86th Street Studios: "Catherine" by Nic Aragon

[Cynic821]

ya, i know the poster never got updated, im tired...

PROJECT COMPLETED - OCTOBER 1st 2006

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/catherine%20web%20discription.jpg

Length: 6:00

Written/Edited/Directed by: Nic Aragon

Original Music by: Jordan Grgich

Starring: Sam Lucero, Anthony Grotz, Jody Aragon, Nic Aragon

Camera: Panasonic HVX200, Redrock Micro M2 Adapter + Nikon Primes, Hysonfilms Mattebox + Follow Focus, Rowe Cine Cine Dolly.

Budget: $400+

Production Start Date: 9/23/2006

Production End Date: 10/1/2006

Edited On: iMac 24" Core 2 Duo 2.16ghz, Final Cut Pro 5.1.2. Macbook Pro Core Duo 2.0ghz, Final Cut Pro 5.1.2.


Characters:

Tori - Has been in Apt. 33 for 1 month + Nice, trusting, smart and alone. Independant and cutting edge.

George - Has just recently begun to date Tori. This night he is visiting her for the first time at her place.

Rich - Nephew of the buildings Super. His uncle is no longer able to keep up with maintnence due to his age, so Rich has been taking care of the odds and ends for the past month.

Jeremy- A very shy, quiet and loner type. He has been especially ostrocized after the murder . He secretly has a crush on Tori, and also on Catherine, the former tenant of Apartment 33.

Location: South San Francisco, CA

Organized Grabs:

Location
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159521659.jpg

Law
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159385933.jpg

Sam Lucero
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/New/Tori%20Crying.jpg

Nic Aragon
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159384272.jpg

Tony Grotz
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Rich%20After.jpg

Jody Aragon
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/New/Jody%20Aragon.jpg

Rich and Tori
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/New/Rich%20and%20Tori.jpg

Tori Smiling
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/New/Tori.jpg


NEW SONG!!!!

"Catherine's Song" by Jordan Grgich (http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Catherine's%20Song.mp3)

Right Click and Download as Usual

[Brandon Rice]

I think this is going to be a good one... looking forward to it dude.

[Cynic821]

i think its gunna be a big stinker... :(

Just kidding, im going for a winner, but only got a week to do the whole thing

[Blaine]

Oooo. A shower scene... :beer:

[Cynic821]

2 of em'

[Mark Harris]

Welcome to the rat-race. Now, you too can be a slave to HorrorFest until Oct. 1st.

Good Luck.

[Cynic821]

Already slaving away on the script...then story boards at work tomorrow to finish, hopefully.

[Tom Marshall]

Cool man, good luck!!

[VersuS]

Welcome and good luck, nice poster!

[Ralph Oshiro]

Nice type treatment!

[Cynic821]

thank you...i really want to get this done, and i figured id commit myself by posting...but i think in all reality, its not up to me to get it done, but my actors :(

[Cynic821]

Location stills:

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/hall%202.jpg
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/hall.jpg

[Jaime V]

OMG that's my apartment!! WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME!! WHAT DO YOU WANT??!!!!

(sorry...probably too much coffee today)

interesting grabs, good luck with your actors!

[Cynic821]

LOL...oh man for a second there though before i looked at your location, i was like another user actually lives in my building?! that would have been good especially if you have an HVX setup... shucks

thanks

[Cynic821]

For anyone not from the Bay Area, SOUTH San Francisco is not an area or district in San Francisco, its one of the lamer cities on the penninsula...but atleast we have a HUGE hill with the City's name on it...which is actually kind of embarrassing, its like no one knows of South City, so we have to have a huge sign saying where you are

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b121/MrOh/Santa%20Cruz%202005/SignHill.jpg

[TheatreGuy]

i think its gunna be a big stinker... :( ...
Hey Cynic821, the only stinker I see on this thread is those OAKLAND RAIDERS that you follow!!! LOL! Sorry, I couldn't resist! :evil: (Yep! Your ol' Patriot buddy here!)

Seriously, good luck! Looks like you've got a busy, busy week ahead of you! (that'll help keep your mind off of footall! :grin: )

[Cynic821]

:( LOL, the problems are too deep with that team, the BYE Week couldnt have come at a better time actually, cuz now i dont have to waste 3 hours on sunday watching the game, but im actually gunna have to waste 3 tonight, 3 tomorrow, and possibly 3 on sunday on the Oakland A's games. If we take the first 2 games, we clinch, then i dont have to watch and ill have sunday fully open.

[Cynic821]

Neighboors now named! See the first post!

Also, Script has been finished, need to read over and edit as i added ideas near the end that really make it better. Tie it all together and then to story boards for tomorrows shoot. heres a small excerpt.



GEORGE
Hey Tori, its george, we still on for tonight right?

TORI
Oh, of course, my place is kind of messy though...

GEORGE
Thats no problem, im kinda messy too

TORI
ok, well i gotta do some laundry ill see you soon?

GEORGE
yup, ill be there soon, see ya in a few.


INT.
Laundry room, Tori meets up with friend and shy looking character from apartment 30.

RICH
Oh hey Tori!

TORI
Hi RICH...is that the only washer?

RICH
ya, you can have it...

TORI
sure? i dont wan....

RICH
ya, no go ahead...im off tomorrow anyways.

Another man enters the laundry room, he lives in the apartment building , he is getting his clothes from a dryer, RICH and Tori quiet up, and just stare at eachother and leave...

RICH
that guy is a weirdo man, no one has felt safe with him around after that girl got killed her..

[Cynic821]

Actor trouble, but ill be up all night getting the shots laid out for an EASY shoot tomorrow

[Cynic821]

2 grabs shot about 20 minutes ago:

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/bathroom1.jpg

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/bathroom2.jpg

HVX200 + M2 + Nikon 50mm / 35mm

[Cynic821]

MY SKULL IS POUNDING, im tired, theres no tylonol, no beer, and only half way done shooting, the hard part is tomorrow. No blood spilled yet, need an actor to be willing to be covered in blood, or we wont make this contest...which would extremly dissapoint me, so if you are a girl, and willing to get bloody for a movie, please contact me, must be girl next door look, 5'6" to 5'8" 110-135 lbs, ya, im that desperate for an actress.

time to edit and sleep, more stills coming tomorrow

[TheatreGuy]

Hey Cynic821, looking good so far. I like where the script is heading... :evil:

And yeah, those A's seem to always play great second half baseball! (Though I am in Red Sox country now, I will always have a soft spot for my A's!)

Good luck with all the *#$@!!%$*#. :)

Ted

[Cynic821]

Got a last second actress to play an important roll, just finished shooting her scene

[Cynic821]

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Rich%20Close.jpg

new grab to tickle your fancy

[Cynic821]

one more, black and white! makes it extra scary.

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/tony%20blackwhite.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Cool stuff dude... so is shooting done?

[Ben Sliker]

looks like you pushed the blacks a little bit on that second grab. what do you CC with?

[Cynic821]

shooting still not done, but we got the most difficult shot done with the emergency actress , so everyone is gunnna take a small break tonight, then finish up scenes of mine later tonight.

which screen the black and white one . hybridtheory?

[Cynic821]

wrenches!
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/wrenches.jpg

[Cynic821]

Finally watched a scene from the movie for the first time myself...its super rough, but looks good...ill up a screen of the test CC soon, iMac 24" is exporting 1:30 min of footage to 720p h.264 at 13 minutes

not bad

[Cynic821]

Character: Jeremy
Before
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Jeremy%20Before.jpg

After
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Jeremy%20After.jpg

Rich:
Before
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Rich%20Before.jpg

After
http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Stills/Rich%20After.jpg

Comments and suggestions very much welcome, whatever comes to your mind.

[Mark Harris]

Ooooo, laundry is scary. That's why I never do it.

What are you doing to cc here? Is the whole movie going to be cced like this, or is this for specific scenes/effects?

[JaydeeG83]

Yo Cynic, I like the color choice, it's different than the usual greenish look most go for in horror, I think you should keep it.

[Ben Sliker]

which screen the black and white one . hybridtheory?

sorry for the post and leave, but yeah, the black and white one
looking good man!

[Brandon Rice]

I like the CC... going for that yellow, almost dirty look?

[Cynic821]

Late start for me on here today, had a meeting first thing when i got in the office today.

anyways, im going for the overall look of the movie. Going for a very bright movie, different than everyone elses screens ive seen so far, i want it to be different , its horror in a different way.

I think its maybe the very slightest tad too yellow, but i did this at 3am last night, its VERY rough and just a draft, but the way i want to go with it. Maybe more skin tones? What do you guys think? All the walls in the building are a pastellish yellow anyways, light dirty white, some shots wont be like this, like in shots in other buildings, but i like the look of what i am going for, anyone play Ghost Recon on the Xbox 360? You know how the desert stuff looks?

[Cynic821]

not at home, but working on not making it so dirty, dirty is not the perception im going for. this forum moves fast, only like 5 movies are continually bumped to the top, but most of it is conversation...: :(

[Matt Sconce]

I am intigued by this one. I will look forward to it.

[Cynic821]

Glad someone is :)

Im going to be updating the first post in here with more info , new pics very soon. Ive been trying to squeez in fixing some scenes of the script that havnt been shot yet but a BUSY day at work today, all week really is going to be busy.

But an update:

Added a new scene to the movie, changed some shots, luckily no reshooting. 1 day behind schedule, but thats my fault.

Score is coming along amazingly as well. Its probably exactly what i could imagine if i knew how to play insturments.

[Matt Sconce]

Glad someone is :)

Im going to be updating the first post in here with more info , new pics very soon. Ive been trying to squeez in fixing some scenes of the script that havnt been shot yet but a BUSY day at work today, all week really is going to be busy.

But an update:

Added a new scene to the movie, changed some shots, luckily no reshooting. 1 day behind schedule, but thats my fault.

Score is coming along amazingly as well. Its probably exactly what i could imagine if i knew how to play insturments.

That is nice to hear. The score makes the movie basically, especially in horror. Look forward to the pics!

[avatuar]

I love me a good shower shriek scene!!!

[Cynic821]

http://www.oasisdesignstudios.com/banner.jpg (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70427)


You can make your banner itself clickable, i cant paste the code because it links it automatically. lol

but there it is...

I wouldnt say theres any shower shriek scenes...like ive been saying, this is different then the expected camp horror.

[Cynic821]

Cigarette break....thought id say hi! Hi!

back to shooting!

1 scene down. 8 to go tonight

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

good luck on your shoot (still shooting?)
looking forward to your flick :thumbsup:

[Cynic821]

Still shootin, but called it a wrap around 2:45am. Took a shower just now, my hair had to be really nappy for my part in the movie ;) My hair is almost down to my ass now, havnt cut , trimmed or styled it in over 3 years.

Makes for a good horror movie though :)

Anyways, probably be up another hour, i dont think ill be able to even look at the footage but the new P2 import on FCP is great, i imported a few clips, oh ya, i promised new grabs huh, just give me maybe till tomorrow.

I mean i can almost cut your guys' excitement with a knife! :(

But ya, what do i need to get some views in here, some more story details? no can do there, this is a very simple and complex project, its different, suspensful, and dreamy, i think if you plan on passing up on a movie this fest, make sure its not NOT mine..LOL thats a little backwards but ya, take care everyone, ask questions, give support, ive only got 3 days left to shoot this dammned thing...then edit.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

... what do i need to get some views in here, some more story details? no can do there, this is a very simple and complex project, its different, suspensful, and dreamy, i think if you plan on passing up on a movie this fest, make sure its not NOT mine..LOL thats a little backwards but ya, take care everyone, ask questions, give support, ive only got 3 days left to shoot this dammned thing...then edit...
Dude, my threads been up for 60 days and I'm averaging 166 views a day.
Spidey's been up for 90 days and he's averaging 77 views a day.

You've been up for like 4 days, have no grabs and are averaging 110 views a day ... what's the problem here?
Seems like you are doing more than fine. I mean you are right in the pocket there.

Still, good luck on finishing.

[Cynic821]

Ive got 7 grabs up, are the links working for everyone?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Yah, they are there, I had already seen them and they look good, I just misread your last post where you said "new grabs" and I read just "grabs".

...But you are still getting a decent share of the view pie, just keep building.

[Cynic821]

Thanks jack!

[Brandon Rice]

Yeah dude, I don't comment each time I come in here, but I check your thread out several times a day... keep up the good work!

[Cynic821]

Two new grabs to hold ya over:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159384272.jpg
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159384327.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Two new grabs to hold ya over:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159384327.jpg

I like this one a lot. :thumbsup:

[Cynic821]

How bout this one?

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159385933.jpg

as you can tell, the hallway itself is becoming a character in its own in the short.

[Brandon Rice]

OH yeah! That's a cool one!

[Cynic821]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159386364.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Dude, that is nice... I love the blowout on the back wall....

[GTP]

Sweet, looks great...

[Cynic821]

Major Update:

Here is a sample of the original music made for Catherine:

http://cynic821.dvxhost.com/Catherine%20Production/Catherine_Sample.mp3

All Original Music is performed and written by Jordan Grgich.
All music is property of 86th Street Studios © 2006

Music is still work in progress until the movie is completed.

[Matt Sconce]

I really like when the synchopation kicks in!!!!!!

[Larry Rutledge]

Cool horror vibe going on there with that music :thumbsup:

[Cynic821]

Thanks, ill pass the compliments to my partner. Jordan Grgich, Jaydeeg. He is busy at getting the music to the exact feel ive been looking for . As hard as weve all been working together on the short, hes been busy at work on his own with his musical partners or whatever you call em, i wish i knew how to make stuff like that , but thats ok when hes got it locked down.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Nice Carpenter / Goblin vibe with the music.
I clicked the link in my email and heard it before I saw the new grabs and I like it even better seeing the grabs.

[Brandon Rice]

Music rules dude! Keep up this pace... you're making a mighty fine looking film.

[JaydeeG83]

Allright, they like my music!!! I should have it all done by tomorrow Cynic.

[Cynic821]

Ill hopefully have the shooting done by tomorrow as well, well really tonight, 5 more specific Scenes to go, i guess about an hour or 2 each. So another 4am ending for tonight? Ya, most likely. You know my boss actually told me to go take a nap today? LOL.
I was like, nah, even though i was napping already before he came in.

[Cynic821]

2 scenes left to shoot! YAY

[Cynic821]

updated tech info and cast in main post 4am. finishing a beer and editing away! anyone else awake?

[jenningsp]

just read about your film. looks pretty snazzy. i'm awake, it's 9:20pm where i am.

[Cynic821]

thanks, im finally getting ready to be excited about it, ive got about 85% of the shooting done and ive been doin my best to get a head start on editing , and thats whats sparking my excitement. I think this has a great chance here.

I cant take it anymore, its 4:40am now here and ive got the San Francisco to San Jose 101 commute in about 3 hours to make, another wonderful day filled with traffic, middle fingers, and so on and so forth...see everyone in the 10am hour. SF time...i MIGHT , just MIGHT have more grabs but i dont want to reveal anything, so well see, if you guys behave :)

hope to hear more comments about the Music as well, so if you have any , please post...thanks

[luster]

How's the 24inch imac handling the hvx footage? What's your workflow like?

[Cynic821]

Its been handling it great! I thought i was disapointed and there was a problem once when i saw the red render bar pop up for the first time, but thats because i double pasted the filters into some clips of Catherine, so it had 6 filters, 2 of each on it. Its just great, but burning the midnight oil from 1am to 5am with that bright screen is gunna cause me to go blind.

the screen is seriously BRIGHT! I use it with the brightness turned all the way down and it still is just glaring. Everyone who sees it for the first time always comments on how bright it is and then i turn it all the way up.

Anyways, with the new FCP 5.1.2 the workflow is so much easier now. I have all my cards backed up twice , once on the local HD when i just copy the card over, and then i back that up to an external USB 2.0 drive. Ive been working on the USB drive though because i can take everything to my Macbook Pro if i ever have to edit and im not at the house. Like i am right now, at the office, but i forgot to grab my usb cable, bt no biggie, im a zombie anyways right now. Not in the mood.

Its much easier now to capture the clips from the P2, its just like loggin and capturing from tapes (which i NEVER EVER did, i hate tapes, dispise them, so id just capture now and go watch a movie or play some games.) naming the files is easy and seriously, the iMac is what is going to allow this movie to get done on time, that and the FCP 5.1.2. update.

[Cynic821]

Shooting is almost wrapped up. Only thing left is the one outside scene left in the movie, our only glimpse at the world outside. But what is outside is still not always wanted in the inside, no matter how bad things may look in the Apartment building.

[Cynic821]

Update:

Heres a shot of the Exterior of the Apartment Building.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1159521659.jpg

[Peter Murphy]

rock and roll, looking forward to watching this sucka. Looks like you got some good stuff goin on.

[Cynic821]

thanks. good luck to finishing on time, we will all need it! :)

[JaydeeG83]

I have to redo that piano effect on the end credits song, the piano sounds so shrill and piercing I've had a damn headache all day from listening to it, lol, people will be scared of our movie for the wrong reason.

[Cynic821]

cant wait to hear what you change it to.

[Cynic821]

Editing about 70% done, and the movie is 8 minutes long....hrmmmm, this sucks

[Cynic821]

Final DVD Running time will be 11 minutes. Cutting this down to 6 minutes and coming up with 2 scores is going to be a long process..

[Cynic821]

6 minutes and 40 seconds

[Brandon Rice]

Cut it, cut it, cut it!

[Cynic821]

6 minutes!

*celebrates with beer and cigarettes*

Much thanks to Jordan Grgich !

I wouldnt have cut it myself

[Cynic821]

Getting Ready to upload now.

[JaydeeG83]

Chopping that movie down was not fun at all, but at least we have it, and its prettay prettay prettay good!...The long version will rock so much harder though. *High fives Cynic and clink beers*

[Michael_Petro]

Chopping that movie down was not fun at all, but at least we have it, and its prettay prettay prettay good!...The long version will rock so much harder though. *High fives Cynic and clink beers*

when i slapped mine together the first run was 10 minutes. I was like no way am i gonna get this to six.. then I stopped editing and watched all the raw footage **EPIPHANY** got it to 5:57 w/credits(They kinda flyby though). took the 10 minute cut pressed the delete key :) 'Cuz i waz done :) fun and exausting:)

[Cynic821]

Ya, 11 minutes was daunting to edit it down to 6, we tried to keep the epic feel as much as possible, jordans previous experience with editing helped greatly in cutting this down, then it was up to me to tighten it all up and make a decision on what to cut.

Ours is exactly 6 minutes, with the very last frame consisting of the credits. used every single frame the best we could in my opinion.

thers like another 8 beers left here to , so ill clink all those together for ya,

[Michael_Petro]

clink :) oh crap i'm out... brb :)

[Cynic821]

Project is uploaded, done , finito, now i can sleep and hopefully be able to watch some others tomorrow morning at the office.

[Cynic821]

New song added to the first post in topic, as well as replacing that poster with a new Title and description of the movie. New pics on the bottom of the posting as well. Newly new in new ways too new to describe! :)

[JaydeeG83]

I think we should make a sequel. :thumbup: :Drogar-Dum(DBG):

[JaydeeG83]

Better yet, I say PREquel!

[Cynic821]

or remake?

[TheatreGuy]

Hey Cynic821, like the new song. Congrats on the wrap and thanks for your posts during my crisis!

Good luck and happy viewing!

Ted

[Cynic821]

yup! :)

[mentatDUKE]

Looks interesting. Can't wait to see it. What lenses did you use?

[Cynic821]

50mm 1.8
35mm 2.8
100mm 2.8

Only 1 shot did we use the 100mm, and some stuff in the bathroom got the 35mm. Id say about 80 percent is with the 50mm.

[Cynic821]

HAHA, someone voted my thread "1 star" !

WOOT!

[Rubix³]

LOVE love love the shot in front of the extinguisher.


Looking forward to it pal. :thumbup:

[Cynic821]

Thanks! :) I think youll like alot of the shots then, well i hope you do.

[JaydeeG83]

Note to potential viewers: Hope you have a speaker system w/ subwoofers...The music is BASSY (in a good way :))

[Cynic821]

100 posts. and 1000 views!

WOOT!!!

Im created a "Now Showing" banner , i guess since there wont be a new sub forum for after the movies are released to discuss them

[Edgen]

hey hey! Just now getting this thread. Diggin' the shots. Looking forward to seeing your film.

/j

[Cynic821]

we hope you like it! hey hey hey :)

[luster]

i REALLY like the look of those screenshots. how did the m2 treat you during the shoot.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Just got another look at the screenies in post 1. Looking forward to it!

[Cynic821]

Now that we can download...thanks jack..no hard feelings!

[Cynic821]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/8104/1160066318.jpg

[Kholi]

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

Hey, Cynic/Nick. For some reason, you remind me of the antognist from Hackers (1). I wonder why. Saw your short, review below.

Script - Ghost story works for me. I like the idea of the outcast becoming the hero. Not sure how far it travels into the realm of horror but it made a good short piece. Some of the dialogue was eh. Like the scene in the hallway with the repair guy and your leading lady. I think all of that could've been said at the washer and it would've moved things along faster. The hallway scenes seem to be out of place as well, though you'll see below that I liked the hallway visuals. Also, it took a while to get to what it was really about. The shower information came later, and then the girl's death. Maybe if you started out with the death instead of using a flash back it might've had more punch? You could re-edit it that way and see how it works overall. Just a thought!

Direction - Not a bad choice of shots. There's a lot of focal play going on, and maybe because of the short format it became redundant on the second watch around but it wasn't too bad. The blood rinsing on the wall was a neat kinda take on the idea. I liked the scenes with her walking through the halls. Great stuff, visually.

Acting - Your leading lady seemed to deliver curse words a bit better than regular dialogue. But she wasn't bad at all. Nice girl next-door look. Your repair man had a good bit of delivery in the washing room, then became a bit mechanical. You did well as the suspicious weirdo. Best actor in the entire thing. =D Good job to all actors.

Cine/Lighting - Yellow wash. Not a bad way to go about it all. Seemed kind of "in hindsight" or "flashback" to me which wasn't bad. And the actual flashback or "revelation" color choices were neato. I see now why you were playing with the Coca Cola cup in the water.

Editing - Not too shabby at all. Dun ever have much to say in this field, just whether it stood out as not so good or good. Only a few odd cuts and holds. Fade-outs in the wrong place, maybe? Just an opinion.

Sound - I'm just not a fan of the piano tracks this go around. Soundtrack didn't do it for me with this one, though the sound effects were fine. The kick to her face didn't seem right on the second watch, but it still had enough impact.

Special Effects - That was a harsh kick to the face, dude. I was like "owies". And then the blood flew. Neat addition.

Scariest Moments - The hallway scene, actually. I almost expected something to float around the corner before I knew what the story was about. Hallways are always creepy to me though.

Overall consensus - My first time seeing narrative work from you and it was a good watch. Hope to see more in the future. You should go into acting as the silent guy who looks like he MIGHT kill you but will eventually save you. That should be your role. Typecasting and all.

[filmismymedium]

haha, dvxuser keychain. I love mine too!

Awesome short. In the process of watching the rest of the films, just wanted to say, good job!

[Cynic821]

Thanks.

Kholi: Im not going to defend anything in the movie, i expect a TON of that , well we didnt have time, and didnt this and that when i post some of my reviews...ill just say a few things though...

The characters dont like to talk around that guy (me) so they went into the hallway...Alot of the Hallway conversation is chopped out, i think the normal conversation went better...im glad it didnt feel wierd though, that scene used to be 2.5 minutes alone! I wouldnt say im the best actor , maybe best at what i do, just be a wierd shut in creep, you wouldnt think that with my farmers tan though :)

[Kholi]

Yeah. My reviews aren't meant to be offensive at all. Just trying to do something different by actually giving feedback.

Thanks for taking the time to do it and read my review. Glad I got to see your work!

[Cynic821]

ya, didnt take it as offensive either... im just thinking ahead as i decide to write mine. was a comment in general.

[VersuS]

Ok, time for 'CATHERINE'.

I'll start with this ---> 'Catherine' has the visual ambience that I love in some movies. The colors, the warmth, the sometimes out of focus, the blurriness....I loved it!!

I found that this film had excellent cinematography. I LOVED the corridor shots when the girl leaves the appartment, with the music it was like a video clip!

I also loved your score. PIANO ROCKS! And it certainly blended well with the movie and the story. But here's the negative...the screenplay....I think it could get better....as a story it is very interesting....but i dont think its a story for a 6' film...the part with the guy in the laundry was nice shot but story-wise it seemed that its purpose was just to inform us about the dead girl and for the girl to leave her keys...you could have achieved those 2 with something completely different, that part slowed down the movie significantly.

I liked the bathtub scene when she says GET OUT! Creepy! But before that, during the murder, the blood looked orange...maybe something with the compression....

I found some issues with sound as well....it was like they were recorded in empty rooms...dont know how to make it clearer..maybe you know what i m saying....but you had the score all the time and I like it so much that I didnt mind the sound issues....
The acting was OK...the girl (the live one) especially was more natural in her part than the male characters.

Ah and something else...when he kicks her, right before she has a bloody nose. First of all we dont know how that happened....but lets leave that....he kicks her in the face and then she turns her head and there's no blood on her nose!

Anyway, all in all I really really enjoyed this one! In terms of directing and lighting one of the best IMHO. And score!

[Cynic821]

Cool! Thanks John. The empty room thing i understand what you mean, i think. Its kida echoey in this place, no crew so setting up the boom with the AT-897 was tricky most of the time for optimized audio.

Her nose was originally bloody from being chloroform'd out. Ya his character , the hallway guy, was written alot differently and edited that way for the 6 minute short of it. It was originally written specifically for this contest, but ran longer than i thought it would and how it played out in my head. You are one of the first to spot the disappearing blood though...:) shhh. LOL.

I am really happy though you got the mood and the way it was shot , the 'visual ambience' its exactly what i was striving for, the reaction you had with it that is. Jordan will be happy you liked the score, theres bass in there that cant be heard on ear buds or normal laptop speakers too. Again though , im glad you liked the cinematography it was one of the biggest parts of the short, that and the score are suppose to drive home the feeling for the movie...thanks for the review!

[Matt Sconce]

Okay, this is one of my favorites so far. I loved the story, and the ending. The cinematography was great. I wish the girl was more in focus with the get out line and a little of her shots were blurry also, but all in all awesome. The music worked well, and the angles were great. Thanks for making such an enjoyable film!

[penfever]

Cynic & Nic-

Solid effort, a well put-together film. This is a good film because it pays some attention to all the different aspects of filmmaking. Sound gets some attention, (although the quality of the vocal recording is very spotty), and gives an acceptable if not spectacular verite feel to the short.
Cinematography is one of the best I've seen so far at times-there's a little too much sense of deliberately overcoming production and mise-en-scene limitations with blur filters, but what I like is that it's always justified by the story, so it really is one of those things that would pop out only to people like me, who wish they could be shooting another film right now instead of working. ;)
What's good about the shooting is that the handheld style works with pacing and sound to create a single atmosphere. The plot is also pretty solid - acts 1,2,3 all present and accounted for, which is nice to see in a fest full of meandering stories and teasers for features.
Performances are spotty - I didn't like the line before he kicks her - I thought it was delivered way too flatly, given her situation. But I liked the grungy hero character's performance.
Anyway, I've seen you before at this fest and I'm sure I will again. Peace!
-Ben

[Cynic821]

Thanks guys! Im happy the feel of the movie is being understood and felt how i meant it to be, i hope this to be a high scorer dispite some of its minor technical flaws. I appreciate the comments, keep em comin if you have seen the movie please.

Thanks! :)

[Cynic821]

you know im suprised i havnt gotten brandons opinion yet...

[Brandon Rice]

you know im suprised i havnt gotten brandons opinion yet...

still making my way to yours dude... there are a LOT of films, and I only have so much time in a day :) some more coming this afternoon... including yours!

[Mark Harris]

I thought this was really well done. Not exactly scary or suspenseful, or anything like that, but did have a real doleful sense of sadness flowing through it. The pacing and the music really brought that home. Almost as if what we were watching was inevitable and we weren't meant to wonder what would happen, or anything. Just flow with it and witness it.

I think this would destroy a feature, but in a 6 min, it actually was pretty effective to me.

I knew the long-hair was misunderstood! :):)

Just a good, solid story.

[Cynic821]

Thanks! I think my worries of it being misunderstood are going away. Just flow with it and witness it is exactly how it should be viewed. Im not trying to tease, or try and add anything that isnt there with a quirky ending, just a 6 minute experience that is COMPLETE. Something that seems to be lacking, im glad though, its different

[Brandon Rice]

Catherine


Script
Good script. Pretty basic storyline. Well written dialogue overall.

Acting
I think this is the weakest aspect of your film. The actors didn’t do it for me. Your lead felt wooden and unnatural, especially when she was talking with the repairman guy.

Cinematography
Nice! You have a great distinct look to your film, and I dug it, great shots.

Editing
Not fantastic, not bad. I can see where you had to cut it for time restraints, the whole thing seemed a tad rushed to me.

Score
Pretty good, I liked the feel, but it got monotonous after awhile.

Overall Impressions
You’ve got a great short here, and it has a beginning, middle, and end. I was happy it didn’t leave me hanging. I’d like to see a directors cut of this, maybe paced a bit slower. Thanks for the film!

[Cynic821]

thanks brandon, there will be a directors cut, just need some time to get everything together again for the score

[Brandon Rice]

thanks brandon, there will be a directors cut, just need some time to get everything together again for the score

Cool, I think having a slower pace may help some of the dialogue and acting as well... good work here.

[Cynic821]

your link to into the darkness is broken brandon. the link in your sig that is

[Brandon Rice]

mm.. thanks, I'll fix that.

[JaydeeG83]

Thanks for the honest review Brandon (I did the music). Since Nic wants to do a director's cut I'm thinking of adding elements to the score to mix it up a bit, I did find myself recycling bits and pieces over again.

[Brandon Rice]

Thanks for the honest review Brandon (I did the music). Since Nic wants to do a director's cut I'm thinking of adding elements to the score to mix it up a bit, I did find myself recycling bits and pieces over again.

I think that'd be good. Adding some dynamics to your score would help a lot. But as I said above, I like the tone you had to it :)

[Cynic821]

Directors cut is almost already done anyways, since it was edited first, then cut down to 6 minutes. Too bad we didnt get to use the track thats in the first post.

[Cynic821]

Pretty high on the Alphabetical list , not alot of reviews though :( oh well

[Lingothree]

Good work overall.

I like that we're introduced to the major characters in the laundry room. I used to HATE going to the laundry room when I lived in an apartment, and having to interact with my weird neighbors, so that really conveyed the sense of alienation you seemed to be going for, which is great for character development.

Unfortunately, I feel like that fell flat as soon as the female lead and maintenance man left the laundry room for the hallway. I would have loved for them to make a few quick comments about the creepy neighbor (but really, a glance in one another's direction behind his back in the laundry room does the trick, too) - but instead we got a long, drawn out literal dialogue explanation of everything the viewer needs to know about this movie. That stuff should mostly be explained in actions rather than words, and I think your time would have been better spent in further character development.

The reason I mention character development - the story itself is pretty simple. Not a bad thing - and in fact (since you're such a big fan of proper endings) it has an effective start, middle and end. But the end falls flat, for me, simply because I don't really care about the female lead, the dead woman, the killer, and the creepy neighbor. I just don't know enough about them yet. Devote a little more time to character development and an exploration of the relationships among them and the ending would have been great.

Other than that, I liked the style, and your piece looked good overall (although I'm not a big fan of all the white and yellow blank walls...). Good work.

[Cynic821]

Thanks Lingothree. Im going to be making changes based on your and others suggestions and i hope you would be interested in seeing the remake that is longer.

[JoshuaNitschke]

Ok, I don't have much to say that hasn't been said. Some really nice shots, didn't really like the hand held pov stuff, but I don't like that in big budget movies either. I think it's because camera can never really simulate how someone sees and it just always feels fake to me.

Score....loved it when the drums kicked in.

Like other people said, the acting was a big wooden.

Other than "why did that long haired guy go up to save her" the actual story was fine. Not spectacular, not bad.

One of the better shorts on here.

[Blaine]

Nic, I liked the story but I have to say that when I saw the long haired guy pick up the keys, the first thing I thought was "now he can get in to save her." My biggest beef with the story revolved around the keys. When she left the deadbolt locked, I wondered why she bothered to take them in the first place. I am hoping she left the deadbolt locked on purpose, otherwise, I would have thought she would have noticed that the door didn't close all the way. But on the whole, I liked the story, as it was complete. It was similar to a couple of other stories in that she had moved into a house/apartment where something terrible had happened but there were a lot of common themes throughout the contest.

Personally, I had a problem with the cinematography. I found WAY TOO MANY shots to be out of focus. It may have been a stylistic choice, but it felt like a mistake. I don't think the 35mm adapter was used to its greatest effect here. The overall look was soft, often just out of focus. Was the vignetting done in post, therefore a conscious choice? I thought it might be, but wasn't sure.

I think your choice of music was good. It set the mood and fit your pacing well. It didn't stand out and say "listen to me," so I liked it.

My favorite shot in the movie was the closing shot from the outside, looking in. I wished more of the movie could have had that look to it.

Overall, it kept me entertained, thanks.
EDIT: Just to make it clear, I liked the story. I just had the one minor beef with the keys because it felt too obvious. But as a story, I liked it.

[musicman]

The strongest part of this project is the screenplay itself, which is suspensful by only hinting at who the killer is until the end. The story entertained me. Audio technique is the weak part. Let me suggest renting a pro shotgun and pole next time. Take care on the levels, EQ, and delay to ensure the ambience and placement of the dialog makes it believable. Too bad because the actor's deliveries were excellent. I hope this is helpful feedback and not discouraging. After every project I'm always wishing I'd done something different. There's always a next one.

[235 Studios]

So, in order to remain as uninfluenced as possible, I have not read the previous remarks-

For what it's worth, here are my thoughts, hopefully they live up to your standards, and are not just lame ass fluff. ;) :)

I really like the opening titles- well done. They felt like they were a part of the actual shot, and not compt in. Overall the cinematography was good, but the handheld style got a little old for me- especially when peoples heads went out of frame (3:48ish) I kept wanting the camera to move so I could see what was going on ... which took me out of the moment as a viewer. You used DOF well, but the lighting was over the top at times- with the blown out footage, and the transition from properly expose to overexposed was harsh- it didn't seem natural. Some of my favorite shots are the keys on the washer, the reflection in the mirror of the killer, and the last shot of the door back looking through the window. All of these are creative uses of composition, space, and lighting to tell the story.

I liked the score. It was original, and different then the typical score for this genre. Although the score, with the editing at times made it feel more like a music video then a horror flick- so it felt more up beat then scary / horror. I think that this contributed to feeling distance to the film - no connection to the characters.

As for the script, after it was revealed that someone had died in her apartment I knew what was going to happen next- nothing to orginal here. But that is not to say that I didn't like the story- I did like it, I just knew what was going to happen.

The stiff acting did not help much, and I think it is the weakest part of the film. As it felt forced a lot of the time, and there were moments where it felt like the actors would look directly into the camera lens- (2:27- it feels like she looks at the camera as it pans over to the guy. I can't tell if she actually does, but it feels that way when i watched it the first time.)

The editing was good- I felt like it has a nice pace to it. Although for your comments on being original in other threads, I thought that it was interesting that you chose to use the traditional flash to white with the accompanying sound for the flashback scenes. I think it works here- I was just expecting something different. There were a couple of shots where the shots did not match up- (2:31 specifically) as the guy was moving in the previous shot, and then he is as stiff as a board in the next shot.

I didn't care to much for the VFX- the blood on the wall. If she was slashed to death in the shower why is it all neatly running down the wall from above the shower head level- it felt unnatural. I did however like the image of her running her hands across the blood.

Overall I think this is a decent flick. The major thing holding this one back is the acting- IMO.

There you have it- I hope that I provided you with a detailed review, that denoted both what I liked, what I thought could be improved, and didn't add to the smoke blowing.

BTW- what is that blond chick doing on DVXuser? I chucked when I saw the computer screen in the background with DVXuser on it. :)

[jpbankesmercer]

Acting: Your lead girl, (love her look), thought she did well.
Script: Standard but solid with a nice twist.
Direction: Some nice ideas in here.
Music: Great loved when the drums came in, really helped build the story.
Editing: A tiny bit choppy but it worked.
Lighting: Very interesting bleachy look, nice.
Loved: The opening/ titles – straight in! Some of your framing, BW feel with intensive reds (WOW), the white transitions, track-back on the door (Sweet), the kick to the face, how the creepy dude turned out good (Yay! Creepy dude.) :)
Hated: That first pan (don’t know why, maybe because it didn’t reveal any new information), some of the out-of-focus shot’s, not much else.
Overall: I REALLY liked this film, boy the competitions hotting up. You told a great story with a solid look and feel to it. Props!

See I'm not all bad being as you left me a one sentance review :)

[TheatreGuy]

Hey Nic, Man...I have to tell you. You have such a smooth and gentle way of telling a story. I really enjoyed watching your film. It was easy on the eyes.

And easy on the ears, too! Absolutely, one of my favorite scores of this festival! It mirrored your shooting style so appropriately.

Your story left me a little confused at times. I guess in particular, the dead brunette.

The best part of the story, for me, was the non-streotyping of the "weird" dude. I loved the way you portrayed him and had him come to the rescue. Slipping the keys into her hand at the end was just a beautiful touch.

Cinematography was strong. I loved the images and the camera work.

I loved the opening titles. Nice touch there!!!

All in all, I loved the story you told. It was so well put together and the music was just outstanding.

Great job! Looking forward to more of your work!

Congrats Nic!

Ted

[VersuS]

The 'dvxuser' keys you meant!!!!

[cinealma]

This photography on this one was outstanding. I loved the dreamy vanilla and yellow colors of the film. Soft focus? Intentional or not, I liked the soft look. One of the best looking films in the fest.

The acting by the lead actress was terrific. Very natural.

The music seemed a little loud against the rest of the soundtrack, but that's more of a technical issue.

The script is the weaker part of this film. The dialogue read more like just day-to-day BS rather than driving the story.

It's kind of weird because you expect a LOT from this film because it looks so damn good. Maybe you could ADR a new dialogue track? (Only half kidding).

In summary... a classy looking film that suffers from a unmotivated script.


John G.

[Cynic821]

thanks for all the reviews!

Yes, the soft focus was intentional. I turned it down in camera even with the M2 and Nikon lenses on it

[macintosh]

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

This is the second film I've seen so far that has used a 35mm adapter. For the most part I think you used it to your advantage. Especially in the scenes where you were purposely throwing everything out of focus. I'm not sure if the vignetting was done in post or not but I didn't really like it. I've never been a big fan of vignetting and thought it was slightly out of place. I thought the lighting was done well. The laundry room scene had a very good look and fell to it. Also, the dolly shots were great. Very smooth.

EDITING:

Good work on the editing. I really liked how you had the opening title match with the focus pull on the shot. I thought that was a nice little touch. The cuts worked perfectly with the film. They were smooth and nothing felt out of place.

SOUND:

Everything sounded good, dialogue, soundtrack background noise all mixed together well.

SCORE:

Great job with the soundtrack. It really helped to build up the suspense towards the end and matched basically perfectly with the action that was occurring.

SCREENPLAY:

Interesting idea, how it happens that the woman who takes the apartment ends up dating the same guy that killed the woman who lived in the apartment before. I thought it was a little odd that she leaves her door unlocked yet she still takes her keys with her. And also how the "weird" guy just happened to come into the apartment at the right moment to strangle her would be murderer.

ACTING:

Your actors did a good job. The only time I thought the lead woman could've done a bit better was when she was talking about how she bought the place cause it was cheap even though someone was killed in there. other than that, the performances were good, very natural and realistic.

Overall, this was a very good film. I liked the DVXuser keychain and website promotion:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG). You had a good mix of everything and the technical aspects of the film were all done well.

[Cynic821]

thank you! :) Originally there is a scene of her using the keys to open the laundry room door in the building. That door is locked in real life , but that was a 3 second scene that had to get deleted for the 6 minute time limit :( No excuse though, i think it was a bad idea to take it out, id would have put it in if i had the chance.

[gwmesler]

Hey, your actors did a pretty good job. Especially the building super. Nice work.

[Cynic821]

He is pretty good at coming up with more natural lines when the shoot comes for himself, always has been in our older less serious shorts. Ill pass the word along, personally the best line he delivered in my opinion was "...hes getting old."

thanks :)

[Cynic821]

Shameless bump! Watch Catherine, vote accordingly :)

[Cynic821]

Shonen Bump

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

This was really solid.
Particularly in acting and story.

I think you can go further in lights, production design, framing, and camera movement.
Nothing bad, but you can push yourself further I think.

Two notes on the story that you can take as you will.
SPOILER ALERT.
At 2:51 I knew the entire rest of your plot. This could be just because I spend a good bit of time thinking about story. But you worked so hard to set this guy up as a bad guy, put the keys in his possession, and let us know she was in danger. As soon as he picked up the keys I said "Boo Radley". You know the creepy guy from to Kill a Mocking Bird that Scout and her brother and all the kids in the neighborhood are scared of and then in the end shows up and saves scout and isn't scary at all? Not saying you ripped off TKAM at all, just saying that you set up so many cards that he was gonna get her that I knew he couldn't, and that he would save the day or it would be a very bad short indeed. I often say the best structure for short films is a defied expectation, which is basically joke structure, or a punchline or button. So if you set him up as the bad guy and provide him access and suggest she's in danger and then he shows up and actually does her harm , then yawn - right? THat's the straight story trajectory and works well in the long form because you have a portion of the screenplay dedicated to suggesting that the inevitable outcome is impossible. So what to do in a short. 2 things, 1 - you need to better mask or do away with some of your exposition, 2 you can add some elements that complicate his character or that are in direct conflict with the idea of him as a bad guy, so you introduce ideas that make that both seem inevitable and impossible so the savvy viewer doesn't go "aha!" and guess your story just because you are asking us to look the other way so hard. So take that one as you will, again could be just me cuz I spend a lot of time thinking about structure and I knew you were setting us up.

But the second point on the screenplay. That scene with her and the washinhg machine maintenance guy was a lot of screen time for poorly delivered and unnecessary exposition. We don't need to know anything except that someone was killed in there and people think that guy is spooky. Nothing about the neighborhood or all of that, and the scene read as largely expositional and kind of stuck out as not great writing in a short that had lots of good writing in it.

If for example she was nice to the freaky dude, the maintenance guy could have pulled her aside and told her she was crazy, that that guy is some kind of sling blade type psycho and that she should steer clear. Not saying you should go this way but no you have set up a scene between these two with CONFLICT at its core rather than a friendly chatup where he hits on her. A lot of the information could have come out in the conflict then and we might have a more complex view of the guy we are supposed to think is bad. we would also have be presenting a two sided argument on your central theme of what seems bad or dangerous may not be. Anytime you have a one sided argument on your central theme then that should be a red flag for you as well.

But anyway, as I said this was a solid effort. It always sux when someone writes three paragraphs on one or two small points they didn't like when by in large they liked it and I apologize for that, just the small dings require some explanation and
"really solid acting and story" less so.

So I will say that part again. Really solid acting and the short was well suited to the 6 minute form, appropriate and well executed for a short.

Well done.

Jack

[Cynic821]

Thanks for the review. Good tips, but wont be able to reshoot anything for this. I am going to change the order of things in a new version.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Cool. Not actually suggesting a reshoot, just FYI.

I really look forward to seeing the new edit!

[Cynic821]

Can you handle 4 more minutes of the movie?! LOL

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Sure I liked it.
As long as they are a necessary 4 minutes then yeah.

[Cynic821]

i cant garuntee anything as far as that goes. Come to think of it, i think, after your review, you would probably like it less. But the final scenes were so much more "powerful" for lack of a better word in their longer version. Alot of the cuts like the knife when Tori grabs it, were 1 shot, the second to last scene, and the last scene are obviously ALOT longer, and felt better, i seriously doubt youd like it.

btw, why i have your attention....i am allowed to hijack my own thread i think :)

I couldnt find a thread , even searching because of the 3 character search error, but im putting together an idea of the best films here for a retail release, would you be interested in having your film be a part of it?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Sure as long as Jarred is cool with it.
I mean he does sell a DVD for it.

[Cynic821]

Im pretty sure his rights are non exclusive. Which would be the same as my rights with the movie. Non exclusive royalty based, but with all the movies i would like to have on it before presenting it to retail, even if it sold 1000 copies (to the stores, we dont get money based on customers buying it) it would seriously be like 10 bucks each person. Id like to have 10 shorts atleast. But ya, ill ask Jarred, see how long his rights are for, this wouldnt be on shelves till next year, Friday is my deadline for all of the software and DVD's i have to finish at work to get on the shelves in time for Christmas.

[Cynic821]

LAST DAY EVERYONE! So get a look see at CATHERINE! Its a refreshing break from the norm! Enjoy the visuals, the story and the music!

[TheatreGuy]

Hey Cynic, Congratulations on your film. I really enjoyed watching it. You have a nice eye there! Good story as well!

Best of luck to you. Get those A's playing ball again, will you!

Had a great time with this fest!

Ted

[jpbankesmercer]

All the best you pain-in-the arse :)

[Cynic821]

Thats ROYAL Pain in the arse to you sir!

[mentatDUKE]

Cynic. Hello.

I liked this. I loved the score. Probably the best of the fest. Cinematography was mostly well done. DOF was maybe a bit too shallow. I loved the colors. I love what you did with the girl holding the detergent while talking to the repairman. Your control of colors of the clothing, background, and objects was well done. Very painterly.

The dialogue was a bit heavy on exposition. The banter was a bit uncomfortable and slightly cheesy. Almost Cinemax-like. Sorry to be so harsh on that.

Nice edits with the date coming and the girl trying to get out.

The killer twist was ok, but maybe revealed too early. No surprise with it. And the setup with the keys let us all know she'd be rescued by the misfit. Not subtle enough.

The kick to the face was brutal and realistic. Well done! We kept rewinding it.

I liked the look of this. Story could have been slightly better. Music was GREAT! < gimmie an mp3 of it. now. :) >

Good job. One of the best.

[Cynic821]

Thanks man! Really appreciate the kind words. There is an MP3 in the first post of this thread for ya to grab, its the closing credits theme for the longer version of this short. Didnt get used in this, but hope you enjoy it. Jordan worked hard on the music in a really short time to get it done by the deadline, im very pleased with it. Its different than everything else, the music is themed through out the movie , only a few are like that in this fest. Thanks again , ill get your sneak review , :) dont worry bout that, i have 10 minutes to finish up my voting and email it, LOL. take care

[MsManhattan]

Great screenplay, one of the few in this fest with a true beginning, middle and end. You really thought it out -- it was tight and it definitely had me waiting to see what was going to happen. Your actors did a great job, as well. One of my favorites.

[Norm Sanders]

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

This is where an anonymous contest may work better for some, because unfortunately when I know I’m watching a film by someone who’s character I’ve less than admired at times, it skews my perception of the film … perhaps making me even more critical than I should be when initially watching it. That said, here are my thoughts … pretty well shot, though the constant softening/darkening around the edges, most likely from the 35mm adapter, got bothersome at times. The shallow DOF was GREAT, but at times was overly prominent or felt overused. The acting for the most part was unimpressive … delivery of dialogue not seeming realistic (specifically the dialogue in the hallway), and especially when she was in the bathroom, knowing she’s going to die … she gets all tough? I’d expect her to freak & plead for her life … it seems only natural. Sound design and/or onset sound just didn’t sound good … although the kick to the face (though a touch sharp sounding in tone) was effective & had a real OUCH to it (great blood splatter) … but when she turns her head back, she’s clean with … not a drop of blood? The ending felt a little rushed … only because we see her sitting on the steps with a single cop & an exchange of keys … considering what just took place, there’d be a heck of a lot more folks & action than that going on, so I’d rather have just ended it prior to seeing them on the steps, since we weren’t delivered the production value/set/players I’d expect after such an incident. Score/melody was fine, though I’d preferred to hear more than just piano the majority of the time. Sound, score & acting pulled this one down for me. Oh, although the opening title was simple, I LOVED how it just came into focus & back out … just looked slick, organic, and part of the picture.

[Cynic821]

I assumed people would know the cops are coming on their way since the ending scene is about 5 minutes after the scene before it. I was going to ad sirens but it would have distracted from the feel i wanted to go for the movie.

That was not a cop on the stairs with Tori either.

[Norm Sanders]

Oh, my mistake then. It was a wide enough shot that I was looking to see who it was, and it looked like the person had a hat on (like an officer's patrol cap, etc.), and was taking notes of somekind. At least that's how I remembered it when writing up the notes.

[Cynic821]

Im going to be realigning this page so if some grabs go down and some links are broken, i apologize and will fix asap.

[Edgen]

ewww tupperware fight!!! :)

[Norm Sanders]

Oh, and btw Norm, thanks for admitting you arent mature or professional enough to put your personal feelings aside when reviewing someones movie. I expected as much after learning more about you and reading your other reviews though.

Cheers!

Wow, why don't you tell me what you really think? And ending it with "Cheers!" too ... well, that makes it all better, thanks.

You know, the only reason I had that in there was really as a disclaimer. Because if you look back at our thread, and the replies that you gave back to Ryan Walters (235 Studios), who was extremely kind & non-combatative in his response ... it looked like you were trying to pick a fight ... just trying to antagonize him.

So I thought to myself, no matter what I do, Cynic is going to think that my opinion is influenced by what he did in our thread, and the other comments he's made around the board ... so quite frankly, while it's absolutely true that people can be effected when they watch something by how they feel about that person, I thought I'd go ahead & head you off at the pass (so to speak), and just be upfront about it.

I don't believe it has anything to do with a maturity level, or professionalism. It's a part of life. If you notice, I believe I DID have some positive things to say about the film. So I'm not sure why you have to make this comment now, which only seems like a personal attack & trying to pick a fight.

Please move on from it. As I said, I went ahead & voiced it ahead of time, knowing you'd probably be thinking it anyway.

I TRULY apologize if doing so offended you, and if you'd like me to edit that post (the beginning statement), I'll gladly do so.

[Cynic821]

thats not a personal attack, those are facts, you just took an attack at me brandon. and when im getting personally attacked in PM's i think i have the right to say one thing.

[Cynic821]

so its ok to skew results because of how someone feels?

and no i didnt assume that anyone would vote because of how they feel about someone, but it was expected subconsciously.

[Brandon Rice]

ugh, the drama never ends... good post Norm, makes sense to me, leaving now.

[JaydeeG83]

Lol, wow. Hey Nic, didn't you buy Norm's DVD and give it to Brandon?

[Brandon Rice]

didn't you buy Norm's DVD and give it to Brandon?

Yeah he did, which I really appreciated btw. Thanks.

[Cynic821]

Pics coming down soon. May repost at some point when done with DVD cut