wanted more.
sound issue was minor for me..don't even worry.

[Spear670]

Great job on this one. Most of the jokes landed well and it had great production value. Good job casting too, Stupendous had a chin the looked like it could cut through glass. I agree that the ending needs to be changed to something with more resolution, but that being said I really felt the pain as his tears rolled.

[SMarston]

so funny and so random, the look on the reporters face had me feeling just as uncomfortable as im sure your superhero felt. it was easy to sit through and very funny.

[warau]

I really enjoyed the interaction between reporter and mr. stupendous, he really looked pained! I thought you handled the story very well, it was both funny and sad.

[Rodney V. Smith]

So I put my favorite movies on DVD so Jessica could watch and we're here viewing again. And dude, on DVD that weird glitch is completely gone. Plays perfectly and has me going WTF?


Stupendous looks great on the TV screen by the way, compression and all, it still looks GREAT.

Edit: Jessica is LAUGHING her ass off over here.

[armisiano]

So I put my favorite movies on DVD so Jessica could watch and we're here viewing again. And dude, on DVD that weird glitch is completely gone. Plays perfectly and has me going WTF?

Is it not the most bizarre issue in the freaking world? See what I mean? The sound is perfect. Ugh.


Stupendous looks great on the TV screen by the way, compression and all, it still looks GREAT.

That's the best part of television sets, they make standard def look AMAZING.


Edit: Jessica is LAUGHING her ass off over here.

Oooohhh... she's the super cute one from Falling Up, yeah? Awesome. Make'em laugh, it's the true way to someone's heart. :happy:

[jessicalsin]

Oooohhh... she's the super cute one from Falling Up, yeah? Awesome. Make'em laugh, it's the true way to someone's heart. :happy:[/quote]

You boys. I swear...

Okay but seriously, I laughed so hard i think a little pee came out! I was nearly hysterical...

One question....where do you FIND tights and cape for a grown man? Is there a superhero shop nearby?!

*MUAH*

Just lovely.

[Mark Harris]

Is there more to this? Seems like it ended when it was just about to begin.

Props and costumes were great!!

But I felt like you spent a looooooong time on one joke. All of those cutaways should have been like a quarter of their length. Like the one with the cat up in the tree should have been boy pointing, cat meowing, cut. As they were, none of them actually made me laugh because they just dragged on.

Those bits should have punched me in the gut and ran. As it was, they showed up, gave me a limp wristed slap and then stood there. I knew I was supposed to be laughing, but I wasn't. I would suggest taking a look at Arrested Development. They are masters at that kind of thing. Absolute masters. And eveything I just mentioned can easily be fixed with proper comedic timing in the cut.

I kept wondering why he is doing this interview. Or why he's not working a LOT harder to make himself look good in this interview. Presumably, he's going on TV to help his image because he's "fallen from grace." But he doesn't put a lot of effort into it.

Even in comedy - especially in comedy - characters need strong motivations. His seemed pretty flaccid. Might have been nice to give her an agenda too. She was sort of snide, but she's in the damed thing so long, it might have been nice to think about her a little more as a character and give her an ax to grind maybe, or something.

And like I said, the end felt like it should be the beginning. He's been humiliated. The new kid is taking his fans. Seems like this should be the lead up to him trying to make his big come-back. Over the hill super-hero with no powers tries to make a come-back. Now, that's the movie I'd like to see.

Is there more you just didn't have time to put into a 6 min film?

[armisiano]

Awkward moments make me laugh the most. I enjoy slow and painful discomfort. What can I say?

[Brian Parker]

Nicely done armisiano! Loved the lead's performance as well as the other cast members. I really felt for the guy. I wouldn't mind seeing a feature of this.

There's a lot to like here. The opening sequence was great. Image was really crisp. The score was good. Well written. I really don't have anything bad to say. Had a lot of fun with this one. Great job!

[JCVR]

With so much going on with the super hero genre these days, I really enjoyed your take on it.

A small note, but i really liked your colors in all of the non-interview scenes. It's subtle but i think it goes a long way.

Really nice and self contained. It was really enjoyable all the way through!

[jasonthewho]

It's Frost/Nixon meets Hancock! (That's for your DVD box)

I really enjoyed this, as I thought I would. The costume was fantastic, the shot of him getting struck by lighting was fantastic as well. The acting was strong all around. As was the directing/editing/cinematography.

It would have been amazing if we could have seen more of him with his powers. Maybe as part of the interview she could have shown clips. (I realize how technically difficult this would be, but with your effects expertise, I had to suggest it).

With how detailed the film was, I thought the news on tv wasn't as accurate as everything else (Of course, I work for the morning news, so I'm probably watching more carefully than others).

Another thought, I thought a great ending would have been him being so angry and frustrated by that news broadcast, then looking down to see he's hovering over the chair. (But I like happy endings)

Two great entries in a row! Can't wait to see what you do next!

[armisiano]

It's Frost/Nixon meets Hancock! (That's for your DVD box)

HA! I'm using it!


It would have been amazing if we could have seen more of him with his powers. Maybe as part of the interview she could have shown clips. (I realize how technically difficult this would be, but with your effects expertise, I had to suggest it).

Actually you wouldn't believe how difficult it was to do all that crap. (I'm referring to the lightning sequence here) I might even make a special feature for the DVD just showing how much had to go into it all. I don't do special effects, but I saw that image in my mind with such detail, and I knew how funny it would be, it's like a bit from an old Warner Bros. cartoon. Thanks though.


With how detailed the film was, I thought the news on tv wasn't as accurate as everything else (Of course, I work for the morning news, so I'm probably watching more carefully than others).

(Sigh) Yeah, I know. (Sigh again)


Another thought, I thought a great ending would have been him being so angry and frustrated by that news broadcast, then looking down to see he's hovering over the chair. (But I like happy endings)

Believe it or not I was SO close to doing something like that. I wanted him to stare at a soda can, SO intensly, and then immediately as we cut to black we hear it open and maybe a "Woohoo!" Out of him. But then I can't turn away from the mean jokes, they just crack me up, because immediately I think, "Wait, it would be so much funnier if he CAN'T do it, no matter how hard he tries. And then he decides to try to open it regularly, and cuts his thumb on the mouth of the can and yells out in anger and pain. HA!"

Which I then wanted to do, but the sun was going down, it was scheduled to be a very short shooting day, so it's okay. I was pushing the time limit anyway. Note how fast my credits have to roll by. Anyway, thanks for all the feedback, glad to hear you enjoyed it. Yay! :)

[Nick_Lee]

hahaha. funny stuff man. I literally lol'd through out. especially when the grandma walked across the bench. I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a big laugh but it got me.

nice effects. especially the manhattan skyline thing where he just falls haha. I'm not sure if that's difficult or not but it was pretty sweet. nice shots also. I like how there was like out of focus equipment with the interviewer in focus behind. awesome lighting. and the on screen TV stuff at the end was nice. good job sir.

[Robbie Comeau]

Nice film, nice ending! Def. not a hollywood ending, which we need more of!

Great acting, and the audio was perfect.

The news reports looked good as well. Maybe adding some banners and some text at the bottom would help more.

Robbie

[Norm Sanders]

Anthony, there were & are SO many things about this movie that I really, REALLY love! I'm going to cover those first, and then rip on you for the things that didn't work.

First, your marketing/graphics for the film are AWESOME! Your poster is among my favorites, choice of font, etc. all really make me want to SEE the movie. NICE.

Your shot choices, the cinematography, editing/timing, etc. ALL really REALLy solid! Loved it. My absolute most favorite shot is the same as your poster ... that exterior of the city blows my mind. Insanely well shot.

Acting. Loved it. The guy was comical, had some GREAT facial expressions, and did a great job of giving me some belly laughs, as well as just feeling SO sorry for him. Nicely done.

Now, I've not read the other posts in here, so forgive me for repeating what I'm sure others have mentioned already. ADR. What the hell happened?! This would have rated SO high for me, had it not been butchered with such obvious ADR. So I'm curious to know what happened to force you into that situation. Now, ADR doesn't have to be a bad thing, and truth be told the voices actually sounded good (which is tough to do when not actually IN the moment, like they are when in production) .... it's just that darned timing issue is what killed it, making it quite noticeably out of sync with their mouths. :cry:

Hmmm, crap, and now I just saw Robbie's comment above (right before hitting 'post'), and he's saying the audio was perfect? Hope I'm not the first to rip you a new one on the ADR/audio.

The SFX and music were solid, from what I recall as I write this....just not the dialogue/timing of the ADR, sorry.

[pia12254]

To save him the trouble of having to type his explanation for the umpteenth time (I know you have not read the other posts yet Norm)...the audio you hear WAS the actual production audio. There is no ADR. The problem was with his .MP4 compression...it slips the audio by about 6 frames for some reason.

So, it is really not his fault, just an unfortunate and frustrating technical glitch!

Armisiano, if I'm missing anything feel free to fill in the details! :beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Ouch, that SUCKS! Sorry to hear, Anthony, and thanks for the explaination, Daniel. :)

I'll go back & readjust my rating to compensate some ... however, not too much (and here's where I may sound like a heartless bastard), because final delivery (compression issues or any other problems) is still the filmmaker's responsibility & part of the whole process. Geez, I DO sound like a jerk for saying that, I'm sure. Sorry.... :(

[armisiano]

A few others have done it, so I decided, why not? My favorite "STUPENDOUS" review quotes are now added to my signature. I'd like to emphasize some particular love for the quote from jessicalsin. :)

[TiJo]

A fine cast you have here. This is just a wonderful film. I felt for the lead, it was sad. You convyed that well. Amazing boy screams sequal.

[Sprocketboy]

Heads up! Someone may have discovered this already, but I transferred a bunch of shorts to DVD, so some of the people who worked on our film can see them. I discovered STUPENDOUS played in perfect sync from a DVD. Watching it on the computer... out of sync. Watching from a DVD... in sync. Interesting and strange. What did you exactly do boy?

[Rodney V. Smith]

Same thing happened to me here. Its utterly stupendous (sorry, I couldn't help myself) and it's driving Armisiano crazy

[Brandon Rice]

I watched it, and I enjoyed it. I worked on a project like this a few years back... not exactly the same, but in the same "world" :D It was funny... not as funny as I thought it had the potential to be though... it looked great by the way! Always nice to have the technical not distract from the performances.

[Robbie Comeau]

I didn't see the humor in this really, mostly a drama. Either way, great flick. Different, yet good. And fitting.

Good actors to. They seemed natural and they made the film that much better.

I liked the lightning strike. I would have liked to see a water splash! :)

Robbie

[armisiano]

I discovered STUPENDOUS played in perfect sync from a DVD. Watching it on the computer... out of sync. Watching from a DVD... in sync. Interesting and strange.
Its utterly stupendous and it's driving Armisiano crazy
Yes. Yes it is. No, really, it is. Yes.


I didn't see the humor in this really, mostly a drama.
It's funny you should say that, because after I finished editing it, when I finally sat down to watch, I realized how seriously sad the ending was. But then I started to feel I was in good company, Christopher Guest comes immediately to mind. I've always felt he makes tragedies disguised as comedies. Watch any of his films and they're about these uncomfortable awkward characters all trying to better themselves and usually failing miserably in some way. But gosh I love those flicks.


I liked the lightning strike. I would have liked to see a water splash!
That scene actually continues in my mind. It's very funny. But the special effects involved to pull it off right and make it look real are just not in my grasp. I keep wishing I could do this film again, but a twenty minute version and sink about 25k into it.

Anyhoo, thanks everyone for all the great feedback.

[jessicalsin]

I totally loved the humour in this. It truly is along the lines of Monty Python, Peter Seller, Chrisopher Guest type thing....it's the kind of funny that's really gotten lost with all the vulgarity that people now consider comedy...i.e Dane Cook. heh. Sorry to knock the Dane fans but the aforementioned guys were funny in a more subtle way, you had to be pretty twisted and goofy to really find it hilarious! Which I totally am...so...thus...I enjoyed this thing completely!

[Noel Evans]

An extremely polished piece. Absolutely every inch of the frame has been well though out and well shot. I liked those uncomfortable moments, but when I was waiting for the big laugh, I just didnt seem to get it. Watched it twice to make sure I wasnt missing something. Its a shame your audio timing is slightly off, as the audio did sound very good.

Things like the trolley lady going past were fantastic touches.

[gabrielflorit]

Really enjoyed this one, made me laugh out loud several times.

Felt like you didn't know how to end it.

Great acting - very believable.

Congratulations

[orchidsofwrath]

that was frkn hallarious. Absolutely loved it. No crits cause I wasn't thinkin about that when I watched it. Too immersed :).

[Will Clegg]

I thought this was a very clever piece, and very well shot. Your lead (Mr. Stupendous) was great as well. The thing is, the pacing just seemed waaaaaaay too slow for a comedic piece like this - I would love to see it tightened up a bit. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic; I felt like I was watching the first two scenes of a longer film. Which is ok, actually. Do you plan to expand this idea? It's like a comedic version of Watchmen.

[Richard J. Johnson]

Congrats!! well deserved. you were in my top 10.

[Rodney V. Smith]

you pulled it off dude! excellent! congrats :beer:

[Norm Sanders]

Congratulations. It'd be nice if the mods would allow you to upload a clean .mov file. Perhaps someone can do it for you (render/compression)? If you uploaded a AVI file, I could even handle it to help.

[kyrre]

Congrats guys! I expected nothing less! :beer:

[Blaine]

Congratulations. :beer:

[pia12254]

Way to go man! I hope this helps to ease the frustration over the audio sync issue...

You made a top notch film!

Way to go.

Daniel

[Zak Forsman]

easily my favorite comedy of the fest. congrats!

[Tim Joy]

Nice! Congrats!

[Sprocketboy]

Who cares about that crappy DVX camera now? It doesn't matter. Its you that matters. Congratulations!

[kyrre]

Again, great work - and congrats on the finals! :beer:

[Brian Parker]

Congrats on the finals! Great film!

[armisiano]

Wow, I just got home after a very long day and JUST found out. I'm so happy, this is really awesome. I'm honored to be on the top 10 list along with so many great pieces of work. Between being shot on Standard Def (by the way, mad props to the camera this site is named after) and the horrible audio glitch in export, I'm really glad to see that content is what steered most of the votes this film received. I'm psyched to work on something new, and maybe if I'm lucky I can convince someone to let me use their high def camera. Anyone? Anyone?


03/18/2009
NEW STUPENDOUS UPDATE! Shot interviews with some of the cast and myself for use in the special features of the DVD (which will also be used as additional entertainment at the premiere on March 27th. So hey, if any of you will be in San Diego...), went very well, I've a LOT of editing still to do. Not to mention a dvd to program, design, get mass produced, and a website to finish.

I'm hoping the DVD special features will include the following (in no particular order):
- Trailer
- Outtakes Featurette (including making-of stories from cast and crew)
- Brian Donaldson News Broadcast
- Production Stills
- Actor Screen Tests (with intro/commentary from writer/director Anthony Misiano and producer Ryan Cerutti)

[armisiano]

Who cares about that crappy DVX camera now? It doesn't matter. Its you that matters. Congratulations!

Thanks, but hey, that's one awesome camera that produces some beautiful imagery. If you're nice to her, she'll be nice to you. :happy:

[abraham]

yesss. let's make a clean comedic sweep man. you, me, collections vol. 4...make it happen.
i liked this piece quite a bit. in fact -- the comedies listed in the tops are my favorites of the fest.
you got my vote.
best of luck!

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Thanks, but hey, that's one awesome camera that produces some beautiful imagery. If you're nice to her, she'll be nice to you. :happy:

So true. I've managed to get tremendous images out of my dvx and it certainly is not done yet. :thumbup:

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Also, congrats on making the finals! I'm so glad this one made it. :beer:

[armisiano]

Also, congrats on making the finals! I'm so glad this one made it. :beer:

Thanks man. I'm sorry to see Tiny Dancer didn't make it to the finals, you were definitely in my top 5, beautiful story.

[MrKilloran]

A great comedy, I'm glad to hear you made it into the top! Congratulations :beer:

[ESTEBEVERDE]

Brilliant!

[aFox]

Movie looked great. Was funny, but the story wasn´t very good. I really felt there was no ending. Still fun and awesome Poster!

[jessicalsin]

Yeah, what the guys above said. I'm still laughing! *MUAH* Congrats! Except the guy right above me. Another one who doesn't understand the humour....

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

I liked the concept. The trajectory fell a bit flat for me without either a comedic payoff that one-upped what had come before or the story not having any movement to a different place than where it began. But pretty well executed and charming. :beer:

[armisiano]

I liked the concept. The trajectory fell a bit flat for me without either a comedic payoff that one-upped what had come before or the story not having any movement to a different place than where it began. But pretty well executed and charming. :beer:

I see where you're coming from and actually agree with the story not moving to a different place. In hindsight I would've liked a different ending, and even have one in mind that ends things on a positive note and leaves the story a bit more open to possibility. I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it charming, thanks for watching. :)

[armisiano]

Finished up the DVD jacket design. Gonna get a test print today to see how it actually looks in a case.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1237835563.jpg

[Tim Joy]

Wow, that looks really good! In fact, it's stupendous!

Just realized I owe you a review-

In short, I was amazed what you did with the dvx. Clean clean clean. I really liked the look of the whole movie. My favorite part was the lightning strike. Great sound design and vfx. I think the edit could be better, and rewrite the story a tad with the footage you have. Maybe if the interview came a bit later it would've been more funny to me? I'm not sure, but I think you've got some great stuff here and could play the jokes better somehow. I guess at certain points I wasn't sure if it was time to laugh yet.

Overall, very impressive and funny. Can't wait to see more, and good luck in the fest.... results coming soon... aaahhh!

[Rodney V. Smith]

dude DVD cover is freaking AWESOME. Love it.

[Chad_from_Chad]

I would have liked to see more of the humorous heroics and less of the interview

[stinkpot]

I would have liked to see more of the humorous heroics and less of the interview

I second that... but overall, great film, well shot!

:beer:

[armisiano]

So I'm finishing up everything needed for STUPENDOUS: THE PREMIERE. No one involved except myself and the producer has seen it yet. We have a bunch of guests invited so it should be fun.

So, I'll be selling DVD's and T-Shirts, and I wanted to ask, would anyone out here on dvxuser be interested in ordering a STUPENDOUS: THE DVD or STUPENDOUS: THE T-SHIRT? (sizes S-XL) PM me if interested.



http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1237835563.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1238074309.jpg

[armisiano]

Got the t-shirts today. Here I am modeling one in the mirror.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1238108821.jpg
You can see a black one in the background hanging up.

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice dude! You've got the full marketing thing going on there. how much are the t-shirts?

[armisiano]

nice dude! You've got the full marketing thing going on there. how much are the t-shirts?

$16. I know it may sound a bit steep, but at this rate if I sell about 20, it'll just barely cover the cost of producing them, lol. They're made out of high quality heavy weight cotton though, pre shrunk, and professionally silk screened, not iron on, so it won't wash 'n' dry off. And on the back across the shoulders is www.stupendousmovie.com (site not yet launched, hopefully by late tonight).

[Rodney V. Smith]

I already checked the site :grin: good price on the shirt. shipping by USPS?

[armisiano]

Sure I can ship USPS, or UPS, whatever. The site is now active. Woo-Hoo!

www.stupendousmovie.com (http://www.stupendousmovie.com/)

[armisiano]

DVD label designed.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/29938/1239301057.jpg

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

The materials look great.

But - er - are you really going to attribute the Frost/Nixon quote to ABC News on the box, or am I reading that wrong?

Even if it's a joke, I'd make up a source. I used WFAUX for a fake quote I had on a postcard (faux - get it).

[jasonthewho]

It's a quote from me. I work for the morning news of an ABC affiliate. I did warn Anthony that if he gets in trouble, I wash my hands of it!

[armisiano]

It's a quote from me. I work for the morning news of an ABC affiliate. I did warn Anthony that if he gets in trouble, I wash my hands of it!

I agreed to it. But it got me thinking, I REALLY need to me some receptionist at Entertainment Weekly!

[ZazaCast]

DON'T MISS OUT...

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY...

THE OFFICIAL "STUPENDOUS" BOBBLE-HEAD!

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=114&pictureid=771

For three easy payments of $19.99 (plus S&H), this one-of-a-kind collectors
item can be yours!

:):):)

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

"The Stupendous Bobble Head is to movie memorabilia what Larry King is to news cable news talk show hosts. The absolute best." - Larry King, CNN LIVE

[Blaine]

That bobble head ain't riiiiight.... :grin::grin::grin:

[armisiano]

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=114&pictureid=771

This is quite possibly one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life. Thank you ZaZa.

[ZazaCast]

Glad you like it....I've already taken orders for 35 of these things!

:) :):)

[armisiano]

Glad you like it....I've already taken orders for 35 of these things!

:) :):)

Well then I gotta get in on SOME of the profits cause noone wants any freakin' merchandise from me, lol.

[armisiano]

Wow!!! Look!!! Up on the web!

It's a bird!

No, it's a plane!

No, it's...

STUPENDOUS: THE DVD!!! (http://www.stupendousmovie.com/DVD.html)
Available NOW!!!

CLICK THIS LINK TO WITNESS IT'S AWESOMENESS!!! (http://www.stupendousmovie.com/DVD.html)

[Rodney V. Smith]

Dude i wanna buy a shirt. Message me.

You should set up a paypal button for sales. automate the process.