M D Productions presents: 'Violet'

[Slimothy]

Keep me updated Kev, I'll be back down there this week.

Tim.

[Norm Sanders]

Hey Kevin, just dropping in to say hi. While the poster is certainly provacative, I have to admit I'm most looking forward to seeing your film for Courtney's performance. Got one talented daughter there. :thumbsup:

[Blaine]

Got one talented daughter there. :thumbsup:She certainly is, Norm. I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to watch her work. She and Christa B. are great together.

[khmuse]

Here are a few screen caps from our most recent day of shooting. We have an interesting sequence coming up in the next few days. Hope to land a location for one of the interior sequences soon.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/106/1169620286.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/106/1169620063.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/106/1169620099.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/106/1169620119.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/106/1169620137.jpg

[ignatius]

Those are all very pretty shots, nice composition.

[khmuse]

Thanks for the comment. Using very skilled and attractive talent makes getting a pretty shot all the easier, so I really can't take much credit.

When shooting daylight exteriors with available light, there isn't much one can do but choose a good location and compose the shot in a manner that helps to tell the story. The only thing that we used on these was a 4' x 6' single stop silk to keep the facial lighting a bit flatter (and more flattering).

[Ted Arabian]

Kevin, those shots look really nice.

I have a couple of questions.....

Does that 2/3" 3CCD camera you are shooting with "naturally" give you that nice DOF?

Are you cropping your footage to 2.35? (that is the ratio of these grabs, isn't it?) Or does that camera shoot in that aspect ratio?

Where does your daughter get her looks??? I mean... I just don't see her father's image in her face! (sorry!) Does Courtney take after her mother?

I do have another serious question for you but I will post it on the TTN thread since that it what it is in regards to.

Really looks great, Kevin.

[khmuse]

Hi Ted,

Thanks for the questions.

Actually, these shots (grabs) are not from a 2/3" camera, but are from a DVX100A. The shallow DOF is obtained by using the long end of the lens with an open aperture and blocking the talent to achieve the effect. I use a number of filters and in camera settings to achieve the look that I want. In these shots, I used a 85b (4" x 4") and balanced the camera with a slightly blue reference. I set the master pedestal and choose the ND to give me the maximum usable dynamic range for the conditions.

The advantage of a 2/3" camera is a naturally shallower DOF, but this alone achieves only a bit of the goal. What is really significant is the glass that you can use with these cameras. A set of digi primes with their T 1.3 speed can allow you to get great shallow DOF shots without being restricted to the long end of the lens.

I am shooting with a 1.2 PAR (1.778:1) and cropping in post to the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The screen grabs are straight out of my NLE and then converted to a jpg for posting.

Courtney is the product of good luck as she is certainly different looking than either of her parents, and in my case that is a really good thing for her and her career!

I will look for your other question on the TTN thread.

Kevin

PS I am loving your latest signature banner!

[Brandon Rice]

Diggin' the shots Kevin! :thumbsup:

[HorseFilms]

This is looking great guys! :beer: I'm really looking forward to it.

[Ted Arabian]

Kevin, thanks for the reply.

I am surprised that you shot this on the dvx. Weren't you shooting with a diffent camera? (a 900 or something like that?)

That is a very nice dof in those shots. You must have pulled the camera back pretty far to get that, huh?

What does PAR stand for? I am guessing P_______ Aspect Ratio?

Thanks for the kudos on the new banner. Yeah, I am liking it too!

-Ted

[khmuse]

Hi Ted,

I am using a variety of camera's on "Violet" including the SDX900 (for its awesome low light performance) the DVX (when I can achieve what I need with it) and Super 8mm (for some very specific reasons to do with the story).

Its really an economic issue that causes me to use the DVX on this project. I have a few constraints to consider.

First, my talent is only available on days (or partial days as is often the case) when they are not auditioning or working (I am shooting under a SAG contract that allows for $100 day talent payments) so I have to work around their varying schedules. It is difficult for them to justify shooting with me for a small fraction of their daily rate, so its a time available approach. Most of our days have only been about 3 - 4 hour blocks of time before someone has to wrap to get to another gig.

The second factor is that I own a DVX where I have to rent the SDX. On really short shooting days, such as we have had on Violet due to the reasons that I just mentioned, it is hard for me to justify the rental (in terms of both time and costs) unless I can make great use of it. I know both of these camera's well, so it isn't difficult for me to get them to look alike and just use the SDX when I really need its capabilities (like low light conditions) that I need for some of the scenes. In "Violet" I have two scenes where the SDX really is the best choice for what I want to achieve.

In answer to your other questions, yes, the camera had to be pretty far back to allow for me to get the frame that I wanted with the long end of the lens. This isn't something that works in every situation, but for these scenes where the talent is static and there isn't any real motivation for any camera moves, it works out. I just need the space to get the shot.

PAR is an acronym for Pixel Aspect Ratio. In DV NTSC the choices are either 1.2:1 or .9:1. I use 1.2 for nearly everything. With the DVX sometimes this is with in camera squeeze and sometimes it is with the anamorphic adapter. It really depends upon the situation which I choose. One thing that I do find useful is in really tight situations the anamorphic adapter gives me another 33% wider angle allowing me to get a shot that might not otherwise be possible in a physically tight location. The SDX has a real native 1.2 and .9 capability (not squeeze) so I have more options with that camera.

Hope that explains a few of my choices.

Kevin

[Ted Arabian]

Yes. That is great info! Again... thanks!

I've heard many pro's and con's about the Panasonic anamorphic adapter... such as, "it is fairly difficult to use." Do you find that true? I am sure that if I owned one, I would learn how to use it but is it worth the $750 or so? It seems that it would be great to have that 33% wider angle... even better to have a camera that is native 16x9.

Finally, is there a post or an address that I can visit to better understand PAR? I am totally clueless when you state, "1.2:1 or .9:1."

Thanks, as always!

I have a FedEx truck pulling up to my house... I think that I have footage from CA!!!

-Ted

[khmuse]

Hey Ted,

The arrival of the FedEx truck is certainly good news! I hope it contains what you need.

In answer to your questions:

Anamorphic Adapter - some (if not many) do find it difficult to use. There are some very specific requirements to making it work since it has a different focus shifts in the horizontal and vertical axises. If you want to discuss the specifics of this adapter, feel free to contact me and I can give you more information than I can in this thread. Certainly a native 16:9 imager is a better choice, but as I mentioned the wide angle feature can be great in some situations. I find it to be a great tool in specific situations, but its not for everyone. I purchased one long ago and consider it to have been a good investment. With the introduction of the HVX, I suspect that it has gotten even less popular. I do still feel that the DVX has its place and can achieve great results if used properly. I have seen used ones offered for nearer $550 (be careful buying a used one as there are some issues about potential damage to its mounting threads if one doesn't understand how it works).

PAR - let me expand upon this a bit. In SD NTSC all frames are made up of 720 (horizontal) by 480 (vertical) pixels. This is a ratio of 1.5 to 1. Since 1.5 to 1 doesn't match a standard aspect ratio of either standard nor wide screen televisions (1.33:1 or 1.778:1) the pixels need to be non square to achieve the final screen shape. If you multiply 1.5 to 1 by .9 you will get near 1.33:1 a standard screen aspect ratio. If you multiply 1.5 to 1 by 1.2 you will get near 1.778:1 a standard width screen aspect ratio.

So, if the imager in the camera is a wide screen one, it still needs to be able to comply with the formats pixel requirements and hence must use a PAR of 1.2 (rounded). The same is true for a camera with a standard width imager, it must also use the correct (.9) PAR to fit the requirements.

With the DVX100A and later, the squeeze feature allows the camera to do a vertical expansion of the letterbox size frame to fit the whole allocated pixel space (not just recording black bars as in the case of letter-boxed footage). To be correct for use in the NLE, it needs to be unsqueezed in post (handled without intervention in most NLEs). The anamorphic adapter is different and you typically need to inform the NLE of the optical difference and the resulting PAR (here the camera will flag the footage as having a PAR of .9 when it should be 1.2, this happens since the camera does not know that you have the adapter installed). The term used in Premiere is to "conform" the footage (or interpret) to a different PAR than how it is flagged. I know that you are a FCP user so I think you have to modify one of the standard setups to make this work out. How you would handle mixed PARs in FCP is something that I have never worked out. Since I do often mix PARs this would be an issue for me, but not for many others.

In film anamorphic footage is even more squeezed than in DV land. Here the ratio is 2:1 (as opposed to 1.33:1 in video). Using the full 1.33:1 gate, you would get a 2.66:1 final result. Typically, 1.85:1 is flat field, 2:35 and above are anamorphic. Now with DIs being so common, there are even more possible combinations and options than in the days of optical printing and projection.

Best,

Kevin

[Ted Arabian]

Man, you had me until "DIs!!!" I was understanding everything and I was thinking, "great info... I don't even need to write Kevin back and ask him anything." Then you typed... "Now with DIs being so common..."

What the heck is a DI? I am guessing Digital Inverter.

As for the info on PAR, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to write that. It answers a lot of my questions. I will have to go back and re-read that several times to fully grasp it, but it totally makes sense. Thanks!

I won't even tackle this one... "since it has a different focus shifts in the horizontal and vertical axises." I don't plan on getting that adapter right now but if I do.... I am coming to you!

And finally, YES!!!! The footage is here! (though I now hear that Mark just shot a p/u shot yesterday! dang. I hope it is a small enough file to get over the internet!

Well, back to deciphering Mark's Sharpied chicken scratch messages on all of these dvds!

-Ted

[khmuse]

DI is an acronym for digital intermediate. It is when a project is shot on film and is scanned into a digital form for editing, color correction/changes, VFX, etc and then is later either output as a digital project or printed back to film for projection. The word intermediate comes into play as it is in the middle of the process, between shooting (acquiring) and final (projection) output.

One of the first films to make heavy use of this was "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" where they wanted a dust bowl look but had to work with locations that were much "greener". Normally optical printing techniques couldn't make all the color shifts that they wanted to get their look. Now DIs are used for similar and other reasons. Now you can shoot S16 and go through a DI process and print back to 35 without the normal loss of resolution that an optical process would involve. DIs are quickly becoming the norm for a lot of theatrical and even some episodic projects.

[Ted Arabian]

Got it! Thanks!

[Blaine]

While this isn't going to be done in time for DramaFest, it is still an ongoing production. We were out today and Kevin got some beautiful tracking shots.

[khmuse]

I really should have taken a photo of the setup. It had more than its fair share of bungee cords, but worked out surprisingly well! I'll try and post some grabs this evening.

[Kyle Stebbins]

fascinating stuff. this thread is by far the most educational one i've come by for dramafest. thanks kevin.

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Kevin! Thanks man. I took my wife to see DREAMGIRLS and while we watched the credits roll, I saw "DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE" and I knew what it meant!!!

Thanks for the lessons that you teach... this is the most educational thread thanks to your willingness to teach and share!

Best to you!

Ted

[khmuse]

No problem at all. Happy to share a bit of information.

As for finishing Violet, if all goes well, we should get our lost location back on February 10th, so we can shoot this crucial scene. Once done with that one, just a few more exteriors and then on to the remaining interiors. At this rate, we should miss the festival deadline by about a full month! Oh well, that is the way things often go.

[Brandon Rice]

Looking forward to the completed film... fest ready or not.

[deepentertainments]

well still waiting for ur short....
let be this festival or some other festival

regards
sandeep

[givemefood]

Beautiful poster and nice title.... I am interested in seeing ur film.

[khmuse]

I am sitting here at 11:10 PM PST and trying to decide if I am going to upload the cut that I completed today, or if I am going to self host and just put a link in this thread, or if I am not going to show anything until it is actually finished.

I expect a final decision once I can find a three headed coin to toss.

[Brandon Rice]

haha :) If anything, I'd enjoy seeing it.

[khmuse]

Any sense if I would piss anyone off if I just decided to self host it and place a link in this thread? I am already non compete since I can't allow it to end up on the DVD (it would cost me a fortune with SAG if I did) so I feel kinda bad using up other's bandwidth.

[Brandon Rice]

Do it...

[khmuse]

Do it...

Do which? The way I see it I have three options.

or was that a Nike advert?

[Brandon Rice]

your own server + link :)

[khmuse]

Thanks, I just might.

[Brandon Rice]

Sorry for the ambiguity....

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Kevin, if you don't feel like it's ready, then probably wait until it is. And if it is ready, then don't worry about other people's bandwidth :grin:

[khmuse]

Hey Tom and Brandon, thanks for the comments.

It really has nothing to do with the film being finished or not so l will just go ahead and explain the project.

The version of Violet that we have been working on is a feature development project. Its underlying purpose is to raise interest in the feature script and to provide our literary agent with a tool to help sell the project.

We have completed less than 40% of the scenes that are intended to go into the feature development cut with a TRT of just under 10 minutes. The version that I cut today is a very truncated slice of the feature development project. The reasons for the lack of progress on this are many but include my involvement in "Threading the Needle" as well as loosing a critical location due to my illness in December and a number of other projects that I was working on. I am also in the strange position that I can't allow our entry to end up on a DVD as it would violate the contract that I have with our performers.

So, I have decided that it wouldn't be fair to upload my cut with all the restrictions that I would need to impose upon it. It just isn't fair to use others bandwidth, so I am going to self host. I would feel bad if I didn't make something available to view, but I wanted to fully disclose the nature of what I am going to provide.

So, here is a link to a .wmv version of a trailer for Violet.

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/Violet.wmv (this is over 102 MB, so save it locally and don't try to stream it)

I will build a .mov version that is near the 40 MB limit that the fest has imposed and post a link to that version later. I would be happy to receive any comments that anyone cares to offer and promise to post a link to the actual feature development project once it is ready (likely in early April).

Thanks to all that have visited this thread and commented. Your support and comments have been very appreciated.

For myself and everyone involved in Violet, thanks.

[Sid Barnhoorn]

Ey Kevin,

This is very nice! Looks great. Very professional, feature film style. :-) I like it. Can't wait to get to work on this one.

Cheers,

[Brandon Rice]

Downloading Kevin. Thanks! Looking forward to it.... will view in the morning :)

[khmuse]

Thanks Sid, it will be a bit of time before we are even close to picture lock, but I am really looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

Brandon, thanks too for your comments and encouragement to post this. Hope you like it and looking forward to your comments.

[khmuse]

OK, the .mov version is finished and uploading now. It is just under 40 MB.

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/Violet.mov

[Raw and Vital]

wow, I love this. I wish i could be part of this production. seriously...

[khmuse]

Thanks for the kind comments and really glad you enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing yours and everyone else's "official" entries in the fest.

[deepentertainments]

footages are awesome
but on the official entry page- it shows as non competetive entry
just wondering?

[khmuse]

Thanks and glad you liked Violet.

Yes it is non compete for a number of reasons, but not the least of which is the fact that it was shot under a SAG contract which would preclude its inclusion on the DVD. Another reason is that some of the footage (not in this very short cut) is from camera's that are not sanctioned (Super 8mm film and SDX900) however all the scenes included on this trailer are from the DVX.

Thanks again for watching.

[Jason Ramsey]

Kevin,
I just want to say thank you, again. Just, thank you.

You can make a DVX look like heaven on the screen. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to follow this thread and soak up all the wonderful info. you so willingly share with the user's here. This is a definite thread to print and save.

I don't know you at all, but I must say, you are professional in every since of the word, on these boards.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm totally looking forward to seeing the finished version of this thing. August is such a long time away :)

Jason

[khmuse]

Thanks Jason, that is so kind of you to write. I will try and keep the information flowing on this project as it progresses through both the feature development phase and hopefully as it transitions into a feature.

Thanks again, your comments really made my day!

[Mark Johnson]

Kevin,

I'm so pleased you have provided these links. I've previously told you how much I adore your cinematography as it emphasizes the serious difference between craft and technology. By the way, Blaine played TRICK for us today and I really appreciated how you made the low light stuff work so nicely. Tim commented on the flashlights and I, too, wondered if those were special instruments as they sure seemed to illuminate nicely.

One of my real wishes for 2007 is that you call in those FX favors I owe you (and that you give me enough time to do them the justice that your cinematography deserves!). Mainly, I'd just like to work on set with you again even if it only involves guarding your veggie sandwiches.

[Blaine]

I absolutely love how this footage is looking, Kevin. It's really too bad that everything couldn't come together in time to have this completed in time for the festival. But at least now, there's no pressure pushing an arbitrary deadline on this. I can't wait for the next chance to go out and shoot. The tracking shots work really well in this piece.

[Ted Arabian]

Kevin, you know how I feel about your work... I've told you on this thread, I've told you in PMs and I've told you in person. You are an amazing Director of Photography! And not only that... you are a great teacher, a wonderful person and a heck of a nice guy!!!

I am so glad that you managed to turn Violet in this trailer. It deserves to be seen. It is just some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen on this site.

I want to also thank you again for allowing me to have an inside look at Violet. The script that your daughter wrote is thought provoking and moving. It really must be something for you to have your daughter, Courtney, involved in the industry that you love so dearly. And I can't even imagine how incredible it must be to have the opportunity to shoot her story, not to mention her. It has just got to be so rewarding for a father to look through the lens of his camera and create breath-taking and memorable images of his child.

And to comment on what really can't be fully appreciated in you trailer... the acting is lovely. It is natural, moving and sincere. Not only from Courtney, but the entire cast. I was spellbound with the footage you shared with me. I was sucked right into their world and wasn't ready to leave. I cannot wait for the completion of this film!

You should be very proud of both her and your own work.

Congratulations to both you and Courtney! Violet is just glorious.

Best to you,

Ted

[khmuse]

Thanks Ted,

I am so moved by your comments. I couldn't be any more proud as a parent, Courtney is a true professional and I am thrilled to be working with her on Violet. In the beginning of her career I had the opportunity to watch her work as I was on set with her for most of her work. When she was 15 and received her legal 18 status (having graduated High School) she no longer needed a studio teacher nor a parent on set, so I was relegated to the duties of a driver (to and from auditions and jobs). I no longer had the opportunity to actually watch her act. I had to wait until a screening to see her performance.

Getting the opportunity to work with Courtney first hand is a great thrill for me. The entire cast that we have assembled are first rate working actors each with an impressive set of credits.

You bring up an excellent point about this trailer that we have cut for the fest, namely that it doesn't really show the performances of our cast. Based upon this, I have decided to show a few complete scenes of the longer feature development project to showcase the actual acting performances.

I will be posting a link to a few complete scenes in this thread a bit later today.

Thanks for pointing this out and thanks for placing your trust in me to DP Threading the Needle, it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you first hand. Watching you work with your cast was a true pleasure, you are certainly what I would call an actors director.

Thanks again.

[RomanJaquez]

Thanks Ted,

I am so moved by your comments. I couldn't be any more proud as a parent, Courtney is a true professional and I am thrilled to be working with her on Violet. In the beginning of her career I had the opportunity to watch her work as I was on set with her for most of her work. When she was 15 and received her legal 18 status (having graduated High School) she no longer needed a studio teacher nor a parent on set, so I was relegated to the duties of a driver (to and from auditions and jobs). I no longer had the opportunity to actually watch her act. I had to wait until a screening to see her performance.

Getting the opportunity to work with Courtney first hand is a great thrill for me. The entire cast that we have assembled are first rate working actors each with an impressive set of credits.

You bring up an excellent point about this trailer that we have cut for the fest, namely that it doesn't really show the performances of our cast. Based upon this, I have decided to show a few complete scenes of the longer feature development project to showcase the actual acting performances.

I will be posting a link to a few complete scenes in this thread a bit later today.

Thanks for pointing this out and thanks for placing your trust in me to DP Threading the Needle, it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you first hand. Watching you work with your cast was a true pleasure, you are certainly what I would call an actors director.

Thanks again.

This is beautiful stuff!

You guys to me already won the Thread Drama Award! :) I love to see that type of relations ships.

khmuse, I congratulate you for having that type of relationship with your daughter, I am sure is priceless.

I know we live in a culture with many broken families and young people are neglected of love from their mom and dad. I don't know you, but man, you make me proud to even be addressing to you under this circumstances.

I just got married in September and am very excited to be a dad in the future and when I see the role parents like express about their relationship with the kids... it boost my desire to grow the family :).

Keep it up, I am excited to your movie.

I am sure I will be very pleased with the results.

Cheers,

[khmuse]

Thanks Román,

First off a big congratulations on getting married recently and an even bigger congratulations on your plans of becoming a father. Of all the things that give my pleasure in life, it is my children that I place at the top of the list, without them I wouldn't be anywhere near the person that I am. My wife and I waited almost 8 years before starting our family, I wasn't certain that I was prepared to become a parent, but from the moment I started interacting with my kids, I was hooked. Its the greatest gig on the planet!

[Ted Arabian]

Its the greatest gig on the planet!
Wow. That is great! Sure makes me wonder if my wife and I have made the right choice NOT to have kids. We love them but there are so many factors to consider.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Roman, congrats on your recent wedding! Awesome!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kevin, thank you for your kind words in your previous post. It was a wonderful Directorial debut for me. I loved it.

Having you on board as DP was one of the best decisions Mark and I ever made! We were never concerned about that decision. And you taught us SO MUCH about filmmaking!

And finally, I am delighted that you are putting up more clips from Violet. That is a great idea!!!

[Mark Johnson]

I, too, have to express my appreciation of what a lovely person your daughter is, Kevin. What a delight it was to have her on our set and what an even greater delight to see such a wonderful bond between father and daughter. I didn't think I was going to have kids when everything fell into place and I became a father at 42. My boy David turns 12 next week and, without question, he is the best part of my life. For more than a year he's been claiming he knows he wants to be a writer and I do want to bring him on set this year so he can meet my film-making buddies and have some early role models in an industry often lacking in them. I showed him som of your daughter's footage and he claims he "knows for sure she is going to be a star."

Oh, and he also told me, "Dad, if they make another terminator-like movie then Tim should go out for the part because I KNOW he would get it." So, his casting talent may be questionable.

[RomanJaquez]

Thanks Román,

First off a big congratulations on getting married recently and an even bigger congratulations on your plans of becoming a father. Of all the things that give my pleasure in life, it is my children that I place at the top of the list, without them I wouldn't be anywhere near the person that I am. My wife and I waited almost 8 years before starting our family, I wasn't certain that I was prepared to become a parent, but from the moment I started interacting with my kids, I was hooked. Its the greatest gig on the planet!

Kevin, you are the man!
Thank you for your kind words. They are appreciated. Before the wedding I told my fiance (then) that we will wait at least 5 years... its being just a few months and just started to talk about kids... because I've been blessed to interact with people like you who show me there is more than fear and responsibilities when it comes to parenting.

Ted, Keving, Mark,
You guys are really cool on this forum... I keep reading so many great things about you guys and your project... I am ecstatic waiting for the downloading time to get here. This is my best birthday present :)

[Ted Arabian]

Kevin, you are the man!
Thank you for your kind words. They are appreciated. Before the wedding I told my fiance (then) that we will wait at least 5 years... its being just a few months and just started to talk about kids... because I've been blessed to interact with people like you who show me there is more than fear and responsibilities when it comes to parenting.

Ted, Keving, Mark,
You guys are really cool on this forum... I keep reading so many great things about you guys and your project... I am ecstatic waiting for the downloading time to get here. This is my best birthday present :)
Oh, is it your birthday? Wow! Happy Birthday, Roman!

Thank you for your comments. It is so nice to hear.

I have to say that having the opportunity to meet and work with these guys has been one of the greatest things to happen to me in a long time. They are such great people. And what a great expereince for me.

[Mark Johnson]

Roman,

My congrats and best wishes too. Thank you so much for your kind words and especially your being ecstatic for the rapidly approaching permiere of TTN. Whether or not our 6 minutes could ever live up to the hype and expectations of people is really irrelevant and insignificant. The truth is that being able to make a film with Ted, Blaine, Kevin, Tim, Herman, Bullis, Kyle, Alex, Brandon, David, Tom and our talented cast has far exceeded and eclipsed my fondest wishes and highest hopes. We have already won the important competition - the challenge of making a film with a dear friend and coming out with an even closer friendship and a whole cadre of new friends. In that sense, I suspect that many other teams here have also won the important competition too.

[Ted Arabian]

Well said, Mark. Well said!

[RomanJaquez]

Cheers :beer:

[Mark Johnson]

9:38 a.m. and Mr. Hyten continues to make strange gurgling noises and rapid movements in his sleep. I think he thinks he is chasing a ball or possibly running from enraged critics who screened his zombie flick.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1170437889.jpg

[Ted Arabian]

Look at that.... even after some 36 hours of non-stop editing and lord knows how many hours of boozing, his hair is still perfect!

[Mark Johnson]

his hair is still perfect!

ah, reminds me of one of my favorite Warren Zevon songs....

[khmuse]

Hey Mark,

You did get a standard talent release form signed before posting this image of Tim? He might later argue that you plied him with liquor to get him to sign, but somehow, I suspect that it would be very hard for him to convince anyone that he wasn't a willing participant in last night's drinking extravaganza.

Thanks so much for your kind words about Courtney. I am very proud of her and my oldest daughter Chelsea, both are the greatest things in my life.

I would love to be able to meet your son at some point. I think bringing him to set would be an excellent introduction to this crazy business.

[khmuse]

Kevin, you are the man!
Thank you for your kind words. They are appreciated. Before the wedding I told my fiance (then) that we will wait at least 5 years... its being just a few months and just started to talk about kids... because I've been blessed to interact with people like you who show me there is more than fear and responsibilities when it comes to parenting.

Ted, Keving, Mark,
You guys are really cool on this forum... I keep reading so many great things about you guys and your project... I am ecstatic waiting for the downloading time to get here. This is my best birthday present :)

A big Happy Birthday Roman! :beer:

Kevin

[Mark Johnson]

Tim signed a number of releases last night. Let's just say that we have saved the court system from a number of potentially embarassing and time consuming legal actions.

[khmuse]

OK, as I had mentioned in a previous post, based upon Ted's excellent point that our trailer doesn't really highlight the talent that we have working on Violet, I am including a pair of link's to one of the scenes in its entirety.

I have prepared both a .mov and a .wmv version:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11.mov

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11.wmv

Besides feedback on this scene, I would be interested to learn other's impression of the qualitative difference between both versions on different playback platforms. I seem to never be able to get the density where I want it with Quick Time compression.

[Ted Arabian]

Great! downloading.....

So, I've downloaded and watched both.

For me, the .mov file plays beautifully. The .wmv stutters. I don't know if that is just my mac or the file.

I will offer comment on the actual scene later. I HAVE to pry myself away from my computer and get my house cleaned! I PROMISED my wife that I was done hanging out on dvxuser for awhile. (yeah... I know, I know!)

I'll be back!

[Blaine]

I have the same problem that Ted reports, Kevin. It would be interesting to see if it is a function of frame size, since the .wmv is also a much larger picture.

[RomanJaquez]

downloading the mov right now

[khmuse]

I have the same problem that Ted reports, Kevin. It would be interesting to see if it is a function of frame size, since the .wmv is also a much larger picture.

I am trying to get an accurate understanding of the issue. I suspect that there are a few factors in play here. One thing that is common is that both you and Ted are on MAC notebooks, not desktop systems. Another is as you have pointed out that the .wmv is a larger image and this combined with the fact that .wmv isn't a natively supported format on MACs may be a bit too much for smooth playback on your two machines. On any of my PC desktops both play great other than the noticeable difference in the gamma of the two formats. It is this gamma difference that is of the most interest to me as I often have to make density corrections splitting my target between these two different platforms. I use my calibrated production monitor as a target and set to a point between the two that gives me results that are at least acceptable on both platforms.

I hope to get to a point that I can obtain predictable and highly repeatable results.

[Jason Ramsey]

It is the opposite for me. I think the wmv is much better.

I'm on the pc side, and I have noticed that the h264's that I have rendered seem to be a bit washed out, less saturated than the original picture, as well as similarly compressed wmv's.

Your wmv, was not only larger, but smooth, and more saturated.
Your h264 looked similar to what I described above. It played and looked fine. Just less saturated.

Jason

[khmuse]

Hey Jason,

Your experience mirror's mine. I suspect that it is simply a compatibility issue between the two formats. I really wish the fest allowed for both .wmv and .mov files to be exhibited. Seems currently biased to favor MAC playback.

[RomanJaquez]

So I download scene_11 and just watched it.

The actress are solid. This is natural for them. I love the dof in the picture.

Kevin, now I see why everyone is talking about the talent of your daughter.

[Slimothy]

Kevin. The trailer looks frickin amazing. Some of the best stuff I've seen on a dvx. I had a great time on this project with you guys and look forward to finishing it up! Keep me posted on the shooting schedule man!!!

[Kholi]

Kevin, is this going to be up for Drama Fest viewing or no? Sorry, no time to scrub 33 pages.

[Blaine]

Hey Kholi, since it's just a trailer for the project and non-competing, Kevin posted a couple of links:

for WMV...http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=846444&postcount=285

or

for MOV...http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=846467&postcount=289

[Jason Ramsey]

Yes. And Kevin's film will also be available via the mirrors with everyone elses film. As will the other non-competes.

Jason

[Blaine]

Yes. And Kevin's film will also be available via the mirrors with everyone elses film. As will the other non-competes.

JasonGreat! I didn't realize he ended up uploading it. :thumbsup:

[Jason Ramsey]

The trailer, I should see. That might have been a bit misleading.

Jason

[Blaine]

The trailer, I should see. That might have been a bit misleading.

JasonNo, I understand it's the trailer because we haven't completed shooting it yet. :beer:

[Kholi]

Great. Thanks for the info, guys-a.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

wow, all you TNT guys have your own projects too. Cool looking forward to the khmuse-magic.

[Brandon Rice]

wow, all you TNT guys have your own projects too. Cool looking forward to the khmuse-magic.

I WISH all of us TTN guys did!!:( :(

[Slimothy]

I WISH all of us TTN guys did!!:( :(
Brandon, you had like 5!!!!!!!

Just none of them made the fest...

[LloydC]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I recognize your main actress from a music video I saw on TV! Very cool.

Looking forward to checking your film out.

[khmuse]

Kevin. The trailer looks frickin amazing. Some of the best stuff I've seen on a dvx. I had a great time on this project with you guys and look forward to finishing it up! Keep me posted on the shooting schedule man!!!

Thanks Tim, glad you liked the quick assembly of the trailer. I really appreciate your work on Violet. It just hasn't been the same the last two shooting days without my gaffer/key grip!

While you and Mark were forced to endure a house full of young girls, a stripper pole, copious amounts of C2H5OH I had the pleasure of going out to location scout.

I may have come upon our a place suitable for our next interior location. If Blaine has everything worked out, we have our cemetery for next Saturday AM (have to wrap early as both Christa and Courtney have to attend the Young Artist Awards nomination ceremony that afternoon, both being nominees).

More information to follow.

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Kevin, That is a pretty cool post above!!! It looks like LloydC recognizes Courtney from a music video! Would that be the one that you shared with us or does she have other music videos?

[StormFactory]

So, here is a link to a .wmv version of a trailer for Violet.

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/Violet.wmv (this is over 102 MB, so save it locally and don't try to stream it)

I will build a .mov version that is near the 40 MB limit that the fest has imposed and post a link to that version later. I would be happy to receive any comments that anyone cares to offer and promise to post a link to the actual feature development project once it is ready (likely in early April).

Thanks to all that have visited this thread and commented. Your support and comments have been very appreciated.

For myself and everyone involved in Violet, thanks.I haven't read through the thread, so ignore this if it's already been said. I like the look of your trailer, but the visuals don't tell the story. I've watched the trailer with the sound off and the sound on and still can't figure out what the movie is about. I think you should add a trailer voiceover to give us a little bit of the story. Something that will shape the narrative of the visuals to give them more meaning. It would also give the scenes with dialogue more resonance.

The shot about 1 minute in where the girls turn to go on the bridge is too long. It's might be a cool shot for the film, but it looks like a bad cut in the trailer. The shot that follows also doesn't do anything for me without the narrative.

[khmuse]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I recognize your main actress from a music video I saw on TV! Very cool.

Looking forward to checking your film out.

I assume that you are referring to a music video by "The Fray". Yes, that is Courtney in that.

Both of our young leads can be seen in a number of places on both the big and small screen. Christa B. Allen (who plays Emily in "Violet") has a kids TV series running on Saturday mornings (CBS) titled "Cake". She was also on a recent episode of "Medium" and is perhaps best know for playing the young version of Jennifer Garner's character Jenna in "13 going on 30". Courtney can also be seen in a Coca Cola commercial that is currently running in Latin America and Europe, and a number of feature films that are due out over the next few months.

Since we are in the non compete category, you don't have to wait to view our project as we are self hosting in addition to the official method. Look back a few pages in this thread and you will find links to our entry (in both .mov and .wmv versions) as well as links to a full scene in both versions.

[khmuse]

Hey Kevin, That is a pretty cool post above!!! It looks like LloydC recognizes Courtney from a music video! Would that be the one that you shared with us or does she have other music videos?

I think it is "The Fray" music video for "How to save a life" that LloydC is referencing, but Courtney has worked on a number of them. For some reason she has been in two for French artists ("Pierick Liliu" and "Syd Matters"), but was also in the Stevie Wonder music video "So What The Fuss" which was the first to include descriptive video for the visually impaired. I know that there are others that I can't remember, but she has worked on a good number of music videos. She really did enjoy working with "The Fray" and has remained in contact with them since the project.

[khmuse]

I haven't read through the thread, so ignore this if it's already been said. I like the look of your trailer, but the visuals don't tell the story. I've watched the trailer with the sound off and the sound on and still can't figure out what the movie is about. I think you should add a trailer voiceover to give us a little bit of the story. Something that will shape the narrative of the visuals to give them more meaning. It would also give the scenes with dialogue more resonance.

The shot about 1 minute in where the girls turn to go on the bridge is too long. It's might be a cool shot for the film, but it looks like a bad cut in the trailer. The shot that follows also doesn't do anything for me without the narrative.

The very truncated version of this project that we have posted is far from being able to tell a story at all. I did explain this in an earlier part of this thread but I will go over it quickly again as I can't expect everyone to search for the specific post.

Violet is a 10 minute feature development project. It is in the non compete category for a number of reasons including that it is being shot under a SAG contract which would preclude its inclusion on any DVD of the fest entries. Due to a number of issues, we have less than 40% of our scenes shot for the development project, and a number of key ones are not present (super 8mm footage and SDX900 footage) so we put together a quick bit of DVX footage just to have something to put in this fest.

I would be surprised if you could extract too much about the nature of either the feature development short or the eventual feature, there just isn't enough information present. What we had hopped to accomplish is to peak the interest of a few to continue to follow our project as it develops over the next few months. Glad you liked the visuals, that is really all were are showing right now.

[StormFactory]

The very truncated version of this project that we have posted is far from being able to tell a story at all. I did explain this in an earlier part of this thread but I will go over it quickly again as I can't expect everyone to search for the specific post.

Violet is a 10 minute feature development project. It is in the non compete category for a number of reasons including that it is being shot under a SAG contract which would preclude its inclusion on any DVD of the fest entries. Due to a number of issues, we have less than 40% of our scenes shot for the development project, and a number of key ones are not present (super 8mm footage and SDX900 footage) so we put together a quick bit of DVX footage just to have something to put in this fest.

I would be surprised if you could extract too much about the nature of either the feature development short or the eventual feature, there just isn't enough information present. What we had hopped to accomplish is to peak the interest of a few to continue to follow our project as it develops over the next few months. Glad you liked the visuals, that is really all were are showing right now.Why show a truncated version without a sense of story to show if it's not going to intice the viewer to beg for more? It's cool for a DP reel and to show how great the camera can be, but as the (non-DVXUser) viewer, I want story.

Other filmmakers, especially here on DVXUser will support you and your project and continue to follow the progress, but my suggestions are for the agents, managers, studio execs, producers, or investors who are not as forgiving or understanding when it comes to rough or temp cuts. With what you have you should (or at least could) be able to get an idea of the story if you wrote a voice over for the trailer. Or maybe even put in some title cards. With a little creative words here and there your truncated version could tease the makings of a great story.

[khmuse]

Thanks for the observations. I had originally planned not to show anything but at the urging of many I cut together a really quick trailer which is what we "entered" into the fest.

At the same point (a few posts later) I promised to show one or two full scenes to give a hint at the story (again at the urging of others). I realize that not many will find the single link hidden in the multitude of others, so here it is again:

I have prepared both a .mov and a .wmv version:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11.mov

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11.wmv

Time allowing, I will post a few other scenes.

We are fully experienced in getting from a feature development project to a fully funded feature having gone down that path before, so I do understand your comments and absolutely agree. Again, what is here is simply to support the thread, not for our larger commercial purposes.

Thanks again for taking the time to watch and if you have the interest would be very interested to get your comments on the complete scene.

[Norm Sanders]

Kevin, tell Courtney I thought her 1-2 lines were absolutely amazing! :grin: I have to admit I was a little thrown off at first, but quickly realized that it was a trailer I was watching ... to which I'm now interested in seeing the actual film for a number of reasons.

What you DID show was visually stunning. I would suggest, however, to pump up the dialogue more, and perhaps bring back the music a tad ... otherwise I was struggilng at times to hear what was being said.

[khmuse]

Thanks Norm, Courtney will be so pleased that you thought that she was able to pull off this complex dialog!

Actually up until a day ago I wasn't going to show anything at all as we have such a small percentage of the shots completed (this is actually a 10 min feature development short that will be used to assist Courtney's literary agent to sell the feature script). I was convinced by a few fellow dvxers that I should do something given the interest that we developed. So at the last moment we did a really quick assembly of a few scenes for no other purpose than this fest.

I fully agree with your comments on the dialog vs. music levels. I didn't have time to do any sound design and these segments will be looped in the actual project. I would be curious to learn if you had the opportunity to watch the actual scene that I provided a link to?

Scene 11 at least shows a bit of the tone of the project and the minimalist dialog approach that we wanted for the actual project. As you have an interest in the performance in this project, I will be happy to share some footage where you can see a bit more "performance".

I just finished watching "Where Silence Falls". I don't want to reveal much of my impressions in this thread as this isn't the place for me to do so, but I feel compelled to at least offer my congratulations. I was moved, you should be proud on so many levels. I will be posting a full set of comments within your thread later.

Thanks again for watching and commenting.

[Norm Sanders]

Just got home with my kids (doing the Mr. Mom thing this weekend), and still have to order dinner (yeah, sure I could make it, but they expect Pizza from Dad ... at 8:30pm!) ... anyway, I'll check out the link soon & get back to you on it, Kevin.

[Noel Evans]

Kevin, love it for what it is..... cant wait to see it. Your daughter.. Im a fan (of the cinema going type).

[BLUESPIDER]

You got some nice colors and some nice shots.

[TC]

It was beautiful, and I really mean that. The girl had an awesome look that seemed perfect for the part, your daughter? I may have to commission her for some work of my own!

The music was great, but there was definitely some issues with audio quality with some of the dialog.

Cinematography matched the mood, the light colors played very well.

I can't wait to see the whole thing!

:beer:

[khmuse]

Thanks everyone, I am glad that people are enjoying (if at a minimum, its really short, so even if you don't like it, its over pretty quickly!). I do realize that there isn't any of our story revealed here, but we just felt that we should support the fest and show a bit of what we have been working on. Yeah the sound sucks, it isn't representative of how it will be when the development project is finished. The one full scene that we posted is a bit closer to the feel of the finished project.

I will certainly address the sound issues when we release the full length cut in a few months. This will be used by our literary agent to help with the funding of the feature length version.

Thanks again for all your kind comments.

[Norm Sanders]

Hey Kevin, got to watch the clip you linked above. Nice. What camera are you using there, BTW? SDX900? Again, the sound/dialogue is way too low, but you did say you'll be addressing it.

I liked both of the girls here (Courtney & the other actress). The only thing that was sticking at me for that short scene is to cut to Courtney a few frames earlier (perhaps an entire second?) before she says 'Thomas' ... just would feel better. Otherwise, I like seeing this clip, as I now know the story is likely about her running away with another guy no where near her own age ... so much so that she's even embarrassed to tell her friends his age.

[khmuse]

Hey Norm,

Thanks for watching and thanks even more for the feedback. As for camera, no I shot this scene with the DVX. I am using the SDX and Super 8mm on this project but only in a few places where I need great low light performance or when I want the special look of Super 8mm.

I am going to look at your specific suggestions for the cut on that scene and see how they work out. As for interpreting the story, you nailed it. Not bad for only seeing a 24 second scene!

Thanks again, great input.

[Norm Sanders]

THAT was shot with a DVX?!?!?! Ugh, I'm gonna get sick with envy. Nice! :thumbsup:

[khmuse]

Hey Norm,

Wow, I am honored that you though it looked good. I shoot with the DVX a lot like I shoot with film, I try to get my look entirely in camera (filters and setup). I am humbled by your statement, with the high standards that you have exhibited in your recent work, I am really honored that you even liked it.

I took a look at your suggestions on the cut and found that they partially work for me. I did move the first punchin to Violet (Courtney's character) by 5 frames, but at the second point, I really wanted to see her struggle with the question a bit before responding so I didn't cut as close to her dialog as I did earlier in the scene. I do think that this works a bit better, thanks!

Here is a link to the scene with these changes incorporated:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11_B.wmv

It should be up by about 1PM PST.

Thanks again!

Kevin

[235 Studios]

You’ve got to be kidding me- that’s all we get for the trailer! I want to see more! I like the trailer, it looks like it will be a great film, and you’ve got my interest. Well shot & composed I look forward to seeing more when it is done. Great work!

[Norm Sanders]

http://www.museelectroncis.com/production/scene_11_B.wmv


Just a heads up, Kevin, that it's 1:45pm, and the link is still inactive/dead. I'll take a look at it later, as I've got to pack the kids up & head over to RebeccaD's for the Superbowl. Helped her hubby with their theater system yesterday, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it all looks/sounds down there! :)

[khmuse]

Hey Norm,

Thanks for the heads up. I am a complete fool when it comes to typing (good thing that a DP doesn't need to know how to type, I misspelled the domain name!

Here is the corrected link (fixed above as well):

Here is a link to the scene with these changes incorporated:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11_B.wmv

Thanks for catching that!

[TimurCivan]

BTW great work Kevin. soft and glowy. i like that.

[khmuse]

Thanks Timur really glad you liked it.

By the way, congratulations on Katrina!

[Christopher Barry]

Kevin, your cinematography and the lighting in this trailer is amazing. You are a guru.

[Matthew Bennett]

Is this a trailer? Sorry I haven't read the rest of the thread...

These two girls in this film have real-deal star potential. They have mesmorizing faces. Maybe I'll read the rest of the thread now to find out exactly who they are.

I liked the photography in this clip quite a bit, very relaxed and I never had to struggle to understand what was going on in the frame.

Nice!!

[TimurCivan]

Thanks Timur really glad you liked it.

By the way, congratulations on Katrina!


KEvin im jealous of the camera in your avatar..... i wanna learn Film. I already know Still film, but i wanna learn Motion picture. Do you shoot any?

[Ralph Oshiro]

Gorgeous work, Kevin. GORGEOUS!

[Blaine]

Gorgeous work, Kevin. GORGEOUS!That's one hell of a complement in and of itself coming from you, Ralph. I'm sure Kevin will be thrilled with it.

[khmuse]

Hey Ralph,

Thanks so much, I consider any comment from someone of your skills highly valuable. I am more than thrilled!

Haven't corresponded in a while, hope you are doing well. Tried to reply to your PM, but your box was full and the system rejected it.

Thanks again, I am so honored by your generous comment!

Kevin

[Tom Marshall]

Kevin deserves all of these accolades. He's a very talented individual who brings a very professional look to everything he does...

I've got to say, though, that I especially love the look of Violet. Especially in the classroom (not to mention the outside shots). It looks a LOT like film...

[khmuse]

KEvin im jealous of the camera in your avatar..... i wanna learn Film. I already know Still film, but i wanna learn Motion picture. Do you shoot any?

Thanks Timur, I do shot motion film, but no where near as often as I wish I could. The skills other than a few which are camera specific are not difficult to pick up. Most of what you know as a videographer translates to shooting film. In a lot of ways it is really easier (though more expensive). The greater latitude makes a lot of situations easier.

[khmuse]

OK, I really need to acknowledge John Hudson and his very sharp eye. He noticed a problem with Christa's eyeline in my revised edit (scene_11_B) and was kind enough to PM me with his observations. So I looked at the cut and he was absolutely right, I had failed to notice the error. I went back and fixed this and since I was there, I tackled a few other issues that were bothering me.

So the evolution of a simple 24 second scene continues and I am happier with this version. In the end I will still enlist the services of a great editor for I know that I am not one!

Thanks John!

Here is the link to the latest pass:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11_C.mov

[RomanJaquez]

I want more.

People may have mentioned this already... but be-careful with the audio. This picture is looking great. Where Can I buy advance tickets? ;)

[khmuse]

Hey Roman,

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, the audio isn't even close to done. I did work out one part (scene 11) more fully, but I am inclined to ADR this scene and add in a number of folly elements. If you haven't yet and if you are interested, I would be interested in your (everyone's actually) feedback on the complete scene.

We have a large number of shots scheduled over the coming week and if all goes as planned we could have our complete feature development shot by the end of this month.

I will move most of the contents of this thread over to a new one in the user films area once the fest is over and I promise to keep the information flowing as we progress.

Thanks again for the comments for everyone.

[iSTy]

I felt this was far too short for me to really get into it, but the actress was pretty :)

[D_and_G]

Ahh, the ol’ switcheroo :beer:

Nice teaser. Gorgeous colors and technically one of the best. Although, you’re the only teaser here hehe.





:beer:

[david jerome]

I'm looking forward to this. I'm hoping it has a vibe like Graden State. DVX huh, damn.

david jerome

[Jason Ramsey]

Kevin. I think I noticed the part with the eyeline. She is looking right at Courtney, then looking down on the next cut. But, I must say, I like the longer pause before she says "He's a good guy". There's some interesting things going on in that silence before the line. The other girl also has some interesting things going on with her response to that line. I might like to see a bit of it, if possible, but again, I like seeing Courtney after her line, as well. Just my penny.

Jason

[khmuse]

I felt this was far too short for me to really get into it, but the actress was pretty

Thanks for giving it a watch iSTy. Yes it is very short, the fest wasn't really the reason for this project. It is a feature development piece that will have a TRT of about 10 minutes when finished. We have about 35% of our shots so far, so what was present here is just a small taste of the actual project.

As for the actress being "pretty" you can never go wrong with attractive talent!


Ahh, the ol’ switcheroo

Nice teaser. Gorgeous colors and technically one of the best. Although, you’re the only teaser here hehe.

Thanks D_and_G. I like being on the top of the heap, even if it is a really small heap!


I'm looking forward to this. I'm hoping it has a vibe like Graden State. DVX huh, damn.

david jerome

Very interesting that you mention Garden State. That was one of the films that the writer used as an example of the tone that she wanted.

Yep, all these scenes are DVX footage however the finished development piece will also have Super 8mm and SDX900 footage in a few scenes.


Kevin. I think I noticed the part with the eyeline. She is looking right at Courtney, then looking down on the next cut. But, I must say, I like the longer pause before she says "He's a good guy". There's some interesting things going on in that silence before the line. The other girl also has some interesting things going on with her response to that line. I might like to see a bit of it, if possible, but again, I like seeing Courtney after her line, as well. Just my penny.

Jason

Thanks Jason. Did you happen to catch the revised edit for scene 11 that I posted late last night? I am liking it more and more as I work out a few of the smaller issues. In the end, I will still turn over my roughs to our actual editor, but the feedback is really helping me to get a bit closer.

Here is the link again in case you missed it:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_11_C.mov

Thanks again to everyone for your comments and suggestions!

[Michael_Petro]

Well I checked it out.. real pretty.. I'll be waiting for the to see the rest:)

[khmuse]

Thanks Michael. If it makes you want to see more, then it is working just how we want it to!

[Jason Ramsey]

Yep, Kevin. I actually watched b and c for the first time last night side by side. I like the pause before the line. It's more dynamic (to me). If you can keep that and still fix the eyeline issue, I think that would be great.

You should edit it yourself, man :thumbsup:

Jason

[khmuse]

Thanks for the feedback Jason. We are gearing up for a big three day push to get through a number of scenes so I am a bit swamped right now with all the details. I agree with your comment about the scene, I will work on it and see if I can incorporate both aspects. In the end, I think I will still turn this task over to a real editor!

I am loving all the comments and feedback, they are insightful and very helpful to me. What I am doing in terms of an edit is really just rough edited dailies, not finished cuts. I will post another full scene later today and see if anyone has a comment or two on it.

Thanks again everyone, really helpful feedback.

[Jason Ramsey]

Please do. We might have to move most of this thread over to the user films section, after the fest, if you want to :thumbsup:

Jason

[khmuse]

Thanks Jason, I would love to move this one over to the user film section. I was wondering how to accomplish that myself, but as a "Mod" I suspect that you might have an ability to accomplish this?

I'll get another scene up later today when I get back to the office.

[khmuse]

OK, here is another short scene from the feature development project "Violet". Again, no sound design and just a rough assembly of the footage for this scene thus far.

I compressed both a .mov and a .wmv version.

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_16.mov (about 20 MB)

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_16.wmv (about 23 MB)

Both files should be uploaded by noon PST. I would enjoy any feedback that anyone cares to offer.

[Blaine]

I love the way Kara delivers the line, "Didn't I say that?". It sounds so natural and is funny because her character has no clue that she's saying it wrong.

[RebeccaD]

Nice job on your short entry that left me wanting more! Bring it!

[AmbassadorTex]

Nice short entry (haven't seen the longer stuff you've linked).

At least on my system/setup, the dialogue was too low compared to the music.

Beautiful stuff - actors, lighting, shots, setting. Definitely makes me interested to know these people despite the fact that the trailer I saw doesn't hint at why or where she and the guy on the swing might be going somewhere. Looking forward to seeing more.

[ripupthehwy]

I'm assuming your don't expect to win the competition. Just posting clips from your upcoming film? Looks a bit interesting. :-)

[Jason Ramsey]

ripupthehwy - Kevin's entry is non-compete. Exhibition only. Just watch and enjoy, read and learn :thumbsup:

Jason

[Darkline]

This looked like it could be very nice.

Obviously it's hard to review or know what to expect from this trailer, but it shows a lot of promise. I'm downloaing some of the scenes now, I am looking forward to seeing this.

[khmuse]

Thanks Darkline, glad you liked the bit we posted.

We are in the middle of our biggest shooting period right now. Finished up a difficult (logistically, not shooting wise) exterior sequence yesterday morning, last night we banged out a couple of interior scenes. We hope to finish nearly all the interiors by tomorrow.

This is a bit of a challenging project due to a lot of factors including that all our talent are working professional actors so we have had to work around their availability. In the middle of yesterday, our two lead young actresses had to leave set for a few hours to attend a nomination ceremony for the Young Artist Awards; both were nominated for a best actress (luckily in different categories) award.

Today, our "Violet" has a meeting with a management company and a meeting with a production company that is shooting a feature in Atlanta in May, all this in the middle of a shooting day!

None the less, we are all so pleased to be working with these professionals. It is wonderful where each and every take is a keeper and your director can really fine tune the performance, not try and get a performance. This make all the difference in the world.

Should be posting some more BTS and frame grabs later in the week.

[Mark Harris]

yeah Kevin, this looks like really really great work. DVX???

Anyway, the only thing is, i wish the trailer gave me some more about the actual story. But I cannot wait to see the whole thing.

Hope I get to meet you when I am in LA. I'm meeting up with Mark Johnson for some beers, and you should come out. Definitely an admirer of your work.

[khmuse]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the comments. The very small trailer that we submitted really only hints at the story. The actual feature development piece will have a TRT of near 10 minutes and will more fully reveal the conflict and set up the dynamics of the story but it too will not have any resolution nor conclusion. The concept being that the feature development piece is to be used to generate interest in the actual feature.

In answer to the question, yes all the footage shown so far is DVX source material.

I would love the opportunity to meet up with you when you visit and having a few brews with you and Mark Johnson would be a great way to spend a bit of time.

Thanks again for the post and interest in "Violet".

[Chris Messineo]

I haven't had time to read this whole thread, but I wanted to drop in and tell you how much I ADORED your trailer. The look was beautiful, the story intriguing, and your lead has an amazing presence. She reminded me of a young Scarlet Johansson. She has that same intensity. Anyway, fantastic trailer, and I can't wait to see more.

[khmuse]

Thanks Chris. So pleased that you enjoyed our trailer. We hope to have the feature development project finished in the next month (principal photography phase) then into post, which shouldn't be too length of process as we have been cutting each scene (rough) as we go.

As soon as we have more to share it will be posted here.

Thanks again and I will pass along your comments about the Scarlet Johansson reference, that will really make her smile.

[Tom Marshall]

Hey Kevin, are you planning on cutting the full length trailer yourself?

[khmuse]

Hi Tom,

I doubt that I will, more likely I will turn it over to a real editor that I have worked with before. I find that it is almost always better to have a fresh set of eyes on any project when it come to the final edit. For now, I will just continue to assemble the scenes as they progress so that I can be certain that we are getting what we will need to finish it up.

Hope to have another scene up in the next hour or so.

[khmuse]

Just uploaded a rough assembly of another scene.

The link to the .mov version is:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_23.mov (17.2 MB)

The link to the .wmv version is:

http://www.museelectronics.com/production/scene_23.wmv (35.4 MB)

Both files should be up by 2AM PST.

Feel free to post any comments or suggestions.

Should have another scene up tomorrow evening.