"The Dinner Guest" Short Film ~LONG OVERDUE

Kaz

Kaz

Well-known member
Hello all,

Here is a film I was working on when Katrina hit us last August and threw the post production into disarray. For those that have seen my Sci-Fest submission "We Are Not Alone", this film is a complete 180 from that one in terms of content, visuals and pacing. In other words, this is NOT for those with a proclivity towards music videos or chaotic action. I wrote the script as if it were a stage play (to keep costs down) and shot it as such. Hopefully you'll find it as interesting & entertaining as we do.

The Dinner Guest - 22 minutes

Written & Directed by Brian Kaz
Story by Blake Balu & Brian Kaz
Starring Blake Balu & Sean Mellott

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http://www.reyo-sanpictures.com/films/dinnerguest.wmv

UPDATED+++
For those having trouble with wmv, here's an MPEG version (70mb)
http://www.reyo-sanpictures.com/DGweb.mpg

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Holy crap! Dude! That movie was crazy! The song at the end in the credits reminded me of Jeepers Creepers. Old happy music in a horror killing movie. I saw the other films too...that actor was in like all of them. He's a really good actor.

How did you light the night scenes in "We are not alone." Like when he's walking around in the house looking out the window.

And how did you light The Dinner Guest?
 
Thanks for responding, Lucky.

Blake is an actor & one of my producers. He's been in all my films because we share a common goal which is to produce great work to be seen by those who can help us get to the next level. And, as you said, he's really good.

The lighting for Dinner guest consisted mostly of a 650w soft light blasting up at the ceiling and 2 fresnels (650w & 250w). Same goes for WANA, but for that one I added a real tree branch with leaves placed in front of one of the fresnels.

I'm glad you seem to like the lighting because that is what I consider to be my weakest trait. I desperately want to find a great lighting person for our future productions.
 
OMG, this was amazing. you really had me going. the acting in this film was just superb. the lead actor was so dam great, perfect for the role.

i also really liked the production design and the location. was the location something you looked for or did you just use what you had? the shot from the kitchen where he looks toward the dining table was great.

also the place really has those two doors next to each other?

great work!
 
Holy **** mate. Holy ****...That was freaky stuff. Amazing story but so..sickening...I liken it to Saw - superb story but sickening plot. Good job.
 
That was incredible, possibly the best short film I have ever seen. I really thought it was well acted, well directed and well written. I think this will do well at festivals and I'm sure you have an amazing future in the industry.

Congrats, this was superb, and disturbing
 
Rasquachemedia said:
i also really liked the production design and the location. was the location something you looked for or did you just use what you had? the shot from the kitchen where he looks toward the dining table was great.

also the place really has those two doors next to each other?

great work!
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The house is what's known as a "shotgun house" (where the house is just one long series of single rooms from front to back) and is about 100 years old. Believe it or not, that location has been used in all 3 of my films and is the lead actor's actual home. We always joke that the only thing left to shoot in there is the bathroom.


Thanks for the kind words, everybody!
 
any way to download rather than watch streaming? It's not doing too well streamed on my mac.
 
Rasquachemedia said:
click on the film link that takes you here:

http://www.reyo-sanpictures.com/films/dinnerguest.wmv

let it download on your brower to completion, than click on the arrow that points down and save as source. it will save as wmv. you may need something like flip4mac in order to view it.
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Doesn't open in my browser (in Safari). It opens a new window, but goes straight to media player streaming.

Doesn' work at all in Explorer. Oh well, too much trouble at this point. Thanks for the help, though.
 
Sorry for the trouble. I'll see if I can get a quicktime link up for the Mac users.
 
Thanks a bunch, Michael!

~original post has been updated with an alternate file for download
 
The talent is first rate; as professional as it get's (especially the dude from We Are Not Alone). The sound design is engaging as well ! The score, the FX sounds of rain and thunder. The editing is tight with all of the coverage evidently obtained.

The script was great with interesting dialogue

One thing ( a minor quib) is that I'd like to see the Radio Music re-worked to sound more a.m. style or more hollow and distant (as if coming from the kitchen; like a definate audible chnage from the C.U, when he turns it on and then a chnage when we cut to the dining area...

Perhaps gradually working it into the full stereo soundtrack sound comes ..

Did not at all like the Cut to Black and White. It totally removed me 100% from the piece. I think that is a bad decision

I did not like the transition fade as he lay the boys head down. I'd follow it all the way without a cut

I do not like the continuation of the 'pretty music'. I'd go back to the horror style music for sure

I would have liked more camera movement in the form of dolly

The END TITLE song was brilliant!!!!!!!!!

Great job everall; bravo !!!!
 
This is why I contacted you, John. I needed some levity from the compliments I'd been receiving!

I'd like to see the Radio Music re-worked to sound more a.m. style or more hollow and distant
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I'll see what I can do.

Did not at all like the Cut to Black and White. It totally removed me 100% from the piece. I think that is a bad decision
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That was never B&W until recently. Why'd I do it? The official line is that in that moment, he is obviously not the innocent child he apspires to be, hence the intercut of children's toys that are still in color. But whatever... let's just say that after coming back to this film after 5 or 6 months I always felt like that part should be B&W. It was a gut decision, love it or lump it.

I did not like the transition fade as he lay the boys head down. I'd follow it all the way without a cut
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I agree wholeheartedly. However, I only had one take of that and it took WAY too long & to top it off, the actor blinked a bunch of times. This was my only recourse (and ultimately led to me using it again before the end).

I do not like the continuation of the 'pretty music'. I'd go back to the horror style music for sure
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It was conceived that way from the start. It's supposed to be a beautiful death (which I blame myself for not fully caputuring the elements to do so with aplomb).
I didn't want horror music because this guy is not Freddy or Jason. He truly believes what he's doing is okay and that the children he murders will be taken care of because they are innocents.


I would have liked more camera movement in the form of dolly
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Oh... you have NO IDEA how much I agree with you here. I was working with much less than what I had for WANA on this one.
 
All points are understood. Thank's for given me some insight

Nevertheless, I am a fan of your work KAZ !

What's next ?
 
Something potentially big that WANA opened a door for. I don't want to talk about it yet as it's still too early, but rest assured you'll hear about it!
 
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