"Channel 8" a Death by Flypaper film [Archive] - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

kennethhurd

08-15-2009, 12:47 PM

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/kennethhurd/Channel8/channel8poster.jpg

Synopsis:
After recently going through a rough breakup, Andy moves into a new apartment where the previous tenants have left everything, including an old television set. Andy soon discovers that something is not quite right with his new TV. The people on the screen seem to be reaching out to him, communicating with him, and pleading for his help.

Cast:
Andy - R. Daniel Walker
Sarah - Jessica Clark
Demon - David Woods

Crew:
Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor - Kenneth Hurd

First fest to be a part of since the All Hallows Fest!

kennethhurd

08-15-2009, 12:49 PM

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/kennethhurd/Channel8/3.jpg

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/kennethhurd/Channel8/4.jpg

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/kennethhurd/Channel8/2.jpg

http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/kennethhurd/Channel8/1.jpg

kennethhurd

08-15-2009, 12:50 PM

8/15/09 - Second draft of the script finished with two of the three characters cast.

9/08/09: All of the characters have been cast.
Shooting starts on September 20th with a short shoot and then the bulk of the film is scheduled to be shot on October 2 - 4.

Rodney V. Smith

08-15-2009, 01:39 PM

Welcome Kenneth

kennethhurd

08-16-2009, 04:48 AM

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it!

Brian Parker

08-16-2009, 01:31 PM

Welcome aboard man!

kennethhurd

09-15-2009, 07:33 AM

All the locations are now secure and ready to go for this Sunday's shoot. The script is online in the Scriptfest section for those who are interested in reading it.

Keth Andril

10-28-2009, 05:16 AM

Love this concept! Can't wait to see it

Marlon Ladd

10-28-2009, 05:49 AM

Any updates?

kennethhurd

10-28-2009, 06:19 AM

Yep, the film is finished and uploaded. Are we able to post stills from the final film before the fest begins?

Michael Anthony Horrigan

10-28-2009, 06:26 AM

Yep, the film is finished and uploaded. Are we able to post stills from the final film before the fest begins?
Yup! Stills are allowed.

I had an idea like this once, only it involved the TV left behind by the previous owners. Can't wait to see what you've done with this.

MAH

kennethhurd

10-28-2009, 06:37 AM

Cool. I'll get some stills posted tonight.

Kevin E. Curry

10-28-2009, 10:59 AM

Yep, you can do screengrabs at any time. Get them up! Excited to see what they look like.

kennethhurd

10-28-2009, 07:10 PM

Just added some stills from the film.

ramsaur

10-28-2009, 07:27 PM

Looks interesting.

lyonfilms

10-28-2009, 08:31 PM

Welcome aboard the crazy train to awesome town.

Matt Harris

10-30-2009, 08:29 AM

cool, i like creepy tv films, have you seen videodrome?

kennethhurd

10-30-2009, 08:55 AM

Yep. Videodrome is excellent.

MrFluffy

11-01-2009, 01:46 AM

Nicely done, the whole thing worked very well. The demon guy at the end could have done with better make up, but the whole thing worked for me.

Well done.

EditPhish

11-01-2009, 02:11 AM

Well... I have to say I'm confused. I didn't follow the story and ended up not really knowing what was going on. I wish the shot at the end explained it, but I felt it didn't (other than yes, the reverend was evil and in control of the situation).

I felt the sound needed work. It didn't seem steady. The lack of soundtrack didn't bother me, but I do think a little more might have helped your film overall.

I did like the concept, and parts of it were so interesting (I liked when he was seeing his girlfriend being tormented via the tv screen)... it just didn't all come together for me as well as it could have. Keep at it though!

Oedipax

11-01-2009, 03:56 AM

Awesome! My favorite film so far. I caught the Videodrome vibe too, but not in a derivative way. The shot near the beginning where it lingers on the girl's face frozen on the TV genuinely creeped me out. My only real criticisms would be I thought the white fade up to the flashback didn't really work so well, and the guy's shirt as he's coming home at the end really gave away the day-for-night work (which otherwise looked really excellent throughout).

Overall though I liked the film a lot, and I appreciate that you took things a little slower and really established a mood of dread. The lack of cheap startling scares, shaky camera, and loud sounds was also quite refreshing. The make-up at the end was a little iffy maybe, but it still packed a pretty good punch just because you build up to it so well.

Great job.

Michael Anthony Horrigan

11-01-2009, 05:09 AM

Shaun Patrick

11-01-2009, 05:38 AM

Watched this last night so I'm going by memory. I really enjoyed this.
I loved some of the exterior shots. I actually wished some of the interior scenes were shot as well. The exterior stuff came off as pretty creepy, nicely done. The acting wasn't bad, I'm sure acting with a TV is hard to pull off.

The scene in the car early on seemed a little cliché.
Aside from that I thought this was pulled off well. Had a Twilight Zone feel to it, which is a good thing. Nice work!

MAH

Overall it was really well done. As a big Videodrome fan, I was looking forward to it.

I have to agree with Michael, though. The exteriors were great and had really nice energy/camera movement. It would've been great to see some camera movement in the interiors--it would've helped build a lot of tension. Still, the TV stuff was great and it was awesome to see it all done as practical effects. VFX just wouldn't have been able to replicate that old television feeling.

Pocusproductions

11-01-2009, 06:59 AM

This was pretty good! I loved the old television. Acting, not bad. Pacing was good. Had sort of a "Ring" vibe to it.

Dauntless

11-01-2009, 08:04 AM

good job, I liked the scene where she grabs the knife.

xxrotinivol2

11-01-2009, 08:25 AM

Fantastic, great job. This is the only film in the festival that has had me jump so far, and I've seen I think 25. Last night when I viewed, on a cold Halloween night in Chicago, this is what you need (a bit of scary that takes me away from the realm of tranny hookers and our city's politics).

Definitely riding near the top of my list right now. The story was quite strong, acting works, and dern that TV is creepy just being a TV by itself. I liked the lighting and look of the piece, very intimate, dark subtext, great job. It's a complete piece where most everything is effective. When you start hearing about angels and stuff from that religious dude, you know what's about to go down.

My qualms: The flashback stuff during the daylight I thought was a bit unnecessary. I didn't see how it furthered the story. I already got from the TV monitor and his reaction to it, to understand that he was in a rocky relationship with the girl. As well the end shot of the monster man, kinda woulda liked to have him be a bit more shadowy. His full-on face, seeing him, is not all that scary.

But besides that, the pacing was good, the shots well-composed, some of the look worked better for me than others, the night stuff was all effective, while some of the interior shots of him on the phone could've been set-up differently to make it less flat. Overall, awesome job. Last minute or so was absolutely terrifying.

2062ad

11-01-2009, 11:16 AM

really cool. lots of chills throughout!

jasonthewho

11-01-2009, 01:38 PM

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

Some really great conceptual work here. Love the ways you used the TV. The problem with watching movies on a computer is that I immediately checked to see what that flashframe at the beginning was, so I saw your demon preacher early. In a theatrical screening you wouldn't have that problem, and he would just be a subliminal effect.

I thought for me the TV fuzz sound was a little loud. It works as being scary, but I still think it could be just a few notches lower.

Acting was good. As was the cinematography, but I agree with others that some of the interior shots were a little flat.

I actually liked the flashback, since I think knowing she had an abortion made their current issues more interesting. But I would have had a sound effect accompany the fade to white transitions.

Good work and a compelling film!

lordambrai

11-01-2009, 02:57 PM

LOVED the mood. Liked the way a lot of it was shot. A little flat looking (probably just me) for interiors. There was one shot when the lead goes to his ladies home and the mazda is in the shot, it looked a little blown out. It felt like a day to night moment. But still, really well done. I was totally creeped out by the mood of the piece, sound, pacing, overall directing was great. And you kept a old horror feel to it, where it's all about suspense more than style. Thank you for that. Good job. Oh and I didn't mind the back story either, definately added. I guess it's a hit or miss scene.

mrcheapyasui

11-01-2009, 03:00 PM

This had a great spooky feeling to it. The quick flashes of tv static made me jump every time haha. Part where she is bleeding on tv is scary! As others said the sound could use some adjusting, it seemed the sound effects were louder than the dialoug.

Overall nice movie, it was freaky!

TMerry

11-01-2009, 06:39 PM

Enjoyed your film. Good acting on both of the leads parts. Good sound. I wasn't really sure with what was going on with the storyline with the tv at first. This film was like about 30% of the others that only partially downloaded so I went it and had to download it a 2nd time. Would have liked to see you get a bit more creative with the lighting in the guys apartment at the beginning. In the end, creepy little flick, good work!

Chris_Keaton

11-02-2009, 05:54 AM

Watching this didn't improve my impression of the story I got from reading it. I did however get immediatly what the couple was fighting about. And I'm certainly not going to complain that we never really saw a monster. I did feel the drama and tension. I can't comment on the technical stuff, I'll let the experts weigh in on that. Overall good job.

Kholi

11-02-2009, 02:40 PM

As requested! But, remember, grains of salt or drops of juice.

Visual technical and audio I'm going to bypass. A lot of that is learned through experience or even establishing relationships with people to do each certain job. I definitely see the effort bleeding through to visit more creative camera action and lighting, again, it gets better with practice.

The more important points for me are definitely the short story. And, not so much the script, but the story itself. I'd like to think that I have some idea as to what it's about, it took a while to grasp it, however. Because I had to fight to grasp what was going on I begin to pay attention to everything else. That's generally not what anyone wants to happen.

I could see a cure being to rearrange events in another edit, if it so strikes you to deliver something that's a bit more congruent to your underlying message. Also, clarity is really important when telling any story. You have to think back to, or think about, how people tell stories around campfires. The best ones are told with a clear voice and tone. Similar to how we chop stories in an NLE, it's really detrimental to me (unless you're going for a twist movie) to underline the why's or you risk losing your audience bit by bit.

Why were they arguing? I know why, I could infer that, but it never comes back around to clearly state.

Why did she cut her eyes out? I have no idea.

Why was she on the television being assaulted?

Technicals aside, I personally would have liked to see a clear storyline throughout.

Again, I definitely see the effort here. Especially going from day to night scenarios, etc. Just takes more practice!

Thanks for Sharing!

ramsaur

11-02-2009, 02:48 PM

This was a weird one. So the TV was the monster? But why is it called Channel 8? I never saw a 'Channel 8' anywhere. I saw channel 3 and 6, didn't see an 8. Why was she being held captive? I like your editing at the beginning. Your day to night effects were good as well. I just don't know about this one. Didn't quite get it fully.

Kholi

11-02-2009, 02:52 PM

I did like how it started out. Promising. I agree with the above post.

REHov520

11-02-2009, 02:57 PM

i didn't much care for the first 5 minutes of this film, but the last one creeped me out more than any other in the fest. editing was perfect in the way you gradually reveal what has happened. for that last minute this one is one of my fav's. good job!

kennethhurd

11-02-2009, 03:00 PM

Thank you all for your feedback. It's all very helpful and much appreciated! I'm learning and will continue to learn as I make films.

I've been wrestling with the title since I wrote the script. The channel really isn't important to the plot of the film. I only called it channel 8 because the eight sounds the same as "ate." Kind of a stupid title, I know. ha.

Also, Sarah was never tortured by anyone. It was just something the TV (which is possessed) shows Andy. When Sarah arrives, the TV captivates/hyptonizes her and forces her to kill herself. Then it shows Andy what it chooses to.

Also, the TV's not the monster. It's possessed by a demon and the demon shows itself to Andy in the end.

I hope this helps with some of the confusion.

Kholi

11-02-2009, 03:03 PM

Captain Pierce

11-02-2009, 05:36 PM

Kenneth,

I said in your ScriptFest thread that I liked your script for this, and now having seen the final product, I like it as well. It seems to me that you took some of the suggestions from ScriptFest and ran with them, which I think was the whole idea that the mods had when they tied the two Fests together, so kudos for that. :)

And I think somebody mentioned this before, but I loved the old console TV you used. :D

kennethhurd

11-02-2009, 05:50 PM

Yep. The scriptfest really helped. Hopefully the next fest also has a scriptfest with it.

hoz

11-05-2009, 07:09 PM

ok , good effort on this film!

first off the TV is evil looking. great find there. it looks like it weighs a ton.

that said i didnt really get the film. i had to read the posts afterwards and i am pleased to say that i was kinda close to figuring it out on my own. kinda. so many things seem to throw me but maybe add in a bit of dialogue expounding on the fact that the old tenants left everything behind. make the TV look a bit more foreboding. that thing looks wicked, now show it to be so before it even turns on. flicker it on with that heavy thump those old tvs used to do. like a bolt of electricity almost. maybe singe the carpet around it and put it in the corner of the room where it doesn't really belong. like as if it wanted to leave the room to find new victims on its own. or take the cord out of the socket. i know it turns itself on and goes to show whatever it wants but it does so in such , i don't know, quiet fashion. maybe because the guy doesnt freak out all that much. he's kind of flat to his responses, especially after finding his ex with her eyes plugged out.

good work though and i like the idea of a TV going after people.

Sprocketboy

11-07-2009, 03:31 PM

"Long live the new flesh!" There is a Videodrome vibe coming from this film. Nice job.

I haven't read the previous reviews, so if I repeat something... tune me out. The storytelling is eerie, but a bit confusing to the average viewer. The scene with the boyfriend and girlfriend in the car throws the whole thing off a little and may take the audience down a different story path. The dialogue or action in that scene must be clearer to make the end work. I know you are trying to surprise the audience but you may lose them on the way. I like the fact that you have demonic powers taking control of a tv set to find a sacrifice. Neat idea. Fantastic job.

joshreluctant

11-07-2009, 05:15 PM

Liked the concept (i'm wearing a Videodrome shirt currently), but it felt a little slow to me. I did like a good portion of the camerawork and cutting, the only thing that was really off for me was the pacing. Also the sound-scare at the end when it cuts to her eyes cut out. Felt like a cheap scare with more of the slow tension that the rest of the film had.

On the positive side, you have a really good eye visually, and I really do like the concept. Great entry.

morbidodyssey

11-08-2009, 10:13 PM

Videodrome influenced! Love that, haha.

Pretty solid entry, but I thought the lead was weak. I also had some issues with the pacing overall, but other then that I enjoyed it.

lawriejaffa

11-10-2009, 06:36 PM

Okay this was a film i found a little difficult to get into - but that does not mean i didn't appreciate some of the interesting ideas present here. I do recall providing feedback for this particular script in the monsterfest script competition, and some of the concerns about coherency etc there are still evident here.

The shooting of the film is naturalistic, simple enough, and the performances are a little flat, not terrible by any means but not captivating either. We kind of drift along with it - but in that, the film does have a kind of creepy atmosphere. It plays with the old idea of the haunted mirror, transferring it to the land of tv - and that comes across nicely.

Its an idea that i would encourage you to develop further, perhaps with more story and less abstraction - but whatever works for you!

The reveal of the dark author of these sad events - the demon in the screen in the suit is great - i liked that! In some ways the film is evocative of mental illness too on the part of our character.

Videodrome has been cited as an influence, of which it does share some elements in common, not just the obvious (television) but also the nihilistic atmosphere.

So this is a film still rough around the edges, but there is obviously ambition here to tell a decent story, and im interested to see how you develop. Good effort.