Do Not Disturb - A Brian Wind Film

[Chris_Keaton]

Do Not Disturb



An uptight man teaches a young couple that death often imitates life.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9545/dndpromo.jpg




Cast:


William - Lawrence Levesque


Guy/Mike - Jason Piemeisl


Girl/Mary - Sarah Rushfeldt


Manager - Melissa Hoppe





Crew:


Director - Brian Wind


Writer - Chris Keaton


Asst. Director - Joe Adrian


Camera - Brian Wind


Camera #2 - Ian Royal


Steadycam - Ian Royal


Editor - Brian Wind


Musical Score - Joe Adrian


Catering - Joe Adrian


Producer - Brian Wind

[Chris_Keaton]

Reserved for Something

[Chris_Keaton]

Reserved for Something Else

[RodThompson]

You just decided to join or you just now deciding to post about it? Lol

[Chris_Keaton]

Brian just decided to go for it. The pitch just got approved. Sure it'll be done soon, but better late then never.

[RodThompson]

Bring the heat! :)

[stinkpot]

Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

[bwind22]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDPromo-1.jpg

[Rodney V. Smith]

welcome! Come on in! The water is non-shark infested... mostly

[ZazaCast]

welcome! Come on in! The water is non-shark infested... mostly

Yeah... it's been mellow for being so close to the due date?
Welcome!

I get to make the first comment....on the poster, you need to skew the "do not disturb" so it looks like it's on the door tag.

[bwind22]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDPromo-2.jpg

[DarkElastic]

I would also try and match the whites. Your writing is really sharp, while your border is darker and more yellow.

[ZazaCast]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDPromo-2.jpg

Much better! :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[bwind22]

I would also try and match the whites. Your writing is really sharp, while your border is darker and more yellow.

Thank you for the input. I will tinker with a bit tonight to see what I can come up with.

[bwind22]

Much better! :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)


Thanks! For the initial suggestion & the compliment!

[bwind22]

I just added soundtrack last night and trimmed a few scenes to get under the 6 minute mark. After work tonight, I'll give it one final pass for audio leveling & color correction and then I think it's a wrap. Whew. :oP

[bwind22]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDPromoMod.jpg

[bwind22]

Hmmmm


I'm not sure I like the letters being the same color as the border. The title doesn't pop from this image like it did on the previous ones. Anyone have any input?

[RodThompson]

We know it's the title though because there is no other writing on the image. :)

[bwind22]

So you prefer this latest version over the one with the white text, Rod?

[RodThompson]

Yeah. Maybe drop some underline on the text.

[DarkElastic]

I think it looks good now, it doesn't look fake at least and as Rod said, it is the only writing on the poster.

[Noel Evans]

Glad to see you with a script in Chris. Good luck guys.

[ZazaCast]

Hmmmm


I'm not sure I like the letters being the same color as the border. The title doesn't pop from this image like it did on the previous ones. Anyone have any input?

Go back to the font & size you originally used....and leave it a nice white. Looked fine that way.
Remember... don't fix it if it's not broken. I've often found that Less Is More!

[Chris_Keaton]

Glad to see you with a script in Chris. Good luck guys.

Thanks, I had six or seven, but I know there will be at least 2. :2vrolijk_08:

[Rodney V. Smith]

So now we've fixed the poster... whats the status on this project?

[bwind22]

So now we've fixed the poster... whats the status on this project?


The status of the project is at about 98% complete. I'm fine tuning transitions, color & audio right now, but have been for a couple days so I'm just about done.

And Chris said something about needing to put on a dvxuser.com lead in or something. I haven't really looked in to that yet.


I'm a little concerned that it won't be up to par technically with other shorts in this contest because it was shot on a $40 budget and a Handycam, but we'll find out soon enough I guess. At the very least, I'm looking forward to getting some feedback on it.

[bwind22]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDbanner.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDbanner.jpg

[bwind22]

CAST PHOTOS



Lawrence Levesque as William
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDlawrence.jpg


Melissa Hoppe as Manager
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDMelissa.jpg


Jason Piemeisl as Mike, Sarah Rushfeldt as Mary
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDjasonsarah.jpg

[bwind22]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/bwind22/DNDPromoMod-1.jpg

I think I like this one the best. Thanks for all the poster input.

[bwind22]

Well, I burned a trial DVD copy last night and watched it on the tv (instead of a computer monitor) and noticed a couple things that need tweaking, but this film is essentially finished. One more hour of work and it should be good to go.

[bwind22]

"Your entry has been successfully submitted and will now undergo a verification process.
If there are any issues with your entry you will be notified either via PM at DVXuser, or via the e-mail you submitted with your entry"


Do Not Disturb has been entered.

I just wish I could get one of the leaders to work better.

[bwind22]

I am uploading the revised version of this film with a working leader right now.

.mov file at 49.6 mb! Whoo!

[ZazaCast]

Good work! 49.6mb...that's great...push it to the limit.
Cheers.

[bwind22]

Thanks! I really had to reduce the quality & framerate to get it down that low though. Hopefully it isn't extremely noticeable in the picture quality.

[bwind22]

We've been approved! Looking forward to getting some feedback.

[Girgej]

Don't worry about the Quality / Framrate ... we're all in the same boat .... Good Luck

[Noel Evans]

Going to try again later Brian. But the compression really makes this hard to watch. Im going to try and drop a version fro my ipod, and watch it in darkness see if that helps.

[ramsaur]

Interesting film. Credit to Chris's writing. Kind of like Stephen King's "1408" but not quite the same. Pretty cool though.

[Ben Sliker]

Brian,

Here's some compression knowledge for you, perhaps you can re-encode sometime here soon, cause it's REALLY hard to watch/critique a film how you compressed it. I pulled up some statistics (through MPEG Streamclip, free program) on your film.

Video Tracks:
MPEG-4 Video, 320 × 240, 24 fps, 109 kbps

Audio Tracks:
16-bit Little Endian stereo, 32 kHz, 1.02 Mbps

The two numbers I highlighted are the ones that I want you to pay attention to. You encoded your audio file at almost 10x the bitrate of the video file. These two bitrates should be reversed. That means of your 50 MB file, 45 MB was just audio!!! Now, why is this?

The Little Endian audio codec is a lossless codec, meaning that you have virtually uncompressed audio. If you have the option, use a lossy (compressed) codec like AAC, IMA 4:1, or MP3 audio. This will shrink your audio to about 5 mb, leaving you plenty of room for quality video (probably 640x480 at 1000k/s in your case).

If your editing program isn't giving you these kinds of options- Buy quicktime pro. It's the best $29.99 I've spent and if you plan on making more films, It's a valuable tool to have. Export an uncompressed (video and audio) version of your film, open in QT, and you'll have more options than you can shake a stick at.

Looking forward to a re-encode!

[Noel Evans]

Hi again Brian. Dropped a version to my Ipod and was much easier to watch.

So, nice story Chris.

I thought the reveal came in a little soft, I like the bham! reveal but thats a taste thing maybe.

I wanted to feel more for the guy in room 313, but he just felt a little too neurotic, so when he ........ I didnt care that much, almost like, it's your own fault kind of thing.

Even on the ipod it still wasnt easy to watch.

But overall I liked it and thought the story was solid.

[bwind22]

Thanks so much to everyone that has watched and commented on the film so far.

Hopefully I will be allowed to replace the file with a better one. Following Ben's advice, I think I have a version that will work a lot better and still be under the 50 mb. So Thanks Ben for the technical support.

[bwind22]

Moderators - Am I allowed to re-upload the film with a bigger resolution to make it easier for everyone to see?

[RedCat]

Hey Brian & Chris - great to see your work up there. I also had trouble watching but thought it was my computer. Would be good to see a clearer version.

Well done you guys.
MJ

[hoz]

i thought this was cool!

spoiler------

i kinda wish you didn't even have it as a ghost story! seeing the man get upset was one thing but then to see him keep on going, i was ready to see him throw the TV at the wall. there's something really funny watching about him going over the top and then watching the couple next door actually make a complaint... " heathens!" the man was awesome, he was pyscho! bottled up regression. i'd say make him even more nuts, see him sweat profusely, kinda like john lithgow on the airplane in the twlight zone movie- NUTS!

nice job.

[Ben Sliker]

Following Ben's advice, I think I have a version that will work a lot better and still be under the 50 mb. So Thanks Ben for the technical support.


Moderators - Am I allowed to re-upload the film with a bigger resolution to make it easier for everyone to see?

no problem brian, want you to get as much feedback as possible. that's a reader's digest version of 2-3 years of compression knowledge. I doubt the mods will be tuning into all the threads, i would PM one of them.

[Sarah Daly]

I liked this - the poor compression didn't bother me so much to be honest. If you're story's good and the sound's decent then people can be quite forgiving about picture issues! And yeah I liked the story - a couple of parts jarred for me - for example at the start when the guy says something like 'Damn stocks are down again' that's a bit unnecessary - on the nose and also characters talking to themselves rarely works - you can just show his frustration by his actions.

I liked the dark tone and the music did the trick by letting us know this was a horror from the start. The narrative feels like an urban legend but hey those always stick so that's a good thing I guess. The performances were good and got better as the film progressed.

The reveal was a smidge heavy-handed but the build up to it was tense and pulled me in. It's the classic short horror with a twist - I'd cut the final few shots though - I don't think they're necessary - or at least treat them differently to how you did the first time? Maybe quicker cuts or use different shots to reveal a clue? Something new that we missed originally? Overall nice job - pretty tight story and consistent style.

Well done!

[ZazaCast]

Good story, but as mentioned, a larger format next time. I did the same thing in my first fest, so no biggie. Get QT and compress away! I also like a bigger reveal, like Noel said, "BAM"....other than that, solid film. Thanks for sharing.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

This was an interesting story. I haven't read through the entire thread, how many films have you made?

With a little more polish and some better actors (not that they were terrible or anything) this could really be great. I liked the mood that you created.

MAH

[DarkElastic]

Hi Bwind,

I enjoyed this, it felt like a twilight zone short. I never guessed the twist (which I normally do) and thus enjoyed it when it came.
I won't mention the compression, but it didn't spoil it for me for the same reasons it didn't spoil it for Sarah. Acting was fine, music was good, shots were good.
A good horror entry and I look forward to your next short. Well done.

[bwind22]

Thanks for all the great comments and feedback thus far. THe moderators have ruled that the film needs to remain as is for the duration of the contest and that I can re-upload a better version once the voting ends. I have a better version all ready to go so I will definitely be doing that as soon as I am able to.

Michael, this was my 3rd short film. All have been no budget and all have been shot on Sony Handycam. This is the first one I've actually entered in to any contests or festivals. The first two were more for practice editing and the enjoyment for family & friends.

Thanks again for all the great feedback so far. I love hearing what people I don't know think because I know you guys won't sugarcoat things like family and friends often do.

[~jai~]

Just saw your film and I have to say this one kinda missed me. I think it was a ghost haunting the room next door to a couple, but I didn't understand why or what the quest was. The acting was okay, but the copy I had was very grainy and pixelated so I couldn't really see it as well as I would have liked. There were a lot of ambient sound changes as well (i.e. the receptionist phone voice) and the noises from the next room seemed too 'present' so to speak. Like they were in the same room, not coming through a wall (don't know if that was a conscious choice though). The idea of it, I liked though and after reading your premise on here (I don't look at the threads before I see the film because I don't want to read anyone else's opinion first) I think I would have been intrigued, but who did he teach a lesson to? How did death imitate life in this film? I think the script was the weak link here as it didn't bring out what I think you were going for.

Honestly, I do sincerely appreciate the effort it takes to put a film together, get it shot, and edit it together with sound, music, and everything else, so please know that I applaud your creative effort. However, this one just didn't do it for me.

Thank you for sharing!

[Brian Parker]

I was a little fuzzy on where this one was going but I think I got it by the end. I got the impression that the main character died and became somewhat of a poltergeist. I can appreciate the direction you were going with the story. I'm sure that most people have mentioned the technical issues. For your third film, first serious entry you're not off to a bad start.

[Girgej]

Hey ... Good Story Telling ... but don't know exactly what the quest was (to shut them up ? ... if that he managed a bit too late) and the Quality was poor (due to low resolution)... but the Direction of the story was good ...

[keaseyb]

Good job on your first fest short. I thought the directing, editing, and acting all got better as the film progressed. Video quality was poor but I got the point. I made Dead to the World, check it out. It is my first short and I'd like to know what you think. Good luck!

[Chris Messineo]

Brian and Chris, I really enjoyed your film.

I love Chris's story - it's a great twist. Brian, I thought you did a very good job directing, especially considering this is only your third film.

I'm going to leave more detailed comments over at MoviePoet, but you two should be really proud of this.

[Chris_Keaton]

Just saw your film and I have to say this one kinda missed me. I think it was a ghost haunting the room next door to a couple, but I didn't understand why or what the quest was. ..

Hey, thanks for watching. William was on a quest for a good night's sleep, which he failed at in the worst way. Hope that helps. :)

[Fictionfeatures]

Great job on getting a short together and getting it in the running, I know that's half the battle. One of the things that got me was that certain scenes were shot with auto exposure and it seemed that there was no lighting done for the film. Lighting is essential, some basic motivated lighting and even a single key light in the right spot could have given your film a much more professional look. And again to get a professional look you want as much control as possible so nothing should be on auto. Again, good job on getting a short together and getting it in the contest.

[richke]

Where can I watch this? I didn't see anything but I often overlook things :)

[Chris_Keaton]

Where can I watch this? I didn't see anything but I often overlook things :)

http://www.dvxfest.com/questfest/

[richke]

Just watched this. I love the idea and never saw that coming. Nice job of pulling that off!

Couple of things.

Sound
The Audio from the room next store was way too loud. And now that I've watched the whole thing it may have been intentional...but to someone who hasn't watched the whole thing I think it drops it down a couple notches and seems like bad editing. I think if you just drop that a couple notches it would be perfect.

Minor - The audio on the TV seemed off. Only for the fact the guy was checking out stock info and he sits down and blares crazy Shredding Guitar....just didn't seem to fit his character. And the "Bang" sound when the hostess says "We leave rooms empty for at least a week when..." Bong! - just to me it killed the moment and seemed like a B movie at the part.

Other than that I thought the sound and lighting were fine for a low budget film and the actors did what they could. Some good shots in the as well and overall I really liked the story. Nice for a 3rd film and I see progress from your 1st two movies!!!! Nor that I'm a pro at all...so please keep that in mind when reading this.

Good luck guys!!!