View Full Version : ------ I SEE YOU ------ a film by Cristian Hozven
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/attachment.php?attachmentid=11711&stc=1&d=1246615351
my entry for QUEST FEST
tagline....
A boy who sees ghosts must walk to school on his first day of Kindergarten. Will he make it?
Noel Evans
07-03-2009, 04:20 AM
Thats one cool poster mate. Good luck.
Noel Evans
07-03-2009, 04:22 AM
woops sorry was too fast for you!
woops sorry was too fast for you!
ha! no, my bad, i forgot to reserve! i'm currently exporting after rendering and rendering all night. i don't know what i'm doing anymore! i just really hope this last export gets under 50. the poster was my cousin's doing, he's really talented. Can't thank him enough for it. Would really like to thank Puck too, he also offered to make me a poster. how cool is that?
Rodney V. Smith
07-03-2009, 08:40 AM
Hoz!! You're back! Weclome to the fray!
Now this looks interesting. Welcome! :)
Girgej
07-04-2009, 03:11 AM
Nice Poster ... Good Luck
Tim Joy
07-04-2009, 08:42 AM
Sounds funny. Good to see you back.
ramsaur
07-04-2009, 10:13 PM
The music around 1min and a half sounded like LOST music. The dialog with the kids.. I can't hear what they are saying, sound is too low. The story and quest ..ehh I don't know. I didn't really work out too well. Was the kid just seeing imaginary friends or dead people?
Noel Evans
07-05-2009, 05:46 AM
This one really creeped me out. The sound and the visuals could be more, but as soon as that older woman came up behind the mother I was in. The fight of the ghosts was freaky. Because we had no sound on them the whole thing became very surreal in a good way.
The one part that didnt work for me is the boys leaving him alone due to the look he gave them. Kind of seemed a touch soft there. But good work on the buildup.
Susanne G.
07-05-2009, 02:29 PM
This film took me by surprise. It was an very interesting concept, but I get it only after I thought a bit afterwards about it. I really loved the acting of the boy. I am looking very much forward to see more from you in the furture. Overall a very nice and sensitive film, which I found enjoyable.
Susanne
narjak
07-05-2009, 08:32 PM
Great short!! I especially liked the expressions of Phineas--they were amazing!! Oh also the shy neighbor and his spirit were really handsome--good choice--can't wait to see them in more of your films.
This one really creeped me out. The sound and the visuals could be more, but as soon as that older woman came up behind the mother I was in. The fight of the ghosts was freaky. Because we had no sound on them the whole thing became very surreal in a good way.
The one part that didnt work for me is the boys leaving him alone due to the look he gave them. Kind of seemed a touch soft there. But good work on the buildup.
glad it pulled you in! decided to give the "ghosts" no sound throughout to be consistent. really wanted the older woman to be creepy as possible so glad that worked. the timing of showing and not showing was really fun to work with.
This film took me by surprise. It was an very interesting concept, but I get it only after I thought a bit afterwards about it. I really loved the acting of the boy. I am looking very much forward to see more from you in the furture. Overall a very nice and sensitive film, which I found enjoyable.
Susanne
happy you liked it! the boy who played phineas, did everything i asked of him. he nailed every scene, especially not easy since he is only six! he's so funny too, there was this scene i eventually had to cut out for various reasons where he says hello to another girl which whom he doesn't yet know. so he is supposed to say " hi" when i say "go" ( as director ) instead he pulls in a serious face and then says nothing. cut. so i begin to explain again what we need and he cuts me off ," oh i know i know." ok - cool! so we go again and again he says nothing so this time i try to coax him to say his line on camera to where he looks down, then milks the time with an extra look of contemplation, and then says seriously - " oh, i can't talk to strangers, my mom and dad won't let me, " gives off a 1000 watt guilty smile and then runs away. brutal! everyone there laughs and loses it. he did things like this constantly. he was too much fun to work with! so was everyone in it. this "ghost" story was a ton of fun to pull off.
anyways i tried to pull off a really big idea !
Rodney V. Smith
07-06-2009, 09:16 AM
Hoz, you've made a marked improvement since your last fest and you're paying more attention to some details, especially in camera work and lighting. Doing a great job there. Also good to see you not in front of the camera and focusing more on directing and getting the right look. It really shows in the improved quality.
The acting in this especially on the part of the ghosts, totally killed this movie for me. You had set up a nice whimsical story and then given us a great reveal that yes there was in fact someone there that the kid could see. His mode of communication was a bit odd and a little too much, but hey, he's a kid: he has some lattitude. Had a GREAT moment when the mom spilled the salt and threw some over her shoulder and thwarted the ghost... but then it went into a caricature and the tone changed. The acting of the ghosts at that point was too much like a ghoul in a silent film. It literally made me go "you gotta be kidding me" and that was not the reaction you were likely going for. I wont belabor the point, but there were quite a few more of those moments.
Phineas' expression of constantly gaping, was a little too much. I was afraid a fly would buzz right into his mouth and back out again. Working with your child actors to nudge them in the right direction must be a difficlut thing. Not every director can do it, especially when dealign with 3 kinds, one of whom seems entirely lackadaisical in his approach. Its like they were reading lines. Take soem cues from the other directors here who have worked very successfuly with child actors and they can tell you that the key is mostly in the casting and then how the actual production on the day is handled.
Noel Evans may have some great notes on approach for you and I know Robbie Comeau just had a relatively good experience as well. Don;t be afraid to ask: we're all here to help and we're rooting for you to do better. Really we are.
You had some good aspects in the attack but while the ghosts did their jobs quite well there, the bullies just weren;t believable... especially when they backed down because of the creepy look Phineas gave them. If they'd had some kind of reaction to their ghosts getting the beat down then it would have been more believable.
You've come a long way in your journey and now you're taking a more active role in directing, so you can see everything that's going on. Trust your instincts when it comes to this, listen to your actors and take some suggestions, but maintain your vision and tweak everything until it plays right. If you have time in your schedule, review the footage when you get home and there a very important thing: do NOT be afraid to do a reshoot or go back for pickup shots to fix some problems.
Good outing from you this time about. You have some interestign stories and I;d like to see you give them the full production quality they deserve. Choose your actors very carefully next time around and you'll deliver a much more solid production.
Susanne G.
07-06-2009, 09:19 AM
anyways i tried to pull off a really big idea !
You can see that you have a potential for creativ and interesting stories. I still remember the little song 'John Jacob Schmidt' :)
Susanne
You can see that you have a potential for creativ and interesting stories. I still remember the little song 'John Jacob Schmidt' :)
Susanne
thank you so much!
Hoz, you've made a marked improvement since your last fest and you're paying more attention to some details, especially in camera work and lighting. Doing a great job there. Also good to see you not in front of the camera and focusing more on directing and getting the right look. It really shows in the improved quality.
The acting in this especially on the part of the ghosts, totally killed this movie for me. You had set up a nice whimsical story and then given us a great reveal that yes there was in fact someone there that the kid could see. His mode of communication was a bit odd and a little too much, but hey, he's a kid: he has some lattitude. Had a GREAT moment when the mom spilled the salt and threw some over her shoulder and thwarted the ghost... but then it went into a caricature and the tone changed. The acting of the ghosts at that point was too much like a ghoul in a silent film. It literally made me go "you gotta be kidding me" and that was not the reaction you were likely going for. I wont belabor the point, but there were quite a few more of those moments.
Phineas' expression of constantly gaping, was a little too much. I was afraid a fly would buzz right into his mouth and back out again. Working with your child actors to nudge them in the right direction must be a difficlut thing. Not every director can do it, especially when dealign with 3 kinds, one of whom seems entirely lackadaisical in his approach. Its like they were reading lines. Take soem cues from the other directors here who have worked very successfuly with child actors and they can tell you that the key is mostly in the casting and then how the actual production on the day is handled.
Noel Evans may have some great notes on approach for you and I know Robbie Comeau just had a relatively good experience as well. Don;t be afraid to ask: we're all here to help and we're rooting for you to do better. Really we are.
You had some good aspects in the attack but while the ghosts did their jobs quite well there, the bullies just weren;t believable... especially when they backed down because of the creepy look Phineas gave them. If they'd had some kind of reaction to their ghosts getting the beat down then it would have been more believable.
You've come a long way in your journey and now you're taking a more active role in directing, so you can see everything that's going on. Trust your instincts when it comes to this, listen to your actors and take some suggestions, but maintain your vision and tweak everything until it plays right. If you have time in your schedule, review the footage when you get home and there a very important thing: do NOT be afraid to do a reshoot or go back for pickup shots to fix some problems.
Good outing from you this time about. You have some interestign stories and I;d like to see you give them the full production quality they deserve. Choose your actors very carefully next time around and you'll deliver a much more solid production.
puck, you are the MAN! first off, haven't seen your film yet, i've got it towards the end for more fun, cant wait to see it....
thanks always for the tremendous advice. you've given me a lot to think about here and i will!
Rodney V. Smith
07-06-2009, 10:07 AM
Always glad to be of assistance Hoz. How much rehearsal do you usually schedule? Anyone of us can tell you how much rehearsal really benefits a production and gives you ideas on how to change a few things since they sometimes don;t translate right from paper, or that shot you had in mind just isn't working. Sure reheasal is mainly for the actors, adn they have a much better sense of what they need to do on the day and the "why" but rehearsals also benefit you as the director and some of your more technical crew. Especially if you have any really tecnhical camera moves....
MrFluffy
07-06-2009, 10:35 AM
I enjoyed this short.
I saw this film before seeing your thread but I didnt think the characters were ghosts, more that they were invisible avatars, or spirit guides.
The only part that didnt work for me was the two bullies just seeming to stand there and then leave. I felt that there should have been some more relation to the ghosts. Maybe if they had stood there, then the ghosts fight, then they turn and run. It may have sold it more.
ZazaCast
07-06-2009, 02:04 PM
Cute film. You have improved since you last fest. My only advise? Listen to Puck & keep making films!
Congratulations on a sucessful production. :thumbsup:
I enjoyed this short.
I saw this film before seeing your thread but I didnt think the characters were ghosts, more that they were invisible avatars, or spirit guides.
The only part that didnt work for me was the two bullies just seeming to stand there and then leave. I felt that there should have been some more relation to the ghosts. Maybe if they had stood there, then the ghosts fight, then they turn and run. It may have sold it more.
thanks for the feedback. They aren't ghosts, they're "ghosts".
spoiler of sorts-- -------
i tried to show that the boy sees emotions as ghosts or auras. the stronger the emotion the stronger the presence of the ghost. his best friend is merely the personification of his own emotions. he wishes to stand up to the bullies so much that his ghost takes on the bullies' ghosts. he sees this play out and since he is only six he gains courage from the "fight" and stands up for himself. this is also why the ghosts act more or less like caricatures because they are, more or less, only that, an aura of an emotion at hand. this may be a lot to intro in 6 minutes or maybe not - i did not want to tell you, the viewer - in words ( in dialogue - like ," my son, he sees emotions as ghosts." , i wanted to show you. i also wished to have a lot of fun in doing so. 6 minutes goes fast! this is really nothing more than an intro to his life. from the first day of school ( of which i had absolutely no time to show either ) the story takes off from there.... and does it ever take off!
anyways.... spoiler of sorts over----
thanks again for the feedback!
Cute film. You have improved since you last fest. My only advise? Listen to Puck & keep making films!
Congratulations on a sucessful production. :thumbsup:
thank you, zaza ! looking most forward to watching your flick later on.
Michael Anthony Horrigan
07-07-2009, 12:20 PM
POSSIBLE SPOILERS
This was interesting but I was a little thrown as to what was real and what was not. I'm still unsure as to why the bullies just walked away at the end?
Can you clear that part up for me?
Working with kids is tough and for that you did a very good job.
Keep at it.
MAH
~jai~
07-07-2009, 05:16 PM
I really liked the film concept and thought the story was good. However, there were a few sound issues that made it hard to hear/understand what the characters were saying at times (i.e. when the kids were entering the park). The lead young boy in this had some great facial expressions that were priceless, but I felt like the 'spirits' were a bit over the top to me and I didn't really get why the bullies ran away after he just gave them a stern look, either. The music was okay, it didn't really stand out nor did it detract from the piece. I also didn't really get that this was a quest to get to kindergarten (a fact I read after seeing the film). I did think it was shot well enough, though some cuts didn't seem to flow smoothly for me (i.e. from inside the car to outside of it). I did really like the titles and thought they were imaginative and creative!
Thanks for sharing!
I really liked the film concept and thought the story was good. However, there were a few sound issues that made it hard to hear/understand what the characters were saying at times (i.e. when the kids were entering the park). The lead young boy in this had some great facial expressions that were priceless, but I felt like the 'spirits' were a bit over the top to me and I didn't really get why the bullies ran away after he just gave them a stern look, either. The music was okay, it didn't really stand out nor did it detract from the piece. I also didn't really get that this was a quest to get to kindergarten (a fact I read after seeing the film). I did think it was shot well enough, though some cuts didn't seem to flow smoothly for me (i.e. from inside the car to outside of it). I did really like the titles and thought they were imaginative and creative!
Thanks for sharing!
thank you for sharing! appreciate the comments... please keep em coming.
stinkpot
07-07-2009, 11:35 PM
Hoz, great concept and well executed film. That was a superb twist on the proverbial "imaginary friend". My main gripe is the lighting and general cinematography (I do see improvement since past fests though) but the story quickly made me forget about those issues which is the sign of a good film and good story telling.
Keep it up man!
:beer:
DarkElastic
07-08-2009, 10:34 AM
Hi Hoz,
I thought the story you made here was excellent, really spooky and could be interpreted so many ways... I also saw them as spirits, good or bad, but I like the emotional aspect you created. The kids did very well, especially your main actor.
I think this film would have been vastly improved with some kind of colour adjustment on the spirits to seperate them from the real world, or at least taint the kid's view to show this. I really do think that when you improve technically, this movie should be made again, or someone with good equipment should approach you to do this, and I think you would have a great short.
Also, the spirit fight lacked a little... fight. They were too scared of hurting each other. But I did like the bullie's reaction to their spirits losing, as if the will to do harm had gone... very interesting.
Well done, one of the best stories so far in my book.
Hoz, great concept and well executed film. That was a superb twist on the proverbial "imaginary friend". My main gripe is the lighting and general cinematography (I do see improvement since past fests though) but the story quickly made me forget about those issues which is the sign of a good film and good story telling.
Keep it up man!
:beer:
thanks very much for the comments!
what are you up to? when are you making your next film?
Hi Hoz,
I thought the story you made here was excellent, really spooky and could be interpreted so many ways... I also saw them as spirits, good or bad, but I like the emotional aspect you created. The kids did very well, especially your main actor.
I think this film would have been vastly improved with some kind of colour adjustment on the spirits to seperate them from the real world, or at least taint the kid's view to show this. I really do think that when you improve technically, this movie should be made again, or someone with good equipment should approach you to do this, and I think you would have a great short.
Also, the spirit fight lacked a little... fight. They were too scared of hurting each other. But I did like the bullie's reaction to their spirits losing, as if the will to do harm had gone... very interesting.
Well done, one of the best stories so far in my book.
thank you so much!!
really glad you liked it so much!
i will look at the fight again- i think if i do it again i would like for the bullies to circle the boy and fight all around him. this will make it much more visually interesting and far more dramatic - since if they are around the boy then there is no where for him to go. it was difficult to pull off and we decided not to, but i think this should be revisited. while they fight i can have the bullies circle around the boy.
you gave me an idea for the "ghosts" too! this short is/was an intro the world of Phineas and what he "sees". it is based off a feature i would love to film soon one day.
please keep the comments coming!
kurtmo
07-08-2009, 08:25 PM
Interesting concept. I noticed that the lighting seem to change with the various camera angles in the kitchen and that distracted. Also the hand held work was too jarring for me.
Thanks for sharing.
Girgej
07-09-2009, 03:19 AM
Hey ... Good Movie ... with a quite original / interesting concept ... the Main Character was very cute ... only problem .. the first day of school ever ... he goes alone??? ... puuu ... well ... but nice / cute story overall ...
Interesting concept. I noticed that the lighting seem to change with the various camera angles in the kitchen and that distracted. Also the hand held work was too jarring for me.
Thanks for sharing.
thank you for commenting- the more abrupt and deliberate hand held was used to show phineas' pov - wanted to differ the looks and make it look a bit more dramatic through phin's eyes is all.
Hey ... Good Movie ... with a quite original / interesting concept ... the Main Character was very cute ... only problem .. the first day of school ever ... he goes alone??? ... puuu ... well ... but nice / cute story overall ...
yeah first day and he's on his own! hence the need to "create" his own best friend. things aint going well for phin.... thanks for the comments!
stinkpot
07-09-2009, 11:01 PM
thanks very much for the comments!
what are you up to? when are you making your next film?
I'm still working on my Loss Fest film (long story). Life gets lifelike and the movies get pushed back but not forever. Have some real creepy and dramatic sh!t in the works that may require finding a budget so we'll see how long that takes. I will do the next fest though whatever it may be (Janitorial Fest, Accounting Fest, etc.)! I'm sporadic on the boards but I hope to see a film from you in the next fest!
Also, we're doing the 48 Film Project in Cleveland at the end of the month so I'll eventually post the film from that.
:beer:
Brian Parker
07-11-2009, 01:23 AM
This was a neat concept and all of your actors came together to really make it work, especially your lead. Technically it was pretty sound, just work on consistent lighting and color grade from shot to shot. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. Nice work!
I'm still working on my Loss Fest film (long story). Life gets lifelike and the movies get pushed back but not forever. Have some real creepy and dramatic sh!t in the works that may require finding a budget so we'll see how long that takes. I will do the next fest though whatever it may be (Janitorial Fest, Accounting Fest, etc.)! I'm sporadic on the boards but I hope to see a film from you in the next fest!
Also, we're doing the 48 Film Project in Cleveland at the end of the month so I'll eventually post the film from that.
:beer:
looking forward to your next works... do post your film for the 48 film project!
accounting fest aint such a bad idea - who can make a tax form look entertaining !
This was a neat concept and all of your actors came together to really make it work, especially your lead. Technically it was pretty sound, just work on consistent lighting and color grade from shot to shot. Other than that, I really enjoyed the story. Nice work!
thanks much for the comments! i will keep your advice in mind. my lead is very proud of his work, as he should be! i will pass your gracious words onto him.
keep the comments coming, thanks very much!
Tim Joy
07-11-2009, 02:58 PM
Definitely a big improvement from your previous entries. Really good to see that!.
I liked the concept and the acting was very good for the most part.
i thought the story was wandering a little bit, but it was still enjoyable. It might have helped to give your character some kind of goal, like "I see dead people and don't want to anymore", or some other feeling about the ghosts.
On that note: what was the quest? I guess I didn't get that.
Looks like you have a great young actor on your hands!
Your tech side of filmmaking is better too. When you output for the web, it might look better if you slap a deinterlace filter on everything.
Good job. Looking forward to the next one.
Definitely a big improvement from your previous entries. Really good to see that!.
I liked the concept and the acting was very good for the most part.
i thought the story was wandering a little bit, but it was still enjoyable. It might have helped to give your character some kind of goal, like "I see dead people and don't want to anymore", or some other feeling about the ghosts.
On that note: what was the quest? I guess I didn't get that.
Looks like you have a great young actor on your hands!
Your tech side of filmmaking is better too. When you output for the web, it might look better if you slap a deinterlace filter on everything.
Good job. Looking forward to the next one.
many thanks for the words! first- the quest was a simple one - to get to school. i ran out of time in my short but if i had placed the shot of the school at the end i think this would've helped a lot. as for more goal oriented- i didn't want to get crazy there because i had only 6 minutes, this is more or less an intro to phin and his world. i hope to lure you into wanting to see more of his life and into what might happen to him.
i too can't wait to see your next work - your stuff rocks.
as for deinterlace filter- good idea! how do i do that?