View Full Version : "El Cucuy" a film by Amy Beth O'Brien
Purple Macaroni Productions presents
a film by Amy Beth O'Brien
"El Cucuy" (el coo-COO-ee)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/El_Cucuy_poster.jpg
Cast:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/QuestFest/Cheyenne.jpg
Cheyenne Elizabeth
Crew:
Me
Composer - Justin R. Durban
Production Notes:
August 2
Well, I've been ruminating on an idea since this fest was announced at the L.A. screening. I just can't shake it, so I'm gonna have to shoot it. It's a pretty simple little story, but the tone, theme, and even visual style will be a distinct departure for me. I'm really going out on a limb for this one. Taking off the Brevis, leaving the sticks behind (might have to use a few ZazaSlider shots though), and creating a totally different kind of movie (for me anyway). This will either be awesome or fall flat on its face. Either way, it should be a fun ride. The script is still in development, but that's okay since I won't have time to shoot until September anyway.
September 16
Script has the "Writing Group" stamp of approval! Yay. That took way too long to get together, though, and now I'm stressed about time. I wrote myself a pretty ambitious story, and I'm nervous that I won't be able to shoot it and get it through post by October 30th. We won't be in town this weekend, so I can't shoot until September 26th. I plan to use the next week and a half to get a detailed storyboard done and do some more camera tests. At this point, all I can do is get as prepped as possible.
September 26
Day 1 in the can! Shot three short scenes in the bathroom (see BTS below). Cheyenne was great and quite cooperative, even through costume changes and multiple takes. I hope to get another scene done tomorrow, but I only have a half day as my star's presence is required at a birthday party and I have to be her chauffeur.
October 3
Agghh! October already? Noooooooo!
Okay, that's out, let's move on. Had another day of filming, although not as much as I hoped for. Spent way too much time setting up lights and what-not. But, I should have a more productive day tomorrow as the location is the same.
And now SCREEN GRABS!
These are uncorrected grabs straight out of P2CMS, and do not necessarily reflect the final look.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/Day01_2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/Day01_3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/Day01_4.jpg
9.26.09
Some BTS of Day 1:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/El_Cucuy_BTS01.jpg
Requisite LCD in the shot pic.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/El_Cucuy_BTS02.jpg
Emoting is hard work.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/amyholly/Monster%20Fest/El_Cucuy_BTS03.jpg
My rig - sans adapter and external LCD.
No adapter for style reasons and no LCD for lack of appropriate mounting hardware for my new SmallHD.
Michael Anthony Horrigan
08-02-2009, 04:57 PM
Great looking banner/poster. Love it!
Good luck.
Rodney V. Smith
08-02-2009, 05:13 PM
Amy!!! Good to see you taking the plunge!
~jai~
08-02-2009, 05:37 PM
YAYY!!! Glad to see you've joined up!
Thanks for the welcome, guys! This is gonna be another fun fest!
Brian Parker
08-02-2009, 08:00 PM
Welcome back Amy! As always, looking forward to it!
ZazaCast
08-02-2009, 08:25 PM
Great! Use that ZazaSlider wisely and it's sure to be a hit*.
*use of the ZazaSlider in no way guarantees a place in the top 10 of any fest, but
it can't hurt. Any injuries incurred while attempting a dolly, zolly, pan/zoom/slide or
upside-down ground slide are the express responsibility of owner. There is no coverage
for failure to get 'The Shot' due to defects in materials or workmanship which occur during normal use.
Thanks guys.
And I think this is the first time someone has had to add a legal disclaimer in one of my threads. Awesome!
ghennek
08-03-2009, 12:05 AM
Nice to see you here again ! Good Luck!
Brandon Rice
08-03-2009, 08:39 AM
Looking forward to this Amy! Should be different for you :)
Troy Ruff
08-03-2009, 05:37 PM
welcome to the fest, its good to have ya, sounds like your in for an adventure. Im sure it will be great! like your poster. :)
MOVIE MASTER
08-03-2009, 06:41 PM
Amy I like yo style!!!!
Thanks guys!
And, OMG, I ranked a compliment from MOVIE MASTER! I only hope I can live up to expectations.
Susanne G.
08-06-2009, 01:25 PM
All the best Amy - I am looking very much forward to your film. You are really going to be a professionist making films with kids. You should teach this experience to other filmmaker.
Much luck.
Susanne
Thanks Susanne. Making these movies has become a family affair, I guess. It's a great way to spend time with the kids and teach them about what I do. The older two have decided they want to try their hand at making their own movies, too.
TMerry
08-10-2009, 02:51 AM
LOL! La Cucuy!
I love it Amy, the only other place I have heard that from is my
wife's family, that along with La Llorona.
Can't wait to see it.
I checked out "Four" with the little girl waiting earlier today, it had a very nice
look to it. Good Luck!
Thanks! I'm glad someone got the reference. I did a little research into bogeyman stories and came across this Mexican-American version of it. As my daughter's birthfather is from Mexico, I figured it would be a nice touch to make it culturally relevant to her.
MrFluffy
08-10-2009, 07:40 PM
Dont you think that the best actors are the ones who work for pocket money :)
Looking forward to seeing what you do for this.
You give yours pocket money? I tell mine if they don't work, they don't get dinner! ;-)
DarkElastic
08-11-2009, 09:00 AM
Good old slave labour, I love it!!!
MrFluffy
08-11-2009, 09:30 AM
Its a matter of having the right motivation for your actors.
"If you dont get this right I'm telling Santa that your naughty"
DarkElastic
08-11-2009, 09:31 AM
Hahahahahahaha.
I can't wait until my two are old enough to be exploited!!!
MrFluffy
08-11-2009, 10:03 AM
Hahahahahahaha.
I can't wait until my two are old enough to be exploited!!!
Thats the job of parents, exploit the children until they know better.
Thats the job of parents, exploit the children until they know better.
Totally.
In all seriousness, though, I wouldn't keep making films with them if they didn't have fun doing it. And, I wouldn't let them be in someone else's film unless I was involved in the project as well. I don't think any of them have aspirations to be professional actors, but if they did, I'd want to handle that very carefully.
ryanjf
08-14-2009, 01:07 PM
Go AMY! Can't wait to see the kids!
Mike Manning
08-14-2009, 01:13 PM
You do great work Amy, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this one!
TMerry
09-10-2009, 12:24 AM
Amy, we need updates! ;-)
Ah, not much to report. I spent August working on a different project and so couldn't devote much time to this. But, I'm closing in on the final script. Just working on the last scene to get it really tight. I hope to start shooting some scenes the weekend of the 19th, and finish the following weekend. I'm cutting it a bit close, but with careful pre-production prep, I should be able to get it done.
Rodney V. Smith
09-11-2009, 09:20 AM
Real life too often intrudes in our filmmaking endeavors. Such a sad thing. But can't wait to see what you're coming up with this time around.
I can't wait either :)
Oooh, just got a new toy today! I broke down and ordered a SmallHD DP1 monitor. I'd post pics, but my component cable is hiding out somewhere so I can't hook it up yet (boo).
Rodney V. Smith
09-11-2009, 01:45 PM
i want one of those. I;ve been dithering between the Manhattan or the SmallHD. Meanwhile my wife urges me to wait and not buy any new gear for a while.... sigh.
DarkElastic
09-11-2009, 05:05 PM
i want one of those. I;ve been dithering between the Manhattan or the SmallHD. Meanwhile my wife urges me to wait and not buy any new gear for a while.... sigh.
You need to get some kahoona's, Mr Smith! :nads:
Rodney V. Smith
09-11-2009, 05:12 PM
You need to get some kahoona's, Mr Smith! :nads:
Nope, I need some more paying gigs. Been a light summer. So she's completely right. I can wait for the smallHD monitor.
Nope, I need some more paying gigs. Been a light summer. So she's completely right. I can wait for the smallHD monitor.
Paying gigs help. I used part of the money I earned for teaching film camp this summer to buy the monitor. I totally hear you. I've been putting off getting a monitor for too long, though. Now that I'm shooting HD, I realized it was something I couldn't really put off any longer.
Sarah Daly
09-16-2009, 05:52 AM
Sounds like a really interesting idea Amy - hope it's all coming together for ya!
Thanks Sarah!
I have a final draft of the script - finally. I can't shoot for a week and a half, though, so I'm going to be cutting it close on time. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. This one is going to be so different, and that's a bit scary to me. But it will be fun no matter what, and I'll have pushed myself creatively, which isn't a bad thing.
DarkElastic
09-16-2009, 10:28 AM
This one is going to be so different, and that's a bit scary to me.
This, to me, is the great thing about these Fests, they take you out of your comfort zone and make you really think. Makes you a better filmmaker. :beer:
Exactly! And that's why I keep coming back for more :)
Whew! I actually shot some footage today. Cheyenne and I shot three brief scenes in the bathroom and she did a great job. But, that was just the warm up. The remaining three scenes - which constitute 2/3 of the film - are the big challenge.
edit:
Oh, yeah, some BTS from Day 1 on the first page. Stills to come Monday or Tuesday.
Marlon Ladd
09-30-2009, 10:15 AM
Bts are awesome. Looks like you're makin' pretty good progress. Best of luck and post some more pics, please.
Rodney V. Smith
09-30-2009, 10:36 AM
Nice BTS shots. When can we see some grabbage from the movie itself? You know how much we love your compositions.,,
Thanks guys.
There's gonna be a hold on actual screen shots as I HATE the scene setting I used on Saturday and have to reshoot it all. Blurg.
Rodney V. Smith
09-30-2009, 06:19 PM
aw shucks. major changes to the room or just how you shot it? At least it's a fairly easy reshoot, right?
The scene file setting was just way off for the lighting in that room. I tested it in a different bathroom in the house, then stupidly didn't re-test in the new bathroom when I made a last minute location change. To top it off, I didn't use my external monitor because I didn't have a proper attachment for it, so I couldn't really tell how off the whole thing was from the on camera LCD. Totally user error. Blah.
And yes, it's a pretty easy re-shoot. Took a couple hours the first time, so I don't think it will be longer than that the second time around. At least I can look at the camera work from the first time out and see what I want to change about that. Gotta find the up side to all this, right?
Rodney V. Smith
09-30-2009, 06:34 PM
User error is a big ow. At least you didn;t switch the fps to 60 for one scene and then forget to switch it back for 5 whole takes. Things can get a little sloppy sometimes and we just forget to check and double check. Oh the stories I could tell you from my shoot...
Michael Anthony Horrigan
09-30-2009, 07:41 PM
The scene file setting was just way off for the lighting in that room. I tested it in a different bathroom in the house, then stupidly didn't re-test in the new bathroom when I made a last minute location change. To top it off, I didn't use my external monitor because I didn't have a proper attachment for it, so I couldn't really tell how off the whole thing was from the on camera LCD. Totally user error. Blah.
Ouch. That's too bad. Better luck with the re-shoot!
I have yet to use an external monitor on set, don't own one. Tried renting one once but it just didn't work out.
I know once I do I'll never go back to that tiny on camera LCD display. I really do hate it. :)
Bought a Noga arm today (thank you Pro Video and Tape!), so I'll be set for re-shoots tomorrow and my main shoot this weekend. w00t! This film WILL get made gosh-darnit.
Rodney, if we ever meet up, I'm sure we could swap all kinds of "on the set" stories over a glass or two of our preferred beverages!
TMerry
10-01-2009, 12:14 AM
Bought a Noga arm today (thank you Pro Video and Tape!), so I'll be set for re-shoots tomorrow and my main shoot this weekend. w00t! This film WILL get made gosh-darnit.
Killer, I love my Noga Arm that i just got. The arm is rock SOLID, just don't trust
the place it mounts to on your rig. I had it mounted to the side plate on
my Redrock rail, but it would losen and swing dangerously, almost lost it one time. Now I have it mounted to the top of the DVX200 and its more stable. SO
where ever you mount it on the camera side (not monitor side), make sure its
a vertical mount . IMHO.
Get us some screen grabs, looking forward to it!
lyonfilms
10-01-2009, 04:24 PM
Go Amy! Go PDX!
Another day in the can. A bit behind schedule, but I hope to be able to pick up the pace tomorrow.
Screen shots on page 1 for those interested.
Kevin E. Curry
10-12-2009, 01:51 PM
Devon and I were just talking about how PDX is going to be well represented in MonsterFest. Looking forward to what you're putting together!
cinealma
10-12-2009, 02:43 PM
Looking forward to your flick, Amy. Grabs look great!
John G.
Rodney V. Smith
10-12-2009, 02:55 PM
Oh Amy.... updates?
Thanks guys. And yeah, we've got, what, four PDX films in this fest? Awesome.
I'm still plugging along, shooting on the weekends when Cheyenne is cooperative and around other family issues. I have one scene left to shoot, which involves some lighting tricks and a green screen, so we'll see how soon I can get that together. Cheyenne may play hooky from school one day this week so we can get it finished up. :)
In happier news, Justin R. Durban has offered his services as composer once again (he scored "Picture" for me). I'm really excited about this as I think he'll add a nice layer to the film.
Troy Ruff
10-13-2009, 07:31 PM
great amy, I love the grabs, I cant wait to see. :)
AJ Brooks
10-27-2009, 01:31 PM
Awesome.
Looking forward to it.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
Received this message at exactly 11:00am (according to the time on my computer, which is set to network time) : "Your entry has been successfully submitted and will now undergo a verification process." Hope that means I made the cutoff. I've been up for over 24 hours in one last final push to get this done, while taking care of a swine flu infected family. Yikes!
See y'all on the other side. I'm running on steam and high fructose corn syrup right now. Gonna get some lunch and crash.
EditPhish
10-30-2009, 11:11 AM
Hope you made it in Amy! (and get some sleep!) Hope everyone in your flu-infected family feels better soon!
(edit: refreshed the list and I'm glad to see you made it!)
Rodney V. Smith
10-30-2009, 02:33 PM
Flu sucks. Hope the kids aren;t suffering too much. Did you get the swine flu as well, or are you fighting it off?
Anyway, congrats on the upload. Can't wait to see this.
Nitsuj
10-30-2009, 02:42 PM
I had a run-in with the flu during the production of mine as well. It was absolutely horrid. Thank God my 12 week old Daughter didn't get it. Good of you to fight through it. ;)
Matt Harris
10-30-2009, 04:08 PM
our grabs look pretty as usal, i always like your work!
I'm not sick - yet. Cheyenne is the sickest, though. Poor little thing. She has a history or respiratory issues, so she qualifies for Tamiflu which is helping I think. My partner Holly was pretty knocked out for a couple of days, too. I've been dosing up on the Vitamin D and other suppliments to help fight it off. We'll see if that helps.
Edit - And I just noticed my film's status has been set to "approved". Let's do this!
Michael Anthony Horrigan
10-30-2009, 09:53 PM
It sucks when the little ones get sick. Makes you feel so helpless.
Glad you made it in and congrats on the approval! I always enjoy what you bring to the table.
Good luck,
MAH
Thanks, Michael. And this is how much of a sweetheart Cheyenne is: Today is her birthday and she was still in good spirits, not complaining at all about how being sick limited what we could do to celebrate.
Looking forward to 1%!
Michael Anthony Horrigan
10-30-2009, 10:09 PM
Thanks, Michael. And this is how much of a sweetheart Cheyenne is: Today is her birthday and she was still in good spirits, not complaining at all about how being sick limited what we could do to celebrate.
Looking forward to 1%!We worry about them so much but they're tougher than us aren't they. :)
And thanks!
MAH
TMerry
10-31-2009, 08:30 AM
Hey Amy, is Cheyenne old enough to watch her own film?
Hope she feels better, sending "Virtual Chicken Soup" ;-) and a belated slice :birthdays:
cinealma
10-31-2009, 09:19 AM
Best to you and your family. I have asthma and I know what you mean. My kid's doctor pretty much said that if they get sick, I'M the one who's going to be treated.
Glad to hear you got your film in. Looking forward to it, as always.
Edgen
10-31-2009, 09:30 AM
Congrats on getting approved Amy! Looking forward to seeing the finished film :)
Cheers!
/j
Cheyenne watched a "G-rated" version (pre-special effects) and I told her an alternate story as to what the film is about. I actually had a bit of hesitation in doing this because she isn't old enough to see the final film. And she's feeling tons better today, thanks for all the well wishes. Tamiflu is good stuff.
Zak Forsman
10-31-2009, 08:16 PM
This film made me want to have kids so I can cast them in little movies like this. Nice work Amy. I really liked this one. Poor Cheyenne. jeez.
Thanks Zak. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
MrFluffy
11-01-2009, 01:36 AM
I just watched El Cucuy.
Cheyenne was amazing.
My main thoughts are that the music didnt seem to fit very well at the end where I didnt feel it created enough suspense, and I was expecting to see the actual monster.
I loved the shadow hand on the wall, but thought that you could maybe have made Mom's dialog a bit louder.
Great film, We loved it.
EditPhish
11-01-2009, 01:47 AM
Amy, you're stuff always LOOKS really good... you do an amazing job at lighting, camera angels and look. We were actually just recently watching your QuestFest entry and I'd probably have the same comments about that one as this one... LOOKS great... soundtrack was good, sound was really good, but I think you need to tighten up your editing. I feel like some of your cuts and scenes are simply too long.
Unfortunately, I just can't give it a high score because we never saw the monster either. That was true across the board with many of the movies for me - you weren't unique here.
I hope you take my criticism in the vein it's meant... just constructive. Like I said, I always think your movies look amazing... it's just the editing/pacing that takes away from the experience.
Michael Anthony Horrigan
11-01-2009, 06:58 PM
I think you just gave her a lot of bad ideas. I can now see her doing all the naughty things that got her into trouble in this movie and driving you crazy. :)
Nice work, as always.
Quite the little actress on your hands. Very natural. Having just Mom's voice was also a nice touch.
Loved the framing of your shots and much of the coverage. The ending didn't quite do it for me but I still enjoyed this quite a bit.
MAH
TMerry
11-01-2009, 08:11 PM
Hi Amy, watched your film last night. Cheyenne did fantastic for not being an actor. She is a doll and handle all of the scenes very adeptly (if thats a correct word). I have mexican family on my wifes side so have heard a LOT of folklore some of it is very scary. Anytime there is a howling wind at our window, my wife and I turn to each other and say, its the Cucuy LOL! SO I was hoping for you to reveal the monster and it to be pretty darn scary. I did like the concept though that the Cucuy tempts children into a happy place and they disappear. Nice mood and feel to the film.
Enjoyed it, keep up the good work!
Chris_Keaton
11-01-2009, 08:15 PM
This looked really good and of course liked the fact that the ending was sad or at least dark. Good Job.
Thanks for your feedback, gentlemen. :)
I'm glad the cinematography is sitting well with everyone. I took a different approach this time (handheld) and due to the sun going down AFTER my star's bedtime, had to shoot day-for-night. Lucky for me I received a bunch of cast off ND gel from the film center!
Editphish - I'm still working on developing a faster paced editing style for the times its called for. I cut a full minute from my first version. I like to linger on things, and I know that isn't always in the best interest of the story. Thanks for the comments, and they were taken in the supportive spirit in which they were given. :)
Michael - Art imitates life in most of my movies, not the other way around! :) Most nights, Cheyenne has several pencils, a notebook or workbook, and a glow bracelet in her bed (the last is a compromise from keeping the room light on). She doesn't really use them, but I thought I'd expand upon that for the film.
Tommy - (and others who wish the monster made an appearance) - Not to argue the point, because really, if you wanted to see the monster, you wanted to see the monster. No fault there. I knew going into this that once I made the decision not to show him fully, I'd be starting at a deficit. The "monster in the closet" is scary mostly because we don't really know what he is or if he is really there. Plus, I wanted this film to be about Cheyenne's experience as much as possible, and so since she didn't see Cucuy, neither do we (except for hints). I did cave at the end of the process and fully intended to show part of him before the closet door closes, but I hit unexpected technical issues with the animation program and ran out of time. I am seriously going to make that ending VFX better for a "director's cut"!
Chris - Glad you appreciated the ending. Once I realized where the story was going, I knew that was where it had to end.
Charli
11-02-2009, 12:14 PM
This story took a very long time in telling, how many can we watch her brush her teeth and go to bed? My favorite shot is her on her head looking underneath the bed.
I do like the peep hole fantasy world, but in the end, that's what this film felt like, a fantasy flick. Didn't have the suspense or tension that it needed to carry through.
Also, while your monster is implied, the hand shadow could have been a better effect so we can get a grip of it all.
ramsaur
11-02-2009, 02:54 PM
So the monster was a shadow? And in the end it just fooled her to play with her and took her away it seems. The little girl was pretty good. I feel you could have showed more to the story. It was a little dragged from doing the day, night, day, night. Also some little continuity I like to look for in films at the first night when she is reading the book before her mom tells her goodnight the flashlight is under her pillow then next cut the flashlight is not under the pillow and on the other side of the bed.
Still it seemed like a fun little film to make.
jasonthewho
11-02-2009, 03:27 PM
I think I enjoyed this best of the films of yours I've seen. Kept me sucked in the most, and just was strong throughout. Your little girl was precious and believable.
I was confused by the set up of the room. Normally this sort of thing doesn't bother me, but since we don't see the mother, I was spatially confused. Watching it again I was able to piece the room together a little better, but I think that seeing the physical door the mom opens would have helped me. Also was a little confused as to where the mom was, because sometimes she talks from offscreen when she hasn't opened the door. Is her room just behind the door?
I read that you are going to fix the last special effects shot, but since I don't know exactly your intentions, I'll go ahead and say what my initial thought was. I think it would make more sense if instead of the fire, the beautiful landscape just faded into a gloomy apocalyptic landscape.
I felt the movie could have been a lot scarier with the score and special effects hitting the scary moments. I liked the music, but it didn't seem tailored to the movie. The thunderclap and lightning on the shadow moment worked well, and I wanted more of that sort of sound work. It doesn't all have to be diegetic.
I enjoyed it, good work!
MOVIE MASTER
11-02-2009, 04:35 PM
Amy we loved the little girls acting BUT.......where was the monster I never saw the monster.
well shot good sound just left me wanting more you know.
overall good film.thank you for your hard work and effort
Thanks everyone. Glad people are enjoying it.
Ramsaur - It was a shadow OF the monster, not a shadow monster. And he lured her in with promises of a fantasy world that turned out to be not so fantastic. And the cut your refer to is not a continuity error, but rather a jump cut. There is a whole sequence I edited out of her taking the flashlight and crawling to the end of the bed to get the book, but it she was way to slow about it, so out it went.
Jason - Your thoughts on the ending are spot on. The sunny meadow was supposed to turn into a dark twisted forrest, and the Cucuy makes his long awaited appearance behind her just before the door closes. I got to 9am on the 30th and realized I had to go with a quick Plan B or all of the work everyone had done for the film wouldn't be seen.
NOBELO
11-02-2009, 07:44 PM
Nice job by Cheyenne.
I thought the shots were good, sound was good, music was good, acting was good. Story was simple, but overall this actually was pretty solid on most levels. I think it could have been a bit shorter but I was fine with it there as well. Nice job. Simple, Clean, well executed.
lyonfilms
11-02-2009, 09:15 PM
I am a sucker for the simple tension gag of closet door and someone walking up to it. The repeated action help, at least for me, build that tension. I kept expecting to maybe seeing a glimpse of hunched back dude with a red ear. The girl did a really solid job. I think it could have been a touch shorter, but that's not a real big point for me. Being lured in is a fun concept and maybe a few more notes earlier on, or something could have helped extend that a bit. The sound mix on the mother's voice didn't seem right - too immediate and didn't sound like it was coming from another room. Also, the idyllic setting turning to fire didn't scare me. Perhaps because it occured relatively slowly. Maybe if it had just been a tiny glimpse right before the door shut? Not sure, but that might have helped it be a little more freaky.
Well done short and I hope we can all get together at the Hollywood.
Thanks for your comments, guys.
Devon - Mom's voice (mine) was ADR'd with less than 8 hours to deadline, so I only had a couple of passes to play with reverb and spacial placement. That and the VFX will be improved for its "Hollywood" premeire. :)
Rakesh Jacob
11-04-2009, 09:20 AM
Cheyenne kid butt! Very talented little kid. Good job to you both :)
Thanks, Johnny! We had a lot of fun putting this together.
cinealma
11-04-2009, 09:40 AM
Nice little film. Always a sucker for films that tell a story in a small space or just a couple of small locations. I thought the young lady did very well, given the different emotions she needed to portray. Some nice editing in the whole "what's in the closet" sequence, really built up the tension. I can definitely see the growth of the filmmaker here from previous entries in the technical aspects.
Story needed a little work and that carried into some of the film a bit. Firstly, the film introduces the monster as one who nabs children who don't listen to their parents. I fully expected to see a pretty bratty child. Why El Cucuy would grab this little cutie who really didn't do much to incur this monster's wrath puzzled me.
I also think now you need to start looking at the little details in your films, stuff that helps pull the viewer into the film. For example. the notes that El Cucuy passes under the door I feel would have had a much bigger impact visually if they were written on some old kind of parchment or animal skin or ANYTHING other than something jotted down in pen on a piece of notebook paper. Just little things like that.
Anyway, I enjoyed the film and it's been fun to watch you grow as a filmmaker over the years. Your daughter is really getting so big since the first film I saw her in.
Thanks for sharing!
John,
Wow, thanks for taking the time for such detailed insights. I'm glad you enjoyed the film. I agree with all your suggestions, too. I know there's a lot of room to dig in to the details with this, I just couldn't because I automatically hindered myself by doing it alone. I made the decision while putting this together that this is going to be the last project of this nature I do on my own. Seriously. I'll still do family movies, especially now that my older daughter is old enough to participate in the story and production aspects. But, those won't be DVX Fest films (unless Ana wants to make one and enter herself!). I, too, feel I have grown as a filmmaker in the last couple of years, and that means I have to start collaborating more to achieve the quality of filmmaking I know I can accomplish.
Thanks again. :)
cinealma
11-04-2009, 10:01 AM
...I made the decision while putting this together that this is going to be the last project of this nature I do on my own.
I tell myself that all the time. :cheesy:
I DID get myself a makeup artist on this last one, so I guess I'm starting to branch out a little. But yeah, I need to do the same.
Kevin E. Curry
11-04-2009, 12:38 PM
Amy-
I enjoyed your film. Good story idea, the little girl was great, and I think there are some good elements in here.
I agree with others on the "spatial" challenge of the little girl's room. I was confused about the closet door at first. Since the first time we see it is right after the mother has opened an unseen door to say something to the girl I immediately thought the door we saw next was the door to the room.
I liked the the "through the keyhole" shot a lot.
And, like some others, a glimpse of the monster would have been nice and could have helped ratchet the tension even a little more.
Looking forward to meeting you at the Hollywood Theater showing and glad your film will be part of the mix!
Blaine
11-04-2009, 12:50 PM
Hi Amy,
I always know what to expect when I watch an AmyO entry. And while they may not be my cup of tea they are always well done with good performances from the children. This one was no exception. Cheyenne did a very good job. Made me think of my daughter at that age.
I had a couple of problems, though. You set us up for El Cucuy but never gave us the payoff. Instead, we were given a benevolent "monster" who wanted someone to play with. In addition, the beautiful landscape doesn't seem to back up the cautionary tale quality.
At first, I was confused, thinking the closet door was actually the bedroom door.
I did enjoy this for Cheyenne's performance and some quality images. A job well done.
Thanks for your comments guys. Yeah, I skipped over a better establishing shot of the room. The door is kind of recessed on the same wall as the closet, so it is hard to see unless you are looking dead on. Will keep this in mind for future films.
Kevin - be prepared for more monster when you next see this!
Blaine - be prepared for your expectations to be blown the next time you see one of my films. I've got a script I'm itching to shoot that is nothing like what I've done before.
Marlon Ladd
11-08-2009, 10:35 AM
Good job here, Amy. The little girl was so, so cute. I thought she did a pretty good job. There were a couple of places in the beginning when she was in the room where I couldn't tell what she was doing and where she was looking and where was the door and where the closet was. Probably because we didn't get a wide shot of the entire room, so I couldn't tell where she was in relation to it. There was also a time where the door seems to open and there was light in the room and then it just closed and that was a bit confusing, because nobody said anything and the little girl was looking one way and then another. I finally figured that part out, but I was initially confused.
You had some really good cinematography and I thought your pacing was very good too. The audio was also very good. I think when she first starts messing around with the closet, some more menacing music might help (if scary is what you wanted there), because the shot and suspense were set up great, but the music was telling me that nothing was going to happen. Anyway, I thought your story was a good one and when she tells her mommy (you?) that she wasn't sleepy (in the bathroom), well, that was classic. We all remember those days and those of us that have kids still see it. LOL!
Very good job on your film and I read some earlier posts about you having a crew of basically 1. Well, don't get too frustrated, because we're all in a similar boat. It sucks, but we still always find a way to get films done. That's a big accomplishment in and of itself. Kudos to you! Good job!
Susanne G.
11-08-2009, 02:12 PM
Hi Amy,
You did a very good job on this one. I felt that this time you made a film with a child in it and not a filmexperiment with children (I also liked all your previous films - this is a compliment!). The story was sweet, but also creepy and Cheyenne is going to be a better and better actress.
Susanne
lawriejaffa
11-10-2009, 07:12 PM
Hey there Amy!
Righto well this is a charming film but not without some inconsistencies that i'll discuss. It is however a welcome addition to the festival for its originality and ensuring this isnt a halloweenrubbermaskpornfest.
Give a mid 20s American man rubber latex and corn syrup and theres just one thing he'll do...
Right! So the prologue info - about this hunched back and large red ear (sounds like a reply to my dating ad!) Okay it was my dating ad.... yes anyway!
So i wasn't entirely sure - if the monster was actually just luring the girl into the cupboard - as the dark orange glow i presumed at first a sinister overtone! Of course it's not - i can't possibly perish to the sounds of relaxing South American pan pipes (unless its on when im attacked in a new age spiritualist shop with amethyst crystal club armed vampire hippie ladies!)
This charming tale features a pleasant performance by sweet Cheyenne (she got treated way better than the poor kid in Bedtime Story!!!) The graphics while simple are pretty and effective, the overall cinematography is functional and at times quite attractive!
The pace of the film can linger a bit - my legs started to wriggle about half way through (normally this only happens during the kissing scenes in Spartacus) - otherwise a competent and professional enough, sweet entry.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I really appreciate it. The best part about this fest is getting such varied (and worldly!) feedback. I have a few ideas for a couple of quick adjustments I can make to clarify things in the film a bit more (not including upgrading the special effects), and that's a direct result of all this awesome feedback.
Horncastle
11-13-2009, 06:26 PM
Good work Amy. I think out of all your films I have seen so far this is the most "complete" - its the one with the most story and, because of that, it's also the one where Cheyenne has had to do the most acting, and quite the accomplished young actress she is becoming! You are beginning to push yourself more, and Cheyenne too, although, as someone else said, a little more brattiness was maybe called for. I look forward to this:
I made the decision while putting this together that this is going to be the last project of this nature I do on my own.
When someone of your talent gets a crew/collaborators I'm sure we will get some wonderful results.
Thanks for the entertainment,
Jason
Shawn Philip Nelson
11-13-2009, 06:53 PM
Amy! I realized I hadn't commented yet, shame on me!
I enjoyed this piece, definitely a good progression on your part on the craft of filmmaking. One thing I was disappointed on was no payoff for the El Cucuy. Even if you didnt get a fx artist, we at least deserved a Hitchcock'esque shadow or something. As it stands "Magic Girl-Eating Closet" is a more appropriate title then that of a monster that's not actually in here at all.
Very good acting by the girl! I wish you'd given her more to do, the pacing felt very slow, I'd have loved to see her do more than variations on fidgeting and delay.
Looking forward to your next one!