"This Is Death, Your Captain Speaking" a Horror entry by Phillip George/Shawn Chittle

[zoopraxiscope]

FINAL VERSION HERE:
www.shawnchittle.com/films/death_final.mov (http://www.shawnchittle.com/films/death_final.mov) (right click and save as)

Here is our short film project for the Horror Festival. We shot this mostly on location at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Looking forward to answering your questions and reading your comments.

SYNOPSIS
An Airline Captain is the only survivor of a horrific crash which claimed the lives of hundreds. As he learns to deal with survivors' guilt and prepares to return to work, he is confronted with something that leads him to fully understand the conditions he was up against on that fateful night.

PRODUCTION
Locations: Flushing, Queens; Chelsea, Manhattan; Manhasset, Long Island.
Budget: As needed, but less than $250

CREW
Shawn Chittle: Soundtrack, Director, Editor, Director of Photography, Producer, Special Effects
Cristian Coteti: Line Producer
Phillip George: Producer
Daniela Amini: Casting Director
Timur Civan: Camera (on 2nd flight)

CAST
Mike Wood
David Price
Christine Lavin
Daniela Amini
Shawn Chittle

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158760683.jpghttp://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158760701.jpghttp://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158760667.jpghttp://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158965053.jpg



POSTER

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1159831843.jpg

GRABS

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1159832572.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

WHOA! How the heck did you get INSIDE a plane?!

[cinealma]

... oh... nevermind, what being 9/11 and all.


John G.

[zoopraxiscope]

WHOA! How the heck did you get INSIDE a plane?!

One of our producers is a pilot, and we got permission from the relevant parties. Very rare and lucky.

[Weston]

that poster is freakin sweet!

(does Delta know about this movie?)

[CallaghanFilms]

I love the title...

very Serling-esque (Night Gallery years...not Twilight Zone so I'm clear)

[Matt Sconce]

Woohoo! Lookin forward to it!

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Is this a Red Eye type o picture?

[zoopraxiscope]

I love the title...

very Serling-esque (Night Gallery years...not Twilight Zone so I'm clear)

Excellent observation. The script does feel Serling or even Amazing Stories.

[zoopraxiscope]

Is this a Red Eye type o picture?

Hmm. I don't think anyone around here has seen that. Terrorist scenario or something? No, we are't doing anything like that. Been done before, we hope to bring a new twist to some old legends and create some new ones.

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Pry... What kinda legends?

[zoopraxiscope]

Pry... What kinda legends?

The second movie poster should reveal a hint of that I think. Shawn is working on it. He's lucky Halloween Adventure is 3 blocks from his house.

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Lucky Halloween Adventure? I'm thuroughly confused?

[zoopraxiscope]

Lucky Halloween Adventure? I'm thuroughly confused?

I think its the biggest Halloween store in the country.

http://www.halloweenadventure.com/

[MOVIE STUNTS]

I thought this one was.

http://www.reinkebros.com

[Mark Harris]

I LOOOOOOVE Halloween Adventure!!!!! Sooooo much better than those guys up at Abracadabra, who treat you as if you're bugging them just by walking in. Except for the costume guy in the basement. He's always been nice.

[zoopraxiscope]

I read the contest rules - but are we allowed to link audio samples from the score? We have a great mix from the flight deck sound effects panel and want to play that.

[Brandon Rice]

I think the ONLY thing not allowed is ACTUAL footage from the FINAL film.

[Edgen]

HA!! I love the title of this piece! Having access to that cockpit is friggin' key!! I need to find a producer who's also an airline pilot ;)

Good luck and looking forward to seeing this film.

/j

[zoopraxiscope]

Here is a sound file from the film, mixed with the score and the ambient flightdeck sounds.

Hopefully we've created a tense moment here, so tense that you can close your eyes and imagine what is about to happen.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158099020.mov

[Edgen]

O H Ma N!

Very cool ambience and FX.. Its almost a sad impending doom. The lush/calm ambient score mixed with the chaotic sirens and FX makes for an intense moment. Makes it more on my 'to watch first' list :)

Who's your composer?

/j

[FlintMI]

We've had a cast change! Our original CAPTAIN had to fly, (sorry for the pun) so we got a new lead, he's uber talented and brings a theater/stage background. Formally trained! :)

[Mark Harris]

Who's your new guy? And how many BJ's did you have to promise to get FlintMI back?

[FlintMI]

LOL

His name is Mike Wood, he's a NYC-based theater actor. Looks just like every airline pilot I've ever seen and as you know Mark, theater actors seem to really bring a lot to the DV indie film table!

Phillip is updating the poster and thread shortly. Shooting some more this week and have been busy! :)

[Mark Harris]

Who is Phillip, anyway?

[HAIRY_STUFF!!!]

This Movie Look Good. Needs More Stewardesses. Less Pilots If You Know What Hairy Stuff Mean.

[TimurCivan]

Wow cant believe i missed this thread!!!!!

Shawn Baby! The cockpit looks AWESOME on film. When youre ready to do the special effects let me know!!!!!!!!

[FlintMI]

This Movie Look Good. Needs More Stewardesses. Less Pilots If You Know What Hairy Stuff Mean.

there is a hottie FLIGHT ATTENDANT cast and a REPORTER character is a nyc model. :)

[Jaime V]

wow pretty cool man. I liked the sound clip. Good luck!

[HAIRY_STUFF!!!]

Hot Flight Attendant Makes Hairy Stuff Look Into Laser Hair Removal With Doctor Zizmore. Befriend Flintmi, Meet Babe, Date Babe, Eat Her, Laugh.

[FlintMI]

Hot Flight Attendant Makes Hairy Stuff Look Into Laser Hair Removal With Doctor Zizmore. Befriend Flintmi, Meet Babe, Date Babe, Eat Her, Laugh.
Ok Hairy, well now I know you take the F train a lot. Hmm, who could you be? :happy:

[Mark Harris]

I just got a call about that, and it's NOT me!!!

[Beat Takeshi]

Yo Shawn, glad to see you are in. I like the idea behind your story and the posters.

[FlintMI]

Yo Shawn, glad to see you are in. I like the idea behind your story and the posters.

thanks buddy. you recovering OK? I'm checking out the Innovation Nation blog as we speak. great stuff! love the "tag" graf man. :happy:

[FlintMI]

I just got a call about that, and it's NOT me!!!

Hmm. F or V train is the Zizmor... Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens. That narrows it down to about 8 million people...

For those who have no idea WTF we are talking about... Dr. Z, or Zizmor, is the Dr. guy on CERTAIN subway lines (and busses) whose ads you cannot... ignore.

http://www.gothamist.com/images/2004_05_drz.jpg

[SCARY STUFF!]

Scary Stuff agree. This look tasty. Babes and blood, wha be better? Plane crash like buffet for Scary and Hairy Stuff. But not so scary because we fly with this pilot all the time. Him always make corny jokes then kill everyone. I guess the jokes only bad part. Hairy Stuff like his jokes, but Hairy Stuff have beetle dung for brain.

[HAIRY_STUFF!!!]

Mmm Good quote from Uncle Verbal. He talk to much and too touchy feely. make me mad. i kill his hell hound.

[FlintMI]

here is a headshot of Christine Lavin, a NYC-based model and actress who plays "NEWS REPORTER" in our film!


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7339/1158695800.jpg

[TimurCivan]

so when am i crewing again?

[hvxabuser]

interesting idea! cant wait!

[Mark Harris]

Let me guess, Daniella doesn't have a headshot. Shocking!

Yeah, I know that Mike guy now. She's been trying to get me to cast him in something forEVER.

[zoopraxiscope]

Mike can act. If he can do this for voiceovers, I can't wait to see him really go for broke.

http://www.mikewood500.com/MikeWood%20VO%20demo%28ii%29.MP3

[Mark Harris]

Yeah, I'm not saying he can't. Just have never seen him work.

[zoopraxiscope]

I really liked how the shots of the 1930's aviation gallery came out. All natural light.

[TheatreGuy]

Whoa! I love this! The title, the concept, the grabs. Looks very cool!

There is going to be SO MUCH stuff to watch in just a few days.

I can't wait!

Looks great. Love the sound clip.

[FlintMI]

thanks for those very kind words! I have another sound clip ready. this will be at a very "pivotal" scene in the movie. please let me know if I've nailed it and if it sends a minor chill down your spine. if you can imagine the moment of your death and what it would sound like...

the sound of DEATH (http://www.shawnchittle.com/death.mp3)

[TheatreGuy]

That is very cool! What are you using to create these sound files?

[FlintMI]

That's a 1957 Fender Stratocaster through a 1963 Fender Vibroverb.

[TheatreGuy]

Wow! Something older on this site besides me!

Sounds great. Keep up the great work!

[Beat Takeshi]

thanks buddy. you recovering OK? I'm checking out the Innovation Nation blog as we speak. great stuff! love the "tag" graf man. :happy:

Yeah man, things are going good. Thanks for checking out the Innovation thing. The tag is to keep it urban.

[TimurCivan]

i love your guitars. i wanna learn to play.

[Lingothree]

Wow - great locations. I love your banner too.

[conrad_johnson]

Woah, can't beat a jet for a location

LOVE IT!!!!!

[zoopraxiscope]

This is Daniela Amini, our Flight Attendant character. She's a NYC-based actress, writer, and editor. Technically, she's also our casting director as she knows everyone in NYC and found all the amazing talent for our film.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158965053.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Coolness... you done shooting yet?

[zoopraxiscope]

A few more scenes and we'll be done. Not a lot of VFX in this film, so the editing should go quickly. Here are some grabs from the last shoot.


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158997681.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1158997707.jpg

[zoopraxiscope]

This is Christine Lavin, the NEWS REPORTER character doing rehearsals for her part. I shot this today. She's actually been a news reporter before, out on Long Island.

Shooting her was not the worst assignment I've had.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1159080956.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/18307/1159080975.jpg

[TimurCivan]

DAniella!!!!

How is she doing man?

She is the coolest person ( except for Shawn) you can ever meet.

[zoopraxiscope]

I haven't even met Daniela. I was given her headshot and told to post it. We haven't shot her scenes yet. She's the FLIGHT ATTENDANT character and we have to go out to LaGuardia Airport to do those this week and finish up the flight deck scenes this week.

The original CAPTAIN actor had to drop out and I know she had some improv friends from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater fill in, and they did an amazing, I repeat, amazing job. Considering all they had to work with was a lot of professional-sounding jargon it comes off very natural sounding and looking. I got the OK to change some of the dialog to a less technical-sounding nature, but Shawn was really adamant about it being as close to the "real thing" as possible.

Additionally, we did a "funny" 100% pure improv take that was good enough for any of the late night sketch comedy shows.

[ExtremeSleuth]

the sound of DEATH (http://www.shawnchittle.com/death.mp3)

That sounds nothing like me.

can't wait for your film, but if you portray me in a bad light, i'm gonna pay you a visit http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/filmdirector1986/grimreaper.gifhttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/filmdirector1986/GRIM2A.gifhttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/filmdirector1986/FIREdevil.gif

[FlintMI]

I should only hope to find an angel of mercy... life is too crazy!

[GTP]

This looks sweet...

[luster]

Love the title and banner ad. I'm looking forward to this one.

[zoopraxiscope]

Finished our last shoot with actors! Such a good feeling. Shawn is editing marathon style from now until 12AM Sunday.

[Ralph Oshiro]

Congrats! Looking forward to seeing yours too! I just like watching ANY movie that has airplanes in it! Love the cockpit audio clip--awesome stuff! Lookin' forward to a fun ride on your "in-flight" movie!

[TimurCivan]

I just helped these boys shoot their last scenes.

let me tell you. pilots have the most uncomfortable working conditions inthe world.

The cockpit is TINY!!!!!!! i was like on the dashboard getting reversals......

[Mark Harris]

Good luck dudes, from the grabs I saw, I think this one will be tons of fun.

[FlintMI]

So we're all done. Phillip had to bail early due to a movie he's shooting in Michigan, so I was left holding the bag. What a bag. We ran out of time, but it came out OK all things considered.

Here is one TRIVIA question for those TV land people out there.

What TV show does the guitar riff from the soundtrack remind you of?
(Hint, we shot the scene in question on the roof of one of the cast members of that TV show).

[TimurCivan]

i wait anxiously..... !!!!

[Kholi]

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

Great Locations and footage going on in this one. Concept was straight forward. Source material is astounding.

Script - Humm it's hard to know how to approach this. It seemed like a long bad nightmare for the guy. I wasn't sure if things were happening in real time or in his sleep. I can tell by the end of the movie that he was in a plane crash, which is miraculous all in it's own that he survived. Your basis for it is great, I just can't really feel for the guy like I should. And then the ending wasn't my type of twist.

Direction - All those guages. There was a lot of focus on them, which is good. You covered a lot of angles in the pit from both pilots, I liked that. I wouldn't have known how to deal with such a thing so good job. The news broadcast footage was actually pretty believable.

Acting - I saw pilots. Then again I don't know how a real pilot would conduct himself when he's about to crash. So I can't say too much. Your worst actor was Death. Why was he so stiff? And your best actor was probably your news caster.

Cine/Lighting - A lot of dark areas. Muddy, and Maybe it's my screen but it looked like you had to back down in post off of blown out portions. It's probably my Cinema Dispaly or something. I found myself squinting both viewing times, looking at the guages and such.

Editing - Straight forward. The dream to reality cuts were a bit confusing, though.

Sound - I think compression might've killed your sound. I could barely hear stuff at one point, when the next things were really loud. Was it like that in the original?

Special Effects - Worst was Death. He just looked dead to me. And I think the best was the news cast. That might sound bad, but it looked like a real newscast to me.

Scariest Moments - The real plane crash footage. That looked horrible.

Overall consensus - Great concept. Presentation seemed to faulter in states, writing could've been tightened a bit. Maybe just needed more time to spend with it? Good going. Thanks for entering and giving me something to watch!

[FlintMI]

Thanks for that outstanding review!


Worst was Death. He just looked dead to me. Why was he so stiff?
That's going on my list of top lines of Horrorfest.

The newscast stuff I worked really hard on to make look real. Thanks! I even put scanlines in there to "fake" the TV look. And she was a real TV newscaster at one point so she just acted like herself.


I wasn't sure if things were happening in real time or in his sleep.
After he wakes up its all real, right? But before he's having a nightmare about a real event.

My question: did you expect the ending? If not, I did my job.

[Kholi]

No, I didn't expect Death to comandeer the plane at all. So you did your job.

[ExtremeSleuth]

just got done watching the film.

Some SPOILERS

i enjoyed it overall, a lot of great shots, loved the plane crash shot a lot, one thing i noticed though was when the reverse shots are shown (IE the copilot and the gauges) the gauge that indicates the plane being level shows the plane sideways (before the plane starts to go down), that was really my only complaint. i liked how it ended. i kinda got the impression the first crash was being told in flashbacks and not in dreams (but it could be seen either way), the acting was pretty good as well, and my cameo in it was phenomenal! it was great to work with you guys! ;) good luck on everything!

[Michael_Petro]

Airplanes, explosions lighting, skeleton err Death.. what more could you ask for:) wait how bout a nastier looking skeleton with bits of flesh hanging off.. ewww thank you sir enjoyed your film

[Mark Harris]

I've told you what I think while you were editing.

but to me the biggest problem is the sound. Now I am like a sound Nazi, since I had Herman do sound design. I think for the screenings and DVD, that's what I would focus on, if I were in your shoes.

But like I said, I think you were right about the Death thing. I said it would be cheesy, but it fit nicely into the story you told.

[FlintMI]

(IE the copilot and the gauges) the gauge that indicates the plane being level shows the plane sideways (before the plane starts to go down), that was really my only complaint.
Wow that's about the only complaint?!?! Awesome. I figured you'd use your imagination and assume they went into a spiral dive or something. The aircraft was not cooperating and our "pilots" did a pretty good job faking flying the thing.

While I am not making "excuses" I ran out of time pure and simple on this! But pointing out the problems beforehand just makes you look for them, so if you see them, I already know. LOL.

For the screening Oct 10/Oct 30, I improved the film by:

1. Color correcting (what you see now is 100% camera)
2. New scene of pilots arriving to work 2nd day
3. Sweeting of audio
4. Added Captain audio to the Flight Attendant phone call
5. Full soundtrack (I did the one on there in 18 minutes including recording it)


but to me the biggest problem is the sound. Now I am like a sound Nazi, since I had Herman do sound design. I think for the screenings and DVD, that's what I would focus on, if I were in your shoes.

Thanks man. Well said on the sound stuff, because sound is more important than visuals typically (especially dialog sound). I need to amp it up no doubt. But think about it, little things I made time for that made a big difference:

1. 100% authentic flight deck audio, warning sirens, sounds, ATC
2. 100% authentic flight deck script, those lines could be spoken in real life and they would be accurate (Hollywood can rarely say that)
3. When the thunder cracks outside, it muffles when we cut to the indoors shots.

That's good sound design IMHO. But it can be a lot better and will be! :beer:

[Ralph Oshiro]

That "amateur video" plane crash footage--AWESOME! Are you willing to share some of the "secrets" here as to how you produced that shot? GREAT TV lower-thirds graphics too--good job on that--very "broadcast" looking! Loved the raster lines too. Good authentic flight deck dialogue and super-cool authentic cockpit audio! LOVED that you were able to shoot in a real plane! Lots of cool gauges! I thought your lead did a great job, too. A fun ride!

And no, the ending was a surprise!

[FlintMI]

That "amateur video" plane crash footage--AWESOME! Are you willing to share some of the "secrets" here as to how you produced that shot? GREAT TV lower-thirds graphics too--good job on that--very "broadcast" looking! Loved the raster lines too. Good authentic flight deck dialogue and super-cool authentic cockpit audio! LOVED that you were able to shoot in a real plane! Lots of cool gauges! I thought your lead did a great job, too. A fun ride!

And no, the ending was a surprise!

A lot of old public domain crash footage is out there. Just gotta find it. Thank goodness for the Web. Before it was really hard to get anything like that.

I was hoping to keep the horror stuff until the very end, making you wonder, WHERE IS THIS GOING? When can I see the blood and guts? Haha.

Thanks man! I have some questions about Runway I'll ask in your thread.

[FlintMI]

and my cameo in it was phenomenal! it was great to work with you guys! ;) good luck on everything!

When I saw your post in my thread a ways back I was nervous, for obvious reasons! Didn't want anyone to know you were starring in my film. That was the big surprise!

You did a great job, and thanks for the cameo. We all were pretty freaked out when you walked on set.

Thanks for leaving the scythe at home this time.

[TimurCivan]

Shawn baby.... you know whats up...? :)

DEath..... Gotcha Mother POOpooer.

You know i love this movie to death....

[Mark Harris]

Thanks man. Well said on the sound stuff, because sound is more important than visuals typically (especially dialog sound). I need to amp it up no doubt. But think about it, little things I made time for that made a big difference:

1. 100% authentic flight deck audio, warning sirens, sounds, ATC
2. 100% authentic flight deck script, those lines could be spoken in real life and they would be accurate (Hollywood can rarely say that)
3. When the thunder cracks outside, it muffles when we cut to the indoors shots.

That's good sound design IMHO. But it can be a lot better and will be! :beer:

I don't mean sound DESIGN. Had no problem with that. Mainly the recorded sound. I'm just talking about certain points where that could have been cleaner. And I think get rid of it altogether in favor of foley, like when he gets out of bed and walks out the bedroom door, for instance. That's a place where the lcoation sound was kind of eh.

[Edgen]

Heya!! I enjoyed the film! But death!?! That's what really got me going.. "Oh boy.. now its kooky." I'm sure you've heard this, but the audio was just a downer for me. I LOVED, LOVED the small clippit you posted earlier in the month and actually inspired my own music in a way. I found myself listening to it over and over. Of course, blocking out all the sirens and whistlings of the aircraft.

Luck to have that location and looking forward to seeing more of your films!

cheers,
/j

[gwmesler]

I gave you top score for VFX. The airplane crash was very good.

[Darkline]

did you really do the plane crashing scene? It was so realistic I thought you had used real news footage!

[TheatreGuy]

FlintMI, great job on your film! The ending caught me off-guard. Didn't see that coming. Nice job.

I loved the cockpit shots! Wow! Spinning gauges and all. Nice stuff. Great plane sounds as well!

I thought that the "costumes" were authentic. (sounds silly, but nothing like seeing a cop in a fake uniform. Same would apply to a fake uniform on an airline captain. Nice job!)

Loved, loved, loved the newscaster. And the added "video" lines made it work even better. Great Job!

I didn't like the scene with the stewardess. First of all, the airplane noise way over-powered the dialogue. And I would like to have had the Captain's voice there. It seemed like a long scene for a one-way conversation with the main part of the conversation missing. Just my opinion.

I didn't catch up with the fact that the guy sleeping was dreaming (or re-living the flight). Maybe a hazy filter to play the initial cockpit scene? I don't know. Maybe you want the audience to find out later that this was a dream but I would like to know that choice.

Overall, I really enjoyed your film. (Always love an airplane flick!) And I didn't see that coming with Death sitting next to him as his co-pilot.

If I may expound on this (Death).... I would really liked to have seen a transformation of sorts as the co-pilot becomes death. I can see that as eerie. As it was, your death character was rather static. I would loved to have seen his mouth move. I guess in general, I love the idea of death sitting there but he was too "physical" (meaning that he should have been more of an "illusion").

Loved the concept and I thought that you did a great job pulling it off!

Nice work and congrats!

Ted

[FlintMI]

I'm sure you've heard this, but the audio was just a downer for me. I LOVED, LOVED the small clippit you posted earlier in the month and actually inspired my own music in a way. I found myself listening to it over and over. Of course, blocking out all the sirens and whistlings of the aircraft. Luck to have that location and looking forward to seeing more of your films! cheers, /j

Hey Justin! Do you mean dialog audio or soundtrack or both? Soundtrack was done in 18 minutes, including the recording of it. I just ran out of time and it was last on my list. To say you were inspired by that men's choir piece I posted earlier was one of the best compliments I've gotten on this board. Thanks so much for that Justin! you should hear my final 6 second 60-240BPM raging drum part that increases the tension and emotion leading up to the crash. I should have had someone else do the soundtrack. soooo time consuming!

The dialog audio was straight into a G2 evolution wireless lav, but I had 5 camera angles going on that flightdeck and the actors did a LOT of ad libbing (I wanted that). But sorting out the audio from take to take and cutting it all together in the time I had was not possible. I'm remixing it for the theatrical release and it will be sweeter. I'm also recording a whole new soundtrack for the final version.

Did you get the guitar joke from the rooftop? It's an inside joke. But I'll let you in on it. We shot that scene in Sam Waterston's building, so I played a total rip of "Law & Order" can you hear it? LOL




FlintMI, great job on your film! The ending caught me off-guard. Didn't see that coming. Nice job. I loved the cockpit shots! Wow! Spinning gauges and all. Nice stuff. Great plane sounds as well! I thought that the "costumes" were authentic. (sounds silly, but nothing like seeing a cop in a fake uniform. Same would apply to a fake uniform on an airline captain. Nice job!) Loved, loved, loved the newscaster. And the added "video" lines made it work even better. Great Job!

Wow thanks Ted! Costumes were in fact real pilot uniforms. I wanted 100% authenticity or else the movie would have been totally hokey. Yah, the scanlines puts the viewer watching a TV set. She's a (former) real newscaster, so that's why she pulls it off.



I didn't like the scene with the stewardess. First of all, the airplane noise way over-powered the dialogue. And I would like to have had the Captain's voice there. It seemed like a long scene for a one-way conversation with the main part of the conversation missing. Just my opinion.

Thanks, yah, I have the captain's audio where they talk back and forth and I just didn't get the time to put it on there, and I plain messed up when I mixed it and yes, she's being overpowered by the aircraft audio. Fixed in the final version.



I didn't catch up with the fact that the guy sleeping was dreaming (or re-living the flight). Maybe a hazy filter to play the initial cockpit scene? I don't know. Maybe you want the audience to find out later that this was a dream but I would like to know that choice.

Shoot! Well, I had the hazy filter but it didn't seem like it really happened (remember it actually did, this is a nightmare of a real event). Instead, I just added flashback cuts to him in bed having the nightmare. Did you see that? The newscaster tells you it was real, but gives people nightmares (like the Captain in question). I had originally done a fade from him to the flightdeck, and Daniela told me she thought it was the next day, so instead I cut right to it and interspersed him dreaming. Thought I did my job on that, but I need to do it better for the final version.

My question: should I leave the flightdeck audio running when I cut back to the captain in bed or cut to the scene audio (TV drone)? I can't figure that out.



Overall, I really enjoyed your film. (Always love an airplane flick!) And I didn't see that coming with Death sitting next to him as his co-pilot.

Thanks, the twist at the end was what I wanted. Most had no idea what this film was about and that was the point.



If I may expound on this (Death).... I would really liked to have seen a transformation of sorts as the co-pilot becomes death. I can see that as eerie. As it was, your death character was rather static. I would loved to have seen his mouth move. I guess in general, I love the idea of death sitting there but he was too "physical" (meaning that he should have been more of an "illusion").Loved the concept and I thought that you did a great job pulling it off! Nice work and congrats! Ted

The First Officer, (that crappy southern actor I used, haha) is NOT the Angel of Death, the Grim Reaper. He just takes the place of him. I was concerned any morphing or illusions would give you the idea he was. We thought about making his mouth move but then I thought of the "Tales From The Crypt" guy and he started to act and look too much like that guy. My reaper is a phantom, a ghost. We had a smoke machine but I forgot to bring it. That might have made him more ghostly.


THANKS FOR ALL THESE COMMENTS YOU GUYS ARE MAKING MY DAY!

[TheatreGuy]

Hey FlintMI -

Yeah, the dream or nightmare works... I just didn't know that was him dreaming. I don't know why I didn't. I've only seen your film once and will check it out again!

I understand the concern about making the dream look real. When I mentioned a haze filter, I was thinking just the first time we go there so we get the feeling that it is a re-lived moment. I honestly thought that the dream was real time, not a flashback or dream. Like I said, I'll watch it again.

The Co-Pilot morphing into Death wasn't suggested to establish that Death had become the co-pilot. I guess I meant that more like, the pilot sees death appear in the co-pilots seat. I know it's weird, but I was wondering WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CO-PILOT DURING THIS??? If, in fact that the co-pilot did not turn into Death (and I am not suggesting that) what happened to the guy that was sitting there? That's why I suggested a morph. Maybe, when Death appears, we see the pilot and HEAR the co-pilot gasping and crying out. Then the pilot takes a quick glance over to the co-pilot and sees death.

I will take another look. Seriously.

I'll be back.

Thank you for commenting on my comments. I like this discussion!

Ted

[TheatreGuy]

Okay, I'm back.

The know see why I didn't think that the pilot was dreaming to begin with. He wakes up and then falls back asleep and immediately the dream begins. I originally thought that these two actions were live and happening at the same time. IF, the opening pan to the pilot had him "muttering in his sleep" and NOT going tight to his face with his eyes opening, I would absolutely think that the nest shot was a dream. No haze needed. That's just my opinion.

Also, second time through, two thoughts that I didn't mention before...

One, what is that shot of the "simulator screen" doing in the newscast? I didn't get it the first time and I still don't. Is this supposed to be "B" roll from the news?

Secondly, the immediate shot of the co-pilot after the fade of the control tower led be to think that the co-pilot was an Air Traffic Controller. (this is not a big deal, because it is quickly known that he is in fact the co-pilot, but I bring it up because I was reminded of my initial reaction when I saw it the first time. I think a shot of the plane on the runway or inside the cockpit would ease that for me. But that, again, is only my opinion.


Thanks for hearing!

Ted

Oh! BTW, I love the opening shot of the sun above the clouds!!!!!!!!!

[VersuS]

Things I liked:

- the use of real cockpit
- the realism with costumes and crew
- the night shots after the bad dream, excellent frames
- the news lady
- the concept

THings that put me off:

- sound....sound...sound....
- colors...lights...it had a 70s feel to it...dont know if it was intended but it seemed 'wrong'
- the end was not what I would expect...ok i get your point but i d rather you showed it a bit differently
- the mask....maybe if you didnt show his face..i mean most people would get the grim reaper thing with just the hood and maybe a bone hand....(JDS credit)

[FlintMI]

The comments keep coming! Thanks for letting me explain this stuff. Only happy to do so!


Okay, I'm back.

The know see why I didn't think that the pilot was dreaming to begin with. He wakes up and then falls back asleep and immediately the dream begins. I originally thought that these two actions were live and happening at the same time. IF, the opening pan to the pilot had him "muttering in his sleep" and NOT going tight to his face with his eyes opening, I would absolutely think that the nest shot was a dream. No haze needed. That's just my opinion.

Not sure what you mean. this is the story straight from the outline:

1. lying in bed
2. falls asleep
3. has nightmare of crash
4. wakes up
5. news story tells of the crash he's having a nightmare about; it's actually real, not a dream, and how he is headed back to work next day after a year off
6. next day arrives
7. reaper dude gets 'em



One, what is that shot of the "simulator screen" doing in the newscast? I didn't get it the first time and I still don't. Is this supposed to be "B" roll from the news?

That's from the NTSB, it's a crash investigation recreation they do for all fatal commercial flights. watch the evening news next time they have a crash investigation. That's actually from a FedEx crash, if you look carefully and freeze frame it, you'll see the text at the bottom says "FedEx" I did not get a chance to change it. But it says AirJet at the top! Whoo hoo authenticity!



Secondly, the immediate shot of the co-pilot after the fade of the control tower led be to think that the co-pilot was an Air Traffic Controller. (this is not a big deal, because it is quickly known that he is in fact the co-pilot, but I bring it up because I was reminded of my initial reaction when I saw it the first time. I think a shot of the plane on the runway or inside the cockpit would ease that for me. But that, again, is only my opinion.

I've got that fixed! Instead of a tower I have the guys walking into the airport. I just couldn't get it cut in time and went with a still since it was easier. Ha! And the Captain audio is back. You can't hear it when he asks the co-pilot a question.



Oh! BTW, I love the opening shot of the sun above the clouds!!!!!!!!!
heh heh. everyone does. I love that montage. my opening scene was rather boring. (guy falling asleep). I've noticed if you don't get the viewer within 15 seconds, they will move on. so I put that wild opening/title in there to draw you in. I hope I did.

[FlintMI]

Thanks Versus!!


THings that put me off: - sound....sound...sound....
Dialog audio? Soundtrack? Lemme know what works and what didn't. Sound will be corrected. It's really weak in spots and I'm very sorry as I had to focus on other things in the limited time I had. Doh!



- colors...lights...it had a 70s feel to it...dont know if it was intended but it seemed 'wrong'
LOL. This film was not color corrected. Final version is. The colors are oversaturated from a camera trick I learned from a friend. Shoot oversaturated and get that color data. Then correct in post.


- the end was not what I would expect...ok i get your point but i d rather you showed it a bit differently
How? I really wanted the grim reaper reveal to work well. I wanted him to just kind of appear out of nowhere but not be jumpy and hokey. He's a calm, cool grim reaper!



- the mask....maybe if you didnt show his face..i mean most people would get the grim reaper thing with just the hood and maybe a bone hand....(JDS credit)

That was not a mask. That was a real skeleton which retails for $600 bucks! I puppeted him while Timur Civan shot the scene. We could have done just the hood and hand and then someone would have said "why didn't you show his face?" LOL. I really wanted a good looking skull to pull it off. We even tried to light him internally, but he looked like a pumpkin. LOL

THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT!! AWESOME!!

[VersuS]

- Sound: did you use a shotgun or the camera's onboard mic? that's where we can start....its not the score that bothered me so...the dialogues and design...

OH NOW I REMEMBER! One thing that was wrong! When you see the nightmare, the co-pilot talks with the radio but you made it sound the other way around, like how you would hear the voices from the tower coming out from this radio...you see what i mean? He is talking to a mic so there's no need to alter his voice..his voice will be natural as we hear it but when you put the tower voices in place then you did ok (even though the levels were way high and i couldnt make out what they were saying)

- Colors: this oversaturated thing is interesting! but I'd rather have something more modern in that sense...that 70s feeling that reminds me of Shivers and Rabid just gives me the creeps!!

- Ending: ok, the thought of a plane going down coz Death wants just one soul has crossed my mind several times since I've been doing a lot of flying around in my life...so I like your approach...but maybe you could have something else rather than show us Death...the possibilities are endless....have the co-pilot be obsessed by Death, change his voice, eyes, appearance....have the
radio send a message that only he can hear....make a vision in the cockpit windshield much scarier than a real life Grim Reaper...it reminded me of Metal Music Videos from the 80s...like Iron Maiden and such...

[FlintMI]

yah, I shot this all by myself, except the 2nd aircraft scene(s). so I did my best to wire up people and watch the audio levels. it sounds great in the NLE and I just have to boost the levels and trick out the 2k freq level to make 'em pop. Also have to lower the a/c volume it's overwhelming

Yah, I mod'ed the voice of the co-pilot to show that he was in fact talking to ATC without it, he looks like he's just talking to himself. LOL

Remember, the colors are that way because I did NOT have TIME to color correct, not because I wanted to do something artsy. I'll leave that to Soderbergh. LOL

[TheatreGuy]

The comments keep coming! Thanks for letting me explain this stuff. Only happy to do so!


Not sure what you mean. this is the story straight from the outline:

1. lying in bed
2. falls asleep
3. has nightmare of crash
4. wakes up
5. news story tells of the crash he's having a nightmare about; it's actually real, not a dream, and how he is headed back to work next day after a year off
6. next day arrives
7. reaper dude gets 'em

No, please don't misunderstand. I understand you story. (and I really like it) I was talking about me getting confused the VERY first time I saw it I didn't know the guy was dreaming. To me, and maybe this is JUST me, the guy looks asleep when the camera pans over to him on the opening shot. Then the cut to a close-up shows his eyes are open and then he fades away. I was only suggesting that if he was asleep at the very beginning and then the next shot was a c/u on his face maybe wincing from the actions in his dream, the following shot on the plane would lead me to believe that this is a dream.

Again, maybe this is only me that feels this way. And I, not being close to your project prior to today, could not tell that the man asleep and the man piloting the plane were the same actor.

I really thought, the first time I saw your film, that the guy asleep was somehow involved in a bomb threat to blow that plane up. I though that he was having second thoughts about his decision to do so. I know that there are little airplanes next to his bed to tell me that he is into airplanes, but I just didn't knwo that the two guys were one in the same until he woke up and I could clearly see his face.



That's from the NTSB, it's a crash investigation recreation they do for all fatal commercial flights. watch the evening news next time they have a crash investigation. That's actually from a FedEx crash, if you look carefully and freeze frame it, you'll see the text at the bottom says "FedEx" I did not get a chance to change it. But it says AirJet at the top! Whoo hoo authenticity!
Well, that's cool that's authentic. I honestly have never seen an air traffic screen in a newscast following a fatal commercial flight. I guess you would know better than I. I just doubt that the news would show that one year later. And it doesn't matter to me that it is there, I was just pointing out things that I felt confused me. That shot may be authentic, but I would have been just as happy staying on the newscaster or rolling more footage of the crash. That was cool!



I've got that fixed! Instead of a tower I have the guys walking into the airport. I just couldn't get it cut in time and went with a still since it was easier. Ha! And the Captain audio is back. You can't hear it when he asks the co-pilot a question.


heh heh. everyone does. I love that montage. my opening scene was rather boring. (guy falling asleep). I've noticed if you don't get the viewer within 15 seconds, they will move on. so I put that wild opening/title in there to draw you in. I hope I did.
Excellent.

I hope you don't mind my observations. I just wanted to take the time and comment. Sounds like I annoyed you. But I know that you have a chance to show this in NYC and make changes. I thought that I would act as a test audience.

Good luck!

Ted

[FlintMI]

Darned internet! You did NOT annoy me! I'm the most laid back easy going guy ever. I was just explaining my reasons for stuff... :)

Everything I do had a specific reason.

Never thought the guy looked asleep on the opening shot! Haha! So I will lighten that up so he looks awake.

As for the TV newscast, catch anything with Bob Hager on NBC, he's always playing the NTSB recreation videos. Thankfully, these are rare. Aviation is very safe, unless you're number is up and Captain Death is flying your plane!

Ted you're my man! Great test audience. Almost 90% of what you've said here I'm taking to heart and fixing. Please tell me you'll come to our next NYC DVX/HVX user meeting! (TBA) :beer:

[Kyle Stebbins]

bravo!

[FlintMI]

Thanks Kyleman! My Duncan dawg. What did you love, like, despise, hate?

[ExtremeSleuth]

Wow that's about the only complaint?!?! Awesome. I figured you'd use your imagination and assume they went into a spiral dive or something. The aircraft was not cooperating and our "pilots" did a pretty good job faking flying the thing.



there were times where the audio was a bit touchy, but not too distracting for me...




You did a great job, and thanks for the cameo. We all were pretty freaked out when you walked on set.

Thanks for leaving the scythe at home this time.

I figured it may be too much for the squeemish on set... i wanted you guys in top form for my scenes :)

let me know when you get the other version of the film done, i'd like to check it out

[Matt Sconce]

This was good stuff. I had a hard time followng a bit of the script. I thought he actually had crashed at first and that it wasn't a dream, bu it worked out. I liked the locations and thought the acting was good. I liked the sound and music and thought the interior of the cockpit was well lit! Good stuff!

[FlintMI]

This was good stuff. I had a hard time followng a bit of the script. I thought he actually had crashed at first and that it wasn't a dream, bu it worked out. I liked the locations and thought the acting was good. I liked the sound and music and thought the interior of the cockpit was well lit! Good stuff!


Thanks man. Yah, I tried so hard -- it's really hard to do dream/reality stuff since so much has been done with that genre it confuses the crap out of people. :)

The story is simple: he actually crashed, was having a nightmare about it, because he's going back to work after a year off. The newscaster was my attempt at a greek chorus to let you know it was real.

What's funny is that I had planned to have another newscaster at the end tell you that the Captain crashed an empty plane; it appears to the rest of the world that he was suicidal at the end, (but it was the reaper). And the passengers, co-pilot, flight attendant -- everything -- on the second flight was actually a living nightmare made possible by the grim reaper who missed the captain in the first crash. It was the reaper's way of getting him cleanly without suspicion (in my world reality is not to be messed with too too much).

But that is getting pretty complex for a 6 minute short. :)

[FlintMI]

there were times where the audio was a bit touchy, but not too distracting for me...



I figured it may be too much for the squeemish on set... i wanted you guys in top form for my scenes :)

let me know when you get the other version of the film done, i'd like to check it out


I'll send you a DVD, PM me your address.

[Matt Sconce]

Dude, You succeeded, as I understood he crashed, then was having a nightmare about it because of going back, then had death take him down. I thought you had said earlier in your posts that he never crashed in the first place and that it was just a dream, but I was mistaken. Cool, that means I did understand what was going on after all! Good work there! I think that ending with the announcer saying a pilot was found in a crashed empty plane would rock!

[FlintMI]

:beer:

[TheatreGuy]

Darned internet! You did NOT annoy me! I'm the most laid back easy going guy ever. I was just explaining my reasons for stuff... :)

Everything I do had a specific reason.

Never thought the guy looked asleep on the opening shot! Haha! So I will lighten that up so he looks awake.

As for the TV newscast, catch anything with Bob Hager on NBC, he's always playing the NTSB recreation videos. Thankfully, these are rare. Aviation is very safe, unless you're number is up and Captain Death is flying your plane!

Ted you're my man! Great test audience. Almost 90% of what you've said here I'm taking to heart and fixing. Please tell me you'll come to our next NYC DVX/HVX user meeting! (TBA) :beer:
Whoa! A NYC DVX/HVX user meeting??? Just what I am looking for!!!

PLEASE let me know it is. I'll be there!

Still trying to work on your premiere... This is my 10 year anniversary and I have neglected my wife enough over the past month of shooting and hanging on dvxuser!! HA HA.

Sorry, to mis-interpret the type. I am glad that I can be a bouncing board. Seriously, man. This is how we all get better!!!

I hope that I can see your film in NYC. I'm trying to get there on the 10th!

Let me know about the mtg.s!!!

Ted

[JoshuaNitschke]

The music was good and the cabin was pretty authentic.

One thing really stood out though.

"Mandatory one year hiatus that the FDA recommends"

I dunno....mandatory and recommends just don't seem to go well together. :D

But yeah, like I said I was impressed by the cockpit. Cinematography was a bit lacking, but I understand the restraints of shooting in such a small place.

[FlintMI]

The music was good and the cabin was pretty authentic. One thing really stood out though. "Mandatory one year hiatus that the FDA recommends" I dunno....mandatory and recommends just don't seem to go well together. :D

But yeah, like I said I was impressed by the cockpit. Cinematography was a bit lacking, but I understand the restraints of shooting in such a small place.

Thanks Virum! Glad you enjoyed it.

It's "FAA", not "FDA" -- ROFL! No E.Coli on airplanes! ROFL :beer:Thanks that typo cracked me up. :)

More accuracy there, I went overboard on the accuracy. The NTSB does not actually do anything legal to the industries they "regulate" they only "recommend" and the FAA can take their advice, or leave it. So something mandatory to the NTSB or FAA internally is just a recommendation to the other party -- meaning "you should do this, it's mandatory in our neck of the woods."

You're right, it needs to be worded better though...

Shoot, I thought having 7 total camera angles in the flight deck was pretty good cinematography. Oh well. Next time: lipstick cams! :)

[Mark Harris]

Hey Shawn, this might be a dumb question, but was there no way to get cameras OUTSIDE the simulator and shoot in through the windows? I guess the answer is no, since you didn't, but just wondering.

[jpbankesmercer]

Acting: Very 70’s but I like that! Julie Harris was great as the newscaster,
Script: A little light.
Direction: Would have liked to see the Director stretched a little more.
Music: Good in places.
Editing: Standard.
Lighting: A little flat. This was my major drawback but hey I suppose your not getting a 5k Arri in that small space eh?
Loved: Intro and titles, the plane getting hit by lightning! (hehe), the city scape (nice shot), the news broadcast and plane crash (wow), shot of the tower, death pushing forward on the controls.
Hated: Death, but props for digging him up! J
Overall: Loved the fact you got into a cockpit and made the dials do that! A fun film that lived up to the fun poster/ title. Well done.
J.P.

[FlintMI]

Thanks man! Glad you liked it. :)

[FlintMI]

Hey Shawn, this might be a dumb question, but was there no way to get cameras OUTSIDE the simulator and shoot in through the windows? I guess the answer is no, since you didn't, but just wondering.

Hey Mark!

No, but we would have done that if possible. The "money" shot for airplane movies is the angle you're talking about. We could have even fogged the windows and had rain streaming down on them -- that would have been sweet. But no, we can't do any of that.

For the closeups of the pilots, I just put the camera and the battery powered flo lights on the dashboard, hit record, and called "action!" :)

[Slappydappy]

Like 90% of the submissions, the poster is better than the film.

The pilot survives the crash because of an advanced airbag?!?

The sound was so bad in some places you couldn't even tell what the people were saying.

Then Death shows up looking like he came out of the Kroger Halloween aisle and grabs the joystick. At that point I wanted to blow my brains out.

[FlintMI]

Joystick, LOL, you must be 17 years old. In that case I'll see you working the cash register when I return my skeleton to Kroger. LOL!

:beer:

[hvxabuser]

this movie had a location and tried to play off of it but it was lacking in huge areas mostly sound design and fear elements. i didnt feel scared or really care by the time was over. but i did like that death was in the movie you should have played that element more.

lacking alot in story but could be tighten in editing.

[Lingothree]

Hello -

Good work. You win for best locations, I think. You should have hooked up with chow baby and runway, and you could have had a really awesome movie about snakes on planes. Wait...

Your dream/flashback sequence was kind of awkward. I would have cut out all the bed shots except for the first and last around the dream, and then just added some sound to make those shots seem dreamlike.

The movie drags a bit in the middle. I wonder if it's because of the extra long newscast explaining what happened last year, followed by a longish shot of a flight attendant talking to the captain. Do you think you could have explored the story from some different angles to cut down on those?

Sound definitely needs some work - it was hard to hear what some of your characters were saying - especially "death."

I would also like seeing this with a somewhat different ending, I think. It seemed to just lop it off - were you running low on time?

Overall, this was a very different concept. Good work on that. And everything about the story was very clear - so good presentation.

[FlintMI]

this movie had a location and tried to play off of it but it was lacking in huge areas mostly sound design and fear elements. i didnt feel scared or really care by the time was over. but i did like that death was in the movie you should have played that element more.

lacking alot in story but could be tighten in editing.

Thanks abuser! Love that username, BTW.

[FlintMI]

Hello - Good work. You win for best locations, I think. You should have hooked up with chow baby and runway, and you could have had a really awesome movie about snakes on planes. Wait... Your dream/flashback sequence was kind of awkward. I would have cut out all the bed shots except for the first and last around the dream, and then just added some sound to make those shots seem dreamlike. The movie drags a bit in the middle. I wonder if it's because of the extra long newscast explaining what happened last year, followed by a longish shot of a flight attendant talking to the captain. Do you think you could have explored the story from some different angles to cut down on those? Sound definitely needs some work - it was hard to hear what some of your characters were saying - especially "death." I would also like seeing this with a somewhat different ending, I think. It seemed to just lop it off - were you running low on time? Overall, this was a very different concept. Good work on that. And everything about the story was very clear - so good presentation.

Thanks Lingothree! Great review.

Yah, cutting from falling asleep to a dream is tough because how can you tell its not the next day? If you don't show him sleeping, you think it's just the next morning and he's back at work or something. That's what the test audience thought, they were confused. So I had to cut him sleeping and having the nightmare to show you that what you saw was just a dream, but then the newscaster cements the fact that it did in fact happen, but he was being tortured by it.

Yah, the grim reaper guy - he's not there to negoitate, he's there to kill the guy, so I wanted that to be short and sweet. I didn't know what to do with his voice so I just recorded mine and slowed it down. Lots of people said they could hear it "loud and clear" so I'm sorry you couldn't!

The middle drags for you? What a drag? Sorry, sorry. Well, I wrote the script in less than 30 minutes, I guess it shows! LOL!

I had time for a greek chorus at the end that explained what happened (back to the newscaster again) but I left it out for you to wonder what happened.

Sound did suck because I ran out of time, but I fixed it for the final version. :)

I very much appreciate your comments and glad you at least enjoyed the concept!

[steve2bees]

Hey Shawn, nice work on compressed schedule. And what a screen presence you have! Congrats and good luck on Friday.

[FlintMI]

LOL.

Thanks SteHVeX, when do I get to see your first film dawg?

[TimurCivan]

as soon as he shoots one!!!!

[Mark Johnson]

You should have hooked up with chow baby and runway, and you could have had a really awesome movie about snakes on planes. Wait...


LOL. That's one of the most clever posts I've seen this week. Nice one Lingothree.

[steve2bees]

Soon, soon, Shawn. Hope I can snag some of your talent.

[jpbankesmercer]

Best of luck guys.

[TheatreGuy]

Shawn! CONGRATULATIONS on your film!!!!

I have enjoyed your thread from the beginning and then your film.

Thank you for the great discussions!

Best of luck to you! I hope you had a great premiere!!!

Been fun,

Ted

[Slimothy]

Hey Shawn,
I just watched this one and was immediately thrown off by the CC. I don't know if it was my computer or the compression but things seemed a bit to saturated and others too dark. Kinda like the "old movie" look. Maybe it was something you were going for, but I disliked the CC pretty much all the way through with the exception of the newscast. Where did you get the plane crash footage or was that VFX? Looked great. The skeleton didn't do it for me and alot of the sound needed work.

I couldn't really get into it, but you can tell that you guys have some skill. I just don't think it came through with this one.

TIm.

[steve2bees]

I was wondering that too about the crash footage. Looked too real to me for vfx...

[FlintMI]

Hey Shawn,
I just watched this one and was immediately thrown off by the CC. I don't know if it was my computer or the compression but things seemed a bit to saturated and others too dark. Kinda like the "old movie" look. Maybe it was something you were going for, but I disliked the CC pretty much all the way through with the exception of the newscast.

Thanks Slim! There was no color correction of any kind. I ran out of time. The final version is color corrected. Let me know if that looks better. See first page of thread for download link. The newscast was shot outdoors in natural light. The interior pilot scenes were lit with two 6" battery powered flo lights and the ambiance of the instruments. That's all. DVX sucks in low light and so it was boosted a lot in post.



Where did you get the plane crash footage or was that VFX? Looked great. The skeleton didn't do it for me and alot of the sound needed work.

Footage.

The skeleton is the same one they used for Charon in Clash of the Titans. I don't know why people don't like him, he's like $2,000 and I had to rent him as we didn't want to spend that kind of money. He's a real human skeleton and I don't know how more to make a skeleton look like a skeleton. Some wondered why I didn't treat him with some makeup or something, but that might have been too Tales from the Crypt which I didn't want to copy. I'm really sorry you didn't like him. I hope at least you didn't expect him.

And you're right, the sound sucked and I ran out of time. It was totally remixed and re-edited for the final version. Better to have a partially finished movie in than no movie at all. :)



I couldn't really get into it, but you can tell that you guys have some skill. I just don't think it came through with this one.

Sorry you couldn't man! But, I wrote, directed, shot, cut, scored, etc. everything on this project myself (except for shooting the scenes with the grim reaper where I had DP Timur Civan do that for me as I was acting in it.) I love making mistakes and made a lot on this project and learned from them.

So what you see is a singular vision, and I'm to blame since you didn't like it! :)

[FlintMI]

Shawn! CONGRATULATIONS on your film!!!!

I have enjoyed your thread from the beginning and then your film.

Thank you for the great discussions!

Best of luck to you! I hope you had a great premiere!!!

Been fun,

Ted
Thanks again man, you're compliments and constructive criticism has definately helped me. It really really sucked that I ran out of time and had to do everything myself and had to put out a not-finished version but them's the breaks. I do know the Reaper startled some people at the screening, but I don't think they were really all that into it.

But all in all, I thought for my first dramatic short avoided cliches, and told a genuine tale of horror that could have happened to anyone. No blood, knives, torture, and well, I guess some loved it but most didn't get it. :beer:

One thing is for certain, it's the most authentic aviation movie you'll ever see. The dialog, pilot actions, plot, etc. (except for the Grim Reaper guy obviously) were literally lifted from actual events. :)

Ted PM me your address so I can send you a DVD, mastered in 2.35 aspect and Dolby Digital.

[FlintMI]

Soon, soon, Shawn. Hope I can snag some of your talent.

Absolutely. Anything you need I'm happy to help, because I know you made some investment there and are looking to see some ROI. :beer:

[FlintMI]

Best of luck guys.

You too. I freaking loved your movie. Been on the road a lot and haven't been able to spend much time on the boards. But I loved it.

[TimurCivan]

Hey mang. Just givin yo uthe bump this film deserves. it was TONS of fun to make and even more fun to watch.

its interesting that your subconscious came up with this story in a dream. it was very efective i thought. ITs also kind of interesting seeing how much your living, in the airline industry, effects your life in general. its very nice knowing you, its like seeing the world through the eyes of a pilot. things must seem much smaller from up there.

:)

[FlintMI]

Wow thanks Timur. Your work on the final scenes really made the film at the end (for me anyway).

The Lexington KY crash popped into my head in a dream one night, and I wrote the whole thing in Notepad on my laptop on the F train from Manhattan to Queens, which took 28 minutes. I guess it lags a bit in the middle, but the endcaps of this film are so dramatic, I guess almost anything in the middle is gonna drag!

I was reviewing the BTS and you really called each and every shot perfect on those final scenes and are on your way to becoming a high dollar DP. Get that HD experience and start experimenting with HMIs, diffused lighting, China balls and I think you'll be unstoppable in NYC.

Did you download the final version?

http://www.shawnchittle.com/films/death_final.mov

right click save as.

I will burn you a DVD as I mastered it in Dolby Digital and both 4:3 letterboxed 2.35 aspect and 16:9 letterboxed 2.35 aspect.

[TimurCivan]

I will burn you a DVD as I mastered it in Dolby Digital and both 4:3 letterboxed 2.35 aspect and 16:9 letterboxed 2.35 aspect.


Hah! This is only funny to me bcause i had a long drunken conversation wit shawn one night about aspect ratios, and 16:9 ntive timelines.... God we need to get a normal persons hobby......

[FlintMI]

Like crewing on the Hudson? Eww.

[TimurCivan]

heh... OK never mind. lets make living off of cool things... like flying airplanes, and shooting movies...

[mentatDUKE]

Hey Flint.

The score and saturated colors in this gave it a very 70s feel. It felt pretty creepy even though it was a comedy. The story and script left a lot to be desired but the part about the airbag was entertaining. Campy but could have been a bit more fun. I wish the acting was a bit more tongue in cheek. Sound and lighting could have been better unless that was deliberate of course.

Direction could have been stronger and more confident. Push your actors.

I want an mp3 of the score. There's something about it. Feels like Total Recall, Terminator, violent 80s stuff...


Very memorable. How'd the NY theater screening go?

Take care.

[Norm Sanders]

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

Okay, I’m going to cut straight to the chase … that news cast was AMAZING! It’s got to be one of the best I’ve ever seen in a short, if not actually THE best … and that footage they were playing … how’d you get that and/or create it?! Amazing is the only word I have for it. However, it was SOOOO good that everything else paled in comparison for me. There seemed to be a lot of room for improvement in the sound, although the score seemed nice & appropriate. The script was also good, in that this felt like a MUCH longer movie than just 6 minutes … in a good way, like there was a lot accomplished in the short period of time. Good job … though I’m not sure any airbag or restraint system would have saved him from that fireball crash, lol. Just noticed the file size/MB was over limit, but I personally don’t care about that as long as it was within the 6 minute time limit, which it was.

[macintosh]

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The camera work in this gave me a feel of claustrophobia almost. There were a lot of tight shots and aside from giving a closed in feeling which I think worked well for the film, it also brought it in a lot more personally from the start.

EDITING:

For the most part I liked how this was edited. I liked how you used sounds, such as thunder to move the film and go on to another shot. A simple technique that works very well.

SOUND:

The audio mix was pretty good and all of the audio levels were in good range of each other, with nothing really overpowering the rest. In the beginning and a little at the end it was kinda hard to hear the dialogue. It sounded really muffled and just at times overpowered by sound effects. But it wasn't for the entirety of the film, so it wasn't a major problem.

SCREENPLAY:

This was a good idea to go with. It had potential and you used it. The only thing that was a little awkward was the ending, I think it was mainly because of the skull mask, but that was a choice you decided to go with. I'm not saying its bad, just not what I expected.

ACTING:

Most of the time everything seemed fine. There were a few lines here and there during the crash sequence that felt as if the actors were worried about playing their characters well enough. But for the most part I think they did a good job.

Overall, this was an interesting film to watch. Like I said, I think the idea was good and you did a good job of showing what happened. I didn't know where to put this, probably would've been appropriate for cinematography, but I think the mock newscast you did was done very well.

[FlintMI]

Hey Flint. The score and saturated colors in this gave it a very 70s feel. It felt pretty creepy even though it was a comedy. The story and script left a lot to be desired but the part about the airbag was entertaining. Campy but could have been a bit more fun. I wish the acting was a bit more tongue in cheek. Sound and lighting could have been better unless that was deliberate of course. Direction could have been stronger and more confident. Push your actors. I want an mp3 of the score. There's something about it. Feels like Total Recall, Terminator, violent 80s stuff... Very memorable. How'd the NY theater screening go? Take care.
Wow, I'm thrilled at this review. Thank you so much. But it wasn't a comedy! :) If you laughed, you were laughing AT ME. Ha ha. :crybaby: But that's OK. I kept the film very authentic and some people just don't know there are such things as airbags and controversy over putting stuff like that in airplanes. And one-survivor major accidents happen from time to time. (NWA 255, Comair 5191)

I got a nice round of applause from the audience in NY. And I've seen them boo movies so I felt pretty good. Aviation disaster movies can be tough with the 9/11 thing hanging overhead, but people said they liked it.

The colors were not corrected so any hint that it was part of a vision is just coincidence; those colors were what the camera recorded. I did not have time to do CC.

Well, I wrote the script in 30 minutes on the F train to LaGuarida after I got a text message about the Comair/Lexington KY crash. That's when I wrote the whole thing from beginning to end, about a guy who survives, feels guilty, thinks he's lucky, then his number is up in the end after all. I haven't seen that story told before, and if it's been done PLEASE tell me... it does borrow a bit from The Twilight Zone and Fearless. :)

The soundtrack was also done quickly, this time in about 18 minutes. I did a little experiment trick with the guitar which I sent out to people to see if they liked it, and when they did, I sat down and did everything live and in one take. I just hit play on the computer and played what came into my head as the movie rolled. I then went back and thought the roof scene needed some blues riff, so I turned on my guitar amp and played a riff into the computer. Simple as that. Glad you liked it.

Check out the FINAL version of the film, I extend the blues riff on the roof scene and did some more stuff to the soundtrack. I'm glad you liked it!

The direction could have been stronger; we were pressed for time and did everything in just a few takes. Total filming time 8 hours for the whole project! :beer:



Just finally getting the time to copy the notes I compiled in a Word doc while watching the shorts: Okay, I’m going to cut straight to the chase … that news cast was AMAZING! It’s got to be one of the best I’ve ever seen in a short, if not actually THE best … and that footage they were playing … how’d you get that and/or create it?! Amazing is the only word I have for it. However, it was SOOOO good that everything else paled in comparison for me. There seemed to be a lot of room for improvement in the sound, although the score seemed nice & appropriate. The script was also good, in that this felt like a MUCH longer movie than just 6 minutes … in a good way, like there was a lot accomplished in the short period of time. Good job … though I’m not sure any airbag or restraint system would have saved him from that fireball crash, lol. Just noticed the file size/MB was over limit, but I personally don’t care about that as long as it was within the 6 minute time limit, which it was.

Thanks man!!! The newscast was totally made up to help explain the reason why he was having nightmares; it was my attempt at a Greek Chorus and because we see newscasts all the time, they are easy to fake. She's also a former newscaster and really nailed the part. I'm glad you liked it. I was hoping the "scanlines" was not too much but it seemed to make you feel like you were watching a newscast.

As for the oversize, the version that you saw was the first upload and I sent a smaller upload and they forgot to use that one.

You'd be surprised as to what they have in place now to save people on expensive private jets, for example. They even have anti-missile laser-based defense systems! Try to shoot the plane down, the missle can't lock on! Crazy!

[FlintMI]

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The camera work in this gave me a feel of claustrophobia almost. There were a lot of tight shots and aside from giving a closed in feeling which I think worked well for the film, it also brought it in a lot more personally from the start.

EDITING:

For the most part I liked how this was edited. I liked how you used sounds, such as thunder to move the film and go on to another shot. A simple technique that works very well.

SOUND:

The audio mix was pretty good and all of the audio levels were in good range of each other, with nothing really overpowering the rest. In the beginning and a little at the end it was kinda hard to hear the dialogue. It sounded really muffled and just at times overpowered by sound effects. But it wasn't for the entirety of the film, so it wasn't a major problem.

SCREENPLAY:

This was a good idea to go with. It had potential and you used it. The only thing that was a little awkward was the ending, I think it was mainly because of the skull mask, but that was a choice you decided to go with. I'm not saying its bad, just not what I expected.

ACTING:

Most of the time everything seemed fine. There were a few lines here and there during the crash sequence that felt as if the actors were worried about playing their characters well enough. But for the most part I think they did a good job.

Overall, this was an interesting film to watch. Like I said, I think the idea was good and you did a good job of showing what happened. I didn't know where to put this, probably would've been appropriate for cinematography, but I think the mock newscast you did was done very well.


Thanks that really made my day man!! :beer: