The Artist - A film by Justin Anderson

I loved your film. It was so beautifully shot and had such a warm presence. I like the story and the acting was well done and genuine. This one will be hard to beat for me! Congrats on all your efforts!
 
RebeccaD said:
I loved your film. It was so beautifully shot and had such a warm presence. I like the story and the acting was well done and genuine. This one will be hard to beat for me! Congrats on all your efforts!
Click to expand...

Agreed... my favorite thus far. :thumbsup:
 
My impressions of THE ARTIST:

there is something to be said for stripping away a number of elements to bolster what’s left. congratulations on crafting a visually told story. not many people can do that this well. many, many nice compositions. of course, Huntington beach is a beautiful locale to be working in.

what else can I say? thank you for not undercutting an unashamedly optimistic, romantic story with a cheap twist. I have to admit I was afraid you would impose a “this guy is a serial killer whack job” ending on this thing. boy was I relieved. not just relieved, I was really touched by it.

by the way, your lead actor looks familiar to me. i must have his headshot in my files somewhere.
 
Last edited:
concannon said:
Justin,
Just watched it for the first time. Great work my friend!
Click to expand...

Agreed! Justin, your music really moved me through the entire film. I was touched by the ending as well....wow.
 
yay! :)

"The Artist"

Congrats Justin! You chopped and spliced the score nicely. And ya.. David, first time watching it (and others I've screened the film to) thought you were a crazy nut job. Then.. awawwww. you totally redeem yourself. ;) (those crazy artists)

/j
 
Justin, I said it before but man, way to go. You really took the vision you had and conveyed it so well that it wasn't difficult for me and the rest of the crew to help you make it happen.
-Ricky Norris
 
Last edited:
Story & Acting
Wow. This was easily one of the most well executed shorts of the fest. At first when I started watching it and seeing this guy draw pictures of this woman, I was like, ew, he’s some weird stalker or freak. Then at the end when he’s actually been doing it for an anniversary present, I nearly lost it. So touching, and everytime I watch it, I still well up. The acting was amazing! David and Amanda both did outstanding jobs in saying everything without ever saying anything. This short is the first one that truly touched me. Thanks!

Technical
While this isn’t the most technically stunning films of the fest, the soft colors and shot selections work. I think the editing is just right. You nail the beats you need to nail, and I love the locations! And just a special word about the music. This is one of those films where the music is really another character driving it along. I think it’s for sure the MVS (Most valuable score) of the fest!
 
Setting - Loved your location shots. Made me feel as though I were there.

Dialogue - Not any, and I tell you, as a screenwriter I am not a fan, however, you pulled it off quite well. It kept my interest, I understood what you wanted me to understand. Good job.

Execution - A little creepy at first, but nice twist at the end. Good job.
 
Very nice work! I think your best element is the fact that there are no words. I really like that, not even voiceover, and none of it's needed because the entire story is visual. That's tough to pull off and you did it well.

I like your framing, choice of shots; the stuff at the beach being the best. Great performances by your actors. Nice little twist, at first I thought that the guy was a total artistic weirdo stalking the girl, but when you discover the truth... you feel like one of the horrible people who misjudge people prior to knowing/understanding them.

It's tough to pull off romance without being cheesy and I think you did it without being cheesy at all. Nice job!
 
i really loved the way you chose to tell your story. the way the man danced on the sidewalk after finishing up his work totally conveyed a man with the perfect gift for his wife. nice.

i liked the pacing too, and the way you worked the colorful scenery into the movie. it almost felt creepy but the man just didnt look or act like a creep, i just didnt think it was going to be a stalker flick, i think your actor did an amazing job of pulling this off. he looked more proud almost than anything else. your actress did a fine job as well. she came through as very believable at the end.

really great work!
 
Great job on this one. I was a little worried about it turning into a stalker film, but thankfully it didnt. I think this is a good example of a simple idea done well. The acting was very natural and the piece flowed together very nicely. Great job.
 
REVIEW: THE ARTIST

I'm creeped out, and yet tastefully vindicated. Now, wheres my cup of conflict?

Because the name of the fest is Drama, and while I felt like this guy was totally going to hang her by her scarf, there's a lack of drama here. I think that I would've found it if I had seen something in the very beginning that linked me to what was going on, and how Eric was going to redeem himself.

But, hey, it's an artistic piece and I think you accomplished what you were going for. It felt like a "gift" from you to me, and I totally got it.

As a standalone artistic venture, something outside of the fest, I think you succeeded on so many levels it makes me smile. I did smile at the end, don't tell the guys, though.

Tell your DP I said hi, the house lighting was neat. I also thought the lights coming on behind her was just as neat.

Kudos to this team. Visually appealing piece you have here!
 
This is a front runner for me. I was getting sick of DRAMA meaning it had to have a sad ending. The human experience is about so much more than depression and sadness and it is not focused on enough. This movie focused on a redemptive side of human nature and the ability to bring joy to someone else. I LOVED it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top