Broken Circle

[jpbankesmercer]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/4643/1159649301.jpg



Crew
J.P. Bankes-Mercer - Producer/ Writer/ Director
Nadia Montgomery - Assistant Producer
Andi McGinty - Additional script/ Research/ Sound Scapes/ Music
Jason Torbitt - STEADICAM
Ama Barn - DP
Waldo - Art Director
Jeanette Kinny - Make-up fx

Cast
Issac - Paul Stone
Mary - Nadia Montgomery
Selene - Hazel Jennifer Earle
Daniel - Greg Derbyshire
David - Lawrence Ghorra[/CENTER]

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Got a poster hiding there somewhare? I see you have a steadycam... Got some stalking scenes planned?

[jpbankesmercer]

Maybe :)
Got some initial poster concepts but I'm waiting for an image from the shoot.
Jp

[jpbankesmercer]

Contacted a local Actors group today and found two more cast members. Also Greg from The Randoms has agreed to help out. Spoke to an FX guy I know, hes now a possible. Just keeping this thread updated for my own sanity. Going to the location tonight. Will post pics.
Jp

[Brandon Rice]

Nice, looking forward to it!

[Matt Sconce]

Hope everything goes well!

[jpbankesmercer]

Cheers guys. Just saw the location with the Art Director and ass. Producer...done and dusted...also might have found me a snake and handler!!! :)

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Cheers guys. Just saw the location with the Art Director and ass. Producer... :)
Woah... You have an ASS producer too... Sorry I couldn't resist.

[jpbankesmercer]

She does have a nice ass.

[jpbankesmercer]

Well I've been producing/ writing all week. Casting was a bitch but I've now got a great team on-board. I'm 90% ready for the shoot. Just very nervous as I type this. I've put alot of thought into how to shoot the idea just hope I can pull it off (Fnarar)
Wish me luck.
J.P.

[TheatreGuy]

... ass. Producer...done and dusted...also might have found me a snake and handler!!! :)
Um, yeah... I was a bit confused at this. "ass Producer..." "done and dusted..." "snake and handler!!!" I thought you were shooting a porn film there for a minute!

Good luck with your shoot! :thumbsup:

[jpbankesmercer]

UPDATE:

Unfortunately during shooting of ‘Broken Circle’ a terrible unexpected event did occur. I am not allowed to disclose much until the authorities have cleared the production for their investigation. Hopefully the film will be submitted, (it’s hard for me to say anything more) I personally feel as writer and Director of the film, that it is important to release the project, I have the consent of everyone affected at the time and they too feel that it should see the light of day. We were fully insured and all safety measures were in place. I do take personal responsibility and apologise to all concerned.

It’s in the lap of the gods but I fully intend to fight for release.

Yours respectfully.
J.P. Bankes-Mercer

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Whoa ... hope everything and everyone is ok. Looking forward to seeing your work.

[Charli]

I smell a marketing ploy.

[jpbankesmercer]

I smell a marketing ploy.

Charli, I only wish it were. Its a little more serious than that.

Jack, Cheers buddy.

[VersuS]

Hope everything is ok J!!!!

[Lingothree]

Uh oh what happened?

[HorseFilms]

Damn, JP. I hope this works out for everyone involved.

[Brandon Rice]

Yeah, what's new? What ended up happening?

[Ben Sliker]

holy christ if that's not a cliffhanger i don't know what is. Hope everyone is okay ... but it kinda sounds like they're not.

[Mark Harris]

Wow, I'm really sorry. I didn't even see this. I really hope everyone is or will be all right...

[Brandon Rice]

DUDE! I heard a report on the radio, and it mentioned you I THINK!

They were talking about an english filmmaker who had to close his set down when one of his actors got hospitalized, and now the filmmaker has petitioned the courts to release the film for some competition online.

IS THAT YOU? If so... that's insane... what exactly happened here?

[Edgen]

This is a horror film in itself. Quick! Get a lawyer and sign over the rights!

man, I hope everything is OK. Sounds pretty serious. Specially if brandon is right about what he heard and if that was indeed you guys.

/j

[jpbankesmercer]

Guys thank you for your support.

You will have noticed my lack of response to your questions, the reason: - I have been bound over legally not to discuss the film. Today good news from our lawyers. We can release the film and join in the fun.

Brandon - Hey yes that was us, we also made the papers over here, not sure if we did in your neck of the woods.

Paul Stone our lead Actor has finally started to make a healthy recovery (Best wishes to you and the family - Julia, the girls and new son Alex), we are all thinking about you and look forward to when you’re back on your feet. I have discussed releasing the film with Paul and he agrees that the public should get a chance to see it. (Thanks mate)

As soon as we get the go-ahead all details will be revealed, though if you watch the film closely enough things will become apparent.

Thanks go out to The crew, The Players, DVXuser and all who helped ThirteenFilms during such a crisis.

Cheers.

Jean-Paul Bankes-Mercer

p.s. Poster now released on front page!

[Brandon Rice]

Oh whoa, that's crazy about the legal junk and stuff... hope it all turned out for ya.

[Mark Harris]

Yikes, but glad the guy is one the road to recovery and glad you're getting to show the hard work.

[luster]

what was the accident? wait, did i just fall for some kind of hype.

[Mark Harris]

You mother-f-er. Was that ONE SHOT???? Damn, that was good. Will write more on second pass, but wow.

[Kholi]

Review | POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I watch the movies first time around strictly for enjoyment, second and third for review.

HOLY SHIET! Was that ONE ENTIRE SHOT!?!?!?! My GAHD that was SO dope!!

Script - Let me get over my excitement after the second time around. The script was easy. I even want to say that at a point your actors were ad-libbing and just going crazy. I can't even sit on this topic. Good script dudes.

Direction - Was that one shot!?!?! Omg! That was crazy! That had to take forever to get right. And don't get me started on the subtleties. I didn't even see it at first, but then I started paying attention after the BOOM (bass) and I saw his face. WHOA! That was NICE! Great concept!!

Acting - Your actors all probaby went wild. Even your demon was pretty good after a while. I bet his throat is SOORREEE. Little group of people did well. Focus wasn't on them, but the overall idea.

Cine/Lighting - Candle-light realism. No frills, bells whistles. It worked for this and it worked well. A more realistic view which made me remember the times I did Sayonce (Spelling?) with my friends. It was also that creepy but didn't exactly go like that.

Editing - ONE SHOT!?!?!?!?!

Sound - Worked well. I loved the boom that you added in. I actually want more of that if you recut it. I had my headphones on and it shook me up a tad bit. I'm sure on a better compressed version the sound would be sweetened. I wanna see one!

Special Effects - You have GOT to tell us how many times you redid this scene just for the special effects. The holes, the blood, the horns... man I kinda wished you had more time to work with so I could see full horns grow out of his head. That was dope.

Scariest Moments - Entire thing escalated into a creepy affair. A steady incline. I was like "this chic is going to break the damned circle. Idiot!".

Overall consensus - Jp I look forward to seeing more work from you. That was such a good, low-budget straight forward piece. GREAT presentation man!!!

[CallaghanFilms]

Hitch's Rope meets End of Days...
absolutely brilliant concept!

:shocked: I cannot believe that you were able to pull this off so seamlessly...but you did!

Although it is still early, it's fair to say that Broken Circle will be on the short list, if it ends up not being the one that is.

You have my utmost respect right now...

[Kholi]

Yeah dude. I hate to call favorite's this early but I'm showing Broken Circle around the office today.

Insane stuff.

[Michael_Petro]

two words... one shot...

[TheatreGuy]

This was excellent! I loved the constant rotating around the table! Amazing!!! Was that really one shot???

Great suspense! Had me gripping my chair.

Excellent lighting.

Loved the work by the actors!

Great job. Will be watching this again!!!

Ted

[jpbankesmercer]

Guys can't believe the response! I was shi*ting myself about it.

Yes ONE shot babies!!! :) Two takes.

Took an age to block with make-up and Actors. Also I had to do a separate block with the crew as we threw in stuff in the Actor's didn’t know about, I even gave Paul (Wormwood) different dialogue to put off the others as I wanted them to believe something was happening. (It did but that’s another story.)

It was a hard thing for me to pull off especially with four people around the camera, me pacing it, make-up adding on rotation and Art director moving things around the room to mess with peoples heads subconsciously. Not to mention the AMAZING Jason Torbitt on STEADICAM.:beer:

The project started with me wanting to do a one shot take, script came later.

Guys you have made my year/ life I thank you.

J.P.

[TheatreGuy]

Well, you did it! Well done! And congrats!

[TimurCivan]

This was EXCELLENT. See how far a Good idea and good actors cn take you with simplecmaera work and good blocking.

You guys get my " you rock hard" seal of approval. :D

LOVE IT.

[jpbankesmercer]

Cheers Guys.
Trying to watch all yours too. Will post thoughts.

[TimurCivan]

Did you make 2 entries? cursed and broken circle?

[jpbankesmercer]

Cursed I was D.P. on, helped the students to make it.
PMed Jarred to no avail, the kids will be gutted. It was on the server Saturday, now...??????

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

You sly bastard.
Economy with maximum impact.
Hats off.
More later.

[JoshuaNitschke]

Hmmm.

I feel out of place.

It's definitely impressive that the whole short was one take, I can't imagine how difficult that would be to pull off. Kudos to you for pulling it off, and I mean that.

But cinematography wise, I found it incredibly boring. I got really tired of that revolving after the 3rd time around.

Screenplay...eh also a bit boring for me.

Sound was not so good either, quality wise, but the soundtrack itself was pretty good.

You have skills, but in my completely honest opinion...I was bored to death. If I wasn't voting on this for a contest I wouldn't have finished it.

I feel bad saying this with everyone else raving about it and I hate giving negative reviews, but that's how I felt.

[Brandon Rice]

Broken Circle


Script
Whoa! Was this all adlibbed? The script was quite realistic in every way

Acting
Again, whoa, all of the performances were top notch, especially the guy playing the devil/demon.

Cinematography
One shot, you’re kidding me! Amazing! Lighting was good too, and the flickers worked!

Editing
None required. It was one shot!

Score
I’ll just put in sound design stuff here, the demon’s voice was SCARY! Made me literally feel nauseous.

Overall Impressions
Wow, this film did it, this was the first one to make me feel physically sick after watching it. It was bloody or gory, but just disturbing and realistic. I have a major headache and stomach-ache after watching this. I think you did your job, I gotta go lie down now…

[penfever]

This was definitely one I had trouble getting through, as people have said. But I think it's important to draw a line between scaring your audience into nausea and pounding their senses into submission.
It's nice to see someone with a strong artistic thread tying a film together. Too often, the films of this festival tend to be disjointed exercises in style without much beneath the surface. Broken Circle is original, and is worth watching in every way.
That said, in the process of being and becoming unique, it also loses a lot of meaning and content. The circling process reminded me of Hitchcock in Rope, but there, it's done with a purpose in mind. It takes a story that would otherwise have been stagy and dull, and makes it restrictive and kinetic. Lifeboat's another that experiments in that vein - the whole film (more or less) taking place in a single, tiny lifeboat on the ocean. This film was just SO loud, especially at the end. The ugly digital clipping didn't help the effect of the film in my eyes, and the deliberate rotation of the camera meant that we missed half of the most important lines.
I think this film would play well on a larger format.
Minor taste-related notes. I think a t-shirt was definitively the wrong look for the British character. Everybody else was dressed in more appropriate Wiccan garb. And for me, the sometimes-on-sometimes-off voice of the possessed demon boy was a little cheesy. When it had the full resonance it worked fine, but the rest of the time not really.
The film had a very nice build to the emotional climax. There's a lot to learn from here in terms of pacing.
In conclusion, fascinating (if not very enjoyable) film and congratulations on a difficult job well done.
-Ben

[jpbankesmercer]

Hmmm.

I feel out of place.

It's definitely impressive that the whole short was one take, I can't imagine how difficult that would be to pull off. Kudos to you for pulling it off, and I mean that.

But cinematography wise, I found it incredibly boring. I got really tired of that revolving after the 3rd time around.

Screenplay...eh also a bit boring for me.

Sound was not so good either, quality wise, but the soundtrack itself was pretty good.

You have skills, but in my completely honest opinion...I was bored to death. If I wasn't voting on this for a contest I wouldn't have finished it.

I feel bad saying this with everyone else raving about it and I hate giving negative reviews, but that's how I felt.

Thanks for the one shot props! Dude sorry you didn't like the rest of it!

[jpbankesmercer]

Broken Circle


Script
Whoa! Was this all adlibbed? The script was quite realistic in every way

Acting
Again, whoa, all of the performances were top notch, especially the guy playing the devil/demon.

Cinematography
One shot, you’re kidding me! Amazing! Lighting was good too, and the flickers worked!

Editing
None required. It was one shot!

Score
I’ll just put in sound design stuff here, the demon’s voice was SCARY! Made me literally feel nauseous.

Overall Impressions
Wow, this film did it, this was the first one to make me feel physically sick after watching it. It was bloody or gory, but just disturbing and realistic. I have a major headache and stomach-ache after watching this. I think you did your job, I gotta go lie down now…

Thanks Brandon.

The whole idea with the camera rotation/ concept was to make people feel nauseous and imbed some realism in it.
So sorry but I’m glad I made you feel sick

J.P.

[TimurCivan]

yea i give you much credit for having the courage to forgo conventions and create a unique and very interesting take on the genre. Greatness comes from guys liek you. :)

[jpbankesmercer]

This was definitely one I had trouble getting through, as people have said. But I think it's important to draw a line between scaring your audience into nausea and pounding their senses into submission.
It's nice to see someone with a strong artistic thread tying a film together. Too often, the films of this festival tend to be disjointed exercises in style without much beneath the surface. Broken Circle is original, and is worth watching in every way.
That said, in the process of being and becoming unique, it also loses a lot of meaning and content. The circling process reminded me of Hitchcock in Rope, but there, it's done with a purpose in mind. It takes a story that would otherwise have been stagy and dull, and makes it restrictive and kinetic. Lifeboat's another that experiments in that vein - the whole film (more or less) taking place in a single, tiny lifeboat on the ocean. This film was just SO loud, especially at the end. The ugly digital clipping didn't help the effect of the film in my eyes, and the deliberate rotation of the camera meant that we missed half of the most important lines.
I think this film would play well on a larger format.
Minor taste-related notes. I think a t-shirt was definitively the wrong look for the British character. Everybody else was dressed in more appropriate Wiccan garb. And for me, the sometimes-on-sometimes-off voice of the possessed demon boy was a little cheesy. When it had the full resonance it worked fine, but the rest of the time not really.
The film had a very nice build to the emotional climax. There's a lot to learn from here in terms of pacing.
In conclusion, fascinating (if not very enjoyable) film and congratulations on a difficult job well done.
-Ben


Thanks for you kind comments, for people to even mention the Rope in-relation to Broken Circle, WOW.

The camera rotation was a stylistic approach I thought through and stuck with, I knew it would annoy/ make people physically nauseous but that’s what I wanted, I stuck it out. Blocking the lines was a nightmare, I thought about going in rotation and having lines said in-shot all the time but decided it would make the script too linear. I knew with such a tight space, I would get away with having some lines off camera.

T-Shirt again (Kubrick reference), I wanted to show Daniel’s character as the least involved/ not taking his role seriously, hence out-of-place T-shirt.

Wormwood’s voice…I had two scores from Andi. The first one I did not use because Wormwood’s Devil voice was constant. I felt that it was too Exorcist. I wanted Isaac’s character to be wrestling with the demon. I also wanted to build the film into chaos/ crescendo with full on screaming.

Thanks for you kind words and constructive criticism.

Cheers.
J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

yea i give you much credit for having the courage to forgo conventions and create a unique and very interesting take on the genre. Greatness comes from guys liek you. :)

Coming from you Tim that is a massive compliment. :crybaby:

[TimurCivan]

No seriously i got scared in yours. i get goose bumpy when the chick yells "theres something under the table".... that gets me.....

[Darkline]

I have to say when this started I was smirking. I can understand why some people may lose interest.

However the more it goes on I felt the better it got, building and building. Lovely touches on the physical aspects of people as the camera revolves.

This is Exactly what I was talking about when I was saying some films might not have the best cinematography or effects, but that should not make a difference to the fact they are great pieces of horror. This in my opninon (Ive only seen half of the entries) is the creepiest one so far. By the end of the short you're not sure what's happened but it's all going off and the actors were great. You concentrate on the 'feeling' of horror rather than showing it. To me thats what horror is about. You feel like something big is about to happen and cut before we see it. Very nice.

I'm not saying this because you're a fellow brit either! You took a simple idea and made it work for you, that to me is what good directing shows.

I have half to go, but this is in my top 3 so far.

[jpbankesmercer]

No seriously i got scared in yours. i get goose bumpy when the chick yells "theres something under the table".... that gets me.....
Cheers mate, Hazel was great, so was genuinely scared. I originally wanted to throw a live snake onto the table, but thought about the safety issue, so she really had to sell it, and did in spades!

[jpbankesmercer]

You sly bastard.
Economy with maximum impact.
Hats off.
More later.

Hehe, Cheers.

[Charli]

FEEDBACK/SPOILERS:

Script: It's nice to see a script that calls for multiple actors and they all play a
part, not just window dressing. The rants from the one who did the channeling
got old in a hurry. I think at least in the 'Exorcist' the demon had more lines.

Direction: Dizzy. Reminded me of Brian DePalma's spin in "Blowout" but no, really,
though I understood the effect, it was just too much spinning at the end. Maybe
if you had slowed the turns we wouldn't have felt it quite so much, though, that
was your point, I'm sure.

Acting: Believeable except I got tired of the demon. Give villain better lines.

OVERALL: Creepy, yes, but only mildly entertaining. What was spot on was the
good use of all of the actors. I felt I was in their room, hearing a real conversation
the only thing that was distracting was the demon. Give him better lines and it
probably would have come off with a greater creep factor. Good attempt and
again, nice to see someone use ALL of their actors well.

[jpbankesmercer]

Cheer Charli glad you enjoyed it. Nice to get somefeed back on the script, I trained as an Actor so wanted to really work with them. Script wise didn't want to follow the old Syd Field I,II,II. Just let go a little.
Jp

[VersuS]

MAN OH MAN!!!! What a ride!!! I heard these last few hours about the one-shot wonder...and finally I watched it....To be honest, what you did, one-shot around a table is not in my head difficult as a thought...what rocks is the fact that you had a one-shot 6 minute FULL DIALOGUE film with VERY INTENSE acting and some seriously talented FX (horns man!! yeah!!!)!

I loved the story!!! One of the best so far! Acting is beyond belief and stands right next to Bloody Mary in how natural this all feels.

Sound was ok, nothing special and I didnt mind the demon, I thought what he said was just enough what needed to be said, I mean you cant put this demon next to the Exorcist just because they're demons Charli!! C'mon!!!!!!!!!!! Follow the story and then tell me if it's the same. We dont want more lines!! I understand that you are a writer and you judge things with that in your head but sometimes you have to accept that the other guy had a different vision in his head so what seems good for you is not necessary. The story was solid, it was well informative to the viewer, I understood perfectly what I was watching and the progress and all....along with some clever directing I was there anxious NOT TO BREAK THE CIRCLE!!!

Once more though, another score-less flick that I dont know how to rate in that category without making it fall downhill in the overall rating.....

PS. Are you british? I was amazed by the fact that you did this...never thought Brits can pull off such a theme...Amazing....Actually I love UK and lived there...but the British accent makes me wait for IT Crowd, Little Britain, Black Adder and so on....now I guess I'll wait for the Jolly Ol' Demon to appear and ask me for a cup of tea ;)

PS2. BTS question, how hard was it to get this without them laughing with the demonesque voice? Or was that recorder later?

[Cynic821]

Hmmm.

I feel out of place.

It's definitely impressive that the whole short was one take, I can't imagine how difficult that would be to pull off. Kudos to you for pulling it off, and I mean that.

But cinematography wise, I found it incredibly boring. I got really tired of that revolving after the 3rd time around.

Screenplay...eh also a bit boring for me.

Sound was not so good either, quality wise, but the soundtrack itself was pretty good.

You have skills, but in my completely honest opinion...I was bored to death. If I wasn't voting on this for a contest I wouldn't have finished it.

I feel bad saying this with everyone else raving about it and I hate giving negative reviews, but that's how I felt.

Feel the exact same way.

[VersuS]

not to take their place in here by standing up to your remarks guys but I have to say what I feel...I totally get your 'boring' feeling and where it comes from. For example (oh there he goes again)...many people I know saw Blair Witch and hated it coz of the running around of the camera, made them feel dizzy, werent really 'open' to such techniques. I for my part LOVED it. Now, this movement of the camera around the table....I have to be honest...I didnt find it annoying not for one bit....I was so hooked up with what was happening...and also I was waiting to see how the demon's horns would grow and figure out how the hell he does that...so it was ok with me...and the story..well maybe this has to do with personal taste.....boring is something that leaves you without any interest whatsoever....I found it interesting....someone else could say that it was way too interesting....who knows....there was a story that's the key...and the story was not static...it grew and moved and reached a climaxx...so if you find the story boring its ok i guess...some people like blondes,others prefer brunettes....

[jpbankesmercer]

MAN OH MAN!!!! What a ride!!! I heard these last few hours about the one-shot wonder...and finally I watched it....To be honest, what you did, one-shot around a table is not in my head difficult as a thought...what rocks is the fact that you had a one-shot 6 minute FULL DIALOGUE film with VERY INTENSE acting and some seriously talented FX (horns man!! yeah!!!)!

I loved the story!!! One of the best so far! Acting is beyond belief and stands right next to Bloody Mary in how natural this all feels.

Sound was ok, nothing special and I didnt mind the demon, I thought what he said was just enough what needed to be said, I mean you cant put this demon next to the Exorcist just because they're demons Charli!! C'mon!!!!!!!!!!! Follow the story and then tell me if it's the same. We dont want more lines!! I understand that you are a writer and you judge things with that in your head but sometimes you have to accept that the other guy had a different vision in his head so what seems good for you is not necessary. The story was solid, it was well informative to the viewer, I understood perfectly what I was watching and the progress and all....along with some clever directing I was there anxious NOT TO BREAK THE CIRCLE!!!

Once more though, another score-less flick that I dont know how to rate in that category without making it fall downhill in the overall rating.....

PS. Are you british? I was amazed by the fact that you did this...never thought Brits can pull off such a theme...Amazing....Actually I love UK and lived there...but the British accent makes me wait for IT Crowd, Little Britain, Black Adder and so on....now I guess I'll wait for the Jolly Ol' Demon to appear and ask me for a cup of tea ;)

PS2. BTS question, how hard was it to get this without them laughing with the demonesque voice? Or was that recorder later?

thanks for you VERY kind comments :thumbup: :thumbup: :crybaby:



The demon voice was a hard one to get right; I think we all smirked at some point. Props to Paul who played WormWood he originally ran-a-mile from the character and I forced him to do it :)

Thanks again it means a lot to me/ crew/performers, we busted our guts to give it our best shot.

[jpbankesmercer]

Cynic,

Broken Circle is one of those films you either love or hate. Sorry you felt that way dude, you gotta remember this cost $0 to make, we just all piled in our creative juices to pull something off that was slightly interesting J All crew/ performers gave valuable time for gratis, just to see what we could achieve and carry on doing the thing we love.

[Cynic821]

Aside from the typlical things, like bottled blood and what not, we are zero budget as well, the only reason my budget says 400 bucks was because of emergency actors , and my brother paid for them. I wont make excuses for a film because of budget. But i just didnt see a story in here. Just something building up to get nothing from it. It seemed gimmicky from the get go til the end for me.

[jpbankesmercer]

Thanks for your opinion appreciate it dude.

[SteadiJay]

Just stumbled across this thread - it seems like everyone likes it, well done J P, and thanks for the thumbs up on the Steadicam work. For those of you reading in, it was extremely hard work for everyone involved, the actors put in an incredibly intense performance on the night. Technically / shot-wise was bordering on ridiculously hard, let me tell you that was one small room to navigate, but it was also ridiculously satisfying to come away with something that looks so good. The unsung heroine who was responsible for the growing devil horns was Jeanette on Make-up; great work. 2 takes was all it took; I would have liked another one, but I think that J.P. got the best performance from the cast who were seriously in the role.

Well done all concerned and to J.P. for such a great concept. It's a pleasure to be part of his team.

[jpbankesmercer]

Jason, ello mate. Lucky I gave that thumbs up before you found the thread eh! :)

Seriously you pulled off a six minute massive complex-shot, your a legend!

Jeanette was a star, love working with her.

Also must say a massive thanks to Andi McGinty with all his help on the project, couldn't have done it without you bro.

Plus Waldo for setting up that room for two days, looked ace.

The Actors, everyone seems to have loved your performance well done guys.

Ama such subtle lighting, you can't even see that 2k behind the clock! ACE.

Proud to be working with such a great team, look forward to the next one.
J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Just to let you know I've added the research written by Andi, it really helped me formulate the finished screenplay.

Research Material - Andi T McGinty
Broken Circle Research PDF (http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/4643/1160171163.zip)
The above doc is quite frankly unbelievable. Great job Andi. :thumbup:

[Beat Takeshi]

I liked the balls to go and do the one take thing. I thought the acting was pretty good but the audio suffered for me. Everytime we got to the guy I was like is he growing horns but then the camera would move on and i would have to wait for the next round. Then other things would happen and I would miss it again. It was pounding my senses but I thought it worked. It was a dizzying experience to say the least. I didn't read the other posts fully so I don't know if this was asked. How many takes did it take to get the one take. ;)

[jpbankesmercer]

It was pounding my senses but I thought it worked. It was a dizzying experience to say the least. I didn't read the other posts fully so I don't know if this was asked. How many takes did it take to get the one take. ;)

Cheers Aram for the kind words.

Two takes, the neighbour came screaming round after the second. I told the Actor's that we would only be doing one but we had a push on the Steadicam, it was soooo difficult to do. Spent hours rehearsing/ blocking/ tech.

Thanks again, glad it made you dizzy! :)

[Edgen]

Wowa! I have to say that this one really surprised me... It just kept going and going and I kept waiting for the cut. Then, I just kept waiting for those horns to keep growing and kept thinking... "Who in the world is doing the make up that fast and putting those horns on his head and the blood!?"

It was definitely a creepy and intense story. Your actors seemed to span across all levels from serious to comical and if you have the ability to suspend belief... It looks as though this could have really happened. Kudos! It was a great ride :)

/j

[jpbankesmercer]

Wowa! I have to say that this one really surprised me... Kudos! It was a great ride :)

/j

Must say that's great praise from you Bro.
Cheers.

[Inexistence]

I really enjoyed this one despite mixed reviews.
I won't even delve into the socalled technical difficulties
here becuase I actually think it worked in favor
of the film (audio).

There was definitely a build up of action of a steady
pace that leveled off only at the very end. I found
that quite thrilling and it genuinely gave me a feeling
of excitement but not so much of terror. The acting
definitely shined here with very little breathing room
between voices which kept the mood on the rise.

One take, one great little gem. Fairly original in
it's execution but, maybe a little much of the spin cam.
Although I more than applaud your efforts!

Did he say the end of the world was on 11.02.08?
Does that mean another Republican will be voted
into office?

[Lingothree]

Good work, and great effort.

Did you plan out dialogue so that it would at times allow the actor to be speaking their lines when the camera was on them, or was it all random?

I had a hard time paying attention to the actual dialogue (don't know if it was because of the poor sound quality, or because it's just one shot circling throughout, or what) but I still got what the movie was about. Was this intentional? Or did you want it to be more driven by dialogue than I took it to be?

Great delivery on the part of your actors without going over the top.

I appreciate that you did something a little different from what everyone else came up with in this festival - that really makes this one stand apart.

[Pale Rider]

So... did I miss something? Did you ever expound on what the production problem that made the news was? My apologies if I missed it, but I was just curious. Great job on the film, by the way. :beer:

[Owen]

FANTASTIC!

From the first shot it reminded me of the seance in "The Unquiet Dead" -- and from there on out grew even more frightening!

PITY THE GELTH!

...while it could detract from the reality/doc feel, I'd love to see this with a score of some sort added in. I think it'd be icing on the cake.

[Norm Sanders]

JP, I had to read back a few pages to see in fact that this was just ONE take.

THAT in and of itself for me make this nearly amazing. More so than the story, I was captivated by the technical aspect of it saying to myself 'where's the cut ... they've got to cut in here somewhere ... there's no WAY this is just one take ... is it?'

I loved the fact that each time we circled we saw the horns (or holes with blood? - hard to tell) becoming more & more evident with each pass. It did honestly start to get a little old near the end to keep hearing him say the same thing over & over (wanted to hear something new), and wish there could have been more of a finish to the end (seeing what was happening perhaps) ... but, all that to say that I was still impressed.

When dealing with supernatural forces that I take seriously, it adds a sincere creep/scare factor for me. Then add the cool & fun camera work & the one take ... well, that just amazed me.

Thanks for making this film, seriously. :thumbsup:

[Matt Sconce]

I loved the fact that each time we circled we saw the horns (or holes with blood? - hard to tell) becoming more & more evident with each pass. It did honestly start to get a little old near the end to keep hearing him say the same thing over & over (wanted to hear something new), and wish there could have been more of a finish to the end (seeing what was happening perhaps) ... but, all that to say that I was still impressed.



I too wish there was an ending....It also felt slightly too long for me. But other than those two things, this was an amazing movie for me. I liked the no cut method, the make-up, the actors, the room, everything. Rock on!

[jpbankesmercer]

So... did I miss something? Did you ever expound on what the production problem that made the news was? My apologies if I missed it, but I was just curious. Great job on the film, by the way. :beer:

Yeah he got possessed! :)

[Matt Sconce]

yep...hehe...they broke the circle.....hehe good marketing ploy!

[jpbankesmercer]

yep...hehe...they broke the circle.....hehe good marketing ploy!

I told em...don't break...the circle...

Paul’s happy now in his new room, when I go and visit, the other patients give me lot's of ideas for new material! :huh:

[jpbankesmercer]

I actually think it worked in favor
of the film (audio).

Andi could have done anything with the audio; we both decided that the boominess of the room added to the believability of the piece. I thought about all the elements carefully as I wanted to create an overall impression that it was actually happening. So good pick-up!


One take, one great little gem.
Appreciate that.


Did he say the end of the world was on 11.02.08?


According to the research and now that Pluto has been downgraded as a planet. Everything points to this date - 11-11-06 as being the end of the world!!! :crybaby:

Thanks for your kind comments. :thumbup:

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Did you plan out dialogue so that it would at times allow the actor to be speaking their lines when the camera was on them, or was it all random?

I paced the camera. We had certain key marks to hit within the short pertaining to the dialogue. I let some lines go off camera because I knew it would work in the space/ confining nature of the film. Hitting the make-up marks and keeping the key lines on camera was the hardest part of the blocking.


Or did you want it to be more driven by dialogue than I took it to be??

We kept pretty much to the script. The audio was an aesthetic choice between myself and the sound designer. I actually lost a few lines – one set piece because we physically couldn’t fit them in where we wanted them.


Great delivery on the part of your actors without going over the top.


Thanks for that, the guys will really appreciate it. My whole intention for this film was to direct for once!



I appreciate that you did something a little different from what everyone else came up with in this festival - that really makes this one stand apart.

Thank you, It makes those 8 Hours of blocking well worth it!:crybaby:

Thanks for taking the time and showing your appreciation. The cast/ crew will be chuffed.:thumbup:

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

FANTASTIC!

From the first shot it reminded me of the seance in "The Unquiet Dead" -- and from there on out grew even more frightening!

WOW cheers Owen :thumbup: :crybaby:
PITY THE GELTH!


..while it could detract from the reality/doc feel, I'd love to see this with a score of some sort added in. I think it'd be icing on the cake.

Do you think it would make the piece less believable if it had a score?

Owen thanks for watching. :thumbup: Still collecting the Dr. Who stuff for you. The package could be a film in it's own right :huh:

[jpbankesmercer]

Norm, Msconce will get back to you both, just gotta nip out and get some shopping in, fresh air! :huh:

[Owen]

Do you think it would make the piece less believable if it had a score?

Now that I've slept on it, I've decided that the Wormwood's constant noises ARE the score. It may not be the type of instrumental score we're used to, but they are present throughout and I think that they serve the same purpose a score is meant to serve, and THAT'S cool.

[235 Studios]

DISCLAIMER- I have purposely not read this thread to not sway my thoughts on the film.


That was some bloody briliant camera work, editing, and directing. I enjoyed it- a mix of C.S. Lewis / Rope by Alfred Hitchock / & Reservoir Dogs. After just watching the film one time through If I had to guess where the edits were it would be that they were when the lights flash on and off. Another good place to hid them would be when a head is infront of the camera lens. To know exactly where they are I would have to watch it more closely. If I am wrong, and there are no edits, and it was done in one take- I am even that much more impressed with everything.

You did a good job at choreographing the lines and the camera movement. I'm sure this was not an easy task. Also, the lighting felt appropriate for the film, and it worked- especially as you did not have many options as far as light placement. I assume that you did not have the "set" custom built for the short- so I would have to guess that the practicals are what light the majority of the scene.

Also, nice touch on the VFX- they were subtle, but effective. I like how the blood & horns grow with each successive pass of the camera. Enough to notice that something is happening, but not over the top IMO.

The score, or lack there of, worked for this film. While I'm sure that one could have been created for it, I did not feel like it was missing, or that it needed it.

Overall- this is a well done piece. I think the only major critiques I have are the low light levels when the lights are low / off. I personally would have wanted to see a little more in the actors face- to provide them with more opportunity to see their expressions / reactions. Also- in terms of story, I felt like I was watching an event unfold, but from a distance - emotionally removed. I didn't feel connected to it, or invested in it. Other then this is a freaky event, why do I care about any of the people I am watching? But as I have mentioned elsewhere this might just be due to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the whole horror genre.

Nice work- this one is a keeper, and will be saved in my library!

As a side note- the guy in the glasses reminds me of that guy in Ghostbusters- the nerdy one with the similar galsses. (no offense to the actor.) I kept wanting him to call his friends as break out the backpack and shoot the guy with ecto-plasm. :)

[ExtremeSleuth]

just got done watching the film. AWESOME JOB, very Rope like. the camera work was phenomenal, the acting was great, the sound was awesome. i honestly couldn't say enough about the film. I wish you the best of luck, and great job on the film

I give it :thumbup: :thumbup:. :beer:

[Dario Nieva]

Great work guys! I loved this film a lot, it was very intense and a unique idea. The sound was good and the acting was very good.

I applaud your attempt at the infamous "One-take" shot, but for me it was ruined.

I am not sure if you noticed this or not, or if it was because of the legal troubles that you had that you couldn't shoot it again but, On one of the revolutions I saw what I beleive to be the make-up person's make-up tray. I read that you only took two takes, but I think you should have taken a third (assuming you had the opportunity) because this kinda ruined the realism for me from that point on because I was kinda wondering what i'd see on the next revolution.

Overall a great film, I really enjoyed it but I would like to see it attempted again, when you go for the "one-take" shot, you have to do it perfect or it kind of voids the notion.

[jpbankesmercer]

JP, I had to read back a few pages to see in fact that this was just ONE take.

THAT in and of itself for me make this nearly amazing. More so than the story, I was captivated by the technical aspect of it saying to myself 'where's the cut ... they've got to cut in here somewhere ... there's no WAY this is just one take ... is it?'

It's funny Norm, I always think of your work as one of the more technically supirior around the board, not to put down the amazing talent around here, just singling you out. It crossed my mind more than once what’s Norm going to think of this film, not because of your beliefs but because I admire you striving for technical perfection. I on the other hand due to lack of resources am trying to aim for creative/ direction competency. So I’m pleased you liked what I attempted to pull of. It is one shot and that was always my goal. Originally I wanted to do a proper Casino style block-buster single take but realistically having to produce and direct knew one area would suffer. So I kept it simple and tried to throw in a few interesting think-outside-the-box ideas. So to impress yourself and others, well I’m chuffed. :)


(wanted to hear something new), and wish there could have been more of a finish to the end (seeing what was happening perhaps) ...:

I know that now, just tried to put myself in the shoes of a mythical demon, they are mythical right? Still working on my script chops. Although I must say, I did want to leave it open-ended to let the viewer consider the possibilities.



When dealing with supernatural forces that I take seriously, it adds a sincere creep/scare factor for me. Then add the cool & fun camera work & the one take ... well, that just amazed me.

Thanks for making this film, seriously. :thumbsup:

Thanks mate it means a lot to me. :) :beer: :)

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

this was an amazing movie for me. I liked the no cut method, the make-up, the actors, the room, everything. Rock on!

Thanks for that, I'm getting round to your film honest, I've heard great things. So it's a real compliment. Glad you liked it! :beer:

[Mark Harris]

I liked the one take because the story kept moving, in my eyes. But what was soo brilliant about this short, was first off, it was a subject matter that could be done in 6 min. Single place. Single event. Did not detract from the drama of that event for me. I've read some people complaining about story and endings and such, but I feel about short movies, the way I feel about short stories. I think forms can be more varied.

Anyway, you took this simple idea, and let it play on the viewer. And the actors carried the whole thing. That's what's so powerful to me. Timur was right, when they start to feel something under the table, that CREEPED ME OUT.

This is similar to my thoughts on The Seeing. You demonstrated a confidence in your storytelling I don't think I have yet. You used real horror techniques to build expectations and ENGAGE the viewer's imagination, rather than a lot of effects/make-up/etc/. This is the most powerful kind of filmmaking to me.

I guess I could quibble about lights and stuff, but really, I was pulled in enough to forget that stuff.

If there was ANYTHING that pulled me out of it, it was the possessed guy's horns and how they kepy growing - or whatever that was. And the reason it distracted me was I was sitting there as a filmmaker wondering how the HELL you were doin it. I imagined a make-up person running in whenever the camera was off him. But I don't imagine the average viewer would think like that.

The thing about the one shot to me is, YOU TRIED IT. Perfect or not, this is a festival I see as a chance to push yourself. I did that by showing the community here something besides my comedy series. You guys did it with this thing. So I can imagine there was a TON learned by pushing yourselves. And that's why the DVX fests are great in my eyes.

[jpbankesmercer]

Now that I've slept on it, I've decided that the Wormwood's constant noises ARE the score. It may not be the type of instrumental score we're used to, but they are present throughout and I think that they serve the same purpose a score is meant to serve, and THAT'S cool.

So you not doing the score now??? :)

[ezexpress]

I am not sure if you noticed this or not, or if it was because of the legal troubles that you had that you couldn't shoot it again but, On one of the revolutions I saw what I beleive to be the make-up person's make-up tray. I read that you only took two takes, but I think you should have taken a third (assuming you had the opportunity) because this kinda ruined the realism for me from that point on because I was kinda wondering what i'd see on the next revolution.

To tell you the truth I didn't notice this until my second viewing. I do however happen to agree... I do not know what the circumstances were, but I would not have been able to let that go.

So far this is my favorite film entered, and I really enjoyed the premise. The under the table line is priceless... really gave me chills!

[jpbankesmercer]

To tell you the truth I didn't notice this until my second viewing. I do however happen to agree... I do not know what the circumstances were, but I would not have been able to let that go.

Guys you got me, hehehe, no-one noticed for a while. Its a real shame. Want to take it out with AE (if anyone is offering some help:) ) I'm rubbish with it. We didn't notice on the night and we were cut short and couldn't go for another take, next-door came screaming round saying we had woken the kids. So I'm gutted. But I WILL fix it and only you DVXuser guys will ever know so....Shhhooosshhh :thumbup:


So far this is my favorite film entered, and I really enjoyed the premise. The under the table line is priceless... really gave me chills!

Thanks dude, that line still shakes ME up too :crybaby:

[jpbankesmercer]

That was some bloody briliant camera work, editing, and directing. I enjoyed it- a mix of C.S. Lewis / Rope by Alfred Hitchock / & Reservoir Dogs. After just watching the film one time through If I had to guess where the edits were it would be that they were when the lights flash on and off. Another good place to hid them would be when a head is infront of the camera lens. To know exactly where they are I would have to watch it more closely. If I am wrong, and there are no edits, and it was done in one take- I am even that much more impressed with everything.:)

NO edits....1 take....1 take...

That coming from you is a massive compliment, I couldn't wish for better. Work with me!!! Norm will never know :)


You did a good job at choreographing the lines and the camera movement. I'm sure this was not an easy task. Also, the lighting felt appropriate for the film, and it worked- especially as you did not have many options as far as light placement. I assume that you did not have the "set" custom built for the short- so I would have to guess that the practicals are what light the majority of the scene.

1 2k Arri behind the clock for lift, 1 800w behind the door for depth. We tried to get some double wick candles, but I couldn't find them on the day. So Ama (DP) used the candles on the table to lift their faces. Wish I had those double wicks (that a great trade secret by the way)


Also, nice touch on the VFX- they were subtle, but effective. I like how the blood & horns grow with each successive pass of the camera. Enough to notice that something is happening, but not over the top IMO..

Thanks didn't want to go too overboard but wanted something subtle. What am I saying they were horns!!! :zombie_smiley:


The score, or lack there of, worked for this film. While I'm sure that one could have been created for it, I did not feel like it was missing, or that it needed it...

Andi did a heavy FX sound version but we decided in the end to tone it down. Pleased that it worked for you.


Overall- this is a well done piece. I think the only major critiques I have are the low light levels when the lights are low / off. I personally would have wanted to see a little more in the actors face- to provide them with more opportunity to see their expressions / reactions. Also- in terms of story, I felt like I was watching an event unfold, but from a distance - emotionally removed. I didn't feel connected to it, or invested in it. Other then this is a freaky event, why do I care about any of the people I am watching? But as I have mentioned elsewhere this might just be due to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the whole horror genre....

Damm those double wick's :crybaby:


Nice work- this one is a keeper, and will be saved in my library!

We are in the library!


As a side note- the guy in the glasses reminds me of that guy in Ghostbusters- the nerdy one with the similar galsses. (no offense to the actor.) I kept wanting him to call his friends as break out the backpack and shoot the guy with ecto-plasm. :)

It was mentioned :) An English Rick but with more depth IMOP.

Thanks a million for you in-depth review. I'm a big fan of your so it makes it even more personal that you liked our work.

Cheers. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

just got done watching the film. AWESOME JOB, very Rope like. the camera work was phenomenal, the acting was great, the sound was awesome. i honestly couldn't say enough about the film. I wish you the best of luck, and great job on the film

I give it :thumbup: :thumbup:. :beer:

Cheers mate...god "The Rope" I could only wish!! Thanks a million for your kind words.

J.P.

[Blaine]

JP, I'm really impressed in what you were able to do without a cut. Pretty amazing. The actors carried this piece.

I also loved the way the horns kept growing on each pass. How'd you do that so quickly?

You made the most of a single (small) location. I'd have liked a little more lighting on the actors faces using the candles to motivate the lighting. I don't know how you'd have accomplished that, given the location and constant circling, though.

This went on a tad too long for me and I've got to say that I'd have broken the circle a damned site sooner if I'd seen someone growing horns in front of me. I was beginning to get restless toward the end but it was still an amazing take.

[ExtremeSleuth]

Cheers mate...god "The Rope" I could only wish!! Thanks a million for your kind words.

J.P.


No problem. the horn effect was really cool. i wanna know how that was done! great job again. :thumbup: :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

No problem. the horn effect was really cool. i wanna know how that was done! great job again. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Clay horns, added in stages. I was pacing in-front of the camera holding it back until Jeanette (THE STAR MAKE-UP ARTIST) was finished, poor soul she was superb on the day, even under sooo much pressure. She is working on a feature at the moment, making demons I think.

I fully intend to use her to the max in the future, she is amazing.

I got a cheeky screenplay for a film that is perfect.

Thanks again.
J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Trying to get through everyones film. Sorry if I have not watched/ posted yet but I will. Phew! My eyes!

[Matt Sconce]

Trying to get through everyones film. Sorry if I have not watched/ posted yet but I will. Phew! My eyes!
No prob, I think I almost spontaneously combusted after watching and commenting on them all. Take your time! :)

[Mark Harris]

Yeah, Joe, look at the quote of mine Matt uses in his signature - Mark Harris. It's no joke.

[jpbankesmercer]

No prob, I think I almost spontaneously combusted after watching and commenting on them all. Take your time! :)

Your next.

[jpbankesmercer]

Yeah, Joe, look at the quote of mine Matt uses in his signature - Mark Harris. It's no joke.

You had to go one better and have an animated sig didn't you. Your soooooo special :)

Do one for me :)

[Mark Harris]

You had to go one better and have an animated sig didn't you. Your soooooo special :)

Do one for me :)

Sure I'll do one for you, but it's going to say Bloody Mary...:)

[jpbankesmercer]

Sure I'll do one for you, but it's going to say Bloody Mary...:)

How about Bloody Broken Circle...

Mary...

Broken...

Bloody...

[jpbankesmercer]

I'll just do my own then I DON'T need you and it's going to be better. :huh:

[Matt Sconce]

How about Bloody Broken Circle...

Mary...

Broken...

Bloody...

you just scarred me for life...I shall go curl into the fetal position someplace safe.......:crybaby:

[jpbankesmercer]

this was an amazing movie for me. I liked the no cut method, the make-up, the actors, the room, everything. Rock on!

After watching your film, this means 100x more. Thanks a million. :thumbup:

[Barry_S]

Overall, I thought brocken circle was top notch. For me, the single circling shot was completely appropriate and acted as an engine to drive the story while reinforcing the theme. It was a bit unsettling, but that's what I'm looking for in a six minute film--constant motion. Give me an occasional rest in a feature, but at 6 minutes, I expect a horror film to be running balls out. BC takes about 15 seconds to come up to speed and plays like a nice coherent scene.

The acting was very solid and I give the cast big kudos for making the dialogue believable and hitting their lines like pros. As some others felt, I thought the Wormwood's dialogue was a bit weak and I think his audio still needs some work. The lighting also needed some beefing up in the center of the table as DV footage really starts to fall apart at low light levels. Better to light a little brighter and take things down in post. I didn't miss a musical score, as many of the scores I'm hearing are very generic suspense music that don't add much.

When the camera movement and dialogue were in sync, I could hardly believe it--godamn that was nice. At one point everything goes out of sync for a bit and that did bug me, but it's a minor gripe.

Nice film.

[snodart]

Excellent work. This is creative filmmaking at its best. I can only imagine the time spent for blocking. Lighting was perfect. Art direction was great. Actors were excellent. I can only agree with the positive comments that I have read here.... so I won't bore you by repeating them.

I was so into what was happening, if there were any mistakes or negatives, I missed them. The only thing that pulled me out for a bit was the sound clipping during the screams... and every once in a while the demon voice/noises sounded a bit like a lion, but still had my heart racing.

I feel like I was cut off before the climax, and although I would have like to have seen the the ultimate outcome of the broken circle, I didn't consider it a negative in this 6 minute setting.

Anyway, great and impressive work. High scores!

[jpbankesmercer]

Top notch? WOW Cheers Bazza :)

[jpbankesmercer]

:crybaby:
I liked the one take because the story kept moving, in my eyes. But what was soo brilliant about this short, was first off, it was a subject matter that could be done in 6 min. Single place. Single event. Did not detract from the drama of that event for me. I've read some people complaining about story and endings and such, but I feel about short movies, the way I feel about short stories. I think forms can be more varied..

I agree, cheers mate.


And the actors carried the whole thing. That's what's so powerful to me. Timur was right, when they start to feel something under the table, that CREEPED ME OUT...

To be honest the Actors made this film, me throwing in the 1 shot idea was a bit of bling. I loved working with Paul, Hazel, Greg, Lawrence and Nadia (My wife), I couldn't have asked for a better cast. Thanks guys your amazing.


This is similar to my thoughts on The Seeing. You demonstrated a confidence in your storytelling I don't think I have yet. You used real horror techniques to build expectations and ENGAGE the viewer's imagination, rather than a lot of effects/make-up/etc/. This is the most powerful kind of filmmaking to me.

Dude thanks a million. I'm really concentrating on my directing/ storytelling chops at the moment. :beer:


The thing about the one shot to me is, YOU TRIED IT. Perfect or not, this is a festival I see as a chance to push yourself. I did that by showing the community here something besides my comedy series. You guys did it with this thing. So I can imagine there was a TON learned by pushing yourselves. And that's why the DVX fests are great in my eyes.

I agree, we ALL learnt tons from doing this. In the future I can see me working on more 1 shot projects. I got a real buzz from it. :)

Without this festival "Broken Circle" would have never been made, I'm always thinking of the next project but Jarred @ Co. gave me a deadline! :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

JP, I'm really impressed in what you were able to do without a cut. Pretty amazing. The actors carried this piece..

They made it I agree, cheers for you kind remarks :beer:


I also loved the way the horns kept growing on each pass. How'd you do that so quickly?..

Her name is Jeanette, she is a real professional. We all love her and her clay horns! :)


I'd have liked a little more lighting on the actors faces using the candles to motivate the lighting. I don't know how you'd have accomplished that, given the location and constant circling, though...

We had a 2k Arri behind the clock to lift the room. We should have got hold of some double-wick candles to lift their faces even more. My fault :crybaby:

Thanks for your kind comments, glad you liked it. Took an age to work out. :thumbup:
J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Overall, I thought brocken circle was top notch. For me, the single circling shot was completely appropriate and acted as an engine to drive the story while reinforcing the theme. It was a bit unsettling, but that's what I'm looking for in a six minute film--constant motion. Give me an occasional rest in a feature, but at 6 minutes, I expect a horror film to be running balls out. BC takes about 15 seconds to come up to speed and plays like a nice coherent scene. .

Couldn't agree more, in-late out early was my maxim on this project.


The acting was very solid and I give the cast big kudos for making the dialogue believable and hitting their lines like pros. .

Having trained as an actor, I really wanted to pull something from the guys. Everyone was fantastic on the day, I couldn't have wished for more.:crybaby:


The lighting also needed some beefing up in the center of the table as DV footage really starts to fall apart at low light levels. Better to light a little brighter and take things down in post. .

No arguments there. Should have got hold of those double wick candles to lift them a little better.


When the camera movement and dialogue were in sync, I could hardly believe it--godamn that was nice.
Nice film.

Wow, coming from you that is a MASSIVE compliment, thanks for taking the time to watch our little film. Your kind words mean everything to me and the cast/ crew. Cheers Barry your a legend :thumbup: :thumbup:

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Excellent work. This is creative filmmaking at its best. I can only imagine the time spent for blocking. Lighting was perfect. Art direction was great. Actors were excellent. I can only agree with the positive comments that I have read here.... so I won't bore you by repeating them.

Thanks for your kinds word. Waldo the Art Director spent two days sorting the room out. All the paintings in the room are his own work. So he will be pleased.


I was so into what was happening, if there were any mistakes or negatives, I missed them. The only thing that pulled me out for a bit was the sound clipping during the screams... and every once in a while the demon voice/noises sounded a bit like a lion, but still had my heart racing. .

Cheers geeza :thumbup:


I feel like I was cut off before the climax, and although I would have like to have seen the the ultimate outcome of the broken circle, I didn't consider it a negative in this 6 minute setting.
Anyway, great and impressive work. High scores!

Thanks a million, I'm getting round to all the films. Not seen yours yet but I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again for your amazing comments.

J.P.

[Aaron Marshall]

Broken Circle had a Polanski feel to it. I was impressed. I loved how you moved the camera around the table getting all the different reaction. The voice was so creepy! There was no pretense in this film, just balls to the walls fright.

great job!

[Kyle Stebbins]

The voice was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. This is some scary stuff, jpbankesmercer, you should be proud. -- hooowweevvver, there were a couple moments when i had trouble believing the situation. -- for one it was hard to believe he was possessed when it was just his own voice... i don't know, it was unnerving, but not that scary to just hear him saying "i am the controller" --> but once your scary voice came in i about shit myself!!!!

the only other reserve i have about it is the end when you put your credit. Man, talk about ending abruptly. As soon as that came on the screen I immediately lost all concern, all trembling... the only thing I could think of was how i wish the title hadn't popped up.

Negatives aside, you have yourself a really fantastic movie here and you will score high on my ballot. -- Great concept, stellar camerawork... brilliant actors/actresses. To be able to do this in one take is incredible. I loved it!!!!
-Kyle Stebbins

[jpbankesmercer]

Broken Circle had a Polanski feel to it. I was impressed. I loved how you moved the camera around the table getting all the different reaction. The voice was so creepy! There was no pretense in this film, just balls to the walls fright.

great job!

Wow Polanski :)

Good to have a film with a fews balls in it :)

Thanks a million

[jpbankesmercer]

The voice was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. This is some scary stuff, jpbankesmercer, you should be proud. -- hooowweevvver, there were a couple moments when i had trouble believing the situation. -- for one it was hard to believe he was possessed when it was just his own voice... i don't know, it was unnerving, but not that scary to just hear him saying "i am the controller" --> but once your scary voice came in i about shi* myself!!!!

I had an original score with the voice constant but I thought it was too over-the-top maybe I was wrong, wanted to create the impression he was wrestling with the the demon from the inside.


you have yourself a really fantastic movie here and you will score high on my ballot. -- Great concept, stellar camerawork... brilliant actors/actresses. To be able to do this in one take is incredible. I loved it!!!!
-Kyle Stebbins

Man that's kind of you to say :thumbup: , have I reviewd yours yet? Getting around to it. My Eyes :(

Thanks again.

Hey everyone keep the comments coming please!

J.P.

[Ben Sliker]

i'll chime in a little bit, although i don't think i can say much more!

This film had a true mezmorizing feel to it for me, with each pass around the table, i was left wanting more and more to happen. And about 3 min through, i realized, holy shit ... this is going to be one take.

The acting was solid, especially in a "don't f-up" situation. All around quality, two thumbs up.

How much room did you have to move around in there?

[Texture]

Whoa! Freaked me out this one!!!

Great cast!

E.

[jpbankesmercer]

i'll chime in a little bit, although i don't think i can say much more!

This film had a true mezmorizing feel to it for me, with each pass around the table, i was left wanting more and more to happen. And about 3 min through, i realized, holy shi* ... this is going to be one take.

The acting was solid, especially in a "don't f-up" situation. All around quality, two thumbs up.

How much room did you have to move around in there?

Not much at all, with four of use around the camera! :)

to be honest it's the hardest thing I've ever had to block, technically and Actor wise. We all worked are arses off to get something usable.

Thanks for your kind comments. :thumbup: :beer: :thumbup:

J.P.

[SteadiJay]

Yeah, it was really tight in there - 4 of us moving round with the camera, and both behind Wormwood and the guys on the opposite wall was really tight, there was just enough space to get the Steadicam base behind the chairs, but it was really tight. But we got round it OK...just ;)

[cinealma]

Another one of my favorites. The one take circling the table was absolutely brilliant. And what made it brilliant is that it added so much to the vision of what the film was about. Tracks would not have worked on this one. The SteadiCam work gave it just a little imbalance to it, you know. This film was a fine example of craft and tech.

The only critical things I have to say are this. The dialogue became jumbled a bit. I don't know if this is the effect you were looking for. But I was actually getting a little peeved that I couldn't understand what everybody was saying. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE THE SCRIPT. PM ME IF THIS IS POSSIBLE.

And it ended a bit abruptly. I like the fact that you started the film well into the seance, or university lab exercise, or whatever the setting was. But I fell you needed to work a bit of basic dramatic structure into the script.

Still, a great piece of work. I really enjoyed it.


John G.

[jpbankesmercer]

Whoa! Freaked me out this one!!!

Great cast!

E.

Hehe, I love em too.
Glad we freaked ya!

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Yeah, it was really tight in there - 4 of us moving round with the camera, and both behind Wormwood and the guys on the opposite wall was really tight, there was just enough space to get the Steadicam base behind the chairs, but it was really tight. But we got round it OK...just ;)

Without you mate this NEVER could have happened. You've got serious skills. Pleasure working with you. :thumbup: :thumbup: :dankk2: :beer: :thumbup: :thumbup:

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON BROKEN CIRCLE (WE NEED THEM!)

[jpbankesmercer]

Just added the scipt to the front page, this is the version we shot from. No changes have been made since.

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON BROKEN CIRCLE (WE NEED THEM!)

[VersuS]

Thanx for sharing the script!!! I will check it out and comment on it!

[jpbankesmercer]

Thanx for sharing the script!!! I will check it out and comment on it!

Thanks mate, I know I havn't got around to yours yet but I promise....Today! :)
I'm struggling to get through them all.

[jpbankesmercer]

Another one of my favorites. The one take circling the table was absolutely brilliant. And what made it brilliant is that it added so much to the vision of what the film was about. Tracks would not have worked on this one. The SteadiCam work gave it just a little imbalance to it, you know. This film was a fine example of craft and tech.

The only critical things I have to say are this. The dialogue became jumbled a bit. I don't know if this is the effect you were looking for. But I was actually getting a little peeved that I couldn't understand what everybody was saying. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE THE SCRIPT. PM ME IF THIS IS POSSIBLE.

And it ended a bit abruptly. I like the fact that you started the film well into the seance, or university lab exercise, or whatever the setting was. But I fell you needed to work a bit of basic dramatic structure into the script.

Still, a great piece of work. I really enjoyed it.


John G.

Cheers I PM'd you the script.

Thanks for your kind comments.

J.P.


PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR BROKEN CIRCLE (WE NEED EM!)

[macintosh]

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Well, there isn't all that much to say here, but the lighting in the film was great. I don't think I'd have been as freaked out if I was able to really clearly see their faces. Kudos on the steadicam work. Having one continuous shot really gave this film a different feel from all the rest.

SOUND:

Overall, everything sounded great, the dialogue was easy to hear and understand and the background sound effects were mixed well. The only thing was during the end when everyone was screaming. Because of the loud volume I started hearing some distortion, nothing too terribly bad, but it was still there.

SCREENPLAY:

Very nice idea. I especially enjoyed that you kept the entire film in one single location during one single event. The dialogue was written pretty well, and the piece flowed well from start to finish.

ACTING:

I think all of your actors did a great job. I dunno how many takes it took to get the entire thing done, but the fact that all of your actors were able to perform a 6 minute scene was awesome. That definitely shows some talent.

Overall I think this was a very interesting film. Definitely different from the rest in a good way. I liked the simplest approach and feel you pulled it off quite well. Good Job.

[RebeccaD]

I was amazed that you did that in one shot! Positively brilliant. Nice work guys! :beer:

[Matt Sconce]

I was amazed that you did that in one shot! Positively brilliant. Nice work guys! :beer:

and only two takes!! That is pretty rockin!

[jpbankesmercer]

and only two takes!! That is pretty rockin!

Cheers Big boy! :)

[jpbankesmercer]

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Well, there isn't all that much to say here, but the lighting in the film was great. I don't think I'd have been as freaked out if I was able to really clearly see their faces. Kudos on the steadicam work. Having one continuous shot really gave this film a different feel from all the rest..

Thanks for that, I think the lighting works. Would it have been better on a higher format/ brighter lighting? Who knows...I also think that the low-key approach adds some realism. Thanks :thumbup:



Overall, everything sounded great, the dialogue was easy to hear and understand and the background sound effects were mixed well. The only thing was during the end when everyone was screaming. Because of the loud volume I started hearing some distortion, nothing too terribly bad, but it was still there.
..
I'm going to look at this with Andi for the release...In 4:3 I might add :)


Very nice idea. I especially enjoyed that you kept the entire film in one single location during one single event. The dialogue was written pretty well, and the piece flowed well from start to finish...

Cheers mate we appricate it.


I think all of your actors did a great job. I dunno how many takes it took to get the entire thing done, but the fact that all of your actors were able to perform a 6 minute scene was awesome. That definitely shows some talent....

Man I can't wait to work with them all again. They ARE amazing! Well done guys everyone seems to rate the acting. :thumbup:


Overall I think this was a very interesting film. Definitely different from the rest in a good way. I liked the simplest approach and feel you pulled it off quite well. Good Job.

Cheers, just wanted to try something different glad you think we pulled it off. :dankk2: :beer:

Thanks for taking the time to review our work, it means a hell of a lot.
J.P.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON BROKEN CIRCLE (WE NEED EM!)

[jpbankesmercer]

I was amazed that you did that in one shot! Positively brilliant. Nice work guys! :beer:

Rebecca, just wanted to say you did a great job in R.E.M. I think you and Norm are going to make stars out of each other.

Thanks for your very kind words.

J.P.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS FOR BROKEN CIRCLE (WE NEED EM!)

[J.R. Hudson]

Hey !

What a ambitious short you made; wow.

De Palma and Hitch would be proud with this single roll. I enjoyed this piece. The lighting seemed off and at times the sound was a bit much but overall, I was impresssed.

Great job on the concept !

[Gord.T]

I can only imagine that it would be easier to document the inner workings of a whale's intestine whilste being ingested by it than to attempt this. And do it well? That's in a category by itself. The timing for the actors alone makes me shudder.
Bravo to everyone. -gordo

[kimko]

my girlfriend and i were at the edge of our seats. amazing that you could pull it off. really really great acting. good dialogue kept it moving, and the ensemble cast, BRILLANT! as the guiness men would say. top 3

[jpbankesmercer]

Hey !
What a ambitious short you made; wow.

De Palma and Hitch would be proud with this single roll.


Thanks for taking the time to watch John, appreciate it man! De Palma and Hitch are two of my favourite Directors so thanks! :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

I can only imagine that it would be easier to document the inner workings of a whale's intestine whilste being ingested by it than to attempt this. And do it well? That's in a category by itself. The timing for the actors alone makes me shudder.
Bravo to everyone. -gordo

Cheers Gordo, It wasn't that easy :) Especially as when only had time for two takes at it. The Actors nailed it. I was lucky to work with them.

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

my girlfriend and i were at the edge of our seats. amazing that you could pull it off. really really great acting. good dialogue kept it moving, and the ensemble cast, BRILLANT! as the guiness men would say. top 3

Nice to get that reaction from another Actor. I will pass your kind comments onto the cast. Cheers dude...

Also isn't your Avatar due for a change??

J.P.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

your in my top three
sorry for another quicky sucky review, but I'm late to my screening.
i'll do a real one tonight or swallow 1000 crickets.

[jpbankesmercer]

your in my top three
sorry for another quicky sucky review, but I'm late to my screening.
i'll do a real one tonight or swallow 1000 crickets.

Cheers big boy!

[greeches]

Very powerful. One shot wonder indeed.

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but I couldn't look away and genuinely felt scared for the characters. The makeup was excellent and concept very original.

BRAVO!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

OK loved this one.

Since my only negatives are small I'll get them out of the way and end positive.

Sound distorted at times and I thought more could have been done with the lighting even though you were using the whole set all at once. I think our eyes get excited (dumb phrasing) when there is a full range of bright to dark, highlights to black on the screen and here we had only mid to black.

Final ding ... story trajectory was a little straight on for a short IMHO. I subscribe to the very specific opinion that a short film should end on a defiance of expectation, because unlike in a longer form where we get to make the audience think that things won't work out as expected for a while and then wind up in the inevitable end, it feels like less of an event in a short when you have "uh oh this might happen ... and then it happens" I'm very tired so I'm probably not making sense.

OK ... the good stuff.

Despite the overly straight trajectory of the story its solidly built and well developed withe the several characters well defined and moving along nice arcs.

Acting was top shelf across the board.

And here's the biggy, with those two strengths this third element separates the wheat from the chaff, your camera work is so embedded in the linear and emotional trajectory of the story that it is a part of the story - it is the story in and of itself and its so effin simple. This is the kind of camera work we should all be striving to achieve in every set up and shot of every moment of our films. This is impossible to achieve but here you have come as close as anyone ever can.

The characters are locked in a circle, bound to a fixed position and process that they cannot break from, and so you put the audience in their shoes buy using the camera as metaphor, we swirl around the table, perhaps at times wishing for another angle or to change directions, but like the characters we cannot, and yet the whole thing keeps moving forward and SPIRALLING (nudge nudge) out of control.

In Mckees story book he talks about the fact that Character IS story. Because what the character does is based on who they are and what they do shapes the story and the story then causes them to react as who they are and so on.

This is all well and good for writers. But as filmmakers I feel the ultimate goal is "mise en scene" IS story. Every aspect of the production can only be as it is in service of the story. And here we have a prime example.

In Broken Circle:
Camera movement IS story.

This has never been achieved to such a degree in our festival. And you did it with less is more while I'm dumping my whole apartment out into a basement and repainting my walls in an attempt to achieve roughly the same end you great poo pooing bastard :beer:

[hvxabuser]

i'm shocked over the responses to this one. granted it one shot but its poorly lit and audio is distorted (at least here it is) and story is interesting but not something i really enjoy(IMHO). work on your lighting... you lost me for that. good job though, hard to keep actors acting for 6 mins.

[jpbankesmercer]

Very powerful. One shot wonder indeed.

I wasn't sure what to think at first, but I couldn't look away and genuinely felt scared for the characters. The makeup was excellent and concept very original.

BRAVO!

Thanks for that Greeches, appreciate it man.

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

OK loved this one.

Since my only negatives are small I'll get them out of the way and end positive.

Sound distorted at times and I thought more could have been done with the lighting even though you were using the whole set all at once. I think our eyes get excited (dumb phrasing) when there is a full range of bright to dark, highlights to black on the screen and here we had only mid to black.

Final ding ... story trajectory was a little straight on for a short IMHO. I subscribe to the very specific opinion that a short film should end on a defiance of expectation, because unlike in a longer form where we get to make the audience think that things won't work out as expected for a while and then wind up in the inevitable end, it feels like less of an event in a short when you have "uh oh this might happen ... and then it happens" I'm very tired so I'm probably not making sense.

OK ... the good stuff.

Despite the overly straight trajectory of the story its solidly built and well developed withe the several characters well defined and moving along nice arcs.

Acting was top shelf across the board.

And here's the biggy, with those two strengths this third element separates the wheat from the chaff, your camera work is so embedded in the linear and emotional trajectory of the story that it is a part of the story - it is the story in and of itself and its so effin simple. This is the kind of camera work we should all be striving to achieve in every set up and shot of every moment of our films. This is impossible to achieve but here you have come as close as anyone ever can.

The characters are locked in a circle, bound to a fixed position and process that they cannot break from, and so you put the audience in their shoes buy using the camera as metaphor, we swirl around the table, perhaps at times wishing for another angle or to change directions, but like the characters we cannot, and yet the whole thing keeps moving forward and SPIRALLING (nudge nudge) out of control.

In Mckees story book he talks about the fact that Character IS story. Because what the character does is based on who they are and what they do shapes the story and the story then causes them to react as who they are and so on.

This is all well and good for writers. But as filmmakers I feel the ultimate goal is "mise en scene" IS story. Every aspect of the production can only be as it is in service of the story. And here we have a prime example.

In Broken Circle:
Camera movement IS story.

This has never been achieved to such a degree in our festival. And you did it with less is more while I'm dumping my whole apartment out into a basement and repainting my walls in an attempt to achieve roughly the same end you great poo pooing bastard :beer:

Jack I'm speechless, thanks a million. :thumbup:

J.P.

[sean90291]

And I only saw the make-up artists's stuff once! ;-) I thought it was a waiter at first...and then I'm like, a waiter?! Who needs a waiter when you're summoning Satan. Very impressed by the single shot technique. Interesting concept. Watched it 3 times.

[jpbankesmercer]

3 Times :)
Satan doesn't eat, does he?

Thanks Sean.

[jpbankesmercer]

This has never been achieved to such a degree in our festival. And you did it with less is more while I'm dumping my whole apartment out into a basement and repainting my walls in an attempt to achieve roughly the same end you great poo pooing bastard :beer:


Jacks that's such a compliment, also by dragging your whole apartment down to the basement, shows how dedication you are. You moved it back up yet??:thumbup: :)

[jpbankesmercer]

hard to keep actors acting for 6 mins.

Thanks for that. :thumbup:

Sound, yeah ya got me couldn't afford to LAV it up, should have.

It's LOW-KEY LIGHTING, we did have a 2k hidden behind the clock to boost. Tis hard when your doing a 360! :)

[dazzah27]

Overall this was a genuinally scary film, I have worked with JP in a writing and acting capacity and I thought with this piece, he produced the best out of the actors, He is an actors director, so well done big boy!! I hope you win, VOTE BROKEN CIRCLE or else I will fight you. xx

[jpbankesmercer]

http://static.deliaonline.com/images/originals/ch072-sausage-rolls-22115.jpg

Told you.

[jpbankesmercer]

http://www.feeder.ro/pe_6573756.gif

See.

[TimurCivan]

Lmfao

[theAlchemist]

This was a movie that really didn't work for me. I appreciate the fact you tried to do this as a 1 shot kinda thing, but it kinda annoyed me after 2 minutes. I wasn't so happy with the sound editing either. The last minute I just switched the sound way down because the screaming was really annoying in the end. It completely kicked me out of the story. I think you could have made it a lot less annoying with a more balanced sound edit. On the positive side: the acting was reasonable and your story was a bit better than a whole bunch of other shorts i've seen in the fest.

[jpbankesmercer]

Thanks have a cheese and pickle stick.

[TimurCivan]

about the 100,000,000? are you buying someone a lottery ticket?

[jpbankesmercer]

Timur, Timur, Timur, whoooaaaa. Just relax it's a party man. We can talk about the $100,000,000 later. Try this. I brewed it myself. That's it drink it all down...:)

[TimurCivan]

...... whoah......... i kinda wanna sighn papers right now........... oh wow a contact about he rights to Bloody mary.......... hey lookkkk a place fomr me to sighnZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... ...

[jpbankesmercer]

That's it...sign just here....

[jpbankesmercer]

Maybe I should change the music.

[jpbankesmercer]

http://www.cluas.com/images/music/opinion/heavy_metal.jpg

[Mark Johnson]

Finally getting around to writing this review. I've watched BC several times and each time am amazed at the camera work. My head hurts at the thought of how many times I would have had to shoot this and still not get the take you did. When you watch several times you realize that either this had some gruelling and exacting blocking or you have supernatural powers. The acting is so damn good ... and from the whole ensemble. ... It's so fresh that I can't imagine this is the product of multiple takes. How many takes did you do (if it's on the thread elsewhere I apologize but I've only gone back half a dozen pages so far). What steadicam rig is this (again, you no doubt have covered this but please permit me to ask again given the late hour in the festival and my need to cover a bit more ground with other entries).

I wonder how many people realize what an accomplishment this is? I would love to see how many other teams could try to replicate this. I believe the big majority would be out of the running due to inability to get an ensemble of actors to give this joint performance. Most of the rest would be completely unable to pull off the camera work. Seriously.

Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.

My only negative was the sound. You'll be very happy with my scorecard, dude. Congrats on a real standout entry.

[jpbankesmercer]

Finally getting around to writing this review. I've watched BC several times and each time am amazed at the camera work. My head hurts at the thought of how many times I would have had to shoot this and still not get the take you did. When you watch several times you realize that either this had some gruelling and exacting blocking or you have supernatural powers. The acting is so damn good ... and from the whole ensemble. ... It's so fresh that I can't imagine this is the product of multiple takes. How many takes did you do .

WOW Mark, cheers for that. Didn't expect you to like it that much. :thumbup:
It was an MS Broadcast rig, DVX in the weight cage. Two takes only, we upset the neighbours and couldn't go for a third, everyone wanted too. Jason and Ama/ myself were gutted. The Actors and I worked for a full day blocking/ rehersals. I love complex blocking. I was talking today to a Production Manager about doing a 20min short film/ single shot. He thinks I'm mad!!:)


I wonder how many people realize what an accomplishment this is? I would love to see how many other teams could try to replicate this. I believe the big majority would be out of the running due to inability to get an ensemble of actors to give this joint performance. Most of the rest would be completely unable to pull off the camera work. Seriously..

!!!...Speechless


Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.

Think he's working on that. :)


My only negative was the sound. .

I know, I should have mic'd everyone up individually. Couldn't get a sound guy on the day. Bummer. It peaked/ distorted way too much. Don't worry it's NEVER going to happen again.



You'll be very happy with my scorecard, dude. Congrats on a real standout entry.

Coming from you that's a real compliment. I'm still getting through them all myself, done about 15 today. Leaving the rest for the morning. Thanks for noticing how hard it was for everyone involved. I've got a super team going on. Proud of every single one of them...Thanks a million.:dankk2:

J.P.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh man. I can't stop laughing! :)

[Kyle Stebbins]

...... whoah......... i kinda wanna sighn papers right now........... oh wow a contact about he rights to Bloody mary.......... hey lookkkk a place fomr me to sighnZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... ...


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

[TheatreGuy]

jp, I LOVE your new sig!!!

I am laughing my butt off with that!!!

That's great!!!

I'm still laughing!!

[jpbankesmercer]

Pull up a chair Ted, have a cheese-puff, have you tried my home-brew???

[TheatreGuy]

Man, that is the best. My wife came up and asked me what I was laughing about. I showed her and she howled!

Man, that is great stuff.

I would love a home-brew by the way!

I think I'll go clean-up from dinner and have a beer. (Sadly, no home-brew...)

Wow, thanks for that laugh!

(sorry that the endorsements got bumped, but that is worth it!!!)

[jpbankesmercer]

O.K. I'm going to bed, you guys can still have the party in this thread but please keep the noise down.
Oh! and don't wreck the place O.K.? I want everything in-order when I wake-up.

Or your not getting that $100,000,000.

[Brandon Rice]

hey, you're in my top 5 baby!

[jpbankesmercer]

Cheers Brandon, I love you! :)

[jpbankesmercer]

To keep in the horror spirit, we are now playing.

http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/1/0/3/2/732301_356x237.jpg

[TheatreGuy]

Hey jp, congrats on the fine film! I loved it! Cheers to you and good luck!!!

This has been a blast!

Ted

[Mark Harris]

Good luck JP. If nothing else I got to hang with you in this fest and get to know you better.

[Darkline]

Chris de burgh....... thats a sign the party is over. grab a slow dance partner.

is it true that a bus load of chris de burgh fans drove off a cliff trying to get a picture of him in his coach? I love that story, even if it isnt true.

[jpbankesmercer]

Best of luck guys!
Hey this is our film!

[khmuse]

Best of luck to you too!

I don't recall if I posted a critique of this film (so many threads!) but I wanted to add at least a few comments.

The concept of a single continous shot was certainly unique, but I would have liked just a bit of an establishment shot at the head of the "circle" (if really cleaver, this too could have been part of the single sequence).

The tension built nicely and the progressing makeup effect was certainly an accomplishment. Voice effect of "the controller" was a bit over the top, at least in terms of the other character's reaction to this creepy voice. The same can be said of the growing horns, I think that they would have reacted (acknowledged) it, but who knows, maybe this is something that happens everyday in their line of work.

Overall a unique and well executed concept. Good acting, and well cast (with age appropriate actors, which is something that some fest projects paid little attention to). Certainly worth a second (or third for that matter) viewing.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

[Weston]

Hey JP thanks for the comments on my thread.

Actually I just got to watch broken circle. Previously I had watched the first minute and my internet had stopped. Anyway....I really really liked it. One shot....thats GREAT! Ive always wanted to do that. Your lighting was cool and I loved how it got darker as things decended into who knows what at the end there. It was disturbing when everyone was just sobbing and he was screaming at the end. Very cool.

One thing I thought of...and it might be a stupid idea....but maybe when they finally broke the circle the camera could break free of its orbit of the table and glide back to the back of the room to watch the rest happen. The circle would be broken and the rest would be just an event view from a little bit of a distance. I guess that may have taken some of the disturbing-ness(word?) out of it.

Your actors did a fantastic job. I liked the possessed guy better when you had a voice effect on him. The sound effects for the lights was great. I liked the first one the best as it was unexpected. I didnt really like the ambience of the room. Something about how thier voices sounded...a little canned...i dunno.

I bet it was kind easy to edit eh? Haha....well having a good idea like that and being able to pull it off has its perks i suppose. Anyway..overall I thought it was very good. Great concept and you executed it well.

Nice Job and best of luck to you

[Slimothy]

JP-
I just watched this one and was really blown away at how creepy it was. I'm sitting here at 10:00 a.m and there were two parts where I jumped. That is a first for the fest. I haven't REALLY jumped on any other movie. This one really drew me in. I'm sure people have commented on it, but the fact that you orbited around the table at such an even pace for so long is crazy. Great stuff.

Kimko called me the other day and was like: "Dude, you gotta see Broken Circle, that one is the shiit!" I totally agree.

Tim.

[SteadiJay]

Thankyou so much all for the positive feedback with the camera work. It was a real challenge to pull off, and I'm glad that so many people appreciate it. The Steadicam is a wonderful tool that, when used properly, can really help to tell the story / even be a part of the story. This is a very powerful film on the senses and the camera movement is very much a part of this dynamic.

The technical setup works well, for those interested, it's a full Steadicam rig (Master Series - see my website link below). The DVX sits in a weight cage for added ballast, along with other toys - external mic, LED lighting, video transmitter, etc.

Once again, a pleasure to work with JP and all the regular crew & cast.

[HAIRY_STUFF!!!]

This movie me Like! You manage to get my cousin to play role. very good. me think he talking crap when he say he get role in film. Me think " whatever smelly stuff...... you always getting "Roles".

but he not full of crap this time. He performance good.

[jpbankesmercer]

Best of luck to you too!

Overall a unique and well executed concept. Good acting, and well cast (with age appropriate actors, which is something that some fest projects paid little attention to). Certainly worth a second (or third for that matter) viewing.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Cheers geeza. :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

JP-
I just watched this one and was really blown away at how creepy it was. I'm sitting here at 10:00 a.m and there were two parts where I jumped. That is a first for the fest. I haven't REALLY jumped on any other movie. This one really drew me in. I'm sure people have commented on it, but the fact that you orbited around the table at such an even pace for so long is crazy. Great stuff.

Kimko called me the other day and was like: "Dude, you gotta see Broken Circle, that one is the shiit!" I totally agree.

Tim.

Thanks Tim, appreciate your rave review:thumbup:

How much do I owe Kimki??? :)

J.P.

[jpbankesmercer]

Once again, a pleasure to work with JP and all the regular crew & cast.

Cheers Jason, the pleasure was ALL mine, you made it what it is!:thumbup: :dankk2: :beer: :thumbup: :beer: :thumbup: :) :crybaby: :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

This movie me Like! You manage to get my cousin to play role. very good. me think he talking crap when he say he get role in film. Me think " whatever smelly stuff...... you always getting "Roles".

but he not full of crap this time. He performance good.

I wondered why he asked to be paid in souls!! :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

A MASSIVE THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO WATCHED THE FILM!!

[jpbankesmercer]

Please Leave Us Feedback Before It's Too Late, Cheers!:thumbup:

[Kyle Stebbins]

bump

[Kyle Stebbins]

bumpity bump bump ahahahahahahahahahaha



...bump.

[TimurCivan]

lol. Keep bumping!

[Kyle Stebbins]

*cough* *COUGH* *HACCKKK.....* some-- som-somethings in my... my throa--------- BUMP!!!!


ah, that's better.

[mentatDUKE]

This film was pretty brave. I liked the non-typical british actors (I'm in the U.S. so...)

The lighting was good. (How much actual candle-light and how much kit?)

The use of flickering lights was nicely done.

The acting was really great. Very natural sounding. Ad-libed? The feeling of nervousness and concern really came across.

The actual dialogue could probably have been punched up to keep things interesting. It dragged a bit and became easy to stop listening. Maybe if the friends disagreed more or some of them wanted to force the others to stop.

The sound was creepy.

I loved the camerawork. NICE steadicam. It felt like a movie. Very old school. Just actors giving their all and the director going balls out.

Simple story but then that wasn't the whole focus. I think the focus was a character based tale. Made me consider how freaked I'd be if one of my friends got posessed.

One shot. Wow....

And I'm known for an overabundance of takes.

[Dario Nieva]

POSSIBLE SPOLERS AHEAD

Another one of my favorites. The acting was spot on and amazing. The story was great. I liked the attempt at the one-shot take, but you know my stance on that ;)

Some genuinely creepy lines in this movie, deffinately gave me the chills. I didn't like the abrupt ending but I read that couldn't be helped. Please try and have another go at this one. This is one of those movies that come along and are just something special, great job!

[jpbankesmercer]

This is one of those movies that come along and are just something special, great job!

Cheers Dario :thumbup:

[jpbankesmercer]

This film was pretty brave. I liked the non-typical british actors (I'm in the U.S. so...)

The lighting was good. (How much actual candle-light and how much kit?)

The use of flickering lights was nicely done.

The acting was really great. Very natural sounding. Ad-libed? The feeling of nervousness and concern really came across.

The actual dialogue could probably have been punched up to keep things interesting. It dragged a bit and became easy to stop listening. Maybe if the friends disagreed more or some of them wanted to force the others to stop.

The sound was creepy.

I loved the camerawork. NICE steadicam. It felt like a movie. Very old school. Just actors giving their all and the director going balls out.

Simple story but then that wasn't the whole focus. I think the focus was a character based tale. Made me consider how freaked I'd be if one of my friends got posessed.

One shot. Wow....

And I'm known for an overabundance of takes.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Adlibs, check out our script on the first page of the script, we stick pretty much to it.

x1 2K Arri, Behind the clock.
x1 800w Photbeard ,(I hate that name), behind the crack of the door.
x40 Candles.

Cheers again. :thumbup:
J.P.

[Darkline]

JP - I think you should call your short 'possessed devil type man'

what u reckon? I think that rocks!

[jpbankesmercer]

JP - I think you should call your short 'possessed devil type man'

what u reckon? I think that rocks!

darkline this is a serious filmthread, please don't post stupid inane remarks about our quality title, you should know better being a fellow Brit. 'Broken Circle' has a certain ring to it!

I hate you. :)

[Darkline]

oh..... now you tell me after my ballot's in!!!!!

[jpbankesmercer]

You only gave us 63rd place!

[Mark Johnson]

I loved this film and love it more each time I watch. You might just take it all tonight, dude. If so it will be well deserved. Congrats.

[jpbankesmercer]

I loved this film and love it more each time I watch. You might just take it all tonight, dude. If so it will be well deserved. Congrats.

Doubt that! but thank you for saying it.

So does that mean I can now count you in on any future FX work?:)

[Ramon Boutviseth]

dude, kickass entry, you'll definetly placed something I hope. Good luck!!

[jpbankesmercer]

Cheers Hiro.

[MsManhattan]

I thought this was so interesting and loved the relationship between the story and the shooting technique. That was very cool. Great dialogue, too. I believed all of the actors. I haven't yet read through all of your thread to get the lowdown on how you planned and executed this, but definitely will at some point -- great work.

[Norm Sanders]

Just finally getting the time to copy the notes I compiled in a Word doc while watching the shorts:

What’s my problem … a new winner so far?! I’ll definitely have to go back & watch these top ones to try & rescore perhaps, but so far this was flawless in many ways. A truly scary film, for me, as it dealt with things I believe to be real, specifically playing with the spiritual world, something not to be taken lightly. The continuously roving camera was PERFECT, and I have no idea how they did it, unless cutting with the quick blackouts, but they made this seems like just one take. Incredible for both the camera & editing in that case. The makeup was also great with that regard as the holes with blood (or horns, I was confused?) kept evolving. The only spot it started losing me was near the very end, as it got so dark I couldn’t really tell what was supposed to be going on, and the guy just kept saying he was the controller … wanted to hear something new after a bit, specifically near the end. Phenomenal job overall, however.

[jpbankesmercer]

Now playing
http://wbli.com/images/morningshow/jamesbrown.jpg
Waiting for the results.

[TheatreGuy]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! :grin:

[jpbankesmercer]

http://www.parsleysoup.co.uk/photos/sosmix%20rolls.JPG

[jpbankesmercer]

You know what Ted, I'll NEVER forget this fest, it's been my first. I'm a virgin, (fest virgin!), you had a laugh mate?

[TheatreGuy]

That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Both, my wife and I are cracking up!!!!!!!

You really did have sausage rolls!!!!!!! :grin:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

so ... stealing my groupies away with promises of your sausage, eh J.P.?

[jpbankesmercer]

Well did you order any P2 cards???

[TimurCivan]

yea hes that guy that throws a party the sam night as his "freinds"..... Flat leaver!.... jk ;)

[TheatreGuy]

Hey man, I didn't see any fresh, hot, steamy delicious sausage rolls on your thread Jack!

[jpbankesmercer]

You and Timur/Desprate how did you blind some many people into viewing your threads. It should be illegal.
:)

[TheatreGuy]

Jack, you throw up something to rival sausge rolls and I'll come back over!

[TimurCivan]

i dunno man, people just showed up.... i swear i wasnt giving away free gifts to people who knew the secret code..... ;)

plus we've got hot girls covered in vasoline and paint....

[TheatreGuy]

I got a free gift!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Jack, you throw up something to rival sausge rolls and I'll come back over!
I don't know, Ted. I should think I'd mean more to you than sausage at this point :(

[jpbankesmercer]

Yeah that old gift idea! I wanted to put up a vote for 'Broken Circle' you can have our old DVX. But thought no. Let those cheap guys have their glory. :)

[jpbankesmercer]

That old pimp others peoples films idea...Sad Jack...:)

[TheatreGuy]

hmmmm.... sausage roll.... Jack Daniel Stanley.....sausage...... Jack Daniels.....

Jack Daniels!?!

Yes! You're right!

[TimurCivan]

This IS a Sausage party....... im going to where the chicks covered in blood are. ;)

[jpbankesmercer]

What I want to know is, How many does Jack have to win before he leaves us alone and gives everybody else a chance?

[TheatreGuy]

Hey! Someone metion pimps???? Let me get my platform shoes and feather hat!!!:grin:

[jpbankesmercer]

I mean, he must have a wardrobe full of gear :)

[TheatreGuy]

No, no, no..... Sorry fellas, I would rather be challenged! I want to kick Jack's a$$. What an incentive!

[jpbankesmercer]

he's tripping over it at home, yeah won that last time....that time before...ummm the dogs chewing the thing I won ten years ago...

[TheatreGuy]

Sorry Jack, I mean that with ALL DUE RESPECT!!! :)

[jpbankesmercer]

Yeah throw out that old bag, just won a new one...

[jpbankesmercer]

and that...won it.

[TheatreGuy]

JP, This is your FIRST FEST???

I'm confused. Didn't you say that you've been doing this for 5 years the other day?

Was that just a ruse to get votes????

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

That old pimp others peoples films idea...Sad Jack...:) http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7195/1160872207.jpg

[jpbankesmercer]

First DVX fest, stuck my first film in the New-York festival, but had to pay to get it on....how sad.

[TheatreGuy]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!! :grin:

How long have you been saving that one????

[jpbankesmercer]

won that

[jpbankesmercer]

and that.

[jpbankesmercer]

DON'T step on that!

[TheatreGuy]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/13984/1160872216.jpg

It's back!

[jpbankesmercer]

I won it.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7195/1160872207.jpg http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7195/1160872207.jpg http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7195/1160872207.jpg
dood are you speaking the Queen's English ... no idea wtf you are talking about

[TheatreGuy]

I'm confused. Too many rolls

[jpbankesmercer]

How much you win Jack!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

I mean literally I can't even follow your humor :huh:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

oh OK, but I think this time I might not "win jack"

[jpbankesmercer]

Why not?

[TheatreGuy]

How many "rolls" have you had JP?

[Brandon Rice]

I love this: "The one shot wonder!"