"The Dream Cube" CineStar Productions

[Cinestarproductions]

Hey all,
Would love to get some honest feedback about my short. Thanks!

[Blaine]

I've downloaded this three different times but I'm not getting any sound. :eek:

[wcs]

me neither. I checked the file in media player classic, and it says this:
Audio: Windows Media Audio 8000Hz mono 0Kbps [Raw Audio 0]

[Cinestarproductions]

yeah, um, I downloaded it without any sound the first time. I'm gonna send it again tonight with the sound this time. Should be good to go tomorrow.

[BrianV]

Seemed a little TOO bcc glowy, but it didn't detract too much.

[BrianV]

Correction, that is if you were using Boris Continuum Complete... just reminded me of its BCC Glow effect.

[Norm Sanders]

This file is stinkin' wierd. If you've got the exact same version of this on your own server, please try & get permission to post it, because the one on DVXuser is just trippin'.

I've downloaded it multiple times, and there is NO sound. The other oddity is that even though I delete it, when I click to save it to the hard drive, it's INSTANTLY downloaded (less than a second), yet still shows 42MB+ ... and has zero sound.

Looking forward to rating this, but not till I can watch it with sound the way it's meant to be.

[arielman]

Well I thought it was my player at first but had sound on the next short.
Please try and get it loaded again .I think we all would hate to see you miss out because of a clitch .
Ian

[Norm Sanders]

Cinestar, you HAVE to post a version of this that has sound. Do the same exact file, but post it to your server, or have one of us host it as I've still yet to be able to watch yours with sound, and it's the last one I have to watch/critique. I'm surprised you don't seem to be all over this more.

I checked the .zip files, and don't even see your film in those ... and the one from the web with all the other individual films is STILL missing sound. I'll give it one more day, then I've got to turn my card in. Would like to give you a vote, however.

[EditPhish]

GOOD COPY OF MOVIE AVAILABLE HERE:
http://www.dvxuser.com/scifest/

The filesize is much larger than usual, but at least people can download a good copy of the movie for viewing, voting and commenting.

- - - - -

Cinestar,

So I finally found a good downloadable version of your film and watched it a few times tonight... my criticisms are totally meant in the spirit of learning, so hope you aren't offended...

I liked how you used color to symbolize the dreams of each of the characters. Though I'll say, these people had some odd dreams/fantasies! The beer dream cracked me up.

Maybe insignificant, but what the heck were they burying?? :eek:

The piano music in the 2nd dream sequence drove me nuts... was very grating and annoying... if that was your intention, you did it... if not, maybe don't loop the same thing over and over so many times ;)

I totally didn't get the end at ALL... it was either over my head or just way out in left field. I liked the character though... the Dream Cube inventor. He reminded me of that creepy little annoying dude in "The Princess Bride"... the one that keeps saying "inconceivable!"

I think you put forth a great effort, it's just that the story lost me near the end.

Thanks for sharing it (and sorry for your difficulties in doing so!)

[Blaine]

Finally got it downloaded with sound (thanks EditPhish) and I'm glad I did. You had an entertaining story that kept me going. I, too, wanted to have the beginning tied in a little better. Who were these people and WHAT were they burying. I kept watching, hoping to find out.

The dream cube concept was interesting. I didn't need the cube's inventor to tell me what was going on, though, your story was clear enough without it. Perhaps he could have served a different purpose in the story.

I also liked the use of different colors to set the mood for the different dreams. Again, I would have liked to know how these people were linked together and what it was they were burying so the dream sequences would tie in better.

[Z B Brox]

Grargh, that link is redirecting me to the main directory. =( This is the only one I haven't watched now! Is it still there anywhere?

[Norm Sanders]

Geez, sorry 'bout that. They've already broken/redirected that link. I DID have the 200MB+ version on my system (from EditPhish's post), and was going to upload it to my server, but see I've already deleted it.

Tough break on this film, really, with the problems of getting in on the server with sound. But, I've also not seen a lot of stress/activity about it like some of the other film makers had about their films ... so I can see how it may have slipped through the cracks.

However, I've watched it now, and this is my last film/thread for me to comment on ... and then I'll have given feedback on them all. Not that my feedback's worth that much, but I feel good to at least gotten to everyone.

The film starts out with fine camera work. Sound is fine too, but the editing could have been paced a bit better (moving the shots/story along more quickly). I feel that for a while, we were really just focusing on the shovel digging into the ground, even though the story isn't about what we're digging UP ... it's about what happens to be unearthed later. In otherwords, we could have gotten to that from the getgo, and cut out 30-60 seconds worth of stuff that could have been filled with more story, character development, etc.

When the DREAM BOX comes out of the dirt, it's TOO clean for something that would have been PACKED in there like that. Sure, the person comes out at the end, so we assume it was perhaps recently placed there (how'd they know they'd dig in that EXACT spot? Is this person all powerful, a god of some sort that was awakened when the cube's activated?), but still, they had to really dig hard to get into that packed earth, which the cube was in ... so they should had to of really polished it up with their shirts or something to clean it ... like a Genie's lamp, or something.

I liked the different CC's for the various dreams (a couple were a little strong on the color though), which was a nice touch.

The first guy's dream, about drinking all the beer, was a funny one. I liked it & laughed out loud. The next one was slightly disturbing, as we have the A-Hole of a guy fantasize about feeding people chocolate pudding & combing their hair? The third is interesting, with the girl apparently dreaming of being an animal of somekind, and ripping her friends apart ... though the chase scene was a little too drawn out.

Lastly, the guy who came out of the woods. Now I'm lost. Who is he, and what does he have to do with the story? Why do they disappear? Were they just HIS dream? Was he a little girl wishing to be a man, or a man wishing to be a little girl? What's with the evil laughter?

Pretty much, from when he showed up, I just didn't get it ... nor did I care for the performance too much.

At least I finally got to watch it with sound, for which I'm glad. Thanks for sharing and great job & seeing it through ... lots of people just gave up, and I'm really proud of those who didn't.

[Jarred Land]

Yeah i killed it yesterday.. entering a 200mb version of the film was not fair to everyone else.. that file was uploaded by the entrant in the wrong bitrate.. so its gone.. which really sucks cause it was a really good film.

[Z B Brox]

Well. Shoot.

I feel really bad about that, wish I'd managed to DL it sooner. Sorry, Cinestar. =\

[iSTy]

Wish I had seen this with the sound. here are my comments without the sound.

Good clear picture. Graphics good. I'm a bit unsure as to why you would sit with your back to someone. And I'm confused as to the brushing of the hair. Which I'm sure would become clear if there were sound.