"Halfway" Horrorfest Entry

[Darkline]

http://www.darklineonline.co.uk/images/halfway-poster.jpg


Now renamed to "Halfway" (ignore my previous post).

I just managed to create the files in time for the upload and they are on their way. It's been a really busy week but we got there eventually.

Very small crew on this one and very limited location. No actor (crewman doubled up).. It's been a lot of long hours the past few days but I think it's all worth it.

I hope some people out there watch it, it's a fun little short. I'm going to do my best to watch all of the submissions over the next week or so.

Production pictures may come tomorrow.

good night :-)

Karl


BTS pictures page 11

[Edgen]

Looks creepy Karl. No actor though? Or your crew was your actors? :)

good luck!
/j

[Robert Eldon]

I'm planning on watching all of the entries as well. I look forward to seeing your's, although I may only watch it... 'halfway'.

[Darkline]

Thanks Edgen.

Because of the limits I thought it was best to write something confined with 1 or 2 people in it. So yeh, Mark had to act in it as did I in a very few small scenes...lol.

I'll reveal more once it's up loaded and viewed. Don't want to shoot my load at this point :-) But thanks for listing mine to be viewed RobertE, if you do only watch it halfway I hope it's because it's too scary rather than a load of old bunkum.

Does anyone know when the films will be available to view?

[Geoff_R]

Robert, I'll watch the other half and then we can compare notes.

Nice poster!

[Directed By Cire]

I like your poster, I am also very excited to watch all the films.

What size are you guys making those banners under your threads?

Thanks guys,
cire

[Darkline]

I only did my banner and poster today so I just took the lead off the other guys and did a banner size of 569x70.

[Blaine]

I've seen some of the other work you've posted in the past so I am definitely looking forward to seeing this. :beer:

[HorseFilms]

I'm loving the poster. Nice work!

[Brandon Rice]

Indeed, the poster is creepy...

[Darkline]

Hey thanks guys!

This is the first thing I've made for DVXuser. I have to say I stumbled on this site just after Zombiefest and it's practically become my homepage since then.

It's nice to be part of it, and certainly keeps me motivated to continue pursuing what I love doing when I see some of the work posted here. I like the fact you all help each other out with your films too.

[Darkline]

A little more info on the production...

Cast and crew in total was 3 people. We started filming on the 24th Sept and had a final edit exactly a week later on the 1st.

Total cost was around £60/$100 as the set was very sparse, single location.

[VersuS]

another european!!! good luck !!!

[Darkline]

thanks versus,

good luck to you too. Not long to go now!

[HorseFilms]

Cast and crew in total was 3 people.

Same here!:beer:

[Darkline]

really horse? you have done a great job. I've seen 2 grabs of 2 actors and they look very nice..... so that means you must have been the only one behind the scenes doing everything?.... thats some feat. I thought I had it hard with just one other person helping me (besides the actor).

[TheatreGuy]

Very cool poster. Congrats on the wrap.

And I plan on watching EVERY film in this festival!!!

I can relate to the small cast and crew. I did my film completely single-handedly except for 2 extras. I also had a friend come over to assist with my camera for 2 shots that I couldn't pull off myself since I was the lead.

I did manage to pull off my own rack focus job!!! Very cool!

Good luck!

Ted

[Darkline]

you too Ted!

Im always very interested to see what people can do on such limitations. In a sadistic way it makes the whole thing more fun. Next time I will start much earlier.

I will be watching yours too Ted - and with headphones :-)

[Darkline]

Well I've just reuploaded my quicktime and I hope that cements the final work on this one.

Good luck to everyone in the fest. I was going to post a grab but I'm feeling it might be a little late in the day for that :)

Off to bed now, I hope tomorrow the gates of hell do open and bring popcorn and quicktimes.

[Inexistence]

Nice job on the poster! Glad too see you made it. I think we need more
entries from around the globe. Good luck!

[Darkline]

thanks, yours too. I dont know how you got that tank but I'll be tuning in dont worry.

[luster]

cool poster, looks very professional

[Darkline]

thanks man,

I wish I had more time to shoot! .... but it kinda has the feel I was aiming for, even if technically it's not quite where I imagined. Like I say, next fest I will be soooooo much more prepared. No last minute entry from me you can be sure! :-)

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

looking foreward to it all the same, heard good things about your work

[Darkline]

that'll be from my mum - shes a little biased!

I'll be watching yours for sure - but I think that goes without saying.

[Gord.T]

Definately be watching yours. Man, am I getting intimidated.

[MOVIE MASTER]

Okay You Got My Vote This Was Scarry And Original!

[Michael_Petro]

Nice and scary. very orginal. good one .. someone should tell the next dude not to open that bag :) like the hands on the door nice touch.

[Beat Takeshi]

This was very well done and I liked the whole never ending cycle thing. The strobing makes you want reach in and turn a damn light on but the effect of it is eerie. The effects are well done also, subtle but effective.

[MOVIE STUNTS]

Ok so there are two movies that i haven't seen that have been submitted. As it stands this one is clearly the winner to me. it is the only movie i have seen here that has the true horror feel, and doesn't bore you to death. Great job.

[Edgen]

darkline.. damn dude. This one is definitely got the creep factor. the flashing lights really get to you after a bit causing the overall feel and effect towards the character. Inspired by saw? (probably a stupid thing to say, but just checking)

I enjoyed the flick and fits the horror fest genre.

cheers!
/j

[VersuS]

My fellow European I LOVE YOUR MOVIE! I dare to say that so far (I've seen 21) you are at the top of the list!!!

I LOVE IT!!!!

You have something of Saw,Ju-On, Audition and Ringu in there but THEY WORK GREAT! It's probably the only movie so far along with ID that really got me jumping off my chair!!!!

THE SOUND IS SUPERB!! The dripping water in the background works amazing! Your guy did a great job!!!!!!!!!!! LOVED the VFX on the door!!

I LOVE IT!! WILL WATCH IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!!

ps.I'm sad to say however that you have no score so I dont know how to rate that category :(

[Darkline]

Wow.

thanks for all the positive comments..... I dont know what to say. I was expecting the worst......

Edgen. Im sure somewhere it was inspired by Saw (I watch too much horror), but believe it or not, it was more to do with trying to get the basement to look interesting. it was a very bland room to shoot in, we had no money to dress it, and I thought the nightvision and these pools of light could make for more visual impact. The nightvision also becomes more integral to the story a little later.

One reason I never put up BTS stills was because they look so bad I thought it would put people off watching this.

Thanks again, it means a LOT to me that you like this.

[Darkline]

versus

lol - you've made my life :-)

I havent got round to watching yours yet (I got thru 32 last night). but I will watch more tonight with a few friends.

Yeh those films were very much on my mind. Audition, irreverisble, etc.

I dont know what score actually means in this competition? music, sound, or a combination? I decided to leave music out and instead construct more of a pulsing sound that grows as the short progresses.

But it doesnt matter, what matters to me is people like it and it makes shooting in a damp basment well worth the effort!

[VersuS]

I think score is music/songs.....sound to me is the design, foley, voice overs, dialogues....but score is the music and songs one puts in their film....dont take it as a negative for your film...after all most of the flicks I mentioned didnt have a music score exactly, more like sounds and disturbing instruments playing together....so probably you did good by leaving out any music, it made it nude and made it scary and real and STRAIGHTFORWARD TERROR!

[TheatreGuy]

WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was a scary flick! Congrats and HUGE KUDOS!!!!

I don't think that I blinked once during that! I was rivited. Rivited and scared!!!

I love the sound mix! The dripping water, the camera motors, that low whirling noise. All VERY EFFECTIVE!

Yep! On my TOP TEN list!!! (actually on the top 3 right now but have many more to watch!)

I loved it. The camera work and editing. The VFX. WOW!

Amazing film!

Ted

[Darkline]

Ok so there are two movies that i haven't seen that have been submitted. As it stands this one is clearly the winner to me. it is the only movie i have seen here that has the true horror feel, and doesn't bore you to death. Great job.

I cannot think of a greater compliment! I'm over the moon that people even like it, so that is wildly unexpected and I'm speechless.

Ted... that means a huge amount to me too. To hear such comments is nothing short of exhilerating! I almost decided not to enter this fest and I am so happy that people like what we've created.

i'm prepared for all the negative comments now..... :)

[VersuS]

Man I have total faith in you...if you are not just being modest for the sake of it but trully felt that this was gonna be left out...then you can do great things..because if you criticise your self so hard you will reach great levels of film making!

Silly question but where exactly is Watford? I lived in Edinburgh for a year back in 2002-2003 and have visited UK quite a few times but Watford is a new word ;)

[Darkline]

Well, 1 week before horrorfest we still did not have an idea. So at that point, I was going to give up.

Then my friend said I could use his pub's basement and so I began to try and think of soemthing I could make in time with just me and my 2 friends. Ive been on top of it every spare second I've had in the week up to submission. So I really was too close to it to know if it was any good or not. But of course I liked the idea or I wouldn't have done it. I just didnt know how well it had been exectued.

Watford is a horrible place :-)

it's basically just outside North West London. I will leave one day...lol

[VersuS]

Oh I was in London this June for 10 days...went to Silverstone...(ok lets not screw this thread with this)...:)

[Geoff_R]

This one definitely scored some points with me in overall creepiness and fear. I liked the cinematography, sound design, editing, ect; but what stood out more than anything was the execution of this piece in it's entirety. You had little time to work with and used what you had to your advantage (buddies pub), that's the Robert Rodriguez way to make movies.

This is a very solid, very polished film that tells me you've got some real talent when it comes to directing. You utilized VFX well and they didn't drown the film. I love the way he can't see the creature but the video camera can pick him up. Neverminding how logical or rational it might be, it's downright freaky and reminded me of 'The Descent' when they've got the night vision mode turned on their handicam.

Nice work, I enjoyed it!

[Charli]

FEEDBACK/SPOILERS:

Script: You made us wait a long time to deliver and with one actor it's hard
to set up a quicker pace. A tad slow and difficult to pull off without another
actor to interact, still, all in all, nice ending was worth the watch.

Editing: Solid. I felt disoriented as though I were going through it with him.

OVERALL: This is along the spine of a true horror flick. Better than some of the
others I thought were horror, this one has that disorienting feel, that alone
feel, that I'm a dead-man feel, a true horror ending. This is why I hate horror,
I hate the feeling I get when it's over, creep factor. Nice job.

[Kholi]

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

I'm back to Horror-Fest reviews and Hallway is up next! I hadn't even seen your thread for entry yet, I'm also not reading other reviews until I've watched and posted my own. Neat short, dude.

Script - Another short where I think there might've just been a skeletal structure. Maybe an outline, but no script. Then again that's just me talking. If there was, I wouldn't imagine it would've or should've been over three pages. There's a lot that could've been condensed here and you would've achieved the same thing.

Direction - It's a dark and spooky atmosphere here. I loved the coverage on that creepy ass bag. It reminded me a lot of the foreign film AUDITION. Like the application of hand-held here as well, from start to finish. Especially when the bag starts eating the guy.

Acting - Nothing to really showcase but facial expressions and screaming. Your guy screams okay, I guess. Lol. The bag is the best actor though. That thing was straight grim.

Cine/Lighting - It was a toss up, but I'm calling Cine/Lighting your best asset. Flickering lights didn't look too much like strobe lights, and even less like someone literally flicking the lights on and off really fast. Dunno how you did it, but it worked well. I also like the choice of location. Basement scenes have been over done in this fest, but I don't mind it at all here. It's a feeding ground, not a torture chamber.


Editing - Paced well. I think that the entirety could've been edited down for the content alone since there's not really any story going on. The cuts were good, you sliced the intense bag devouring scene really well. It did it for me.

Sound - Best headphone experience for me yet. Really clear, really pristine. The bag sounded mighty mean in my ears. The groans and grunts were there, the little shifts and moves of the bag. And I liked the overall "hum" that played throughout. Great sound.

Special Effects - So far some of the the best fest Special Effects for me. The darkness coming out of the bag, the bag itself moving and undulating like a bag filled with exactly what it was: evil. I love how you made the tied end kind of squirm and whip. A little blood went a long way. I'm not sure what was in the bag that made him bleed, but there's nothing that says whatever was in it wasn't armed with some sharp toenails. The face in the door was neat. Seen it before, but that doesn't make it any less neato to see in a DVX fest short.

Scariest Moments - The pay-off. The bag eating the dude. Well done. Well sold.

Overall consensus - While I'm putting in a lot of good comments I have a few things that threw me off. Aside from the length, I also notice that it falls victim to a lot of convention. The crawling man on the floor, the camera watching in the room, the face in the door (It was still neat). Machine-gun cuts. It was all well and good, but the conglomeration of popular pieces was a bit too spot-on. However, very good work. This is as horror as Horror should be. In fact, I could count on my fingers the closest-to-horror horror movies here and yours is on that same hand. Another fest entry without a story, and even if it's horror I believe you can still throw a plot in. It doesn't change the fact that I think this was a good/fun exhibition. And thank you for that.

[VersuS]

I see Kholi liked the sound. I am telling this, dont know how people will take it, but I think I must say it...in the UK they KNOW HOW TO DO THE BEST AUDIO STUFF! From my experience, the professional work done over there is AMAZING! Not putting down US audio guys, but IMHO when it comes to audio, Brits know they're stuff!!!

[Matt Sconce]

This was the "Scariest film of the fest" for me. I liked the lighting and the effects of the scary crawler dude. It just all worked and deserves to be watched. Congratulations on an amazing movie!

[Paul Coleman]

Amazing work. Really good edit. :beer:

[Darkline]

Really glad you guys are liking it.

Some very complimentary comments there, and some constructive stuff too.

Geoff, for you to say I have good directing skills is a real compliment. I thought project 47 was very claustrophibic, there was a lot about it I loved as you know. 'The descent' is an interesting comment, I wrote a script a while back and had this scene in on nightvision. after I saw "the Descent" I was like.. 'oh crap...',. So I wrote it out of my script and it found it's way in here instead :-)

charli, thanks also. I think you're right that it's a touch slower than most of the entries here. But I dont see that as a bad thing. I relied heavily on the build-up and atmos to make the end more effective. I personally think if it had gone straight into it, it wouldnt have been effective. Tho after sitting through hours of short films maybe some bits could be chopped down to aid the ailing viewer in this contest :-). thanks for the positive feeddback!

Kholi, yup It does borrow heavily from a lot of horror conventions, but I dont think more so than any other film here. I've always been a fan of trying to do horror/vfx handheld and that was my main aim. I dont think thats too conventional but of course the jumps/scary bits are! Thanks for the in depth review, the script was thin/structure like I'll be honest. Most of my favourite horror films dont have too much of a plot. they are more primal than that.


Msconce - well thats just amazing, thank you so much for the comment. I havent got round to watching Stricken yet (im getting thru them slowly) but I will and I'll give you my feedback too.

And thanks a lot Paul too, people watching my film and commenting is as good as it can get!

[JoshuaNitschke]

One of the creepier ones on here. I thought it was gonna be very "Saw" at first, but you proved me wrong. :)

Pretty solid, don't have much to add to what's been said.

[jpbankesmercer]

Acting: Solid but wanted more.
Script: Simple idea well executed. Creepy/ strange/ original.
Direction: Unique.
Music: Loved the simple sound design.
Editing: Tight my man.
Lighting: Looked ace, strobe added to the chill fact.
Loved: Titles, the warning (genius), T.V. shot in the distance (added a perspective I haven’t seen in any other film yet), the camera Foley, the blue demon, the crawling demon (did you AE his eyes and mouth out??)
Hated: Too little dialogue. The fact you didn’t call it “The Sack” or “Sack”, one cut that was cut to the same angle, also when the corner was brightly lit you cut to the wide but missed any spill. I’m struggling to find something wrong I really loved this film.
Overall: First film that really appealed to what I’m about and want to do. I honestly think this is a sleeper hit amongst giants. Horror. This film should get the recognition it deserves.

Reminds me of Danny Boyle's early work. Top stuff.
J.P.

[khmuse]

I lack the time to write a really detailed critique of this one, but I really felt I needed to say something. So, here it is:

I liked this one a lot.

It was simple in that it was a single location, but you made a single location work (high praise deserved for pulling off that one).

This is one of the few that live up to this fests name, Horror. This film captures a horrifying point in time. Your lighting them worked on every level, I can't fault anything here. The camera moves were perfect, framing was generally very good.

The creature effect was maybe, just maybe, a little "corny" (hope that this translates to British English) but your "mates" performance really sold it for me, so I can over look it with out any effort.

This is top notch in every sense of the term. You used your running time perfectly, getting straight into it without needing any back story.

GREAT JOB!

[Blaine]

This movie really spoke to horror for me.

Perhaps he got out of the ropes too easily, but on the other hand maybe he is supposed to so he can find the sack...

The frantic cutting and shooting style helped build the terror, here.

I've got to say that if I ever find myself in a place like this...I'm gonna be looking for a way out, not helping someone out of a sack...

You've done well with your limitations of cast and crew.

You've got a dark vision and I look forward to seeing more from you.

Oh, I almost forgot to ask: the title...Halfway, where does that come from?

[jpbankesmercer]

"The Sack" Rules change it...:)

[Darkline]

Wow - thanks for all of the feedback - Really. I'm very very pleased here.

JP - we did have the title of the sack at first. but my problem with that is that it toally gives away that the sack is the important part. My intention was to make the audience think that a human is in that sack and the confrontation may lie elsewhere. But if I called it the sack I think people would be suspicious?

hmmmm.... i dunno...lol

Halfway was a last minute title. it was originally 'capricious state' which is even worse.

Halfway bascially means mid-point. A holding place from one place to the next. halfway to heaven, to hell, whatever. the point of no going back. .. that was the reasoning but clearly it didnt work....ahaha

As for giving Mark more dialogue, poor thing, we did !!! and we had to cut it cos it sounded pretty bad.......No offense to Mark, he is a director not an actor. My guess is I'll be acting bad in his next short too! lol.

but who cares, the fact you like the film blows my nuts off! Oh and corny translates pretty well... thats ok, it was only mark again with a face full of talc and a strobe light -yeh I blakced his eyes out in post

thanks again, amazing responses here!

[jpbankesmercer]

We gotta work together, imagine that :)

[Darkline]

If only we could agree on the title! :-)

[jpbankesmercer]

Bwwwwhahaha. :)

[jeans]

I thought this was awesome. I still have a couple to watch, but this is my fav. I think by far. Everything was very slick. The style is very modern, but the fast cuts were not annoying like a lot of Hollywood movies are. Fantastic job.

[Darkline]

With the quality of films and talent in this years fest, these comments mean so much to me.

You know for a long time I was making shorts and putting them on my shelf. But this year I decided to show my work and try to be more active in my film-making (I stalled for a while).

This competition really gives me motivation to continue, seriously, it's such a nice feeling that my work is being seen across the globe somewhere! And they are taking the time to comment on it.

[TimurCivan]

HOLY MOTHER FUCKING POOP NUGGETS!!!!!!!! THIS IS MY OFFICIAL FAVORITE!!!!!


THI ROCKED OUT HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANT BELIEVE HOW GOOD THIS WAS!!!

IT was like a connosiour of Chris Cunningham, and Mark Romanek met with the evil demon that lives in my brain, had ameeting figured out exactly what im afraid of.... the made it a movie.. FUCK you. THis is Amazing. I have given you the highest score ive given

Congrats thsi was great. Damn maybe i'll hire you to DP my next movie......


And you can quote me!

[deedive]

this is one of the best

[Darkline]

HOLY MOTHER poo pooING POOP NUGGETS!!!!!!!! THIS IS MY OFFICIAL FAVORITE!!!!!

thats insane... seriously. Coming from you and your skills I'm erm.... I dont know.... knocked to the ground you might say.

If you saw how we lit this I dont think you'd be hiring me...lol.... . A lot of it involved me with a UV light on a mains lead hanging round my neck, with a DVX in the one hand and sometimes a strobe light in the other....lol

and I will quote you if you doont mind! :)

Deed, that's also very complimentary, I'm so glad u like what we did.

Seriously, I had better shut up here before I say something to execute myself

Cant thank you all enough and Im amazed how well it's being received.

[snodart]

Sweet mother of moses. A jolt raced through my body so quickly that it prevented me from leaping out of my chair.... my toes are still tingling.

Absolutely loved it. Artistic, creative, and frightening. I have nothing negative to say. You would be wise to get this ready for festivals submission.

FX were outstanding by the way.

[Darkline]

I have nothing negative to say. You would be wise to get this ready for festivals submission.




wow, thank you so much! Pretty speechles..... I may submit it for festivals, but at $50 a time, I may not...lol

I have just watched 'The Seeing' and while I will post a full review on your thread I'll say I thought it was very proffessional... which makes this compliment all the more flattering.

thanks again.:)

[Mark Harris]

Yikes! You get my first YIKES! review.

You are definitely doing some kick-assed filmmaking here. PERSONALLY, I am not a fan of some of your editing style, but I want to emphasize that that is a PERSONAL preference. Its clear you know what youre doing.

This looks like the love child of Ionesco and Stephen King. What is WRONG with you? :):)

Super, SUPER creepy use of the elements. When the thing is coming at him, its truely scary. Esp considering when you freeze-frame it and realize its really not that scary. You know what I mean.

The sounds at the end are sort of overbearing, and grating. Obviously thats the point but you might be the first movie Ive seen in the fest to use that kind of thing to good effect.

Really, really nice work.

But I want to ask, and dont give it away if its a spoiler, but is there some connection to a story in the real world here, or is it purely an abstract idea? I mean, is this all a metaphor for something and I missed it, or is this just the world of the movie?

[Darkline]

Hey Thanks!

I appreicate the feedback and it's cool about you not being a fan of the editing. A bit too machine gun at the end?

But I am glad you found it scary, and yes when you freezeframe it you may notice that it is infact Mark again (the main actor) with talc all over him. So no, not the scariest single image, but we were working on the cheap and quick ... and you're not supposed to freeze it! next you'll be spotting all my dodgy masking of my other mate dragging him along the floor!

seriously tho, you know your stuff and for you to say you liked this is a huge compliment. thank you....

The story came about from the single premise that I had no idea what to do for horrorfest and my friend had a room in his pub free. The rest was just a case of how i could use that one room to make something creepy. Sometimes the deadlines and limitations force you to think a bit differently. I had no actors so I tried to do something that relied just on the mood and imagery. That all contributed heavily to the idea. Mark did a great job though (between laughing everytime the camera was on him - Ill have to post that footage, it never stops...).

[Robert Eldon]

Well, I watched it more than 'halfway'. I watched it all of the way and really liked it, this was one of the scariest films in the fest and very well executed. I really liked the editing and it flowed well. The scariest part for me, was when the pale 'creature' dude, jumps up into the frame of the camera. That's kind of cliche', I tried to do it, but not very well. Your execution of that worked very well (probably due to the editing). I liked the lighting and strobing (were there subliminal messages in there?) and it actually had a 'story' arc to it.

I've given this one high marks, except for 'Score'. I'm not sure how to rate a movie, if it doesn't have much or any of a sound score/music in it? If you can convince me that it does, I'll change the 'Score' rating.

Great Job! One of my top ten.

[Mark Harris]

But I am glad you found it scary, and yes when you freezeframe it you may notice that it is infact Mark again (the main actor) with talc all over him. So no, not the scariest single image, but we were working on the cheap and quick ... and you're not supposed to freeze it! next you'll be spotting all my dodgy masking of my other mate dragging him along the floor!


Don't misunderstand me though. What I meant was you took a very simple image and MADE it scary through the filmmking. I wasn't saying I spotted problems or cheap-o stuff. I freeze-frame all of the stuff in this fest and I love to see things like that - oh it's just a guy. But you scared the bejesus out of me with it. That's good filmmaking.

[Darkline]

Thanks Robert..... thats high praise. As for score I can convice you on two levels....lol

1) the atmos of the basement was our 'soundtrack' not just the dripping sounds but I put a pulsing drone in the background phasing in and out - not a sound from something in the scene but a mood setter. On top of that there were atonal bass chords plopping all over the place. Not music, no, but Score I would say yes...

or

2) if you download the new ballot, you can leave the score section blank and it doesnt take it into account on the final average (the old ballot sheet if you leave the section blank I think its like giving it a '0').

so I guess whatever you feel appropriate :-) but thanks very much!

And thanks Desperatecomfort! I did get what you meant, I was just shamlessly taking the opportunity to give a bit of BTS exclusives to make me sound better! lol
But yes, hopefully by that point you're drawn in enough not to notice and it's on for such a short period of time that the sound really helps at that point.

[Brandon Rice]

watched this late last night, FREAKED ME OUT!

Will post detailed review later.

[Darkline]

thanks Brandon. Dont worry I know you're hard at work on here! :-)

glad it had some effect on you.

[Kdawg]

WOW!!! I grew up on horror flix, so I love to watch em. Even if they are not scary to me. This one is the only one that made my heart race and made me jump. WOW!! The editing was fantastic. I was expecting something to jump out at me, so I prepared myself for it. But it still scared the living daylights out of me.
I thought it looked too much like "Saw" at first. Had alot of the same qualitys and feeling. However, the story that was revealed to me was very different. I get chills everytime I watch it!! You have a real knack for the horror flick.
I dont feel you needed to throw blood in there when he gets sucked into the sack. I feel it would have been better without it actually. But, my favorite fick by far Bud. Good Work !!

[Kyle Stebbins]

You seriously just anhiliated the competition with Halfway -- Your film was brilliantly horrific.

[cinealma]

This is the best of the fest! This one deserves 10's across the board. I can't wait for the DVD so I can see this baby in all it's NTSC glory!

Ok, there's your sig quote. :thumbsup:

Now, about your little film, here. This really is a brilliant piece of work. You could have had NO BLOOD in it, and it would still be awesome. This one had horror atmosphere to the extreme and really made my skin crawl. Stobing UV lights, cameras, monitors, squirming sacks, NOIZE... etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. A kick ass piece of filmmaking, my friend.

What didn't I like? Not much. You definitely could do away with the "WARNING: STROBING blah blah blah" card. And the supernatural thing didn't work for me as much as something more tangible or even sci-fi might have. Does that make sense? Especially with the set-up that you have. But I'm being nit-picky and I am speaking from a "now, if I would have made this film" point of view, which basically means I REALLY LIKED IT!

Best film so far, and I don't have many more to watch.

Simply awesome.


John G.

[Darkline]

Wow

I just got out of bed this morning to read these!

incredible. I cant say thank you to you guys enough.

Kyleman! you crack me up guy.....lol...... you didnt have to do that :beer:

cinealma and Kdawg - well, I'm thrilled to hear you liked it so much. You know I was toying without the blood for a while, but being flat out honest, my previous work has been accused of being a nice build up - but with flat endings, this time I wanted to save the best for last - perhaps too much, but Im glad I did it :)

this is me smiling by the way :)

and more smiling :)

:)

[MsManhattan]

This is just so damned impressive, so technicaly accomplished and the story really hangs together. While I could see that it was influenced stylistically by recent trends in horror, I never felt it was derivative -- it had its own unique technical spin on those trends, and I felt like my chest was going to implode the whole time I was watching it. I loved the way the story came full-circle. It was a perfect short. Many congratulations.

[Darkline]

MSManhattan! Can't say thanks enough. Im glad u had fun (or not) watching it.

your comments are really appreciated! I loved 5B as you know!

[Edgen]

Karl, I just watched the film for the 2nd time and I think it's all been said here so no use beating the dead sack... err. halfway sack.

I know what it was that urked me. It was the label about the strobing images that set my expectations and that kept me with the same expectations throughout. A really bad haunted house. For the love of making this one badass film... please Take out the disclaimer. I would hate for others to feel that you are watching an actor crawl around on the floor as one of the attraction's main exhibits.

I haven't seen hostel or saw, so I couldn't tell you if it were similar or not in terms of style and story. I enjoyed the film. I dug the effects. Ambience/sound was key to the success.

Definitely top 10 after watching them all for the 2nd time. Kudos and looking forward to seeing you in the next fest.

/j

[Darkline]

It was the label about the strobing images that set my expectations and that kept me with the same expectations throughout. A really bad haunted house. please Take out the disclaimer. I would hate for others to feel that you are watching an actor crawl around on the floor as one of the attraction's main exhibits. /j

Hey Edgen

I'm actually a bit confused as to what you mean. And Im not being funny, I genuinly want to understand :-) Do you mean it sets the wrong tone? or that its too much of a gimmick? Or that it seems that someone is taking enjoyment from this whole event?

I'll tell you the effect it was supposed to have, which is that the warning itself then belies the nature of the warning. it's like someone wishing you good luck when they are out to make you fail. (by starting to strobe) ... it's more of a statment of thematic intent than anything to be taken literally.

I thought it was quite original and really sets the mood from the opening frame....however, I have not had too much feedback on that element I dont know how it was perceived in general. Ive had one who said they loved it - one who didnt care for it.. (2 including you! :-))

but seriously I'm very interested on the impact these elements have. I cannot watch the film objectively so I can only rely on others feedback to understand what worked and what didn't.

I think my film is very different to saw, as that film is about a killer torturing victims in confined spaces and making them play mind games..... but I can certinally see why people are making the connection, but I take it in a very different direction... (I actually see this room as Limbo, hence the title Halfway, a waiting room for the the recently dead) But Hostel.... It has nothing to do with that as far as I can tell. That film's about people paying to torture victims very graphically.

I hope to become a permenant fixture of these fests now I've had the taste, as I hope everyone else does. Its a great community and way of sharing.

[jpbankesmercer]

'Halfway Sack' I like it! :)

[zenbarai]

This is so well done! It's dripping with style, and the style's not for its own sake, but furthers the story. It's very involving and captivating. I was glued to the screen!

Ben:thumbup:

[Inexistence]

.....

[Edgen]

Ooh, don't get me wrong, I see why you put up the disclaimer, but to me, it was like I was about to get on an amusement park ride and that whole feeling of 'cheesy cheap thrills' came to mind. Therefore, I prepared myself for the whole cheese factor. So, as I watched, I couldn't help but to think i was in a cheesy haunted house.

It wasn't until I started watching that those feeling went away .... UNTIL... those flashing lights came back on and I was like.. "UT Oh.. I'm back in the haunted house."

Bottom line, is that I enjoyed the film and it struck true to the horror genre. I just feel as though you shouldn't have to 'prepare' someone because automatically, you are setting them up for something that is about to happen and could possibly associate bad feelings (such as mine with dumb ass haunted houses).

forgive me for the saw comment. That seems to be the buzz word of the this fest and I just assumed. :)

I hope that helped? If not, I"ll try and go into it deeper.

cheers,
/j

[Inexistence]

Damn you kholi... The Review King! I'm not able to build upon anything more
than what kholi has already stated. This is easily a top 10 short for me.

I've read you're comments on the room being limbo and I was curious
as to what would happen in the opposite direction of hell. Would one awake in
the same room... in the dark and confused?

[Darkline]

I prepared myself for the whole cheese factor. So, as I watched, I couldn't help but to think i was in a cheesy haunted house.

It /j

I get ya now! Thats cool :-)

I was thinking of turning Halfway into an amsuement park ride actually. you know when you get those sacks on and slide down the spiral? well this would follow those lines, but a bit darker..... :)

[Darkline]

Inexistence, thankyou for the comment. It's just nice to know people watched it, even if they dont have anything to extra to add. Thanks!

As for the reverse.... well, I didnt get that far...lol I cant say I sat down and though about this forever. The inital idea was to have 2 people in the room, both who had died in a mutal car accident. the idea was that one would go to hell and one to heaven based on their actions in limbo.... but I ditched it and went straight for the horror vibe. I never even thought about the reasonaing after that. In truthfulness I dont know if that room still is limbo as that was part of my inital idea..... but i dont see it as a place in the real world, put it that way.. Im a big fan of resolving issues on one level and leaving them open on the other. The idea was to use the recycle effect to make the audience satisfied and the open question of 'WTF just happened?'

Thinking about it now though I think you'd wake up in a much nicer lit room if you were going to heaven... with maybe a choice of florally decorated sacks. And instead of taps dripping you'd hear the noise of a bubbling spa-pool across the room.

[Darkline]

... I was glued to the screen!

Ben:thumbup:

thanks ben - I'm really glad you liked it! :) :thumbup:

[Ben Sliker]

darkline,
I just have to say that i was in a lull watching through a lot of the horrorfest entries until i came upon yours, and it ripped me right out of it. Entertaining, polished, well done. congrats.

[sean90291]

Definitely my pick of the fest. I loved the minimalism and appreciated the control you show over your craft. Where you used effects, they were creative and perfectly achieved. You created tension and took me on a weird, nightmarish, and strangely believable trip. The ending isn't quite there. But so far, I can't say any of the shorts in horrorfest have nailed their endings (Girl Next Door is pretty close). But Halfway gets my top vote. Only a few left to view.

Edit: further to the ending (SPOILER)....a question...the final image of the man in the bag....is that a new victim? an endless cycle? or is it the same guy as we've seen all along. looks like the same guy...but I'm trying to figure out the ending. At least you got me thinking! ;-)

[Darkline]

Hi Hybrid and Sean

Again all I can say is thanks..... I cant beleive the reaction my film is getting and it really does give me encouragement to continue and keep working on improving the shorts I make.

The guy at the end is someone new (me) in the bag..... yes it a re-cycle ending, I would then open the bag that Mark (the victim) is now in..

actually we are thinking right now of reshooting that last image (as it would be really easy) but with a 10 year old boy instead on the screen. That might give it a bit more gravitas...... but no, currently it's me, and me and mark look very different! but maybe nightvision makes everyone look the same :-)

thanks again sean and Hybrid!!!

[sean90291]

Cool. Well I read the ending correctly then...but not until the third viewing. I guess it would have hlped me if the guy in the bag at the end (you) looked a lot different. After all, we don't really get a great look at the main guy throughout--he's obscured in strange light, flickering strobes, darkness, and then when we get the final reveal at the end (ie., you) you're covered by tape, so, on my first two viewings, I didn't realize it was a new person. Hey here's an idea. Maybe just before you show that final ending, you need to show a new bag being dragged down the stairs. The cycle starts again. Maybe use a few seconds of another take of the bag being dragged.

I'm surprised YOU'RE surprised by the reaction. You're damn good. Halfway is my fave film of the fest by a healthy margin. Hope you're considering features!

[Darkline]

Thank's sean. Thats a good point. I think the new shot of the little kid will hopefully provide more of a distinction :-)

Glad you liked it. And yes, Ive been considering features for a long time, but I've still yet to take the plunge and work with proper actors yet, so one step at a time. I keep writing featues that I can make for about £5000, but I never have the guts to go ahead and do them. I think a few more shorts first before I have the confidence to tackle something that large. But I'm a big fan of the first do-it-yourself feature production.

[Gauranga]

Just finished watching... I'm totally impressed. Your lighting was superb, editing was fantastic, and the camera work was great.

I was particulalry impressed with the story. You managed to have a complete short film (credits and all) in under the 6 minutes alotted. Most of the other films I've seen so far have not so complete stories that run exactly 6 minutes without credits.

I also loved your beginning credit sequence. If you don't do this for a living, you should consider it.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

This looked great and was a lot of fun.
Maybe the scariest of the fest.
Despite the nods some noted imagery from certain films, pretty original too.
In terms of story I liked the cyclical nature of this. I think that works will in a short since it may take less time to show us that something is ongoing rather than rap it up and comment on the resolution in a short time, so I'm glad that this has brought that to my attention.
Again really well shot and pro looking with lots of scare factor and a simple well told story.

Congrats :beer:

Jack.

[jeans]

Ive been considering features for a long time, but I've still yet to take the plunge and work with proper actors yet, so one step at a time.

I hope you do, I'd love to see it. Do you think it would be a horror movie?

[Lingothree]

actually we are thinking right now of reshooting that last image (as it would be really easy) but with a 10 year old boy instead on the screen. That might give it a bit more gravitas...... but no, currently it's me, and me and mark look very different! but maybe nightvision makes everyone look the same :-)



Please do - I totally thought it was the same person (which would be interesting in itself - the dude finds himself in the bag, lets himself out, only to get stuck in the bag again - and would give a different meaning to being stuck halfway - but would make the rest of the movie as is somewhat confusing).

This was very well-produced - looked great, sounded great. Way to throw something together just to suit the locaction you found. The only thing that bothered me was that I wanted some more context from the very start - I felt like I was really searching and struggling to understand what was going on, until it finally all came together at the end. 4 minutes is a long time to sit and wonder...

Overall, very good work.

[luster]

I thought this one was really well done. Very scary, and I really liked the strobe stuff. You also have a neat premise.

A lot of the imagery seemed like it was taken directly from other movies, though, which sort of disappointed me. It was kind of like I was scared because I remembered being scared from those other movies.

Anyways, there are a lot of movies in this fest that are very derivative of The Ring, Saw, and Audition but of all of them I think this one was the best.

[OmaR]

beautiful movie, the best of the horror fest I think (I've already seen all the shorts)... not just because it's the scariest, but because it's really well done, well directed I mean... there are beautiful frames and there is inside a very interesting topic about (digital) cinema... Great!:beer:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Thank's sean. Thats a good point. I think the new shot of the little kid will hopefully provide more of a distinction :-) I was momentarily confused into thinking they were the same person, but assumed they weren't as this is a casting problem I see often in emerging filmmakers who are casting from those around them.

I think its good to avoid this confusion. But why 10 year old kid. Why not just a darkhaired guy or something. I think a 10 year old kid clouds the cyclical nature of this. The first character wasn't a kid, why is the second? Was the 1st character that young when he was 1st tied up here? etc. I think you want someone that's not drastically different but clearly distinguishable from the 1st character or its too much to consider as the audience member when we should just be going "oh ... I get it it" and not being introduced to knew questions, IMHO.

[Darkline]

Gauranga - that you very much. It's interesting to see how divded people are by the subject. Ive had one or two comments that say the story is great for 6 minutes, and others who say it takes too long or is too vague for a build-up. thanks for the glowing review!

I started from the idea that i didnt want the process explainable. I like horror that has no real resolution, (picnic at hanging rock, even donnie darko) but of course this kind of short totally rejects things like character development in favour of atmosphere or scare. so I expected it to divide opinion. thanks for your support and I'd love to do this for a living!

Jeans, I've written a few ideas and they verge on horror. Nothing like this though. I think as a first film horror is more forgiving. I mean, just look at the crap that makes it to the cinemas with horror.... The audiences go in wanting to have fun, a fri night out. If you make a drama I think its harder to get right and to be honest the standard is higher too.. So I think probably my first feature would be horror/thriller to get a foot in the door, but I dont want to stick to the genre soley.

Lingothree thanks for the feedback, it seems one or two people have thought that was the same person at the end now - or at least had to re-think about it. That wasnt the intention and Im glad it's been point out.

Thanks Luster. Im glad you liked it. I am guilty of fusing different elements together. This is an area I will change next time around. I still dont get the ring reference, but I guess people see a TV with interference and the connection is made. I dont think my imagery is taken directly from other films, the sack release, the door slam, the handheld vibe. But I do see where you're coming from. It's not going to re-define the horror genre :-)

Omar - again all i can say is glad you liked it! its amazing to hear all this feedback, good, bad, or constructive. for you to say it's your pick of the fest really makes me a happy boy!

Jack. thanks very much for the comments. It's nice to have you chime in here as such an accomplished film-maker. The nightvision thing is funny, believe it or not - i look nothing like mark. Im black hair brown eyes with a lot of stubble, Mark is blonde hair and blue eyes, clean shaven. But nightvision seems to get rid/minimize of all these charatceristics, which is why I wanted to go for someone completely different - like a kid.

Another option is to use a girl here. long black hair. I have a friend who said she'd do it (personally I think its a kink thing.... all the gaffer tape and bondage)

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Sorry I haven't chimed in sooner, there are lots of good ones I'm just getting to for one reason or another.

I think a girl (woman) is better. While different it doesn't come with the baggage of "kid" or "boy" ... "is that him younger" "that's somone else, was he there since he was a boy" etc. and boy seems to be symbolic or something where as I think a woman, perhaps simillarly costumed, would be same shit different day (in a good way) but with a girl, and like I said I think that cyclical aspect a strength

[Darkline]

I think thats the way Im going to go. Im not sure if I'll do it, seems a bit strange now the fest is almost over. But it would at least clarify things completely.....

[theAlchemist]

I will do a review of your movie after i've seen all the movies, but I just wanted to say this movie looks stunning and sounds great. Not sure if I liked the story though. Before the end of october I'll do a review in here.

[Darkline]

cheers guy. always up for hearing people comments whenever you get time!

After the voting is closed tomorrow Im going to put up a few backscenes stills from halfway. they show the location with all the lights on and a few of our lead actor getting into the role :-)

I'm trying to find some video that was filmed BTS.... ill post something very soon!

[Darkline]

Hellooooo

so here is a little collage of our work on Halfway. It doesn't look pretty... hence why I never post it earlier.

http://www.darklineonline.co.uk/halfwaybts.jpg

And anyone else who still hasnt seen it - go and download it now.

You will Sh*t your pants! :thumbup:

love Karl

[jpbankesmercer]

You look as evil as your film.

[Darkline]

dont mess with 1 man and his DVX.

[jpbankesmercer]

I really love 'The Sack!' :) Great title by-the-way.

[Darkline]

you and your sack...... erm, that came out wrong.....

if I do a sequel I'll call it sack 2 die sackier -how about that? or "The sacks"

[jpbankesmercer]

Bwwhahhaaa.

Best of luck big boy.

[TheatreGuy]

Hey darkline, Congratulations on a great film! And for scaring the crap out of me! You and the commitment, both!

This has been a great time! Good luck!

Ted

Love the BTS!!! Thanks for sharing!

[Darkline]

thanks Ted.

good luck to everbody here too. I have to say Ive been to a few horror festivals and on the whole I think the quality this on site is above the work they show there.

Glad u like the photo's I was reluctant to post them for obvious reaons

[jpbankesmercer]

Yeah because your evil.

[TimurCivan]

How about big sack of evil as a sequel?

[jpbankesmercer]

How about "Dirty sack of evil II"?

[TimurCivan]

Big sack 2......

[FlintMI]

This film kinda reminded me of Cube (http://imdb.com/title/tt0123755/), and that's a good thing. Loved it. Great job all around. The smoke coming out of the bag and stuff. SWEET.

[mentatDUKE]

Good job on this. Very well put together. Interesting camerawork and lighting. Clean edits. Convincing acting. The mystery of the sack was well done and satisfying. Clever.

[Darkline]

"dirty sack of evil 2, part 3. sacked.... the final sackmare." erm.... revenge..

[Darkline]

Thanks FlintMI and mentatduke.

You know when I first thought about this idea, I kinda had cube as one of the moods of the piece in my head. But it turned away from that. I guess something from that sneaked itsway in there too.

Glad u liked it anyhow. Tho the sack suprise has all but been ruined now....

wont mention any names..... huff..... :)

[jpbankesmercer]

Been thinking...

How about....

"The bag"

Or

"Evil bag" with smoke in it.

[Darkline]

Or just how about

"Saw"

LOL..... oh dear....

[jpbankesmercer]

"The saw bag!"

You could keep....saw's in it...

[Darkline]

better if i called it 'saw bag' and kept guinea pigs in it..... you know, suprise the audience and all.


...then saw em up!

[jpbankesmercer]

Like it!

Why didn't you make that in the first place???

[Darkline]

because I'm Sh*t

[Texture]

Hands down, without question, the most scary film in the festival.

It really illustrates how editing is so much a part of building tension.

You were able to convey total fear and confusion without even the employ of professional actors. No music.

Great use of sound effects. I'm sure this basement was actually quite dry but while watching I felt the dampness creeping into my bones. The continuous sound of water only added to the confusion - an audible smoke screen covering the footsteps of whatever may be lurking in the dark. Till you hear them, too late...

There is the barest thread of a story if that at all, it seems more like an act or scene from a greater work and yet it is whole, completely standing on its own.

It plays more like an art film than entertainment... It seems like something you'd watch at the end of a dark corridor as part of an exhibit at Centre Georges Pompidou.

You guys totally blew me away. I'm sending you the bill for the upholstery cleaning of my studio chair... :beer:

Erik

[Norm Sanders]

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

VERY SCARY! Great job! Loved the look of the sideways TV while the creature was coming at us … editing was solid, while not too much of a story per se, the concept was simple yet strong. Sound was top notch. Can’t recall if there was really much of a score, which may have helped drive the emotions/fear even more … or at least a score doesn’t really stand out to my memory. Regardless, this is one of the scarier, if not scariest films I’ve seen yet in the fest. Excellent job, really.

EDIT: Of everything I've seen (short of 5-6 films) this is still the one that scared me most. :thumbsup:

[TimurCivan]

The devils sack....

thats the name of the sequel.

[Darkline]

Hands down, without question, the most scary film in the festival.

Erik

Weeyyyy heyyyyy. This is what I like to hear...lol

Im so fired up with all these comments Ive been getting but I just hope I dont have to do a horrorfest again as people might expect something scary! :)

amazing comments. thanks a million Erik! I hope you voted for us! :beer:

[Darkline]

Of everything I've seen (short of 5-6 films) this is still the one that scared me most. :thumbsup:

shucks, me is blushing now! You know I was beginning to think I was a bhit sh*t you know. but right now im already onto writing my next short - thanks to you guys for giving me a bit of a boost......

thanks again :)

[Darkline]

Timur

You're worse than JP. Tell you what, if you're DP I'll call it anything you f'in like :-)

lol

[Brandon Rice]

Halfway


Script
Not a lot of dialogue, but the story and premise were great. Quite original for this fest.

Acting
Wow, good… your lead sold me on the terror and franticness of the situation.

Cinematography
Wow! With the strobe light thing going on and the dark lit stuff, this rocked.

Editing
Again solid, never seemed to hang too long or cut too quick.

Score
The sound design work was awesome here… Made it that much more scary

Overall Impressions
Top 10 for me. Great flick. The ending scared the jeebies outa me. Nice job!

[TimurCivan]

Timur

You're worse than JP. Tell you what, if you're DP I'll call it anything you f'in like :-)

lol


well man i thik you trumped me pretty hard int he DP category. Why would you wanna take a step down?

[Darkline]

Whatever Timur LOL......

bloody Mary looked like a film - Halfway looked like someone with a mobile disco in a basement!

Id have you as DP in a heartbeat!

[Darkline]

Aww Brandon, you is the man!

thanks for that. i'l be skipping to bed tonight.... :-)

[TimurCivan]

buy me a ticket ot england i 'll do it....

[TimurCivan]

FYI you wanna knwo the recipe for sucess in Cinematography. CHeat every shot. Even when it isnt neccesary, it creates that "something is off, but it looks right" flag inthe brain, that you associate with professional films.

Shoot some test stuff natural, then cheat the same shot for no reason. Then look at the footage. you will be amazed.

[Darkline]

thats pretty good advice.

i just did a short film where it was all meant to be lit with moonlight in a house (all interior lights were off) - so everywhere the main charcter goes in the house there is moonlight coming in. not only that but when he turns around from the window there's moonlight coming in from the other side too.... I thought 'shit they are gonna notice this' but no-one has said a thing yet

is that what you mean by cheating?

I'll have to put that film online soon it's festival run is almost dead.... booooooo

[Darkline]

if i make a feature you can come to england and stay with my nan!

[TimurCivan]

ye kinda, but i mean by human placement, and blocking. like

if someone is lookin down a hall, use a wideagle lens, nea the ground, but have the person on their knees so the hall way optically seems highr and more imposing. forcing the perspective and things liek that.

[TimurCivan]

lol i'll eat british food with you Nan.

[Mark Harris]

don't listen to him. that bastard's cheated me into some nasty editing decisions in the past...

[TimurCivan]

and i cheated you out of the job to cover rachel in vasoline

[Darkline]

Timur - you're a clever b*stard....

Im going to focus on those things much more in my next one. No handheld scrambling nonsense.....

Im off to bed now. but to the both of you - All the best. You really deserve it and you're nice guys too!

nighty night all. When I wake up I'll see the winners. I wont get much sleep
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[TimurCivan]

Good night mate!

[Brandon Rice]

Congrats on 3rd place baby! Nice work!

[steve2bees]

Congratulations! One of my personal favorites.

[Edgen]

3rd place in the sack race! Congrats fellas! :)

/j

[Cryogenic Filmworks]

Contrats on your placement in the fest.
:thumbsup:

[Mark Harris]

Congrats. Very happy this movie bubbled to the top.

[TimurCivan]

You guys deserved it. :) Your movie was RAD. Im still available if yo uwanna fly me to britain so shoot your next movie....

[Darkline]

Cryogenic Filmworks, steve2bees, Brandon Rice and Edgen - thanks ever so much. Very much appreciated.

Brandon you've done a bang up job here over the last week or so. You derserve and award just for that.

Edgen. Lakeside IS AWESOME. You know that. take that baby out and get feature funding!

Timur and Mark. Thanks for all the support and I mean that sincerely! You guys made a fantastic film and you're both nuts.... nice one :-)

[Darkline]

Halfway Thanks :

First off to Mark, for taking the role of Actor, being dragged around the floor and brusing himself countless times for my short. Mark is my creative muse and I hope you go on to be a part of this festival too.

John - without him none of my films would ever get made. He's the backbone to everything I make.

I have nothing but thanks for everyone who bothered to leave feedback for my short film. Even more thanks to those who voted for my film so highly. You have made me feel much better about what I do and have given me encouragement to pursure what it is I really want make of my life.

Ted, Versus, Edgen, Jack, Mark, Timur, Charli, JP, Brandon. (if Ive forgotten anyone, sorry, Im really tired!) All of you have made me feel part of these boards and I cant thank you enough for all the time you've taken to talk and chat to me.

Please feel free to continue to leave feedback for Halfway and I'll answer all questions.

Bring on the next fest!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Awesome.

Congrats on placing.

Very much deserved.

Best sustained scare factor I think.

And its been a pleasure meetinng you sir.

[Charli]

Karl, send it out to some festivals. See what legs it's got. Congrats.

[jpbankesmercer]

Well done big boy, remember your promised to lend me that zoom control sometime :)

[They Live]

Halfway was AWESOME.

I'm new to the forum and just getting an idea of who everyone is, etc. I've watched a lot of the entries and yours was by far my favorite. Incredible job, really. I was blown away. I'm definately looking forward to seeing what else you can do.

All the Best,
Ben

[They Live]

p.s. Did you do the VFX? I'm particularly interested in how you did the shot with the door, the face and hands appearing to be pressing against it. I love that effect.

Ben
DarkLight Productions
(I know what you're thinking. Small world)

[Darkline]

Hi Ben

Yeh I did all the effects for it. The face through the door was actually a lycra T-shirt stretched over a wooden frame. then I poked my face through and tracked that onto the door itself. I stuck 2 markers on the door to help me track it into the handheld shot - then removed those markers in the final shot.

I have some stills of that so I may add them to this thread in the next day or so.

[VersuS]

Hi Ben

Yeh I did all the effects for it. The face through the door was actually a lycra T-shirt stretched over a wooden frame. then I poked my face through and tracked that onto the door itself. I stuck 2 markers on the door to help me track it into the handheld shot - then removed those markers in the final shot.

I have some stills of that so I may add them to this thread in the next day or so.
please do!!!!! :beer:

[They Live]

Makes perfect sense. Awesome, thanks for the info.

[Darkline]

Charli, Jack and JP - thanks for your support this fest, it wont be forgotten.

JP you're welcome to use my zoom control anytime! But if you use it during a short film I may have to kill you.... my favourite one is in 'Troy' - WTF was that about?

[jpbankesmercer]

Just remember J.P. loves you, not Eddie.

[jpbankesmercer]

Oh and my eyes better than yours :)

[TheatreGuy]

I can't stand to look at this page! Eyes EVERYWHERE!!!

[TheatreGuy]

Just changed my avatart.... that's better! :)

[Kyle Stebbins]

Just changed my avatart.... that's better! :)
AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone else ready for the next fest!?!?!?!?
Ted, I know you are!

ps. avatart? is it really that special... (im drunk, wasnt sure if that wouold be funny or not...)

[TimurCivan]

shoot i am.....

[Darkline]

I do like your eye JP - but that isnt you're eye, unless you're a total goth blood drinking freak....?!

I'm ready for the next fest! bring it on guyyyyy. But please dont be comedy as I laughed at that bit in 'happiness' where the paedophile shoots eveyone in the park.

[TimurCivan]

LMFAO.... CRaven... Argento.... Croneneberg..... They are all shit..... Eddie loves you...

[Darkline]

dont laugh Timur, I meant that in all seriousness!.... tut...

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

...please dont be comedy as I laughed at that bit in 'happiness' where the paedophile shoots eveyone in the park.
from the sound of it ... I would enjoy your sense of humor.

[Darkline]

If 1 person finds it funny, then its worth doing!

[TimurCivan]

dont laugh Timur, I meant that in all seriousness!.... tut...


Nice.

[deedive]

For those how couldnt be there.
here are some shots of the NYC horrorfest screenin

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1162395646.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1162395610.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1162396026.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/16107/1162396057.jpg

more pics
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=74969&page=16

[Darkline]

it looks better like that! especially the last shot.

thanks deedive :-)

[deedive]

:) :)

[TimurCivan]

hey dale what camera were you shooting that night? we should talk, i have a few problems with my Photo gear, i wanna hear your opinion.

BTW Darkline, Halfway was the only movie to get a bonefide Scream from the audience. IT was my mom.... but still. it was a real scream.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

this girl sitting next to me grabbed my arm and clinched her teeth when that dude slithers across the floor.

[Matt Sconce]

this girl sitting next to me grabbed my arm and clinched her teeth when that dude slithers across the floor.

I thought that was the scariest moment of horrorfest for me! I freaked out!

[deedive]

contax rtsIII with a 85

[Darkline]

Hey Timur, Jack and Matt :-)

Thanks a lot guys. I'm all for scaring mum's..... I used to always pretend to be dead around the house when i was a kid, then jump up and scare my mum; but she got wise to it and spoilt my fun... My mum and dad saw Halfway for the first time last night. I think they thought it was fun, they liked a lot of other shorts too.

Congrats on the event. Would love to have been there and talked throughout all the movies shouting, 'we were robbed' thru every film but my own. And setting the fire alarm off through Jack's piece...... But hey, fingers crossed I might make it for the next one! (bet you cant wait).

[Mark Harris]

There was almost no need to set the fire alarm off during Jack's piece. It almost didn't play due to something wrong with the run-off, and the projectionist had to rig some hack to make it work.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Yeah, as usual I sabotaged myself.

I'm gonna go play in traffic now ... while riding my gold armored elephant.