DVXUSERfest Upper-Division Graduation Farewells

Ralph Oshiro

Ralph Oshiro

Veteran
Well, the .movs have been uploaded, the servers have served, and the votes have been tallied . . . Now what?

Congrats to all the winners of DVXUSER's HorrorFest 2006: Jack Daniel Stanley, Mark Harris/Timur Civan, and Darkline. Excellent, well-deserved efforts, all of you! Now, we have at least a few members here that have declared their "last DVXUSERfest entry" to be HorrorFest, and I think that's just great!

Personally, if I'm able to compete, I will continue to compete in future fests. But hopefully, I'll join the ranks of those who have chosen to "graduate" from the DVXfests, and perhaps move onto bigger, more mainstream film festivals. I used to be all about showing off my camerawork, my new 2/3" camera, a hot chick in a bikini, or how I made some Target chairs look like the inside of a Boeing 737-700. But now that all of the hoopla has started to die down, and now that most of the HorrorFest threads are starting to simmer down as well, I've just been thinking . . . Just thinking about how to do things better. MUCH better. And thanks to all of your critique (and hugely generous praise), I'm now prepared to actually try to become a better filmmaker.

I felt that with each succesive DVXfest in which I competed, my skills got better, and my films got progressively more "serious." My next project will set some new standards of creativity for me, and I fully intend to shoot a festival-competitive product by the end of my next project wrap. I owe a great debt to DVXUSER and its members for getting me to this point. For the rest of you "graduates" I'm sure that you're all now on similar paths, and I hope to join you in competition in some of those other, bigger fests someday. Congrats to all who participated in HorrorFest, and thank you all for your generous support and honest commentary.
 
Oh man, you leave behind a legacy. Horrorfest was my first entry... and I look forward to more. I'm excited to go on in your stead! GOOD LUCK OUT THERE, REZFACTOR!! I hope to see you on the big screen. I can only hope that someday I, too, will be at your level.
-Kyle S
 
Thanks Kyle! But, wait . . . don't count me out yet! My next project will be a action/thriller, so if any future DVXUSERfests come around that include that genre, I'm sure I'll be in on that one! The support and "esprit de corps" you receive here is a huge incentive to "keep on going," and it's going to be really hard to give up that sense of community, and to simply "go it alone." So, hopefully, in a fest or two, I'll be back!
 
I said probably.
My intention is to move on, but I never promise anything or say anything absolute unless I know I will deliver 100%.
So ... I'm probably moving on ... but if its a theme idea I love, or once I get the scent of DVXuser fest in me I may not be able to resist.
More than likely I would enter as exhibition only.
It's 99.999999999% that you won't see me in competition.

Over and out.
Jack
 
It was my first dvxfest and I ve talked a lot about what this thing gives to us in terms of motivation and a means to improve by comparison.

However, since we are not thinking of going pro with filmmaking, to be honest, I dont really care of pursuing such a career especially since I live in a country where film-making is only for a close group of idiotic characters who think they are doing art while they only do sex comedies or movies with no meaning whatsoever and sell it for art, I feel good just doing movies, improving and submitting to as many festivals I can.

I have 3 stories in my hands that I want to tell, one drama, one comedy and another thriller. So if the next fest is any of the above I have no problem participating.

As for moving on to other bigger events, if you can do something that will stand tall in a big festival, why not submit it in dvxfest if it applies to the rules? As I said before, dvxfest is not a purpose to live, but its a fun fair (even if we bust our asses to become better and better).

The 2 movies I sent here, I have already started sending to other festivals as well to see how they do. And since I cannot move onto something longer than a short, dvxfests will be a very good motivation and force to do movies. I am only 26 and I have better things to do then worry about better things to do.
 
VersuS said:
However, since we are not thinking of going pro with filmmaking, to be honest, I dont really care of pursuing such a career . . .
Click to expand...
I think your films have a great "European" flavor, and I would strongly encourage you to continue to pursue your creative endeavors. You have an interesting vision, and I look forward to seeing more from you as you continue to grow as a filmmaker.

VersuS said:
As for moving on to other bigger events, if you can do something that will stand tall in a big festival, why not submit it in dvxfest if it applies to the rules? As I said before, dvxfest is not a purpose to live, but its a fun fair (even if we bust our asses to become better and better).
Click to expand...
Exactly. As Jack mentioned, it would be difficult for me as well to resist entering future DVXfests, should the selected genre fit my tastes. The comraderie, fun, and moral support from all of you makes it all a very rewarding journey!
 
Thanx for the 'push' Rez!!! Well, my only interest is to keep on making movies, telling the stories I want to tell and become better and better. I said that a career in this is not in my plans since film making is not very rewarding financially and thank God I have a strong background in my IT career and no reason to throw it down the toilet just to focus on something that might never payback the rent,bike,girls etc.
I envy those who do that however, there'd be nothing better than to have all day, all week, just to shoot, write, edit etc. However, I have to be realistic about it and after all I dont care about doing stuff for others, like weddings, corporate videos etc. I had the opportunity to work for a production company but just the thought of killing myself editing news stories, tv ads etc makes me want to shoot myself.
I love doing what I want and I can do that with my daily job providing for my 'hobby'.
If however my works keeps getting better, then I dont know what the future will hold, as I said I'm only 26 and if I can make a feature film in 20 years that's fine by me, coz by then I will have made (hopefully) 20 short films that will have a quality that will make me proud.
Again I say that here in Greece its harder to pursue such a career especially if you dont want to make any compromises.
 
VersuS said:
I said that a career in this is not in my plans since film making is not very rewarding financially and thank God I have a strong background in my IT career and no reason to throw it down the toilet just to focus on something that might never payback the rent,bike,girls etc.
Click to expand...
If IT stuff is your forte, then good for you!! =) If you grew up wanting to work with computers and software, then you are doing yourself a huge favor. Your job should never have you questioning why you ever did it. (Well, to an extent)

Others here want to pursue it full-throttle with no obstacles in the way except for those that come with the challenge itself. I am one of those people. I'm studying film and new media here at the university of nebraska, and I've learned that it is tougher than **** out there. It's a game of connections... but man, I've never felt more at home than behind the camera. It's this kind of feeling that is shared throughout this website. Trust me, VersuS, the entertainment industry certainly is not a dying one in today's world. There will always be work out there. Always. But what do I know of the 'biz'? I'm a college freshman living in my safe-zone behind the walls of my classroom or my university-provided soundstage with my university-provided lights and my university-provided boom mics. (Granted, I have not used any of them for my own work -- just school work).

VersuS said:
Again I say that here in Greece its harder to pursue such a career especially if you dont want to make any compromises.
Click to expand...
American cinema, in it's most 'corporate' state, has a hollywood polish that lividly brings in the cash -- but Greek cinema (first of all, Greek is the birthplace of theatre!!!) I can assure you can standalone, unique and flavorful in it's own freestanding way. I would encourage you, once again as a freshman film student :-Laugh(DBG)-1 to keep it up! This site is great because we can all get a taste of different films from not only around our countries, but around our globe!!!

Sigh. I love it here.
 
Hey Kyle, good to see you sharing your thoughts.

Listen, when I was finishing school and had to decide what I would study, filmmaking never crossed my mind. I loved movies of course, but anything that has to do with art was considered a financial dead end, PLUS, there was no film university whatsoever so I would have to ask my parents to send me to a private college or something to study these things AND STILL I would have to spend my years working my butt for others doing trivial stuff and trying to find some spare time for my own creations, while now I can make more money to support my expenses, my own life and my film making.
Believe me, If I lived in the UK or US I would probably take a different approach to this..but I have no regrets for where my life has led me.
I am a person who can work on his own, doing things in my own time, with nothing stressing me etc, so learning this craft and extending my skills on my own and not under the 'job' factor that pays for your life, I am certain that I can do it better and improve faster and the way I want to improve.

I am glad you have that idea about Greece and it being the birthplace of theatre and I must tell you that our theatre productions are not bad, we get some great plays and generally, our best people are directors/actors in the theatre and not in TV/Cinema.

But believe me when I say that Greek Cinema is a bunch of BS, people doing extremely boring stuff, no creative ideas, no vision, nada!!! For example, last year, a few young guys shot with digital a film called 'THE EVIL', a zombie film. It was the first zombie film, first horror film that actually made an impact on the underground greek cinema in decades...and it was actually quite good.

It is very sad to know that there are talented people around here, its a matter of statistics after all, but they are sucked by the system and they put any creativity they have aside to shoot stupid comedies that look like extended episodes of a tv series, or some dramas that are labeled 'artistic' just because people cant get what is going on so they say 'wow, what a great story'.

People in the movie industry here are extremely arrogant and control the system so tightly that you cant get through unless you are fully funded by yourself and we all know that this is just a dream.

So again, I will keep making my stuff, try to improve, do the best I can, just to feel satisfaction on my own, because art is something personal in the end, we do it first for ourselves and then for the people, and IF one day I get some public acknowledgement, I will see only then where does that lead me. If people came up to me today and told me that they're willing to give me a big crew and cast to shoot a film that looks like the ones I see each year being released in Greece, believe me I'd send them back where they came from. I dont want to shoot a big production film, I want to shoot my own stuff, or at least stuff that have a meaning to me and can do them the way I dream about it. So I guess that can come down to no compromises....
 
Kyle - just go for it. If ive learnt one thing it was I should have produced more when I was younger. I was always finding excuses, but with DV and editing available to everyone now there are no excuses, You may not have funds, actors, locations but you can still learn the craft.

You learn from everything, even if that is shooting a drama with your friends in a garden. You seem to have a passion for it so keep it up! I know many people that wanted to be film-makers when I was at Uni......many gave up, or got married or just settled for less in their life, so grasp the chances to make films while you can.

Versus, there's no reason you cant offer the greek market something which they do not have. you may think its in a bad state, but look at it this way, there is a HUGE market of opportunity, and you might be able to fill it. It could be a good thing that greek cinema is BS right now.

For me I'm having fun. I work freelance and thats lucky as it gives me time to pursue my own interests that others may find more difficult. I'll continue to do that until something comes along. I've been saving my money so I can buy the equipment I need to eventually make a low budget feature. That's still a year or so away though.

I left my fulltime job in corporate video 7 years ago because I was bored and wanted to do something with my life. Since then I've turned out very little, but in the last year ive got some spark back and I just want that to continue now. I like the fact that Im 32 and my mate is 35, and on a friday night im dragging him around a basement spraying blood at him, while most people our age are at home with the kids or out getting drunk. Thats part of the buzz too, to act like kids in a grown up world :-)

I'm really excited to produce my next one now and my goal for this coming year is to expand!

As for moving on from DVXuser... well I have to say I just had 'Eddie Loves You' in a few Horror film festivals, but I more impressed with the quality and community here. So don't knock it :-) . I'd like to see this festival expand to be honest.
 
:-)
Not really advice, if I knew any better I wouldnt still be working in corporate video...lol

'Eddie' is doing the festival rounds, it's playing at the new york horror film festival on the 20th Oct, I think there are a few more festivals after that in the USA and one in the UK. Once they are over I'll probably put it online. Fangoria TV wanted to aquire rights to it, so I dont know yet what Im going to do.

It's 25 minutes so Im reluctant to put it on my server.

I actually finished it in June, but it takes a while for it to filter through all the selection processes. I may even sell it on DVD, but I honestly dont think it's that good!

anyway I feel Im taking over the thread so sorry for that!
 
I'd say we should all strive to make bigger and better films. Then, when the time comes, compete in the DVX fest. I think one of the greatest things about this place is the fact everyone throws in their 2-5 pennies and the result is 'what not to do on your next film' so the information in here is invaluable.

Ralph... I'd love to see what you do for the next fest and Jack.. heck, make a film, but make it 8 minutes just so it can't compete for prizes. :)

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone progress, and if you guys ever need a composer... Keep me in mind. Just have to stretch my bounds. I wish I had more time to score the 6 films in the fest, but you can only do so much!

cheers everyone.
/j
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top