Empire - Lawrie Brewster - New Age Film

[lawriejaffa]

"Napoleons army retreats from Russia... devastated, starving and broken. Luke, an Officer and Scientist, leads a band of survivors desperate to make their way home. Against constant partisan attack they escape into a dark forest... a place where even their pursuers go no further.

For as the spirit of man and humanity breaks under the strain of starvation and blizzards, our survivors face one final obstacle... a nemesis... a creature of the wild that know's no mercy, only hunger."


Yep this is my first entry into the fests - expect an indified 300 look!

[lawriejaffa]

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/empireposter1.jpg

Now is this too big to post? hehe, i want to thank Matt from the bottom of my heart for producing this for me, he did it without my asking and was a very considerate gesture. So you have my thanks, and its a beautiful poster that does well to express the mood of the film :)

[lawriejaffa]

Behind the Scenes! 13th June.

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts01.jpg

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts02.jpg

[lawriejaffa]

reserved 3

[lawriejaffa]

Reserved 4

[ZazaCast]

YES!!! The one I've been waiting for... can't wait to see it.
Welcome to the fest.

EDIT... didn't want to get in your 'reserve bank'

[lawriejaffa]

Hey Zaza cheers my good sir - thanks for that too! Yep the toughest challenge for me will be to just get the time to produce it in and around current jobs but im determined!

It will have a 300 kind of look probably, and will be quite stylised too :P

[ZazaCast]

This is going to be great! Make sure you keep this thread up to date...I want to know everything.

[Sid Barnhoorn]

Sounds like fun! Good luck with your entry! :-)

[dsto]

Now we're talkin'! Sounds awesome!

[Rodney V. Smith]

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good to see you in the fray my friend. Most excellent!

Shall we be expecting some defined farking about with your mates then?

[lawriejaffa]

09/04/09 - Notes The Idea

Right, well this is my first blog like update for the film.

What is the film essentially about? I so far have a concept that has been pitched - the script is yet to be written.

Production wise - it will be produced -BANG in the middle of Summer, so that will be the first challenge to the movies 'winter' setting.

Likewise are the costumes required for these early 19th century French soldiers, and pursuing partisans. Questions abound regarding the style of cinematography and what role FX might have - yet the biggest question, the all important question - is where in shall the films soul rest - and in doing so what does it seek to achieve ie. the point?

My central character will be Luke, a young man who is himself an intellectual, he will be familiar with the political ideals of Republicanism, democracy (as regarded) by the French of that time - and in particular Nationalism. He will also be a rationalist (a popular intellectual movement of the time from since the Revolutionary Period.) This will make our character naturally sceptical of any supernatural occurences that he and the party should encounter.

The story is set at the point where Le Grand Armee - a huge invasion force of Napoleons has just suffered a huge catastrophe comparable to the German's of World War II. The Winter. The devastating winter...

The retreating forces were gradually hounded, and cut apart by pursuing (and furious) Russian forces. Most died from hunger, cold and disease.

There is no romantic brass concerto to the words Dulce et decorum Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori... the old lie :P So too we will avoid any 'romantic' depiction of war.

Yet a realistic depiction may be (in terms of production) quite impossible. If the film lends itself to a blue screen prodcution :P (as may be case ala 300) then the visuals will be stylised. So mcuh so that it will be 'romantic' in the artistic sense, in a fashion - and this must be given an intellectual relevance if the films marriage of ideas and visuals are to succeed.

We the audience see the film - but only through the eyes of the narrator (the director... and our somtime narrator characters.) In this sense the film's narrator will be the main character Luke, whose own psychology will lend him to a political idealism, romanticising their great military endevour (perhaps even delussionary) and perhaps just slightly, we can accomodate this psyche with the films visual style.

FX snow plugins, 3d vista's of snow capped mountains, - it will look surreal - perhaps beautiful but it will be a place of death. The beauty we see must be the beauty Luke sees - perhaps in even the futility of his endevour (to win the war) against impossible odds.

The quest component is the desire for these men to return home - and in 6 minutes we will only really have time to briefly examine what home is. In a larger project each man would have his own personal voyage (his own sense) of home.

Luke cannot return home to a France that fails to meet his political idealism - the rest of his band - shall for sake of commonality and simplicity (as well as perhaps common sense haha) will simply wish to return 'home' full stop. To their wives and children - this will be the conflict within the men - between human peace and political action.

The overriding conflict though is something that is transcendent upon the actions of man - the unstoppable force that acts as a metaphor for the futility of war and political conflict/idealism. The death of the body - ie. mortality - reflected by nature (the castrophic winter and its effects.)

It may well be represented by that further extension of nature - the beasts of the land the animals... their hungry bellies are fed through fangs... and while its unfair to label animals as the 'savage' side of humanity (it works commonly enough) so it shall here.

For our men as the synopsis indicates will eventually face off against a threat that is not human... and even worse than the landscapes... but of creatures. The pinnacle of natural ferocity. As yet im not sure whether this will actually be a real animal - or if it might not be some hideous (yet plausible to the horrors of the landscape) creature that tracks them down.

To nature - what Frankensteins monster is to science - in those wintery scenes of Shelley's novel.

Such elements combined with a stylised visual form - will lend a somewhat surreal quality to the film - that could express a kind of Napoleonic Jacob's Ladder type effect which i find quite appealing.

Those are my thoughts so far!

[MrKilloran]

Excellent, glad to see you've entered.

[RodThompson]

I'm out! Not competing against Lawrie.

[SMarston]

I'm out! Not competing against Lawrie.


ha, after reading all this im going to agree with rod. no competing here. good luck :)

[Rodney V. Smith]

Bah! Lawrie's still gotta bring it. When he posts his grabs, that's when I'll sob quietly to myself and go hide in the closet.

[Luis_]

I don't even know what to think! :2vrolijk_08:

I'm getting more than just a little pop corn for this one!

Good luck with this!

thanks for joining the madness! :thumbsup:

WOW!

[krestofre]

I have to hand it to you Lawrie. You put your money where your mouth is. Good luck. Can't wait to see this!

[stinkpot]

Hey! I just checked out your reel on your website... and it looks like you will definitely kick some a$$ in this fest.

:beer:

[lawriejaffa]

10/04/09 - More Ideas - Production Considerations.

Okay, so I now have an idea, that this film will be exploring the dark reflection of political idealism and mans failure to overcome his base instincts that we will represent metaphorically through landscape and the 'monstrous' pursuer (be it animals or a monster.) All of this seen through the minds eye of a romantic political idealist - our leader of the band of survivors 'Luke'.

Great so... part of the appeal for this idea is just how impossible it is (there is no snow... i have no monster... no costumes... no muskets... and NO BUDGET

But I do have an old hat i made that kind of looks like a Shako (A french hat.) A Shako is a bit like a peak cap with a tall base.

The fun is trying to create something like this for nothing - and to experiment with visual style. Will it look natural - no way - this will be stylised and weird no doubt - but if it looks 'good' if it tells a 'story' where the style seems relevant to the story also - then it will be a happy marriage.

Production Considerations.

Winter.... Oh but its Summer. Russian Wastelands? Tundra? Where the heck is all of that? I have the highlands (well actually I don't i lieve in an urbanised area in central Scotland.) I have carparks! I have MacDonalds (yuck) and many seagulls (as i live on the coast.) but.... no tundra.

Green Screen! - The 300 route i think is where we're heading here gentleman. Now, this will automatically result in a CGI based stylised look. There is no way we're going to do photo-real effects here (not in and among my corporate gigs in two months!)

So I need to get a cool terrain software prog to borrow - that can create plausbile and exciting terrains for use as mattes. Also some great particle layers for snow!

The green screen won't be in a studio per say. (Like one wall...) how exciting... I'll need to work with foreground objects (rocks) and so ill be taking a smaller green screen dish outdoors.

Costumes - These may be simpler than one might think. Le Grand Armee on the retreat was an absolute mess - ill equipped and utterly unprepared for winter, many had to scavenge civilian clothes. That said we want to retain a semblance of uniform.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ekAm4Aquyj8/SN2sax8HKdI/AAAAAAAAD-s/t5-Lts6aDe4/s400/Napoleons_retreat_from_moscow.jpg

The chaps on the right are Grenadiers (bear skin hats) the dudes on the left have normal shakos. But notice their uniforms - long coats, dirty, ragged. The soldiers also wore tan / beige covers over their shakos. (cloth type material) as a dust cover really. So, we need just the shape of shakos, old coats, fake cut cross belts, long boots (or leg wraps really.)

I will be experimenting with a mish mash of vintage military surplus and some bizarre prop constructions.

The Russian partisans in fake furs, furry hats are seen from afar and present far less of a challenge.

-

The monster is something i am still considering. The natural tale would be to use wolves or something. But our hero is somewhat delusional, and what he sees may be natural or may be the monster i would prefer to use.

I am quite up for something that represents almost 'man' in so much as a humanoid -but is the exact expression of savagery - of lost humanity. My idea is something akin to a 9 foot tall YETI with a yawning mouth of sharp needle teeth - that opens so wide, that the creatures eyes are pushed to the sides of its head. (blind, blood red eyes...)

It is starving... blind... savage... hungry and relentless. (Concept sketch of the beastie to come)

[ZazaCast]

Okay, so I now have an idea, that this film will be exploring the dark reflection of political idealism and mans failure to overcome his base instincts that we will represent metaphorically through landscape and the 'monstrous' pursuer (be it animals or a monster.) All of this seen through the minds eye of a romantic political idealist - our leader of the band of survivors 'Luke'.


So this is a bourgeious tale of an 18 year old, who lives in the middle class suburbs... who drives an SUV... and whose sole life purpose is to hope that the girl he texts on his newest mobile phone (sorry cell phone) will sleep with him at his friends college party (the er exciting climax as it were) entendre ending?

...or putting it in simpler terms...Luke DOES get laid...right?

:):):)

[lawriejaffa]

Muhahahaha see Zaza that will be in my 2nd submitted movie!

Just how much fun will my audio reviews by this tme :P

[Tim Joy]

EPIC! Can't wait for it.

If you need snow in the summer just shoot everything in black dirt and invert the colors in post. :)

Good luck!

[lawriejaffa]

Cheers mate but its epic at the cost of a penny - and we'll see how it comes together. Im wanting to open up the process as far as the rules allow? Thanks fro the advice on black dirt (my god that would be interesting to try?)

Am i allowed to post the script here? and stuff like that - i would welcome comments, involvement etc. I will be posting the screen tests, costumes etc. Funnily enough i dont have a huge amount of time to produce this but im desperate to get involved in the film fest as i really missed not getting involved last time.

So this is maybe a bit too ambitious - however, if it works, then it will be great fun for folks wanting to have a go at surreal historical story telling hehe.

When i get a chance later i'll be paying a visit to all my fellow comrades threads who are making films for the comp too - I won't be just living in my own thread ;)

[Tim Joy]

Epic in terms of the amount of work you'll have to put in place of your lack of funding.

I don't know if you are allowed to post the script, but I would rather not see it and be surprised, so if you do, make it a link. I like to see movies without knowing anything about it, but that's just me.

[lawriejaffa]

Oh I know! I mean its a fun endevour really though - if it sucks it sucks - to be honest this is cathartic really, im doing so much corporate work at the moment (some of it great fun and creative of course.)

That this will be great - i hope that by detailing my process (be it a success or not in the end) it will prove helpful to the other filmmakers. Particularly I would like to encourage some filmmakers to take more intellectual and artistic consideration into their projects (even genre.)

In fact Yeehaanow you have been quite persistent in expressing original ideas in your films - particularly so with your Twilight and Lossfest entries.

[Robert Eldon]

This could prove to be really cool with the '300' look and possible green screen stuff.

I think I've seen one of your CGI projects on this forum? Might there also be some CGI?

Good luck with your film and your busy schedule! :)

[lawriejaffa]

Thanks Robert - yes well at present the entire film may be CGI!!! Apart from the actors of course lol. It won't have a real look, a surreal look and thanks the schedule is busy (its a cop out excuse) but my biggest goal will be to ensure the entry makes the deadline in and around work.

10/04/09 - Conceptual Revelations....

So I was struggling with how one can marry together a surreal visual element with our main character. Subconsiously the CGI will not (in the time i have to produce effects) render photo realism. Neither do i want some of the strange visions we will see in the film to be a purportive realism.

What I want - and need, is a reason for the protagonist to be in such denial of his circumstances, and so idealistic - that what he sees - be it real or metaphor can have an acceptable reason to be there. I'm not convinced that Luke should be simply dellusional and so obsessed with Republican Nationalist ideals that he sees things differently.

Neither does it create the right impression for their monstrous pursuer - for i would it to almost exist in metaphor - in so much is this creature really the monster - or is the monster something more natural (inflated by imagination.)

And who has such an imagination? As that of a child or young adolescent. Whose unrepenting idealism... can be better sewn in times of extreme political transition by those adults around him. Now I am considering Luke, as a young adolescent (14 playing age) whose spirit is so unrelenting and strong, that it gives the energy for the old soldiers dying around him to go on... (even if they themselves know the true fate that Luke is oblivious too.)

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0504/images/articles_gallery_2_0504.jpg

This photo from Confederate Re-enactors for the American Civil War - is true enough to the tragic useage of children in conflict by the great powers. It was simply done, that young adolescents and sometimes children were the drummers deigned to keep those men of the line in formation.

Such were the horrors of the starvation that reaped the French Army on its retreat - that rumours swirled the hungry men were forced to eat more than their horses...


Sidenotes -

Its important even when dealing with a surreal story like this - that the feelings of those forced into war are considered - both intellectually by the filmmaker - and in their characterisations. I've had the honour of providing free video workshops to gentlemen of the British Armed Services who themselves suffer from Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder. Their stories are both tragic and surreal - as they will be to the men of all nations who fight and suffer... regardless of the side they fight on. I think we glorify the brief moments in time - that couragous behaviour results in 'glory' - we recall those moments in epitaph. They are romanticised in heroic tales - to sentimental bravado. But what is left of our heroes... is not unlike that of a traumatised drummer boy - and that is the story we are most keen to forget. CERTAINLY so with most of the film depictions of war - particularly with those emulative indies :P

The overriding idea is as always the absurdity of war - (as was present i hope in my Scriptfest entry Covenant.)

A great poem reflective of the old lie, http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

[Russell Moore]

WOW! This sounds great! You've always got a lot going on under the surface and I can't wait to see how this will come across on screen.





The overriding idea is as always the absurdity of war - (as was present i hope in my Scriptfest entry Covenant.)

A great poem reflective of the old lie, http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html


As far as Covenant...It struck that chord perfectly.
Great poem, I'd never read it before, it has great visuals in it.

[lawriejaffa]

Hey mate thanks for that - Yep the poet is Wilfred Owen, one of the most famous of all British Poets - known mostly for his WW1 Poetry. He as there in the thick of it and wrote his poems whilst in the trenches (on scraps of paper that he would send back.)

He died a week before the armistace - a tragic loss to literature.

Congratulations btw to your well deserved polling in Scriptfest Conlan!

[stuart Gilmartin]

lawrie lawrie lawrie, just saying hi lol. u using that pink hat thing again?
u know u are gonna.

I do declare old boy that your film seems rather spiffing,

I sense a massive army of Gavs chasing down the french haha.

[lawriejaffa]

Your first post Stuart - :P Welcome to the thread and yes I certainly do sense an army of green screen fellows, though if i do attempt that it will probably be the 'Atilla the Hun' FX route (if I do and can!)

The pink hat to which you refer is unfortunately long gone - its memory will live on in the historical documentary in which it featured :) That I hope to post up here when permission is given by my clients!

I will post an update later today gents! (And wonderful ladies!)

[Rodney V. Smith]

updates are good. we should get you a new pink hat though. :grin:

[stuart Gilmartin]

I agree
The pink hat should be your recurring theme, or nightmare
mwahhaahahhaaha.

Hmm anyhoo, waiting on my pitch bein accepted still lol. fingers crossed
kinda excited about my epic. although sense itll be an epic fail more than anything haha, but you always learn from those. gotta try it to be in it eh,
on the plus side, its something new and positive for me to focus on with the way things have been the last few months lol

[lawriejaffa]

13/04/09

Righto so the first draft of the Script is done (hurrah hurrah!)

Now its looking okay im fairly confident about its intellectual qualities (ie it is saying something which i think has a point) but also has spectacle and some pretty disturbing er characters.

(Always an important feature of my er scripts)

So I don't think we're allowed to post scripts but if we are i can maybe post it in the screenwriting section for feedback. If not then I can't boo - but i will be storyboarding next and that will include some Concept Artwork! (always fun)!

[Chad_from_Chad]

Wow, someone told you less is more and you bitch slapped them. I can't wait to see what you do with this.

[lawriejaffa]

I salute you chad - that is the most hilarious understatement I have ever heard :P Rock on bro and good luck!

[mattspat]

Indified 300 look!

Sounds good to me! Lookin' forward to it!

[lawriejaffa]

14/04/09 - Concept Artwork

Heres the first of a series of Concept Sketches :P Yey!

Now I will put more descriptions in about who these characters - but this i hope gets a little vibe across! More to come!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire01.jpg

[mattspat]

sweet where are you shooting this?

[lawriejaffa]

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4523/mountaini.jpg

16/04/09 - Landscapes

Just tinkering around with landscape generators in Cinema 4d - using some VUE that a mate has as well - tinkering around. This is a quick render - now the challenge will be making my actors interact with this landscape - making it all work as a storytelling method :P (ie a film lol)

Certain props and locations will be added to the CGI landsacpe but will be shot in real locations. For example when our characters seek comfort in an abandoned cottage (we will use a real one) but ill make a CG one to dunk on here too for some cool wide shots.

[lyonfilms]

Love it. Looking forward to seeing the finished composited shots in the short.

[lawriejaffa]

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2497/portrait45.jpg
17/04/09 - The Director!

Yep, I thought I would ramble briefly on my thoughts on the film so far! Included is a magnificent portrait of me - seized by the US Marines when they captured one of my palaces (and had some 'civilians' drag down my statues....)

So the script is complete :P and im presuming its fine to post it for any of you guys to read (ill put up a link) simply because all the other scripts touted for use in Quest Fest have been made readable so I can't possibly think why one written cannot be!

If it is alright then i will welcome discussion and suggestion for improving it (im not above that!)

So tomorrow will be more concept artwork and a script link! However lets talk briefly about what it is to make a film for something like Quest Fest, a competition where the reviewers are themselves filmmakers and not what we might call ordinary audiences.

Do we reward the right things? For example are we so carried away by our desire to be good filmmakers that we forget to reward scripts with good stories rather than those shot well on good cameras? Or with the most effects.

It influenced my decisions too, i've written a script here that i hope is intelligent and with meaning but its also filled with visual flair and special effects that would not normally be 'necessary' for recognition.

While i hope my film does well, i think that we should be wary not to step back from emulative rewarding and be a little more open minded with just what kind of films we are trying to encourage. Lossfest showed the electorate at its weakest - its most puerile and superficial in my opinion.

Anything that looks like it could be a million dollar ad during a Superbowl break doesnt deserve to win - while a film shot acceptably on a fisherprice pixiecam with a great script i think definately deserves a shot!

Those are my musings :P

[Brickhouse]

if this is as good as your scriptfest entry, then it should be amazing =)

I saw a movie not too long ago that was a spoof of 300 and they achieved an indified 300 look.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212399/

good luck!

[lawriejaffa]

18/04/09 Cultural Domination

I was thinking, as I look to audition my actors to play the role of the 'party' of soldiers trying to survive, they incidentally consist of,

Luke (Drummer Boy)
Pierre (Burly Engineer)
Francis (Decent man's man)
Leon (Intellectual)

Forgive the simplicity :P

So a few screen tests will be coming soon (of those who win the roles, with their consent naturally. i wouldnt embarass actors who for any reason were not quite appropriate for these particular roles.)

Now I live in Scotland, my actors will be more than likely Scottish - possibly English/Irish but meh British and or Irish hehe! Is that acceptable? Does that make sense for them playing Frenchmen?

That in my view is what Cultural Domination is all about - it is the projection of ones culture to make the exceptional plausible in one circumstance and deemed impossible in another.

American filmmakers have for some time enjoyed this advantage (and in fewer circumstances its disadvantage ie stereotypes.) But for the American with historical fiction it has allowed (traditionally) for American actors to play, without raising so many eyebrows - people of other cultures, nations, and of any period of history.

While it might be a stretch to say we could make the 'Greatest Story Ever Told' now without some chuckles, Americans could concievably have an American actor play excellently the role of a German (Cross of Iron.)

Now even Americans would face greater challenges playing carte blanche as it were with historical settings with American actors, but imagine the challenge a filmmaker from Mississipi would have if he wanted to tell a story set somewhere like... Ancient Rome, with actors from his town! With their accents!

:P So some American states share the disadvantages (as percieved) as countries like Scotland, who with my Scottish actors will be playing roles as Frenchman, and hope to do so without unfair scrutiny.

In Britain most historical dramas would utilise an English sounding but professional Resonance Pro-nunciation accent (though that has been changing too.)

Oliver Stone in Alexander used Irish actors (for the sake of Irish people? maybe but probably Irish-Americans) and that was the marketable - and cultural linkage he wanted American audiences to associate with his versions of basically 'tougher Greeks'.

Anyway those are my thoughts :)

[lawriejaffa]

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5769/concept02.jpg
Nightmares...

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6571/concept03.jpg
A drummer boy....

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire01.jpg
Our men...

[lawriejaffa]

More updates coming

[kyrre]

Awesome, Lawrie!

Great concept art! Can't wait!

[ZazaCast]

Sometimes.... I just can't help myself...

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=114&pictureid=955

:Drogar-Happy(DBG)::Drogar-Happy(DBG)::Drogar-Happy(DBG):

[Brandon Rice]

my gosh, this looks amazing!

[lawriejaffa]

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Moscow.jpg

Moscow - Before the War.... 1800

This is not a live action still from the film, but an ungraded graphic from an early work in progress (that i can't show getting completed I'm afraid.) Still a lot to do- and of course it will look NOTHING like this in the actual film. Why?

Because in the film - the city is burning.

Gentlemen... Abandon hope all ye who enter here

[leogardini]

Here we go my friend:happy:!!!

[Susanne G.]

Hi Lawrie,

It seems to me that you are going to make a very complex tragedy. I hope you will be able to put the whole story in 6 minutes. Above all - very intriguing story. I am looking forward to it. Much look and goog work.

Susanne

[Noel Evans]

Sometimes.... I just can't help myself...

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.php?albumid=114&pictureid=955

:Drogar-Happy(DBG)::Drogar-Happy(DBG)::Drogar-Happy(DBG):

Now thats a work of art.

Hows it coming together Lawrie?

[Gord.T]

Wouldn't miss it for the world Lawrie. Your the graphics meister in my books as you know. You have a very unique original look. I am sincerely looking forward to it. I think you'll do fine. :beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Hello gentleman!!! And to think i didn't even especially thank Zaza for turning me into a bobblehead! I should just add Zaza if you liked last fests audio reviews juuuuust wait for the all new review presentation i have in store muhahahaha! Oh yes - it has evolved gentleman, it will be detailed as before, but even camper - with a magical visual flair!

But enough of that...

Good ol' Noel, a fellow HPX500 brother! It's coming along okay - i mean like most folks here they do jobs and make their films when they can etc, and with my company work ive been having to chase work / do work / chase work (yes i know this sounds like an excuse is coming up!) Basically okay.... im crapping my pants a bit, as ive got to get it all done in time, so im gonna be hauling ass as the Yanks say, to get this delivered tip top on time!

Raptor - thank you very much for your kind words, on the contrary I respect very much more your own work, and djseta (if i spell that right!) on the 3d forums, where i would suggest any filmmaker here should check out to see what cool FX talent there is here.

I'm still at that stage where everytime i do an FX shot im like oh god how am i going to do that - and then somehow it kinda looks okay!

Its an ambitious short ive set for myself - and its crew consists of me and a colleague shooting/editing with our cast - so intimate and small despite the epic impressions!

I will update soon - but of course Neptune (armed with a spear whale in each arm) wouldn't stop me delivering this film on time! hehe - Yes that unique look will be present, (I hope!) here!!

[ZazaCast]

Hello gentleman!!! And to think i didn't even especially thank Zaza for turning me into a bobblehead! I should just add Zaza if you liked last fests audio reviews juuuuust wait for the all new review presentation i have in store muhahahaha! Oh yes - it has evolved gentleman, it will be detailed as before, but even camper - with a magical visual flair!




Can't wait to see what you come up with....and we all love visuals.:beer:

[Marlon Ladd]

Good luck! Your reviews from the last fest were great!

[lawriejaffa]

Gentleman thank you very much for your support and kind comments. In a way this film is a manifestation of an ambitious attempt despite the circumstances...

Im shooting over the course of 1 day (the 13th) and will be doing the majority of FX in and around work till the deadline! It's going to a race to the finish but fingers crossed and this is the price to pay for attempting crazy visuals! But this is exactly what any artist should attempt - be it with fx or not of course - and that is an ambitious idea.

Not a self indulgent 'jolly...' leave that for your mates on bebo, but an attempt to produce a work of art.

The actors are cast - I have a lovely, polite boy from a local Sunday School who will be appearing with his father in the film. Two others include myself and my colleague (I will be acting and directing.) I say directing, but basically this film will have 2 crew (myself included).

All the locations are local to the harbour village I stay in. With more shooting days we could travel to appropriate locales - however im making do with what we have - and will be utilising graphics to convert some of these landscapes.

I should add now that I would NEVER want this film to be a review of special fx quality... (just as it shouldnt be a review of the cameras resolution tha the film was shot on) but of its general artistic merit. Thats where Im putting my effort, and the FX quality while a consideration, is only so important as the story it tells and NOT more important. Is it?

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Mountain.jpg
These will become mountains for our actors to climb. Er hopefully!

[lawriejaffa]

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Cave.JPG
A cave - blizaards blowing outside.

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Ruin01.JPG
This will be 'dressed' in graphics, and some other bits and bops to be a ruin - :P

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/trail.JPG

For use in a big wide (I mean its always a choice between full mattes with live action footage or complete green screen.)

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Trees.JPG
A dark forest (or er will be!)

So yes of course, it makes perfect sense to produce a wintery russian set nightmare in the middle of Summer in a scottish tourist spot! Hurrah gentlemen we shall doth succeed!

In terms of music, we have Leo Gardini helping out in composition and an absolutely beautiful song put together by Sarah Daly with the most haunting and wonderful vocals - I cannot recommend either of these genuine artists enough - they are both incredibly talented individuals with whom its a pleasure and honour to work with.

[Noel Evans]

Really nice locations - wish there were more like that local to me.

[lyonfilms]

[quote

I should add now that I would NEVER want this film to be a review of special fx quality... (just as it shouldnt be a review of the cameras resolution tha the film was shot on) but of its general artistic merit. Thats where Im putting my effort, and the FX quality while a consideration, is only so important as the story it tells and NOT more important. Is it?
[/quote]


I very much agree with this statement. I've been following your thread and your film is on my A list. I really can't wait to see your work. But, I think your statement above is spot - on.

[lawriejaffa]

What a day gentleman - I was wearing these ladies navy coats borrowed from the Soviet Navy - hurrah, there 'tailored' fit is far more akin to the great coats of the napoleonic era (not that nearly as many frenchies in the snow were lucky enough to get many!)

But ours are!

Anyway I took some pics of me wearing some of our characters 'garb' and then tested it with some grading and background etc to get an idea of how it all looks in film! It's extremely unlikely that ill be performing in the film (i'll have enough to do!!) But this is me - your handsome model (er yey) wearing the outfit - (albeit i really should have some gloves on to keep warm!!)

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawrie.jpg

So the shoot is on Saturday - just trying to cut lines - unncessary bits and bops here and there! Omg!

[Rodney V. Smith]

stylish and yet warm. looks like you're having fun dude.

[lawriejaffa]

Fun!! God theres no such thing - for a start im British, second i direct in a kind of theatre based somber style that is akin to attending a funeral! Yey! Now you do look like your having fun on your film!!!

[ZazaCast]

LOVE the hat!

[Rodney V. Smith]

fun is negotiable

[Rodney V. Smith]

and i HATE your hat.. but only cuz i want one...

[lawriejaffa]

Its a shako! Just a rough and tumble version of the type warn by those ridiculous high school marching bands hehe:P

Except back in the day men would wear those cute hats to carve each other up! Screaming in torrents of blood in the blizzards... mud... and snow!

(You still didn't want to borrow the Captain's flute though!)

[lawriejaffa]

A colleague of mine asked me today what is Empire about?

They saw some pictures, the odd 3d still, the 300 style graphics, and wondered - what was the story... the STORY.

What happens? Well... a group of soldiers struggle to survive in the midst of Napoloen's retreat during the devastating Russian Winter... One by one they succumb.. together they try to protect a boy in ther midst... the drummer boy etc and so on and so on.

And its meaning?

You see, for many of us we stop at the first question - and thus an obligatory set of plot details are digressed... and digested, and if the director is a somewhat producer frame of mind he may even add some comparisons...

thus its a bit like 'Apocalypse Now meets When Harry Met Sally...'

Okay fair enough.

The reason its fair is because we are only after all explaining the story... and providing some visual stylistic crutches for our listener with the comparison.

The danger is when that thought process on the part of the director (particularly the would be autuer director) ceases at that.

Meaning...

Even if nobody else has a clue whatsoever - of where in lies the true meaning of the film, its story - it is essential for the Director to do so. In a way it provides the stories relevance - oh and it must have it to be considered an attempted work of art - as opposed to deriavitive entertainment.

I pity the indy filmmaker without a penny to his name who attempts to spend every weekend for a year to produce a trival superficial copy of something produced for simplistic entertainment at 30mil.

Is that an anti-business attitude - of course not? It makes perfect sense for companies to do so, but as film makers your concerns are not the same as a corporate entity. I say that as a business man myself, not some left wing bohemian artist. (A lot of girly left wing bohemian artists are pretty hot btw)

Can you honestly look at your own Quest fest entry, and rather than provide a litany of reasons why your film is 'cool' because it resembles something else 'cool' that it does in fact have an intellectual reason to exist - and an artistic purpose?

Of course its subjective, whether for example this film does or doesn't will be for the viewer to decide, but its question for this director is not irrelevant.

And so the meaning of Empire? What lies behind the story is one simple expression (and it is an expression) of a tragic feeling, a horrible thing to bear witness to.

The death of a child.

In so many capacities, it attempts to do so - and regardless of its choice of visualisations, and pop cultural comparisons, it never the less attempts to express that.

In relation to the festival theme, the Quest. It is the dream of this child to return home. But can any child return from a war? Alive or dead... they return not as children but as victims.

In using a pop cultural representation similar to 300 (though at a far inferior qualitive standard of FX) its interesting to play with this - to turn it on its head.

So it would be an interesting thing for filmmakers to analyse their own films, and the meanings, and purposes behind those action lines and dialogues, for that will ultimately allow their cinematic effort to be... possibly transcendent above the simple stories we too often expect.

[RodThompson]

You, sir...make my PeePee shrink...:huh:

[lawriejaffa]

Awee fear not Rod! Thats not quite the desired effect (though neither is the opposite)!

So I thought I would just expand a little further on two beautiful creative contributions that I'm very passionate about.

Leo Gardini is the composer for the film's soundtrack, he is an exceptionally talented individual - he's certainly my Ennio Morricone and I would recommend him to any producer for his excellent work.

We were discussing soundtracks today - about how we can best express the thoughts and feelings of the main character 'Luke' the boy, and we had a look at some other film sound tracks that explored complex child / adult themes.

Such as the exceptional film 'Let the Right One in' by Johan SoderQvist - just for ideas on 'general dramatic themes' - as Leo is quite capable of inventing his own themes!

Coinciding with that is an incredible contribution from Sarah Daly, a writer/singer/musician whom I can't recommend enough. She has written and sung a ballad for the film, in essence the child's voice, that is deeply haunting, and will compliment Leo's work perfectly.

If I sound like I am heaping praise on these two artists, then why not? They are contributing to this film, their time and effort - and for that I am incredibly grateful, and as for my compliments to their ability - well there talent speaks for itself.

:)

[Rodney V. Smith]

I wonder if I can find a shako here in MN... would be a good background prop...

[lawriejaffa]

Okay gentleman!

Today is Wednesday - we're getting closer to Saturday - the day of my shoot! Argh!!!

So what did I do today? Well I rushed about getting fake police hats, so they can be cut up and tapered with cardboard to make shako's!

I got all kinds of military surplus stuff I borrowed (and stuff we already owned) to make plausible enough looking costumes for the shoot!

One of the biggest challenges is the outfit for the little boy!!!

However, everything is looking alright - the only prop im needing now is a little drum!

Aweeee!

[Horncastle]

Good luck with the shoot - I'm very much looking forward to the finished piece.
Jason

[kurtmo]

Sounds like you're on your way. Rock the shoot!

[lawriejaffa]

Oh this is quite amusing - isn't quite finished yet lol, this is me trying out one of our more colourful cossack costumes...

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawrie03.jpg

Don't worry the finished one will have proper trousers... and boots! Busily getting things sorted - having to work on without a special friend to assist ;) - which is certainly a distraction!

And almost as bad our monster costume atm is not quite going according to plan! However im suuuuure it will all be fine in the end muhahaha!

Thanks for the offers of good luck Horncastle- Kurtmo - likewise! I am working my way through the other film threads in the fest this evening!

[lawriejaffa]

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Workinprogress.jpg

Work in Progress...

War Films

Well tomorrow's the big day. I have my cast, I have my costumes... I have just about everyooooone bar one! Tomorrow is D-day hehe (well i am shooting on the beach!)

I was thinking about war films today - (yes you guessed it - this is going to digress into a kind of personal essay!) Especially as I have an extra long lunch break! Plus the ability to touch type and ramble at the same time!

I have always been fascinated by military history, I think by nature most guys are to varying degrees. I mean you'll get enough guys who enjoy Saving Private Ryan, and loads of us grew up with films like 'The Great Escape, Kelly's Heroes and jeez the list goes on!'

Such films fall into the action / entertainment (and to varying degrees drama) genre - we've also had from the 70s really, much more psychological war films, traumatising nightmare style drama's surreal really, Apocalypse Now, Jacob's Ladder (and the Soviet film Come and See). So called anti-war films too, like Casaulty of War etc came about in the 80s, and some to this day like (Haditha.)

It's important to consider that as an indy filmmaker you are not bound by the same generalisations of these bigger films, and despite how unusual and different any of them may be, you have the ability to deliver a more personal and idiosyncratic story than any of them. Why should you want to? Because of the uneven playing field full stop with those generalised forms, and the chance that your own personal perspective may have just the unique quality that people find fascinating and makes it stand out.

This can apply to anything almost, but there are peculiarities of human experience that do apply ot war and conflict that require special attention and review!

We all have cultural influences based on where we're from, our history, and the way media and art influences us. If you were being stereotypical, you would expect an American filmmaker on this forum, to produce a heroic war film, all about one guy sacrificing for another, the star spangled banner fluttering in the background, the bugle playing, the modern set visit to a memorial. Modern conflict is often depicted in much the way action films of the 60s etc depicted ww2, (and my god, i hope to a lesser extent, 'patriotic...' films like Green Beret.

Most indy American filmmakers here have an apoliical detachment to the cause, and reasoning for the conflicts and choose to focus on the fraternity, comradeship of the soldiers themselves, 'we don't know why we're here but i ain't letting my brother go down without a fight'.

There is enough substance between the emotional bonds formed by fighting men to provide a good story, there is no denying that, but at what point does it become cliche?

The British Empire in various works celebrated those attributed beyond reasoning and policy to effect popular culture in such a way that it too popularised the soldiers and their sacrifices beyond scrutiny of the conflicts themselves. Should that mean war films should all examine the political reasonings (oh god absolutely not... unless your a European indy filmmaker hehe... but we'll get to cliche number 2 in a second!)

There are films that have combined in depth elements of human nature, the reasonings of war, and yet maintained an overall association with a popular genre. If you haven't seen it, I recommend the wonderfully subversive Cross of Iron directed by Sam Peckinpah.

European is a generalisation (which is a bigger stretch than to say American!) Interestingly enough because the UK has a kind of cultural detachment in regards to Europe we kind of see America... as one thing and Europe as another (with us as a kind of comical conceited seperation.)

But for sake of argument we'll lump Britain in with a Euro general comparison (infuriating as it may be too some here.) Because from either a lack of production, or exposure it is a bit tougher to generalise our indy war films, (still talking shorts here.) I'll have to discuss examples beyond whats been shown here on this forum.

I have found that in general we take war as a setting and circumstance (done onto mankind) where we experience the 'suffering' of our characters as a result. This may be done through psychological drama, it may be done through tragic drama, and if done conventionally will almost always be anti-establishment, subversive, and definaetly not romantic/ heroic. If there is a hero, he will fall victim to some insane rules of the bureacracy.

A hilarious example of that is in one of my favourite films (a poor example i admit) The Adventures of Baron Munchauson (Gilliam remake) where a war hero is executed for destroying many enemy cannon on the war's day off. A great American example is Catch 22 though would that have originated as a film?

In our film soldiers are cattle - often they are not very well educated - they represented a political and social class dimension that American war films do not. In Saving Pvt Ryan we have a mix of backgrounds all combined into a squad - like a baseball team - they all play together! In our films, soldiers are often represented as an oppressed working class, the subject of wars fought by their social / economic higher echolons... the bourgeioses upper classes etc.

Atrocity plays a big part in our films, genocide etc. America has experienced this in periods of history too with its native population, settlers and we can imagine horrible things going on in its Civil War. Yet for such a young country, these events I think in the minds of most Americans feel like a distant past, so they haven't affected their war storytelling in quite the same way.

In Europe genocide is weighed heavily in our consciousness (the only exception possibly Britain... in that we hold 2nd to the USA, a romanticising of ww2 albeit of a different kind!) We also have the background noise of centuries of genocide, religious violence, political violence and you name it!

In fact you can pick out of dozens upon dozens of European conflicts that saw atrocity occur in an unprecented scale - the 30 Years War saw the population of what is now modern Germany shrink by almost half! (We all know that war right...) but it all adds up in the fabric of society.

Add to all of this cultural stuff, the general difference that exists in the entrepeneurial realisations of american and european indy filmmakers (americans actually like to sell their films, europeans like to win peculiar looking statuettes hehe - ok) and this too effects how we tell our stories.

I think many American indy's prioritise within their war films = entertainment value, but for Europeans the priorities is expression (intellectual/political/social) none is more important than the other incidentally, but we can fall too far by the wayside (in either way) and become parodies of ourselves.



Speaking personally, I try not to detach myself too far emotionally from any war film topic because while its all 'pretend' before the camera's - its not really to anyone whose experienced it. It may be why i find torture porn films a little distasteful (and others don't!) because the reality is that such things happen, and if theres no point to it, it comes across as a naive indulgement in a world of violence that type of viewer will never know. (I love horror movies btw!)

That's definately not to say that war films should not have entertainment and should just focus on the worst - because we know within conflict there are acts of heroism, kindness and even beauty. But we must consider that these are positive incidents taking place within an actual war. Most of us here just don't know what thats like, even militaries try their best to shield the consequences (i think) of their own actions to their soldiers (like it works.)

Perhaps what we need for such films is entertainment with respect... but not respect firsthand to the soldiers... to the victims. Civilians (which we say as a kind of peculiar exception to ourselves, as most 'civilians' are exotic foriegn looking people babbling in grief outside UN aid tents whom we could never relate to because their not holding an ipod...'

Can we tell their stories too within a war film without falling prey to romanticising and melodramatising the plight of such people? (In America that would be euatable to wimpish liberal style perspectives hehe) in Europe, the 'poor little colonials' - lets give them a hug style attitude. I think it can, a film taht did do this i think (in a very severe way) was The Killing Fields... a film that did not... was When We were Soldiers (hold onto your popcorn boys!)

Right, lunch break is almost ending... lets bring this back to us the filmmaker. We can take these broad cultural brushes that have influenced us, and make films based on that exactly because we haven't experienced conflict, or the lives of those affected by conflict.

Or we can seek out people who have experienced it, and learn from their stories, and grow up a little as a result. In and around my work I volanteer my time to give advice to a group of veterans who recieve treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.

There stories are affecting but also inspiring for subject matter. One man, a Scotsman who (to annoy his father) volanteered for an English regiment, served in Northern Ireland, and was always made to 'speak to the natives' because they responded better to him than them... While he saw comrades killed... and maimed during the violence that took place there, one of his most upsetting incidents, was when he had to go and wake up a family, of a single mother and her children on Christmas day - as soldiers broke into the house to search for suspected weapons.

There was none found, but the soldier, with the kids and mother crying in one room, watched with dismay as the soldiers, inevitably had to search everywhere, including tearing open all the childrens presents. Now... for the teenager about to make a movie in his back garden celebrating war's heroics... would their ipod bearing xmas be quite the same with that kind of memory? Would their subsequent adolescent war film be too?

Of course, there is horrific uncensored news media around the internet as well depicting acts of atrocity, execution, and nightmares that go beyond the pale. In my research for projects I went through a lot of such material, and the more you realise that for as horrible as it is to watch, that these people see it for real, suffer it for real... and for some - enjoy it for real. The more you realise that the war film per say, is covered so well in terms of superficiality by the big studios, that you the indy filmmaker have this unseen face of reality at your disposal, to inspire you to tell real war films, of any genre.

If you can handle it.

[ZazaCast]

Best of luck on the shoot... this one is going to be EPIC!

[dsto]

You are pushing me to do better! This is what I was hoping for! I am way too excited to see this. Thanks for raising the bar....I think. Costumes are loking really really great.

[lawriejaffa]

Aweeee unexpected Rainstorms caused havoc with some of the shooting today - so extra green screen to the rescue - and boo more extra work!

But we'll soon find out how it all pans out!!!

Here are some behind the scenes - added to the front page too!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts01.jpg

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts02.jpg

Oh yes - Lawrie always goes formal when directing hehe!



hehe and here's the cast (yes yes i know how ridiculously camp and silly the photo is!!!)

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/IMG00133-20090613-2002.jpg

Far left is James and James - father and son - who plays Pierre and Luke!

Me in the middle :P and then Chris who plays Francis, and Gavin who plays Leon!

Hurrah Hurrah!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/IMG00131-20090613-2001.jpg

Again, James playing Luke, me and Chris playing Francis hehe and NOOooo its not a pic of me and Chris adopting a new son... (his girlfriend wouldnt appreciate that!) and that magazine is not a copy of Hello - promise! It's a copy of manly fistfighting monthly!

[Noel Evans]

Well done Lawrie. You seem inundated with neat places to shoot.

[lawriejaffa]

Yeah Noel funny you should say that because....

The shoot was marred by two RAINSTORMS!!!! TWOOOOO!!!

So i ended up shooting a lot more green screen and entire scenes have had to be transplanted into chroma, with redrafts in style and shots to the storyboard (on the day!)

I have a challenge ahead of me now - but you know what :P I like a challenge!

But as you can see from the pic - it looked sunny - but nope, clouds rolled in from the sea.... blasted us with rain - so i go inside, set up green screen... with calming green tea!

Then its gone!

I rush out and the clouds and rain come back!!!

So i run back in again - now imagine that with a tight schedule, a child actor, and giant rats!!!

RATS!!!

Yep they were rats hiding in the beach rocks - my god!

So dramatic - almost as dramatic as the storyline. The locations here are by no means 'free' they are in and amongst conflicting bits and bops so i don't have a free reign of landscape and i was stuck to the immediate locale for this shoot.

That said i think we always imagine the landscapes we're familiar with as the most limiting huh! (who knows lol!) Anyway mate, its obvious we're gonna be joint winners anyway - the top prize is a big wet kiss from Barry Green!

[Lawsuit_Boy]

I must say that I'm psyched for this film. You've piqued my curiosity greatly with your stills and info. Should be a fun fest.

[lawriejaffa]

Im quite humbled with your kind compliments lawsuit_boy but hey are you entering this fest - i was a big big fan of your last film - it was a very beautiful little tale!

Yep there is a bit of expectation, but you know our crew only consisted of me and my friend Gavin, my mother came along with sandwiches, rolls and sausage roll pastries - YES! Haha. So this film is far more modest than it seems and yet i obviously want it to do well.

im doing the editing and the fx myself - but ive got Sarah Daly's wonderful singing and songwriting abilities, and Leo Gardini's score to help, plus obviously the kind of help of those chaps in the cast!

As an interesting note i didnt think to raise this, but the cast is Scottish, playing French soldiers from 1800s but in their ordinary accents! Is that going to freak people out haha.

i was wondering (but not really caring ;) because i think its important for cultures to feel liberated and confidant enough to tell stories from history set anywhere around the world. I hope its not too distracting for some (or ill have to get a french accented dub for them hahahaha)

More BTS shots coming :P

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Thank you, my friend. I'm really glad you liked it so much. Unfortunately, I'm not entering anything this time around. Tiny Dancer was a last-minute, tossed together project that came to fruition out of boredom and is not, in my opinion, a reflection of my abilities as a writer. I'm working on a short screenplay now (roughly 20 to 25 pages but with enough substance for a feature) that will play with gender bending, LGBT, and common heterosexual relationships in a similar manner to something like Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express, except the characters familiarize with each other than in Chungking. The film also delves a little into covert abuse and sexual perversion. It's a project with a lot of social awareness and will hopefully deal with interesting ideas in a tactful manner. The subject matter is very close to my heart and something I've spent a lot of time in school studying, so I'm really excited for it. That one could see the light of day next year.

Even though your production is modest, I'm sure it will be a pleasure to view. I don't think the language/accent barrier will be a problem to most, but some might be disrupted by it. Personally, I welcome such mixtures of culture. As you said, we as artists and filmmakers should be open to telling stories from anywhere in the world, from any time period, and with whomever we choose to participate with. So, the non-indigenous accents won't bother me at all. :)

[distich]

Hi Lawrie,

Been following your post for a while and I really like the look of the project. Here's a poster I made up just for fun. I hope you can use it!

Keep up the excellent work and good luck in QuestFest!

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6033/empireposter1small.jpg

[RodThompson]

What font is that for "a Lawrie Brewster film"

[lawriejaffa]

I've added the even biiiigger poster to the front page - thanks Matt that was really kind of you to produce that - its a wonderful gesture and i really appreciate you doing that, and am delighted the film's concept inspired you to contribute.

Rod - the font name is Lawrie! Its obviously my namesake! hehe

[lawriejaffa]

More BTS

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts03.jpg

And heres a hectic wee green screen space!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Lawriebts05.jpg

[distich]

What font is that for "a Lawrie Brewster film"


Rod - the font name is Lawrie! Its obviously my namesake! hehe

LOL Lawrie. Rod, it's called SteelTongs. Just click here (http://www.dafont.com/steeltongs.font).


thanks Matt that was really kind of you to produce that - its a wonderful gesture and i really appreciate you doing that, and am delighted the film's concept inspired you to contribute.

I'm just happy you could use it. And how could I not be inspired? It's such an interesting concept and thus far it looks like you have a good handle on executing it. July is just around the corner!

[lawriejaffa]

Thats just too kind mate thanks - kind words indeed, and ill be trying hard to make this film the best i can!

Its an experiment in a way, i mean the crew was me and my friend Gavin, my mother (who loves film making and the arts too) is always eager to help and she did what mothers do so well (making yummy sandwiches for the cast)

In anycase, thats it - the costumes were borrowed and made and the edit and all the fx is just me and ill be doing my best to just make sure it gets finished on time (cos that would be gutting to miss the mark there!)

Where i have had help is Alex Whitmer has given the script a look over, so has Sarah Daly and they've suggested great ideas! She's got an amazing idea for the monster (i juuuust know she does *ahem*)

When it comes to music, there's Leo Gardini doing the score and a beautiful - and i mean beautiful song by Sarah, which im going to edit a music video too from the film footage when this movie is done (and likewise a promo for Leo and his music) and of course Alex gets the pleasure of my harassment haha.

Now - heres the inspiring thing for me,

I direct all kinds of gigs (like folks here do) sometimes as crew, usually as director / producer for commercial/corporate work and my own shorts. I was determined to enter this fest, wanted to try something serious, historical and yet stylised and romantic (in art style.)

I knew my chaps were busy on wee jobs and it would be just me and my old friend Gavin but if it works- then it will provide i hope a great example for what can be on peanuts, using digital technology to tell BIG stories, with actual points, set in any period and location.

(Oh and if people enjoy it thats a bonus too!)

[Sarah Daly]

Where i have had help is Alex Whitmer has given the script a look over, so has Sarah Daly and they've suggested great ideas! She's got an amazing idea for the monster (i juuuust know she does *ahem*)

Ah yes...Of course I have been working on that day and night and have come up with the monster to end all monsters but I can't send it to you yet because...it's so heinous...the world's not ready for it? Yeah! :) Okay I have no ideas! Not one lonely, monster related thought!

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Sarah slaps wrist, gets thinking cap down from dusty shelf.

[lawriejaffa]

Right guys so this film aaaall rests on Sarah's monster idea!

Now my idea of a cat with a MILLION eyes was rejected as obscene! But I juuust know Sarah's is going to be amazing (perhaps even a cat with a BILLION EYES!!!)

Don't worry Sarah we have till July the 3rd!! I think!

Oh and i forgot (terribly) to thank Marshall Dean, he goes over all the works in progress and gives helpful feedback! He's just great :P

[DarkElastic]

Thank you Lawrie... I now feel loved again!

[RodThompson]

How will you be integrating this monster into the footage? Cinema 4d?

[lawriejaffa]

Oh man its a good question Rod,

1) Cinema 4d Creature Animation (ive got a poser plugin too for cinema 4d) thats option 1, - the monster is seen in flash cutaways (you get the idea/ pychological angle) so we're not sitting watching it have a cup of tea for 10 mins to scrutinise it!

But it still has to look good,

2) Dude in a suit - and then using tracking AE effects to make the head move, eyes blink etc, (if i had time id learn to get a 3d head stuck to it :)

3) Not a yeti monster, something more ethereal. So theres a few things to consider, if worst comes to worst ill have to dye my cat Jaffa's hair white, and just wave his cat face infront of the camera going RARGH - raaaargh!

Wooooo booooo rargh!

that should do it!

Oh and i know this is probably a silly question but what is the policy for posting stills from the film? Mines having a lot of green screen, im not supposed to post basically stills from the film, just ungraded - or incomplete shots yeah? Just wondering?

[Rodney V. Smith]

Ah hah!!! Finally we see some BTS photos. Can't wait to see the grabs....

[lawriejaffa]

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire07.jpg

Okay just one grab for now hehe :P (mostly cos i keep going back to make changes!)

[Rodney V. Smith]

nice. very interesting look.

[Solomon Chase]

cool.

what cam did you / are you shooting with?

[Austinv]

I think its an hpx500

[lawriejaffa]

Yes gentlemen its an HPX500 with a 6x8 JCanon Wide angle Lens. Its a nice cam - lets me do creative / commercial work when required. With my narrative work i tend to do weird things to it, and i like the very slightly softer organic look that comes with this lens and cam choice. Tempted by the HPX300 though as something for dedicated corporate, and a different vibe of creative work.

I used to squabble a bit on this forum sometimes as we probably all have done at some point about cameras, technical specifications. What i like to see is good stories not good camera's get rated well in this comp.

Its simple really, but your cell phone with a good story will and shall beat a Red with a bad story... (Yes Scarlet fan boys... worryingly true... hehe - in fact i think Red's latest accessory for it is a new lockable fleshlight - so now your real dreams have come true!)

Muahhahahhahahhahaha

(Okay just a joke) - mods i know that hideous joke won't last long here... when you catch it... i know it will be deleted... its all okay hehe

[chriscurl]

OK that is the funniest thing I have read in awhile.

Also, look forward to seeing more, this one has me completely fascinated.

[lawriejaffa]

Time for another grab hehe :P

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire11.jpg

[RodThompson]

oh-my-god! (Captain, commence Operation: Pee-Pee shrink!)

I like the use of smoke and particle effects! Is that a preset, ala FMP, or custom color correction?

[DarkElastic]

You're not going to have much of a pee pee left after this Fest Rod.

[lawriejaffa]

Hey Rod - its just AE presets customised a little bit - sometimes its made to look 'real ish' other times its made to look slow/bigger for the more ethereal scenes.

In a way i kind of want this to come across like a very dark fairy tale as well you know?

[RodThompson]

You're not going to have much of a pee pee left after this Fest Rod.

Ha! You don't know how much I started with! :shocked:

Lawrie - I think this, Tarts, Strange Days, and Mahlen are the ones I'm most waiting for this fest. All I know...is I have to bring it...like that white girl on Bring It On!:kali:

[lawriejaffa]

Oh yeah man - pull no punches and to the best you can - i have the utmost respect for my peers in this competition, and one of the greatest benefits of all is the sense of community here and feedback and support we all give one another.

It is within the nature of most who direct and produce - particularly us indies, that we are driven people (heck if your not... your screwed hehe) and yes - you do have to bring it hehe, but then so do i and everyone else.

My biggest challenge is i did the production and am doing the post visuals myself and ive got to work it around things to get it done in time... and hey you've noticed already that - that issue the time to get it done has bummed out a few entries in this contest so im DETERMINED To make sure i can get it done in time!

For me that will be a race to the last day... *gulp* and its the challenge we all love hehe and share!

[RodThompson]

Oh, the greatest thing I have learned in this is adaptation, I think. If the color's not right, correct it, if you can correct it, find a way to play it off. If a scene is missing, acknowledge it and move on without compensating.

Most of all...if you have no damn clue what you're doing...ask someone for help. This is my first ANYTHING...ain't too proud to beg.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Pedal to the metal, and all caution to the wind. Do you have a picture lock yet dude? I know you;r edoing your VFX shots so one would have to assume yes... but knowing your quirky nature, one has to wonder...

[lawriejaffa]

A visual lock - hmmm that sounds like an interesting idea!

To be honest i wont be able to confirm anything till probably the day before the deadline ARGH hehe *wink* but that should make sure i sleep easy! Er....

[Rodney V. Smith]

guess you're also planning a long cut of the film then? With as much visual effects that you have I;d have to guess so...

[DarkElastic]

Hi Lawrie,

I have a number of questions regarding Empire...
1. What mood is the film trying to create?
2. What message is the film going to portray?
3. What's the budget of the film?
4. If it does well in this competition, are you going to put it into anything else?
5. Will you be making a longer version, or Director's Cut if you will, after QuestFest?

Thanks

[jasonthewho]

This is looking really interesting Lawrie. Dark fairy tale is my favorite kind of film. This is definitely one of those films that's either going to rock the house or fail miserable. So good luck! I'll be watching your thread and anticipating this greatly.

[lawriejaffa]

Oh god im knackered! 3am and still editing FX... argh.... the way i see this film is like a 1 man historical epic, Me and Gavin crewed the shoot (um Gavin was also 1 of the 4 main characters though) and its up to me to do the post :P Our crew list will read like, me and Gavin lol - oh and rolls by lawrie's mum!

However i was determined to do something for this fest after missing the others, so if this somehow insanely works in the end, then ill post a workflow for anyone else interested in attempting microbudget historical epics hah in their living room. There is location filming but we got hit by a rainstorm and lost half the locations however - i never surrender lol to the elements or anything and so we kept filming - whatever you do dont stop filming something hehe :P

Okay I'll stop my whining and get answering these questions.

I'll answer your point first Jason, i think your entirely right - its the chance you take when doing something different. I wonder if people here are open minded to let Scots folk play people of another country and time... English folk get to, Americans obviously get too... or am i gonna get loads of dumbass questions from teenagers going 'hey man why do they sound weeeeird....'

It has a dark fairytale vibe in its visuals, i think mood etc, but its not trying to be any one particular thing (its an expression of my perversions most probably) but in that sense i hope its taken as is - and isnt measured against some presumption (even if i instigate it lol with my answers to Darkelastiscs questions next!) I very much appreciate your good luck wishes!


1. The mood of the film is one of child like, dark, perversion, nightmarish, surreal depiction of history as percieved by the conscious and subconscious mindset of our characters (who by virtue of mounting insanity have those two somewhat combined.)

2. There are several messages within the film (these are somewhat interpretive and subjective as well on the part of the viewer.) So rather than say what the messages 'are' i'll say what the messages are - at least to me:)

- absurdity of war, the death of children, sacrifice of innocence, decadence, and the perverse ironies of social respectability and slaughter.

3. Oh about £40 for everyones food and petrol, everything else was borrowed/grovelled.

4. Oh... I haven't thought of that - to be honest im really focussed on this festival, if it played well to my fellow filmmaking peers, then based on their feedback, id make edits, changes, and sure id consider entering into other film festivals - particularly those abroad, a the UK short film scene can be a little restrictive i feel!

5. I don't think so... I find its better to focus your energy towards the right cut - than get distracted with multiple versions (i mean obviously id make exceptions for director cut features and so on) but with this its for Quest fest - why i made it, so there won't be a truncated version to meet the fest requirement only for a longer one to be unearthed later.

So there you go mate!

More pics tomorrow btw

[RodThompson]

Jesus! You have clearly crafted something with so many aspects of greatness, I don't see how this could fail.

[lawriejaffa]

Oh jeez Rod lol, well i can see several ways it can fail - like i still have to make a film that is actually decent despite my aspirations lol :P

Whether it or any film in the fest does is all up to the ourselves here at dvxuser you know? So certainly don't let my ambitions sway your expectation for the films success - watch and judge for yourself.

What i will say is that i think filmmakers should look to what they have to say to the world and let it drive forth from them important, and amazing stories - especially to be told in hybrid with commercial genres - yes... like horror even.

One of our countries best producers (forgive me if i cant quote the name at 3.30 am) recommended indy's should always sneak their best ideas under the radar packaged in a genre film :)

Instead of them trying to produce a commercial genre films that a studio could pump out like vanilla (ooh yeah! a new expression!)

[RodThompson]

I feel you. I never pre-judge anything, especially movies, because it sways me too much in one way or the other. I enjoy Non-Bias Land. Even if a movie blows (Wolverine) I still have allowed myself to enjoy what I could because I had zero expectations.

With Fence being my first, I wasn't so much out to send a message as I was just to make a film. In the end, after I had to cut the script, and came to realizations about film making Ihad never even conceived, I'm walking away with a much clearer vision of who I want to be as not only a director, but as a screenwriter and actor as well.

I've always been more style than substance, but I definitely feel like I'm coming closer to finding that middle gound between the two.

AWESOME EXPRESSION I COINED: "It's raining like Mondays and Tuesdays out there." Think about it. :)

[Rodney V. Smith]

I hate Tuesdays. Could never really get the hang of them.

[ZazaCast]

Okay I'll stop my whining

Really! Welcome to my world. I feel your pain. I'm also a one-man show. It's a lot of work, but if even one person enjoys it...or takes something away from it....or the film make someone laugh, cry or mess their pants (in my case it's usually all three!:shocked:)... then it was all worth it.

I'm really looking forward to this film Lawrie! It's going to be great.:thumbsup:

....and I'm sure your mum's rolls rule!!!

[lawriejaffa]

Right!

Puck - so no i dont think there will be a longer cut of the film (there will be longer credits, but with 2 crew and 4 cast and a mum for catering its not gonna last long) I hate making up crew folk (some folk do!!!) to make their shorts look more er impressive - yeesh.

Yep Rod well MASSIVE GOODLUCK then on your first short and good for you to enter it into the fest - to be honest cos that takes some guts (I know loads who wouldnt!) In your own way you are sending a message by making your first film - most importantly to yourself, and i salute that.

Regarding style and substance, its funny but it takes time to work out within yourself the stories you want to tell - obviously you have guys like michael bay and the 'i just wanna see shi* blow up' but noticeably those guys don't leave a lasting mark on cinematic influence hehe. While its too egotistical to admit it, im sure there are a few here who secretly hope, that their films will while entertaining, make a statement too. To be honest ive also found some american indy filmmakers a bit shy about making statements - artistic qualities in their films, frightened that by doing so they might become a kind of liberal European who produces arthouse films (with many male nudes.)

And to be honest theres nothing to fear about male nudes hehe :P

Yep Zaza, i mean when i do medium to low commercial/corporate work (i dont too videography my back isnt strong enough lol) i'll have a crew of about 3 - 4 and normally for creative gigs but folks were tied up the whole month and meh I couldnt not enter this time. Ive got the utmost respect for the fact that you work like that and still produce films that i found to be among the cheekiest and entertaining and i don't doubt the nuns will do it for me this year too!

Rest assured too that this time the audio reviews are longer more in depth and have also been upgraded to Video reviews! (for the narcissist in me!)

- Oh and a still for our character Pierre!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire15.jpg

[RodThompson]

Your color grading is SPOT on!

[lawriejaffa]

Hey Rod i have a weird opinion about colour grading really (in my own creative shoots) - but yeah for corporate/commercial/other peoples films then the challenge isnt to get it spot on in one shot (but consistently throughout the shoot) which of course is made far easier if you can maintain white balance (albeit with varying colour temperatures during the course of a day... and illumination levels... in the end however you play it, you'll more than likely be adjust each seperate shot.)

Now for my creative stuff (not always) but i do like a painterly quality to the shots and grading, i add grain, i soften the image (at times) especially the edges, and overall i like to (or try too) add an 'organic' quality. Film does this, but digital art can too by virtue of the inspiration we take in how we colour it and make it look (in that regard im not talking about making digital look like film hehe, but of this more abstract quality of organic.)

Oh I also like to add grain - of varying levels too (Incidentally my grading is probably like most folks here, done with Magic Bullet and Misfire :)

[RodThompson]

Magic Bullet and Misfire :)

Colorista is a BEAST!

But Misfire...that's a touch of Grindhouse gold!

[ZazaCast]

THIS is going be a good one... a real good one... I can feel it in me bones...

So good in fact, I think I hear Rod's pee-pee shrinking now...

[RodThompson]

:cry:

[lawriejaffa]

Jeez you guys lol - don't panic, i didn't shoot on a RED!

[ZazaCast]

don't panic, i didn't shoot on a RED!

LMAO! :2vrolijk_08::2vrolijk_08::2vrolijk_08:

[RodThompson]

Doesn't shooting on a RED negate "DVX"Fest?

[chriscurl]

No Rod, that's been well covered, besides your movie would have been shot on my cel phone if that was what I showed up with. Sorry for the threadjack.

[RodThompson]

No Rod, that's been well covered, besides your movie would have been shot on my cel phone if that was what I showed up with. Sorry for the threadjack.

:)

You make Jesus cry...but you make a helluva point!

[ZazaCast]

...Back on track.... Lawrie, How goes it? What's the buzz?

[DarkElastic]

...Back on track.... Lawrie, How goes it? What's the buzz?

I fear he will be some time getting back to you Zaza, as the 'organic' quality colour correction is taking its toll on him... He is working frantically to get the film done for the submission date. It's looking very good though. When (not if) he gets it done, we are all in for a treat!

[lawriejaffa]

I can still peek in :P Yea the cc is annoying but its not the hard part, its just doing all the mattes, fx etc and a few pick up shots in and around what im doing - to make sure the film gets done in time!

But im getting there!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire17.jpg

[lawriejaffa]

Righto another pic to be posted!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire19.jpg

I like this kind of slightly graphic novel look thingawiggly aesthetic i have going on, especially for such historical periods that are rarely visited except in the classic (with quite classical cinematography... bar the odd mel gibson exception) historical period film.

Right so now im working on the beast... a visualish cut (bar a few storyboard panels is done) is going to be done by this evening (and i mean like 6am...)

When not doing business work ... i have been on this - only this, to make sure i can get it done in time...and it is still a race! I love races!

I've given the film a softer look in certain shots, discolourations here and there, grain as well. I have this weird mentality for this look i kind of got going first in a documentary i produced (which was a period thing and was comprised of just these types of fx shots) that i wanted it to look more organic and rough. Even picture book like or painterly you know, so this film albeit rushed, is the first chance to apply that idea in a work of fiction.

In this case, i like to try anyway to make each shot look good, (and different in its own aesthetic) than the normal (as i would do) conventional harmony one applies in cc nd other edits.

The result of this is i hope to create a visual experience that is more epic and engaging - to make this 6 minute film not seem longer (and sheesh boring) but not as short, to give the brain more experientialism you could say in this time frame.

Now i've got some incredible motivations to work with here, editing to some of the music already sung by Sarah Daly is great - its gonna sound amazing in the film ;) and poor Leo's been waiting sooo long for a visual cut to properly compose too - my god it will soon be there for him.

[RodThompson]

It seems like people are using a LOT more effects this fest.

[lawriejaffa]

Gosh i dont think so really Rod, i mean nothing out of the ordinary, most entries are straight footage with cc :)

[ZazaCast]

... most entries are straight footage with cc :)

I know mine is.

[RodThompson]

Look at Nightlight, and Mahlen, and my flick, and your flick.

Mahlen had to send his footage to his 3D Team!

[lawriejaffa]

The Power of Film?

Yes the power of film - and yes i should warn you this is again one of these long rambling semi essay like waffles - that I do oft in between cups of black coffee and my editing.

As artists, (yes including even the most determinately entrepenerial minded American :P) it's worth to consider the power our films can have, (or don't have) and the power and influence the moving image can have (be that on the individual for the bourgeoisie or society for the socialist ;)

We are perhaps more immediately familiar with this concept through photography - there are indeligble images that are kind of printed on our minds.

Due to my macabre nature (and to follow the theme of our film Empire) we'll look at the power of those images expressing what i suppose you could call the cruely, or aft consequences of mankind.

We're familiar with the photography of the holocaust, of skeletal frames hanging on wire fences, piles of bodies and so on. Likewise images of war and mayhem, the famous mid death photograph of the vietcong executed by a South Vietnamese officer etc. Even the photography of prison abuses in Iraq too have in popular culture, like all those other examples helped foster political and historical impression.

For those who don't read history, and even for those who do, we can only see the past, as illustrated - and while our dissociation is easy with the pre-photographic history, we are far more impressionable to percieve eras and events where there is photography.

Let's take my film, there is no photography, and the era was mostly conceptualised in visual arm through neo-classical semi romantic art forms (which kind of continued until events like the American Civil war brought both commissioned art and emerging photography to a painful and horrifying comparison (and reality check) for normal folks.

Artists incidentally were no less efficient at capturing atrocity when allowed too...

A fine example would be Francisco Goya, an artist who sketched a famous series of drawings based on incidents, things he saw etc (the collection of pictures is called 'Disasters of War'

They can be seen here (and are graphic)
http://www.napoleonguide.com/goyaind.htm

Or a more famous oil painting produced later based on one of his sketches.

http://www.goyatobeijing.org/gallery/images/goya.jpg

Which is a little less glorious than say Napoleon Crossing the Alp!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/David-Napoleon.png


Now painters like filmmakers faced similar challenges when they might actually have the unbelievably rare opportunity to paint something they wanted (instead of a commissioning master) and if it related to something like war, tragedy etc, how do you express it? As we know, in war there are acts of heroism? If your a suburban middle class American you just know it will consist of a mini back garden epic of you and your friends taking down Saddam (if your a Brit its still taking down Hitler haha) and if your Scottish like me its probably taking down the tax man but still! Annnyway!

But when we focus on one aspect the fact that it is plausible to exclude all elements bar the ones we want to express (say the story of a heroic soldier saving his injured buddy... (i mean it must be good its worked since they published The Odyssey... doesnt necessarily make the story plausible or complete anymore or does it?

Right let me clarify - because we can focus on say the valour of a guy saving his mate on the battlefield, and if we tell that in a romantic heroic kind of way, then while its plausible that there is nothing else in the events of the story but these heroic concepts do we still do ourselves and the viewer a disservice with romantic simplification of things like war?

Now you see I love films like Kelly's Heroes (a subverive hippietastic take on ww2 thanks to Donald Sutherland.) but its a cynical film - tongue in cheek... what about John Wayne's Green Beret? Or *cough cough* We Were Soldiers or if you can really stomach it - The Patriot or if your some kind of satanic demon then yes... Pearl Harbour!

Now you see crap though some of them are (your allowed to disagree and be wrong) hehe :P thats fine because there is a mass market for big explosions and bombastic scores coinciding with heroic one liners. What about the indy?

What about you?

I know this is rambling - its the way i roll hehe. The power of these films are to 'entertain' while using simplified and comical depictions of war to numb any kind of intellectual response or cost in reality of those conflcits. (Take the doodlebug raid at the end of pearl harbour... where the b25s bomb Japan, yet no civilians, any 'humans' are seen hit) while the cagey japs mercilessly gun down Johnny on the airstrip (before Luke skywalker makes 2 zeroes fly into each other.)

Too many filmmakers are happy to thrust themselves into the subjects of war, murder brutality, even attempted rapes and serial killings and soooo on without any intellectual curiousity.

Intellectual Curiousity

That is - what does the filmmaker have to say in his film. Now ive waffled on enough about that before, but the second point is what can a filmmaker say? What is the power at his finger tips. Just as the images i cited before helped capture a generation and era, so can your films have powerful effects on the viewer, (no not the paranoid musings that the terrible liberal media are turning us all gay... well except for my new festival video reviews that will!) No - good and powerful effects that you can have on the viewer, that by having some intellectual curiousity and exploring a purpose in your story... without the defensive dismissal of 'oh its a message movie' and thinking it will be like say Casualty of War...

That in fact one can become a director whose works are far more influential and are encouraging and at the same time are derived from the filmmakers own growing, maturing and inquisitive mind. For the Autuer minded director this is quite useful... but its also useful because there is a hunger I believe for independent film to be that counter balance to pure mass superficiality - and it can do so with business success and within popular genres.

It is admittedly a challenge for those who enjoy the comforts of the so called Western World, lets face it, we have films about who can get laid first, about the horrors of losing a pink ipod or a bachelor party gone wrong (and if its a micro indy then each will feature an airsoft gunshot death and a torture interrogation scene.) Thats fine but it doesnt take that much effort to explore real stories for inspiration, in literature, the news, folk stories, heck even youtube!

In fact just recently with the protests in Iran over their disputed election youtube has waived a rule for violent video content on the basis of journalistic merit. One of the most disturbing videos you will ever see in your life (and will be viewed by millions) has by the merit of its 40 seconds become a beacon for a revolution and probably a symbol for democratic freedom against adversity for decades.

For the curious, the video depicts a beautiful and very brave young woman, who is shot in the chest by an unseen gunman while protesting. She collapses and dies within seconds surrounded by people trying to save her, (the 'Neda' video.)

Now... its horrific, and you may think powerful because its real. Yes it is because its real, but we encounter it not as reality but via the screen (if any of you have seen Videodrome you can imagine what Professor O. Blivion would say.)

Something like...

'the battle for the mind of north america will be fought in the video arena, the television screen is the retina of the minds eye, therefore the television is part of the physical structure of the brain, therefore whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience - therefore television is reality and reality is less than televison.'

If one watches something like the Neda video or any uncensored journalistic recordings of atrocity it does empower ones capibility to understand the nature of visual power, (and in this context horror) but also the ironic opposite. Our blithe accomodation of horror if delivered with punchy one liners and fast beating music.

Because so many filmmakers start out emulating what they like in their fav movies and tv, its worth going back to the drawing board, to be brutal with oneself so that we can understand our own limitations, to be so aware of what we can't stand, that we might be willing to make a film that can change something... a film with the power to change things.

Yes - im afraid there will be a part two to this :) feel free to comment and discuss

[Noel Evans]

Look at Nightlight, and Mahlen, and my flick, and your flick.

Mahlen had to send his footage to his 3D Team!

Dont worry. A little bird told me some of the greatest films ever made didnt use any 3D, any mattes etc. Not to detract from the great work and effort people are putting into that aspect in this fest.

Interesting point on the pictorial view of history Lawrie and how it shapes our vision.

[Gord.T]

I read every word Lawrie, not sure if I'm getting it though so here's a few ramblings imo...

Generally movies are an escape from real life. My parents generation grew up during the war.
One a soldier, the other a nurse. Both with very diffrent opinions which reflected in what movies they each enjoyed watching.

For me movies are a stress reliever, plain and simple. Different movies for different moods.
I think most of the 'general' viewing public wants something easy to digest, to escape from real life.

Again, it's hard to avoid the word 'Entertainment.'

Still there's room for truth based films. Schindler's List comes to mind. The story was still told in a way that engaged the audience.
I think it comes back to wanting to escape via movies and other entertainment in general and not be reminded about how brutal we us mankind still really are.

In fact, making a movie focusing on compassion during a war, and even herosim, I would find more enjoyable. To know there is still a measure of humanity and compassion still left in some people during times of conflict would inspire me more than seeing the horror we're capable of.

And maybe that's what your short is about anyways. I'm confusing myself now.

A side note: Shorts, I think, have a lot more freedom of expression
whereas feature films lean more towards returning a profit for investors.
So places like dvxuser are ideal to test ideas. As well as short films in general, imo.

So yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. New ideas, new looks, what's not to like? I just wish I had the vocabulary you have. :beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Hey Noel thanks and Raptor hey hey! Good to see you here :)

I'll follow on in your comments there Raptor as its great to get a little discussion going, and thanks for reading through! I have a lot of respect for you good sir and appreciate your reply :)

Your right 'popular' mainstream movies, and even what we might term arthouse, and independent films are by their nature an escape from reality, I'd propably be a little metaphysical on this (what - there is no truth etc that kinda thing) and say even those films that depict 'reality' are only onto themselves creating another escape form designed to illicit different feelings/human responses from the audience.

We have interesting instances of what may feel like 'realism' (in this connotation we always imagine the grim though don't we!!!) for example noir, film noir, movies such as Fritz Lang's M for the Weimar Republic, and of course the Noir films of America (perhaps less so the more sensational gangsta movies) but you get the idea.

Your right people who experience war, savagery or economic depression rarely for any remote kind of entertainment want to watch something trying to recreate their unfortunate circumstances. (Unless you the audience to a Berthold Brechte play!) Yeah as we know they more or less rushed to see musicals - comedies etc. Likewise in the Victorian era before cinema, the musical halls etc - the comedy acts etc were probably the opiate of the masses before hehe.

When i think entertainment i dont (and i know you dont or anyone does really) imagine it as mutually exclusive to artistic merit or artistic aspiration. If we look at a Hollywood blockbuster we can easily compare different merits from say,

The Dark Knight vs Batman and Robin :P

This is taking us a bit from the power of imagery i was blethering about (i'll get back to that part two.) But taking that film as a point, and my reference before to intellectual curiousity, i think there in lies the difference.

Chris Nolan had something to say in that film, and did so within the confines of a hollywood budget, execs etc and the film was all the more powerful for it. Now does it have to be something to do with war? lol no (i use that as an example for reference to this film) but if its irrelevant (what one has to say) then often so is the film. That can be superficially entertaining one or twice, but then how much so?

Let's take comedy, Trains Planes and Automobiles had far more to say, far more intellectual curiousity on the part of John Hughes than say Scary Movie? Even those comedies that are hilarious (but seemingly 'dumb') are in fact quite the opposite,

Ace Ventura 2 is a farce drawing from the tradition of comic performance akin to the Renaiscence Commedia Del' Arte (if i can spell that right)

Your right by our basic nature a more 'entertaining' film based on war would be one focussing on compassion. Brechte would call this the classic aristolean story with the 'cathartic' ending, the bourgeiose (forgive typos) happy ending, it sends us home with 'relief' that all is well in the world' and there in we stop thinking.

Its designed to make us feel happy, and thats fine but that also comes with a cost for the discerning filmmaker that doesnt necessarily want to make his audience feel unhappy but may want his point to linger. This is especially important i think for emerging indy's who may want their character, their auteur elements to remain with audiences.

Its far more subtle than to say just have a sad ending (like the somewhat ridiculous Robin Williams vehicle Jacob the Liar.)

Your right of course in your comparison to shorts and features, and their profitability, but then for indy's thats a different ball game altogether.

The classic almighty 'big entertainment' concept doesnt necessarily apply to us, if you get my drift. So i wouldnt say my point is -anti-entertainment pro message, id say that the two are both essential.

That the message is not a political point or anythign specifically ideological, but that it is something the director has to say himself through his story that demonstrates some intellectual curiousity on his part - so that in his story it reflects not only himself or herself discovering something enlightening, but that we too may share that.

Which in the best films occurs, as when Steve Martin takes John Candy into his home at the end of Trains, Planes and Automobiles, or when we learn the inescapable nature (of the far superior Japanese 'Ring' movie.) etc

[lawriejaffa]

Right a visual cut is locked (ok 2 of the shots arent)

Sound design tomorrow, an edit is getting uploaded for the composers... albeit slowly as hell...

Apparently im getting a day off tonight from this edit to attend a Bohemian dinner party/regular party - and so in true austere fashion i intend to wear colourful (yet tailored) attire and explore the meritous world of homemade cocktails, with which i intend to soon with a special friend too!

Hurrah for cocktails and delights!

[DarkElastic]

How was the cocktail party Lawrie, was it as delightful as you hoped, or was the edit of Empire nagging at the back of your mind all evening long?

[Voytech]

I have to admit that I quite enjoyed your ramblings ;). If I may interject one thought... Within the realm of blockbuster war movies, I find it interesting that so many directors (or producers, or writers... whoever decides on the actual story) choose to oversimplify the plot, without giving the viewer the chance to "digest" the supplied facts. Perhaps the heroic theme dictates a rather common structure of the plot (which after a few movies becomes way too predictable). I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you're going to show violence in your movie, make it count. More and more movies I watch include it merely for the gore and shock.

That is all.

[lawriejaffa]

Well a bit more shooting here and there - its all coming along and should be done juuuust in time!

Here is a pic - of my mommykins (the producer of fine rolls to feed my crew... of me... and my cast of 4! Yey!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/mum.jpg

[DarkElastic]

Yes... She's going to kill you!!!
You could have given her a nice back drop at least!

[RodThompson]

I want to hug her. Her arms look so motherly and inviting.

[lawriejaffa]

Yes thru the power of technology I'm posting from an airport lounge! Yey so visuals locked, some minor sound fx adjustment and we just add music then voila! This is a dreamlike or nightmarish psychological film that I think and hope u do too, has retained this dark fairytale like vibe! More to come!

[ZazaCast]

Good work Lawrie!

[Edgen]

Well a bit more shooting here and there - its all coming along and should be done juuuust in time!

Here is a pic - of my mommykins (the producer of fine rolls to feed my crew... of me... and my cast of 4! Yey!

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/mum.jpg

^... I think you just set yourself up for some photoshop fun. :)

Looking forward to checking out your entry! Looks like it was a lot of fun making it. Good luck!
/j

[RodThompson]

Edgen, I revoke your ability to post on the boards until you drop some BTS or Grabs.

[Noel Evans]

Lawrie's Mum as she appeared in 300 playing the "woman from the future".

http://www.scarlet-films.com/Images/mum300.jpg

[lawriejaffa]

Oh my goodness that's hilarious Noel hehe! Ur right Edgen!! I can't even fathom what zaza will do hehe

Thanks zaza I appreciate ur comment I've been very lucky to get this on time in the time! I just wanted to attempt a nightmarish historical fairytale from hell! Ill post workflow after fest if folk are keen!

I shot edited fx'd myself and while that's only impressive if one likes the film I can def say I will be doing a more contemp film next hehe

Edgen ur film looks ambitious and that excites me (well so does zaza's screen grabs haha tho I'm really the girls body double hehe)

Most of all I'm just glad to be a part of this fest!

[ZazaCast]

I KNEW I'd seen your Mum somewhere before....it's a little known fact she played the lead in "Oliver"!

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/35446/1246151284.jpg
"Please sir, may I have some more?"

[ZazaCast]

And a supporting role in "Ben Hur".
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/35446/1246243477.jpg

[lawriejaffa]

Honestly what can i say to all that!!!!

There are just no words to express lol except WOW!

Lawrie's mum as she's now become popularly known (I'll have to credit her as this for the movie hehe) is now a star of multiple films!!!

I think the Oliver Twist pic is the winner muhahahhaa (though im a big fan of Ben Hur and 300 hehe...)

That is trully the most absurd posts to have hit these film threads!!!!!

[ZazaCast]

Then I guess we shouldn't mention...."Old Yeller"?

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/35446/1246319480.jpg

[RodThompson]

And who could forget her turn as Kuato in Total Recall!

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8017/0911etmkuatobig.jpg

[lawriejaffa]

Right that is quite enough hilarity (actually i thought that was just too awesome and hilarious) but yes!

Right so in a way our film has taken an almost nightmarish dream like direction (kind of what i intended - in a kind of historical Jacob's Ladder sort of way!)

Leo's working hard on his compositions, just a couple of pinkles and wrinkles to fix!

Oh and ive also composed a little Poem based on the film, that i will post both text annnnnnd a Lawrie recitation of! Hurrah my little darlings Hurrah!

Oh and yes my mother was amused!

[ZazaCast]

A poem? Hummm... a jack of all trades! I can't wait to hear it, please be sure to post it when the film is released. I hope all the other aspects of this film are coming along. There are only a few days left you know? :)

[lawriejaffa]

Empire Lost

I remember the flash,
It shone through your eyes
To the man by our side,
He fell... into the white.

In the uproar of theory
We tore from ancient regimes
Articulated thought that sung
To the rancor of cannon

A child shouts in the mist,
The Kettle drum trembles,
Your fingers are swollen
Eyes too dried to weep.

Shadows crumble by the road
snowflakes and musket
Tear spirits into the night
Leaving husks, dead and alive.

Where is our mother among the flies,
That crawl from men's faces...
In your dreams I hear her calling,
in mine, I see you laughing.

The sun and moon hang like pearls...
Trapped across a plain of grey,
You are all alone now,
The rest have gone...

Yet we were not the first masters,
Of an Empire Lost.




///
Okay and the exciting Audio version is just a few mins away.

Yep Zaza, i like acting, writing and even attempting songwriting and singing (badly) i obviously love directing and producing.

[lawriejaffa]

And the audio version...

www.newagefilm.co.uk/poem2.mp3 (http://www.newagefilm.co.uk/poem2.mp3)

(i also suggest right clicking save target as for downloading) :)

[ZazaCast]

This:

"The sun and moon hang like pearls...
Trapped across a plain of grey,
You are all alone now,
The rest have gone..."

...is BRILLANT!

Well done...well done.

[lawriejaffa]

M ightily appreciated comments,
In fact thank you very much, after all
on occasion i do think its important to subject you to
whatever insane poetical commentaries deemed terrifying enough to subject you to!

(just wait for the all new video reviews!)

[ZazaCast]

And the audio version...

www.newagefilm.co.uk/poem2.mp3 (http://www.newagefilm.co.uk/poem2.mp3)

(i also suggest right clicking save target as for downloading) :)

BRAVO...BRAVO!

(...I can almost hear the soft whisper of a winter wind across a desolate battlefield....and the muffled groans and death rattles of men defeated)

[Noel Evans]

Articulated thought that sung
To the rancor of cannon

Very cool, with the reference to Cannon I could play this with image and sound.

[DarkElastic]

You know mate, I am very impressed with the level you are going to with this movie. Not only have we had discussions about Empire, but we have also has dicussions about war movies and messages in movies, had a picture of your mum to super-impose onto famous posters/scenes and now we have a poem based on Empire.
Zaza put it before, and I second it, Bravo my friend, bravo. I am really looking forward to Empire, and inperticular, I am looking forward to the artistic look and historic story.
This thread definately seems to be the place to be! Roll on the viewing time!

[lawriejaffa]

Thanks man i really appreciate that - very very kind of you and the other gentlemen here to compliment and support the thread.

I just want the other filmmakers taking the time to post here that i appreciate it, and while I haven't visited and posted in as many film threads as i would like - that i will be taking the time to produce a cool funky detailed video review for all your films (that will go a bit more in depth) than my typical email responses. In that way i hope to repay the kind attention this thread has recieved.

I think films exist (as opposed to movies hehe) to provide an opportunity for artistic and philosophical discourse so definately i've tried to encourage it here. Its just because i find the subject interesting and is certainly not because i presume to have any expertise in any of the subjects i discuss - yet discussing them all the same reaps its own reward.

I am certainly grateful for the support of my special friend :)

Tomorrow ill post a couple of pics, and yep Zaz just a few days left but we'll get this one in on the nick of time :)

[lawriejaffa]

Miow miow... work goes on - on Empire its juuuust about finished today the music gets added!

Then we wait to see what happens next :)

[lawriejaffa]

Just added Sarah Daly's beautiful song to the mix just waiting for a name confirmation for the title hurrah!

Leo Gardini's been hard at work complaining over the complexity of the all sound files in his computer hehe!

[lawriejaffa]

There is a lovely person to whom this film is dedicated, which has now been included in the credits, the visuals are all completely finished (a bit late I know)

More reports to come :)

[Rodney V. Smith]

Glad to hear the ending is in sight. Quite a bit of work you;ve done here and I know I'm looking forward to it. :beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Now ive had a go at singing and writing a wee song for Empire hehe (this is total crap compared to Sarah Dalys 'Petite Soldat' Little Soldier title track for the movie.

In fact this is my first song and cos i can't play an instrument its put to Clair de Lune however part of being an artist is experimenting and having fun.

So ths is a kind of song for Empire my special friends. ;)

Oh its just a cheesy bedroom recording so dont expect quality with this and yes guys you can take the piss if you want but ill get my vengeance! In this life or the next!

[lawriejaffa]

hehe a bit of fun (and cringey for me) trying to do the child angle of this song but meh! There are better songwriters than me on this thread thats for sure! Boom!

www.newagemedia.co.uk/wav.mp3 (http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/wav.mp3)

Excuse the odd click and background noise im noooo sound editor :P

[lawriejaffa]

Sorry i know im posting far too much today!

Some stills i promised.

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire05.jpg

Yes! What a wonderful day loads of ridiculous advertising text messages from just about every company and individual i wouldnt want to hear from! Bah the bane of business!

[lawriejaffa]

Right! Our film is now being exported - and prepared for upload!!!!

So it is now time to thank the people who helped and to describe the process (somewhat summarised) on how i went about it.

It started with an idea I had a while ago about a napoleonic period drama set around the Russian winter about a group of men trying to survive the elements, partisans and most of all to retain their sanity.

Now the direction this took (filming in summer... in a living room thanks to a rainstorm) was also borne more from the idea of a graphic novel approach too.

Yet i wanted it to be adult - and psychological, Jacobs Ladder with Shako hats is the best comparison.

I wrote it as a disturbing drama (at least as i saw it) and discussed my ideas with Sarah Daly (a hugely talented writer) and Alex Whitmer who took a formal consultive role and is also a good friend whom i respect also.

Likewise my dear friend Gavin Robertson who isnt on these boards, but plays the role of Leon in the film (and who helped me craft my storyboards normally working as a DoP!) came up with many great visual suggestions that soon saw us strip away some superfluous dialogue. I had fancied myself as something of an intellectual, but what he introduced brought into the visual dynamic ideas i had struggled to express in words.

It's one of the greatest challenges for any writer to work within the scripts visual medium and not end up writing plays (though filmic plays are perfectly entertaining.) I urge you all to watch Hedda Gabler on you tube :)

So then the shoot! This was tough due to normal work committments, i had 1 day to shoot it. I scouted during lunch breaks some nice locations, and thanks to my mother and her church she found some volanteers there.

Lovely James Nelson and his son (of the same name) and Gavin and another friend of mine (who helps secure business in another side of Scotland, Christopher Kleinman) came along. All at short notice and for that i appreciate enormously their kind of their time.

We should always be humble in our hearts for the offer of time and effort these individuals give our creative works especially when they volanteer it.

Now that left the crew as... me... fortunately my brave cast helped me lug some bags haha. My mother (who it seems on this thread is a star of several films) makes a performance too as does my Stepfather Neil. Of course i love them to bits, and they have always taken a great enthusiasm in my films and company.

My mother in particular, is a writer and scriptwriter in her own right, and does lurk on these boards!

So she provided all the munchies - while Neil helped me lug gear into a car hurrah!

Now on the shoot - a rain storm came!!! It destroyed my plans to shoot in 3 - yes THREE of my 5 locations! I also lost time.

Kindly people worked longer, and somehow Gavin with the visual brain of Zeus managed to connive a means of working within a very small space. This has lent the film a great look, and in hindisight lead to post production methods that are enhanced in comparison to what i originally intended.

So with the rushes, I got to work on mattes and fx. In and around work i did them on my own (Gavin is a good graphic artist but he was away working and then his comp went boom - im getting him a new one honest.)

During this time Sarah Daly generously volanteered to sing a beautiful and haunting ballad, for which i will produce an edit of Empire as a music video version for as well. I can't express enough how grateful i am to this talented and wonderful woman.

Likewise my old friend Leo Gardini who works busily enough as a commercial composer, helped me with very little time to produce a beautiful and effective musical accompaniement for the film.

In all this film cost probably under $50 but the time people and their kindness offered to make this wee film happen is priceless. Never accept the boasts of a producer who says he made his film cheap citing only his figure...

My dear friend Marshall Dean also provided continual checks on works in progress, advice and moral support during twilight hour editing!


Now I hope that ive produced a disturbing and haunting psycho-drama set in the period of the napoleonic era, about a young boy yearning to return home to escape the horrors of war... but can one escape the horrors of the mind.

Thank you all for following my thread and good luck to you all.

[lawriejaffa]

Uploaded!!! Hurrah!

[ZazaCast]

Congrats!!!!

[Tim Joy]

Hey, I'm glad you made it! Can't wait to see!

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you for the support kind friends :)

[distich]

Very excited for this Lawrie, congratulations on getting it finished!

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you mon amie much appreciated :)

I always enjoyed watching the fest films before (it was a big highlight haha) you know id get my er nachos lol (actually in Scotland there crisps - my particular being cheesy puffs) but can't have too many!!!

You can't kiss a girl with cheesy puffs in your mouth distich (not unless its a fetish she likes) eww!

Anyway yes, thank you.

Of course i'll soon be terrifying everyone with the video feedback!

[Sarah Daly]

Can't wait to see it AND to be terrified by your reviews...be gentle though wontcha? Congrats on completing dude.Quite the feat. Truly epic. In the uniquely Brewsterian sense :)

[RodThompson]

As with ScriptFest, I promise you my virgin view...followed close by Zaza and Puck.

[Rodney V. Smith]

I promise to be merciless and give you the flogging you so richly deserve, in language best suited for such an occasion: KLINGON!

Just kidding. About the Klingon review. The rest of it... well... First let me enjoy the film.

Really am looking forward to seeing what you've come up with.

[Girgej]

Looking Forward to see this one ... Nice Poster ... Good Luck...

[Tim Joy]

I'm looking forward to this one the most. I have high expectations of pure madness, and somehow I think you will deliver the goods. :)

.... plus the video reviews. Can't WAIT for those. Don't be afraid to really tear into The OSG. :)

[lawriejaffa]

Aweee thanks guys :)

Yep a Brewsterian epic is just like any other except more perverse - its aaaall in the perversity hurrah!

Thanks for the good luck guys and i do apolagise for not posting more in other peoples film threads, but you'll all be getting the love and attention from the video review thread!!!

Hurrah!

[conrad_johnson]

Video review huh? NOICE!

[lawriejaffa]

Absolutely and the video reviews will feature special costuming and props! Just wait till you see my beautiful assistant? hehe

[Rodney V. Smith]

... wait till you see my beautiful assistant? hehe

oh god. no. please. no.

[lawriejaffa]

Yes there will be auditions soon - we will be having a Burlesque theme i think! Well... if i can get into my stockings!

[lawriejaffa]

I just wanted to especially thank Zaza for all his comments on this thread, and especailly for all the nude stills of himself sent to my personal account, acting as a body double for his actress gave him the ample opportunity to express and contort his body in a semblance of the female nude form.

It was a delight - like seeing two bagels mating with a donut, and for that Zaza i thank you - I know you will be helping me find my assistant for the Video Review thread too!

[Noel Evans]

Im first!

Lawrie, sincerely, you took me to another place. You managed to stuff so much story into such a short time, Im quite suprised.

You even had a Yeti! Totally got what was going on there btw, so a very well used Yeti! Ill add more later. Just initial reactions going out first.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Lawrie Brewster...that was quite an explosion of visual depth and surrealistic motifs! Quite frankly, I'm supremely impressed by the visual work that you all achieved with this piece. The strong use of natural sounds, almost violently captured, mixed with the desolate and evocative images conjure up feelings of disquieting anxiety and anticipation in the best way. Essentially, the atmosphere is impressive.

My only concern is that at times the film feels a little disconnected and loose. It's as if we're being fed chunks of a truly compelling story yet not all of the pieces are readily available. But, once again, the atmosphere comes into sharp focus, almost playing a character as important as any of the humans on screen. To me, it felt like a period of mass human error which inevitably came in the form of death, destruction, conquests, desperation, famine, and pure heartache. The end makes me wonder if the images are a collective account of humanity's pitfalls, demonstrated graphically by the boy and the man plummeting.

Altogether, an inspired, visually radiant film that, despite some kinks in the writing (and a few in the sound mix), stands well on its own as a form of visual poetry taking on a loose narrative.

Really interesting work. :thumbsup:

[Lawsuit_Boy]

Im first!

You even had a Yeti! Totally got what was going on there btw, so a very well used Yeti! Ill add more later. Just initial reactions going out first.

Seriously! That part was stunning!

[ramsaur]

Man when it first started I'm like woah this is looking good already (the effects) the effects are really good! Some of the sound (dialog) sounded like were still in the green screen room. Need some fixing there. Good job on getting extras....or cloning the same person? lol You had some good music flowing in there. Good story too! Great job overall!

[Brian P. McQuilkin]

Visually stunning. So many of the images were disturbing in such a perfect way. It did seem to come in chunks, but the theme was never lost. And the music was beautiful. The only thing that kind of yanked me out of the experience of watching it was the audio for the dialogue – it didn’t sound like it was recorded cleanly and sometimes felt out of place for the setting or for the proxmity of the shot. Other than that it’s a wonderful film and I enjoyed watching it (and will likely watch it once or twice more).

I’d make a joke about why those French soldiers have Socttish accents, but I’m afraid I’d be dismissed as an ethnocentric idiot who didn’t read your previous posts regarding that very subject.

[HCPROD]

Stunning! Disturbing...almost creepy...in a great way. Definately a visual masterpiece. I'm impressed!

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you gentlemen for the feedback.

As you know Noel no film is complete without a big er furry beasty! I'm also delighted you got the idea - i mean its fairly intepretative but is intended that way too. Too many films begin with... 'we gotta get the stuff but we only got 1 hour!' yeah...

Lawsuit cheers mate thanks i much appreciate your feedback and yep your quite right, i shot/edited/fx it all bar Leo and Sarah's(and act haha) in 2/1/2 weeks to make the deadline but now ive got time to fix it up even better so its deffo on the cards! I'm delighted with your visual poetry comparison as you see that really is the angle here. There is a dreamlike quality (or should i say nightmarish quality.)

Ramsaur thanks bro, ive got a lot of respect for the musicians that helped, but we are going to improve on the soundtrack afterwards as we were totally rushed, and doesnt show these artists (in there own right) at there best! But yes one of my favourites is Sarah's song :)

Landfill yes the story and its mini vignette like depiction really does rely on the mood of the film to hold it together - for those it works with (at least overall) i hope it brings a surprisingly 'big story' (though tbh the story is simple the ideas are 'bigger') i guess. hehe oh and yes thanks for sparing me the joke!!! lol - yep and deffo will fix up your recommendations too.

Thank you HCPROD much appreciated, and yep ALMOST creepy! Just you wait - the next one will be eveeeen MORE creepy hehe!

[ZazaCast]

Lawrie...wow...I'm going to have to watch this a few more times before I comment. I watched it twice last night and again this morning. There's SO much to grasp in this one. Standby for review....

(and I won't hold your comments about my 'private collection' against you...LOL!)

[Mark Harris]

What a delicious little nightmare. Am going to watch again, but wanted to say I was very impressed with the imagery.

Two things that would make this better:

Sound. The recording of the lines is all over the place. Also, I feel like there was a lot of wind in there to cover up sound flaws. I dunno if you did the mix, or what, but something like this you want a pro on it for sure. Match up a pro sound mix with your visuals and it will send this over the top.

Acting: Nothing against your guys, but the next time you tackle something insane like this, pay special attention to the acting. Getting each and every moment to be extremely truthful is another thing that will send this over the top.

Take a look at Guy Madden, maybe the best "experimental" filmmaker going these days. This reminds me a lot of his work. But he's been doing this for decades and there's a lot to learn from him.

But I really loved this and it's on the list of things to watch over again. Love many of the images, and the mixture of absurdity and abstraction. Right up my alley.

[Ryan E. Walters]

Nice work on the VFX- looks like you put a lot of work into it, and it shows. The one thing that really stood out to me was the level of the wind- I think it was too present in the mix and it really overpowered the dialogue at times. I also didn't care for the performance of the boy. But I did like the overall concept / idea. Congrats on the entry. :)

[Chris_Keaton]

I didn't 'get it' but I'm not sure I should.

I like the FAT soldier starving in war time? And the kid's little drawn on mustache, kinda funny.:)oh, I forgot the Yeti, good times.

[Susanne G.]

Hi Lawrie,

That was a very complex and artistic film. You can see that there is a large potential of creativity in it - for sure an outstanding work, which isn't part of the usual mainstreem-films. I think you are a very ambitious filmmaker and my first thoughts went to 'Dreams' by Akira Kurosawa. Especially the fragmentary nature and the cold and static atmosphere let me think about it. I enjoyed your film, even if I feel that there is something what isn't really rounded, which let me miss the full impact of an film like one of the 'Dreams'. I have the idea that you have put too much in it and maybe 'Less is more' could help to give it the right impact.

All above very enjoyable and I liked the part of the music very much, which sounds a bit french.

Congratulations

Susanne

[Noel Evans]

Bit more for you now Lawrie, having my first coffee and waking up watched it again to kick me off.

First off, as I completely expected, every detail included in the visuals was extremely well thought out. It was like watching poetry.

So, I implore you to do a remix of the sound and get that as sweet as possible. THis would just take it that step further and remove the small distractions.

I loved it.

[lawriejaffa]

Ladies and gentleman,

Thank you for the kind compliments, and of course the constructive criticisms as well (well... except for you Chris Keaton you can kiss my ass ;) hehe

Yes Mark your quite right, and likewise Noel - i will definately be taking your advice and going over the sound with a fine tooth comb hehe it was really a victim of the time left to get the film done :P

Thank you Susanne also, and yes i immediately rushed out to check out Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, (I'd seen it ages ago) but yes the Snow short story is mystical and magical and i absolutely loved it.

I think mines is a little evocative of that particular short film you mention (albeit nothing ill make will compare with him hah!)

Ryan E - thanks a kind compliment coming from a good DoP like you sir, yep the kid i think is fairly forgiveable however ill definately take into account the wind volumes too.

It is only right to try and keep making this film better as it fulfils an important dedication in my mind also.

[Chris_Keaton]

"well... except for you Chris Keaton you can kiss my ass ;)"

As always, it's my pleasure. :P

[Rodney V. Smith]

(I tried to channel the voice and spirit of Lawrie himself in writing this review, so bear that in mind, for those of you who've had your work so deliciously skewered by Mr Lawrie.)

Lawrie what a total trainwreck of visual poetry. It reminded me very much of Dave Mckean's artwork on Acid, Speed and whatever other psychotropic you can throw in there. Maybe a little peyote eh?

The little kid with the painted on moustache... didn't get it the first time watching it (and this is something that begs to be watched again just to be sure you saw what you just saw) and then understanding dawned through the fog of self-imposed psychosis. Everything here was planned, and everything was intentional (except for the inconsistent and maddening sound) and I was more than happy (drugged) to follow you down the rabbit hole.

My what an interesting ride. When my Peyote wears off I'll have to watch this movie again.

I loved your extras and your transitions. Really put the green screen to good use. Some of the acting was weak, but only some of it. The boy in particular was quite painful to listen to. Love the imagery you got with the dancing ghosts. I get the feelign that some clarity of story was sacrificed either for time constraints or for style. Not really clear there.

An ambitius project to be sure and could benefit from MUCH better sound (I get to say it this time) as well as a better choice for the boy. If you fix the sound, please use someone elses voice.

The last shot sums up this film well: it's a picture book come to life. Every aspect of it screams that out.

Thanks for the visuals. Drug fueled or not. :beer:

[sean156]

Absolutely loved the scope and imagery of this film. It had a unique visual style that kept me engaged. Awesome awesome work.

On one hand, I did feel disconnected from the story, but on the other, I appreciated that you didn't spoon feed us what we needed to know. I definitely think this is one of those pieces that I think are great, but aren't necessarily among my favorites.

But honestly, job well done. I'm sure it took countless hours of hard work.

[RodThompson]

As promised...my first review of my first fest.

Coming from the Greenhorn of the fest, I assume you will take this review with a grain of salt, but as I am also a movie buff and a juryman of all things gnarly, I hope you accept it with the weight of a thousand worlds.

I will agree with Puck in that the sound was a bit pressed. Not so much the foley or the music, but just the dialogue. Were you to add some grain and little quote cards, ala silent film, it would add a lot to this film, equal to or greater than what the sound took away. The sound only pulled me out a bit, as this was a very visual story and the dialogue was almost an aside from the scope and depth of the story you were telling.

Being that this was an independent short, I would have the nerve to comment on the grade of some of the acting or CGI. So no worries there...except maybe a little less snow. :)

Some Greenhorn notes:

I noticed that in the beginning, it was almost like you cut and paste the shot of the boy saying, "I found it." Not sure if it was a C/P or if the delivery was the same.

The kid is waking up...why can't babies wake up laughing...bah!

On the whole, I think you rocked the road you took, with the best that you could do. For that, I salute you. Good job.

I may write more later after a second viewing, when the kids are comatose and not sleeping like feathers.

[Fleur]

Hey Lawrie – just adding to this thread and the opinions of your peers some musings of a person belonging to the lay audience...
Let me begin by saying that I remember seeing Van Gogh exhibition this winter. Days after returning back home the memories of paintings still lingered around. Something similar happened when I watched this short film: I watched it once, twice, three times... watched some other short films that are on the list... came back again to your film and watched it again... And every time I saw it I liked more and more the pace and rhythm of the story, the way how the sound is used to contribute to the nightmarish feel of the return journey, the grey-bluish colour palette, the beautiful song from the second part of the film...
Above all, what truly fascinated me was how film seemed as if the work of Hieronymus Bosch was transposed into the world of the moving pictures (this goes especially for the scene of crucifixion and macabre dance as well as the final scene). And although the story is structured as linear narrative I also like to think of its singular scenes as panels within polyptych that can be read independently but which ultimately lead viewer’s eyes to the utmost atrocity of war as represented in the finale. I also like to think of War itself as the main allegorical character of the film and thus see the use of symbolism and subconscious as principles, again close to the work of H. Bosch.
So the bottom line is that (in my opinion) this is a very unique short film. Thus it deserves praise for its originality and non-conformity.

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you dear, that is the most thought provoking feedback ive probably seen on this forum for a long time! It's a real pleasure to read such feedback thank you very much :)

[Rodney V. Smith]

...that is the most thought provoking feedback ive probably seen on this forum for a long time! :)

hey now! i used "trainwreck of visual poetry" in my review. That's gotta stir some kind of imagery, no?

[Brandon Rice]

nice music... interesting visuals...

I don't get it.... experimental films generally don't work for me... but they do for others :)

[Edgen]

Wow... what an vfx undertaking. I bet you guys had a fun time filming this piece. I think the sound levels definitely need some adjustments as it was hard to hear some of the dialog from the sound FX.

way to go out on a limb with this one.

thanks for sharing.
/j

[lawriejaffa]

Puck!!! A trainride of poetry not a blooming trainwreck lol ;P haha no thanks for your attempt at an intellectual review i give you points for trying!!

(I am joking mate... :P cheers!)

Brandon thanks but i have to take you to task regarding the experimental film remark. While this is an unusual film its by no means an experimental film, (thats a compliment it doesnt deserve, trully check out films such as Meshes of the Afternoon for real experimental films.) I always think when guys say i ;didn't get it' - that they need lessons in articulation hehe.

So my question is what didnt you get? I don't mean that as a direct question really, (its even a little rhetorical) but when we encounter any form of visual expression we come away with an idea of what we think. In other words we get something whether we like it or not. Its definately not because i have a very specific message that im annoyed cos despite this ununusual and metaphorical representation i used, you didn't magically get hehe. In otherwords if it was about getting it then why go to such lengths to make it confusing hehe.

I think if you consider your thoughts its more a case perhaps that you didn't like it than get it? Perhaps for its feel, vibe or what messages you drew from it (subjectively) were maybe unappealing or nasty? Some of the visuals made some who have seen it uncomfortable. After all, crucified woman, homoerotic dancing dead soldiers... frozen babies... its not for everyone right?

So i put your comment back to you and ask you to consider (without the pressure to qualify it!!!) your opinion with the utmost respect.

I hear you on this one Edgen and am working on it. Fun i cant describe cos it was just me shooting editing and doing all that - i was stressed to the max! But the cast did well, we had a good time on the day - and obviously the musicians Leo, singer Sarah and my friend Marshall lent support along the way.

[ZazaCast]

One time...at band camp...I took too much acid. I dreamed of soldiers in the snow, Yeti's, little boys with drawn-on mustaches and Frenchmen with Scottish accents. Who'd have thought I'd get to re-live it here?

This is like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (lick the toad...really, lick the toad!). Incredible imagery all around that shows how much TLC was put into this effort. I have to say I had more than a little trouble following the story but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it. I felt like a moth drawn to the flame or a rubber-neck as I drove past a horrific car crash…I just couldn’t look away. There’s so much to see and absorb here. It’s like a grand fruit salad, a bit of sweet, a bit of sour, but you just can’t stop eating and when you finally finish you feel full…if not a bit queasy. I still can’t figure out what the quest was? I guess that kid was REALLY hungry, maybe hungry enough to get himself a Yeti sandwich? Or was it that he had to get home to his mum, avoiding frostbite along the way? Hummmm....

It’s nice to see the wide variety of films this fest attracted… granted, I’m not a big fan of films like this, but I certainly can appreciate all that goes into creating such a piece. It is refreshing to not be spoon-fed a plot, leaving you open to your own interpretation…and mine is…I liked this film! Well done Lawrie, well done.


(note the experimental use of color in this post...you are an inspiration!):beer:

[lawriejaffa]

Muhahahah wonderful post Zaza :P most amused and likewise inspired by your use of colour!

[Girgej]

Hey ... Great Visuals .... Great work with sound and visual effect in creating a very eerie / creepy / astonishing atmosphere ... as with the acting ... it was quite blocky ... and the child was so irritating (although it might be meant like that), that you aren't hoping he survives but quite the contrary ... anyway beautiful film...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Wow! I really enjoyed this.
Loved the look of it. Very surreal at times.

A few minor nitpicks would be the audio when they spoke, especially near the end. You could hear it buzz in and out above the background noise. Try and blend that in more if you can. I also thought that you should have had fans on your cast blowing their scarfs around since the weather around them seemed to support that. Would have made it seem more real, like they were really there.

I loved the story, very interesting. 'Petite Soldat' was beautiful while haunting at the same time. I loved it.

I was really blown away by this piece. Excellent work. Around the 2 minute mark you had me for the duration.

MAH

[dsto]

Fantastic look. With your efforts, we are rewarded with a visual treat. While this style of filmmaking is not usually my cup of tea, I enjoyed it very much. It is rather inspiring. I think I need go push my boundries a little more and get out of my comfort zone! Thanks for that!

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you gentlemen for your comments,

Girgej cheers mon amie, and awee the poor kid haha! Obviously i better not let you babysit him - you'll just throw him to the yeti!!! (actually... go on.. do it ;) hehe

Michael, thanks agreed on all fronts, its something i'll definately ensure next time, i'm redoing the sound design from scratch (it was all done frantically with the deadline) with a bit of a breather we'll take that from scratch to get it right.

Yep Sarah Daly did a wonderful job with the song, im going to be editing that wonderful artist a full music video from the film's footage to go with the full length version of Petite Soldat. We'll also be doing more work on the soundtrack (Leo Gardini was working under intense timeframes) so i'll definately post the revisions.

Dsto - thank you im glad you enjoyed it - all the more so if such films are not normally your cup of tea! (I love tea!) I cannot recommend more so that you push your boundaries, - and while that can be uncomfortable there is nothing that will guarantee your work makes a stronger impression than taking your comfort zone - and destroying it.

I mean life's far too short to be producing superficial remakes of made for money movies and tv.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Yep Sarah Daly did a wonderful job with the song, im going to be editing that wonderful artist a full music video from the film's footage to go with the full length version of Petite Soldat. We'll also be doing more work on the soundtrack (Leo Gardini was working under intense timeframes) so i'll definately post the revisions.

I wold definitely love to see this! Keep me posted.

Ask Sarah if I can also get a link to the song. :)

Cheers!

[lawriejaffa]

Oh of course but mon amie you can ask her yourself Sarah is here but the song isnt finished yet basically.

The music for the entire track isnt complete yet, and Sarah will be singing to the music again and so a rerecording will be done basically. It will preserve the same style of course. So there isnt a song to send yet, but when its done im sure she will won't ya Sarah? ;)

Heres some of Sarah's other work - its in my favs hehe! Yep im a fan already :P

http://www.myspace.com/meandmy4track

Thank you for the kind words Michael, much appreciated mon amie.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Heres some of Sarah's other work - its in my favs hehe! Yep im a fan already :P

http://www.myspace.com/meandmy4track

Thank you for the kind words Michael, much appreciated mon amie.
I'm actually already a fan of her work so it was great to hear her in this. Can't wait to hear the new full track.
She can do it all.

Sarah, please pass it my way when you have it completed. :)

Cheers,

MAH

[lawriejaffa]

See with our help Michael she'll become the supreme song goddess of the WORLD!!! (okay i guess she doesnt need it but still...) Mind you we both like Kate Bush and that may prove worrying news for her ;) hehe

Muhahahahhaahaha

Muhahahaa!

Yes thanks again for the comments mon amie!!!

[stinkpot]

I really enjoyed the look of your film... almost a fusion of fantasy-graphic and realistic.

:beer:

[Sarah Daly]

I'm actually already a fan of her work so it was great to hear her in this. Can't wait to hear the new full track.
She can do it all.

Sarah, please pass it my way when you have it completed. :)

Cheers,

MAH

Aww thanks Michael!! Course I'll send you the song when it's done.

And he he shucks thanks Lawrie - couldn't have done it without inspiration from your beautiful film! :)

[ZazaCast]

Get a room! :):):)

[Chris_Keaton]

See with our help Michael she'll become the supreme song goddess of the WORLD!!! (okay i guess she doesnt need it but still...) Mind you we both like Kate Bush and that may prove worrying news for her ;) hehe

Muhahahahhaahaha

Muhahahaa!

Yes thanks again for the comments mon amie!!!


You bastard Laffie! You can't like Kate Bush!.... No, I don't like her. Really. I don't have all her albums or anything. Those are my sisters. Really, I swear.

[Brandon Rice]

I really still don't get this one...

it's sort of Kubrick mixed with something else...

[hoz]

this is one of the most original films i have ever seen. that said i don't know what it is about. i will read more on the previous posts here to see... this was like looking at a child's picture book gone mad. the images were like moving paintings = it looked really awesome! and the music by leo and by sarah daly were incredible! leo, great work here!

[lawriejaffa]

Brandon I suggest you read my post - try articulating your thoughts rather than seeking sense from comparing?

Would one look at a fresco and make sense of it only by comparison with other Italian masters? Of course not.

Its not a puzzle to be gotten, what i think would be a worthy exercise for you is to express your thoughts and feelings about the piece. I suspect you may take a slightly neat approach to defining films - this is one genre, that is another, and this is what a story should be.

Nothing wrong with that, but if your stuck with 'didnt get it' then you should be focussing more attention on why you think that than why the film makes you think that :)

As true as it would be to anyones response to 'art' (which i would use to define all the entries in this contest) with your response.

[Brandon Rice]

tell you what, I'll watch your short again tonight and just get lost in it... and let you know what it evokes.

[lawriejaffa]

I will add to this (somewhat spammingly hehe)

When you watch a film that is definitive within its story, - laying out its plot clearly, with accessible characters, and with obvious expectations it does so for the purpose of entertainment within that audiences set of expectations.

To be understood comes so obviously that the idea that it should be open to some interpretation is hardly a concern. Neither is this film made as a rubics cube to be worked out, if my prime concern was that someone should 'get it' (such an apt phrased used by dimwitted politicians...) then it would be clear and transparent.

Am i trying to be obscure so that i arrogantly expect my audience to decipher some cryptic meaning? No, i am not indulging in some form of intellectual self pleasure... some fans of genre, particularly Americans ;) find it almost offensive to think in relation to the film (its entertainment entertainment entertainment hehe.)

(Don't worry the rest of the world has its own foibles with film - namely artistic pretention hehe.)

Anyway, the most obvious theme of the film is the horror of war, its perversion we see illustrated by the horrific and bizarre sights that are abound in this landscape of desolation. The idea of man's monstrousity is even specifically mentioned, 'war makes monsters of us all' before metaphorically represented in the guise of the monster... only for us to discover it is the boy's comrade at the very end.

Was he chasing the boy to eat him after sparing him the night before? or to save? Had the horrors of war - the cost of its sights driven the boy mad anyway that he should leap to his own death?

If these questions pop into your mind, if there is any INTELLECTUAL CURIOUSITY on the part of the viewer - that thinks and discusses within themselves these elements that the film has introduced then it has achieved a more noble purpose than a film that is glossy bs.

If you are not thinking at all and just going MEH, i don't see the 1,2,3's of story, then that says more for the viewer than the film.

So - was my concept a lofty attempt to define war? childhood suffering? Perversions of religion (the crucified woman) - sexual perversions... infancide... madness etc no.

No, for you see i had my own meaning within the film, and i will express this now as an example as to why its so stupid really to say 'i dont get it.'

Art is not there to be got and claimed by the mind.


My Meaning
I take the view that life is something of a conflict in itself, a challenge and at times a very traumatising experience. I remember a friend of mine Richard, who many years ago climbed a large hill with a steep rock face in the midst of winter. Depressed and alone in the conflict of his own life, he leapt to his own death, he was like perhaps all of us, children in this world - more frightened that we realise. Despite my friendship and others he leapt. There was no saving him - and there is no saving of the boy from the trauma's he has encountered in Empire. In actual fact my first (and not this) film was dedicated to him :)

Empire the dominion of man... yet more frail than we realise eh gentlemen?

Would you Brandon have ever got that? Do you honestly think it was my intention that you should? Of course not. Yet that was the internal meaning to me, expressed through 'metaphor.'




Art is there to be experienced not understood.




Remember that phrase, and consider that any story you watch that is delightfully obvious, serves its purpose also, but that it is the insignificant tip of the artistic iceberg. If that sounds a little arrogant, I'm not the type to apolagise for it ;)

[hoz]

okay , read some posts, and i really like your comment - challenge - you stated to another poster - articulate your thoughts- and this is why i will say i really like your film - it isn't just that it is different, because somethings that are different will not necessarily motivate or inspire thought, but your film does.
hell with it, here are my thoughts=

i felt cold. the ever going snowstorm kept on blowing and blowing and it never let up and by half way i wished it would so that i could get a better look at what was going on - only that it never did stop snowing! and at first the snow was almost pretty but it got frustrating( it even seemed to garble the dialogue - which i thought you left garbled on purpose ) , and really annoying, and finally the snow left me empty, especially because i knew there was this beautiful world of paint behind the snow, that you left there and then covered up again and again with the snow.... then there is the woman in the house ( maybe the boy's mom - maybe now the boy wasn't even a boy but the leader's personification of his lost innocence as he fights to save what is left of him - he only wants to go home) but he never makes it. the mountain is too high, too cold, they have no food. and there is that monster, and the snow! damn the snow, it marches on and on and on -

like war? like at the beginning of a war all seems clear, motives are defined with political precision ( much like you show with the rows of soldiers ) , there is something to be won.... but after awhile the only thing that is clear is loss. war has and will ravage all, and in every way possible, it will take your soul - like the soldier who'd kill the boy to eat - the soldier who'd do almost anything to be like he was before the war, well fed, and innocent. but... there is the ever blowing snow.

so anyway thats my little thoughts for now!

awesome film.

[DarkElastic]

Hi Lawrie,

I loved this... I loved it for many reasons, the artistic VFX look, the haunted scene of waltzing ghosts, the hunger and psychopathic induced vision of the monster, the child subjected to war and the historic relevance. The last point I think people are missing. Whether you get it or not, the foundations of this film is based on historic fact... The French army invaded Russia, taking Moscow and then the winter came and the French were freezing, hungry and hunted, and subsequently were repelled.

I agree that the sound could have been better, and with more time I think you would have done a better job, as no doubt those VFX took long enough. A voice over from a more experienced child actor would improve it also.

Great work though mate.

[~jai~]

WOW! I really loved the look of your film and it played seemlessly and beautifully! Great job of achieving a great stylized look! The sound was a bit rough in the edits of it (i.e. coming in and out of voices/dialogue) and in the cave, after the officer speaks, there's a voice that comes in that I think was meant to be edited out (not a huge thing, but I noticed it). However, all that is just to say that I really enjoyed this film and your ambition to go for such a hugely stylized piece I think served you very well! Great Job!

Thanks for sharing!

[conrad_johnson]

Typin' and watchin'

That child has a painted on mustache. I like that.

This is fucking weird.

The weird/bad sound I feel adds to this piece.

I like the steely blue color grading.

Did I mention this is fucking weird?

I can't hear half of what the characters are saying, but I don't think I care.

I don't know what's going on, but again, I don't care.

I love the song at the end.

This film is all about feelings to me, not so much story. It's certainly refreshing.

Baby in the snow, fucking weird.

That's the weirdest DVXuser film I've ever seen. Nice job.

-Joe

[Ben Sliker]

I used to have this game, The 7th guest for my PC way back in the day, it came with our brand new 233 mhz computer. I was too young to play it and it was about ghosts and death. I do remember the feeling that it gave me tho, as in, it creeped the shi* out of me. One of those, "I really want to play this game cause i'm not supposed to, but I'm too creeped out to."

The point is ... Your film replicates this feeling.

[Brandon Rice]

feeling = death, cold, scared, alone.

[lawriejaffa]

Thank you again gentlemen for the exceptional kindness in the time you have taken to provide feedback and discussion for the film's thread.

I'm still writing all my feedback (for all the films) to be performed in the video feedback thread, and i hope you will all appreciate that i will go to the same kind effort you have given me and the folks involved making this film.



Brandon - I hope you appreciate that my post is an attempt to encourage you to engage with subject matter outwith expectation, but with personal impression instead. You may not agree with this philisophy but i do believe that we cannot grow as artists if our work is defined only in comparisons we have of other films - based on our experiences especailly as audience members.

As filmmakers we are not an audience to define films as an audience member, even if that is how we experience a film we watch. As a filmmakers we can only grow if we go beyond that, and it shows first in how we can articulate our thoughts, honestly with other peoples films outwith the superficial concerns.

Ben Sliker - Now that was a brilliant game that i recall (that and Syndicate Wars which taught me a lot about business.) Yep to be honest i toned down this film for the fest to ensure it met the R rating. Probably better for us all right?

Conrad - haha thank you for your candid summary thats quite hilarious and is a great way to provide feedback on films - first impressions thanks !

jai - Thank you for your compliments and suggestions - i take them to account and will look to implement them in the revamped sound edit.

DarkElastic - Thank you for the historical footnote, I had actually toyed with placing a title Moscow circa date etc - with a little text but then this film was never a historical epic, more of a Jacobs Ladder type nightmare which could be applicable to so many conflicts. Agreed about the voice actor also.

Hoz - Excellent impressions you have articulated there, and trust me if you take that approach to any film you will find far greater inspiration for your own works (and not just with film, but literature, art and even life experiences.) Thank you for that very personal and interesting introspection of your experience with Empire.

[DarkElastic]

DarkElastic - Thank you for the historical footnote, I had actually toyed with placing a title Moscow circa date etc - with a little text but then this film was never a historical epic, more of a Jacobs Ladder type nightmare which could be applicable to so many conflicts. Agreed about the voice actor also.


The foundations of your story is historic fact... If this was made in a broad way with regards to costume, countries and locations, I would agree. But you have used Russia, you have used the French and you have used Cossacks, etc. So, if you wanted it or not, this is a historic movie, based within an actual failed Invasion.

[lawriejaffa]

Yep and of course i do love my history! :)

[Gord.T]

That was quite surreal. You actually caught me lost for words. Weird.:)
I'll have to watch it a few more times I think. Very interesting.