"Without Provocation" - a Norm Sanders (Envision) film

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

This looks really interesting! Can't wait to check it out.

PS- How do you export a scene and apply an effect like this to each frame in Photoshop? If that's how you did it...


Cheers,

Mike

 

[Ted Arabian]

WHOA!! WHAT????? Norm!! WOW!!!!! Good for you! (you sneaky Ba$tard!)

Congrats guys! Good luck! I am delighted that there is a Norm/Rebecca flick in the fest after all! RIght on!

Very interesting grabs... looking forward to it! :thumbsup:

 

[Ted Arabian]

Here's a funny clip I just discovered of what I believe was Shawn Nelson trying to do the "I squish you!" trick with the camera ... it was LATE at night, so you'll hear that our DP had possibly dozed off as well, lol.

CLIP

Bwaaahhhhahahahhaahahhaahaaahaaa haaa haaaaa

 

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I liked it!

I found the "Look" a little distracting at times. Everyone seemed to look old due to the lines it created on their faces. It was still cool though, it looked great with the SWAT team.

I won't give away anything but I did like the reveal even though I saw it coming.

Great music as well!

I'll post more when I watch it again.

Very enjoyable!

On to Cristo....

 

[smashedburrito]

Hey I really enjoyed the look. It was certainly different from anything else I've seen and I think it really stood out. Also your sound choices were excellent, it really set the mood for the whole movie and kept me interested. The "reveal" was very well done but I also saw it coming. My only gripe is that the acting was really off and on. Sometimes I found it believable and other times it seemed pretty bad. But it was edited well enough that I was interested the entire time.

Great job and keep up the good work.

 

[Brandon Rice]

Hey Norm, some words about your film. Yours was the one I wanted to see first, and did. I also watched it several times, so as to try to judge it objectively as possible.

A few positives:

Pacing. The pacing of the film was great. The editing was very random, and it worked well for this kind of a film.

Look. Though I thought the look bordered on trying to hard, I felt for this kind of film, it worked. I think the lighting was even better than it looked on the final product, because of the visual effects overlay. The framing choices were also very good, and the camera had a visceral feel.

Story. I thought though the story was simple, it worked. I liked the reveal as well, and thought it had overall a good progression.

Music. Fantastic score, really drew me in!

A few negatives:

Acting. I think most of the acting was pretty good, but I hate to say it, but I didn't buy the lead (Seller). I felt he was out of place. I am trying to be completely objective in my judgement of the acting, and this is what I felt.

Script. Different from the story, I felt the dialogue was forced. Some of this was the delivery, but overall, I feel like you forced more "harsh and hard" dialogue into the script, that just was unnecessary and took me out of the moment at times.


So overall, while I think it's a step forward in many ways, I feel you missed the mark on the dialogue and some of the acting, which really brought me out of the film.

I salute the effort for getting something done (as I failed to do) and I think you've got skills to be sure. I just didn't feel this film. Thanks for the opportunity to check it out!

 

[Norm Sanders]

wow where did this come from? i thought you were a goner when you dropped BERLIN.

the process you did influenced by SCANNER DARKLY (one of my fav films of 06) is great because youre thinking outside the box. smart move. cant wait.

Thanks, Defcon ... we thought we were gonners too, then decided to put this together instead ... just didn't market it in advance.

Cool to hear that you are flying without a net on this one!

Thanks, Keystoned, it'll be interesting to see how that choice works out for this one.

Congrats to the entire Envision crew for getting a film into the fest and giving us all a good surprise to boot!

We aim to please, Eric, lol. Thanks for the congrats & hope you enjoy the film.

This looks really interesting! Can't wait to check it out.

PS- How do you export a scene and apply an effect like this to each frame in Photoshop? If that's how you did it...

Thanks, Mike, look forward to your thoughts. I used a script to export a series of PNG images from Sony's Vegas, the NLE I cut on. Then I created a script in Photoshop to automatically open & process each of the 8,600+ frames. After it did all that (8-10 hours), I then brought the entire sequence back into Vegas & cotinued to process the look with track compositing, additional level adjustments, guassian blur, etc.

WHOA!! WHAT????? Norm!! WOW!!!!! Good for you! (you sneaky Ba$tard!)

Congrats guys! Good luck! I am delighted that there is a Norm/Rebecca flick in the fest after all! RIght on!

Very interesting grabs... looking forward to it! :thumbsup:

Thanks, Ted, and we'll be looking forward to your thoughts. SPYMASTER is up on my list to view here shortly & looking forward to it as well!

Kyser (Mike), smashedburrito, and Brandon ... thanks for the input!! I agree that the look does enhance everyone's lines in their faces, giving them an older look at times. Pros & cons of the filtering process. So far at least the look has paid off for the most part, in that it's helped it to stand out visually.

On the reveal, can you explain anything that made you feel you saw it was coming? If it's the frame grabs I have on the first page that subliminally planted something in your heads, I want to fix that ASAP, lol! Otherwise, anything in the film that told you what you were going to see?

For the acting, if you could point out any specific strengths or weeknesses, it'd be great. I.E. a particular moment where it was really on and/or really off with a delivery, etc. This is the only way a talent will know where they hit the mark for the audience and/or missed it altogether.

Same goes for the dialogue/script (Brandon), if you've got specifics it would be great, as time allows.

Thanks again, everyone, for watching & taking the time to comment! Much appreciated!

 

[Mark Harris]

At 3:18, Norm wins. Hands down.

Though I kept having this nagging desire to call Charles Schwab...:beer:

I'll come back later.

 

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

1. Thanks, Mike, look forward to your thoughts. I used a script to export a series of PNG images from Sony's Vegas, the NLE I cut on. Then I created a script in Photoshop to automatically open & process each of the 8,600+ frames. After it did all that (8-10 hours), I then brought the entire sequence back into Vegas & cotinued to process the look with track compositing, additional level adjustments, guassian blur, etc.


2. On the reveal, can you explain anything that made you feel you saw it was coming? If it's the frame grabs I have on the first page that subliminally planted something in your heads, I want to fix that ASAP, lol! Otherwise, anything in the film that told you what you were going to see?

1. Thanks for that! I'll have to figure out how to try that with Premiere Pro.

2. I think it was the dialogue/editing, not the shots. We knew that the cops were tipped off, we saw that the boy was in the house and worried about his mother. I just guessed that he would have tried to do something.

I'll have to watch it again to be sure though.

BTW, the boys acting was really great!

Overall, the movie still played out very well.

Mike

 

[-zach-]

Norm & crew,

I started the film with high expectations. The first couple shots were close ups, really showing the visual style. What jumped out at me was there was no tape sound when she ripped the tape off the hostage's mouth. The shaky cinematography was really great and as the movie unfolded it TOTALLY BLEW AWAY my expectations! Just great. Everybody gets real intense real soon, and Norm got a really badass line. The style is so great especially for the material. It's really short and it works that way. It doesn't need to be any longer because it does what it wants to do in 5 minutes. The heroine scene was very well put together and fit perfectly in with Rebecca's question. I went back to watch that over and over. Coming back to the kid at the end and he's the bug, that was pretty great. To quote Seller "You're just full of great ideas."

Really strong all around.
Zach.

I'd love to hear you elaborate on the pro's and cons of shooting a short in one day (even if it is just one location)?

 

[Norm Sanders]

At 3:18, Norm wins. Hands down.

Thanks, Mark, I knew that'd get your vote, lol. :grin:

BTW, the boys acting was really great!

Overall, the movie still played out very well.

Thanks again for the additional feedback, and Shawn's family as well as Elijah will be glad to hear that! That's Shawn's little brother (one of many - all of whom seem to be in acting), and he was extremely professional onset, and easy to work with. I was very impressed with him, indeed.

 

[Brandon Rice]

For the acting, if you could point out any specific strengths or weeknesses, it'd be great. I.E. a particular moment where it was really on and/or really off with a delivery, etc. This is the only way a talent will know where they hit the mark for the audience and/or missed it altogether.

Norm, I'll be honest, it was your part that really took me out of it. You didn't come across as genuine. I think that your casts have gotten better and better, and your acting level has stayed the same (I hope that makes sense). This is a compliment to your casting abilities. I hope this comment isn't taken the wrong way, but really that's what took me out of it.

On the other hand, I thought the little boy was genius! Though, I know his role was minimal, he was totally believable.

Same goes for the dialogue/script (Brandon), if you've got specifics it would be great, as time allows.

Norm. I felt you tried too hard with the dialogue. You forced a lot of swearing into this. I am not opposed to strong language when it's needed or appropriate, but it felt really forced in this, and it was so prevalent that the impact of this kind of strong language was lost... I see this a lot in the indie film crowd, and I was sad to see your dialogue go that path... use strong language, but use it so it truly has an impact on the audience.

 

[Norm Sanders]

Norm & crew,

I started the film with high expectations. The first couple shots were close ups, really showing the visual style. What jumped out at me was there was no tape sound when she ripped the tape off the hostage's mouth. The shaky cinematography was really great and as the movie unfolded it TOTALLY BLEW AWAY my expectations! Just great. Everybody gets real intense real soon, and Norm got a really badass line. The style is so great especially for the material. It's really short and it works that way. It doesn't need to be any longer because it does what it wants to do in 5 minutes. The heroine scene was very well put together and fit perfectly in with Rebecca's question. I went back to watch that over and over. Coming back to the kid at the end and he's the bug, that was pretty great. To quote Seller "You're just full of great ideas."

Really strong all around.
Zach.

I'd love to hear you elaborate on the pro's and cons of shooting a short in one day (even if it is just one location)?

AUGH! The tape sound!! Nice catch, Zach, and perhaps that's something Herman can put in as we're still working out some adjustments for the final (not a longer cut, just perfected audio things, better visual render, etc.). Funny, the way you opened your post I kept expecting to hear where it went down hill for you (guess I had some anxiety), but glad to hear it delivered for you all the way through!

Ahem, Zach, what makes you think we shot this in one day and not over the course of several? :undecided

...I think that your casts have gotten better and better, and your acting level has stayed the same ...

Thanks for the compliment on the casting, and I respect your opinion on my particular performance. Thanks, Brandon.

On the other hand, I thought the little boy was genius! Though, I know his role was minimal, he was totally believable

Yeah, Elijah's got chops, especially for such a young age!

Norm. I felt you tried too hard with the dialogue. You forced a lot of swearing into this. I am not opposed to strong language when it's needed or appropriate, but it felt really forced in this, and it was so prevalent that the impact of this kind of strong language was lost... I see this a lot in the indie film crowd, and I was sad to see your dialogue go that path... use strong language, but use it so it truly has an impact on the audience.

I see what you're saying, but what about those folks Brandon that simply swear for the sake of swearing? You know, the ones that throw the F-bomb into every other word in their sentence, or use it as a part of every adjective? These folks are not the cream of the crop of life, and then find themselves in a stressful situation ... so I thought it was appropriate that they may be swearing as much as they did, but I could be wrong.

Again, thanks for the detailed input!!!

 

[Dahopafilms]

Hey Norm (and Rebecca),

I'm watching the films in reverse alphabetical order and so this is the first one I've seen. So far, it's clearly the best.

Comments. Stuff I liked:

• I really liked the visual effect you pulled off. Very comic book (I do wonder whether the story itself lends itself to a comic book presentation, though)
• The acting. Yep, Rebecca is great as usual (as are your newer finds) but let me clearly state this - I liked your performance too. Highly strung. Focused. To me, at least, you sold it. And you know I'd tell you if I didn't think you pulled it off.
• Wardrobe. Perfect. The SWAT guys gave it that element of realism. Nice job. Not sure about the hostage's red polka dot pants, but the SWAT uniforms sold me (wouldn't their goggles have been down throughout the op if they were using flash-bangs? Just wondering).
• Music. Nice. I liked it. Didn't love it. But I liked it.
• The edit. Yup. I liked it. Moved the story along. And it didn't seem as long as it was.

Stuff I didn't like:

• I honestly had to look for the "spy" element. I know it was the kid, but is that a spy? I guess so. Maybe would have written it a little stronger about him creeping around and watching them perhaps. But that's just me.
• I really am getting tired of the references to you taking your shirt off. I appreciated you not showing us the full monte this time, but can't you find a new gig? Please?rogar-Love(DBG):

So - very nice job, bud. And isn't it going to be a little weird for Dave and Rebecca to be watching this short in their home theatre while the action is taking place in the home theatre while they're watching in their home theatre while ... anyway, you get the idea.

:thumbup:

 

[-zach-]

Funny, the way you opened your post I kept expecting to hear where it went down hill for you (guess I had some anxiety), but glad to hear it delivered for you all the way through!

This is what was intended, because I wanted to be able to say that it TOTALLY ROCKED THE HOUSE in caps.

Ahem, Zach, what makes you think we shot this in one day and not over the course of several?

Well, if you’re not joking, then THIS:

If you are joking, tee hee.

Norm, I'll be honest, it was your part that really took me out of it. You didn't come across as genuine.

I only half-agree – some of it was contrived, but was totally forgotten when he said, “Will someone answer the GOD DAMN PHONE!!1!” So it redeemed itself, IMO.

There was some great delivery, my personal favorite being, “Unless they’ve been listening this whole time.” That drags you in, it’s such a good trailer line, especially how it’s delivered.

You forced a lot of swearing into this. I am not opposed to strong language when it's needed or appropriate, but it felt really forced in this, and it was so prevalent that the impact of this kind of strong language was lost... I see this a lot in the indie film crowd, and I was sad to see your dialogue go that path... use strong language, but use it so it truly has an impact on the audience.

I have to disagree here as well. The only character who swears from the get-go is “Linden”. Everyone else has motivation for such language. Norm is shooting up, and is about to turn on his own team. Being high makes his actions completely unpredictable and therefore I believe strong language is justified. Rebecca only swears after she’s been called the B-word by Norm, and it’s during the most intense moment – the climax.

Especially in times of stress, people use this language as either a coping mechanism or a signal to others that they are stressed. The swearing wasn’t what I felt was contrived, the teddy bear was what I really felt was forced down my throat.

Zach

 

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks for watching, Brian, and the detailed feedback! Thanks to Shawn Nelson (Nelson Entertainment, also played the role of Carter) for the SWAT gear. He's put a lot of money into that stuff, and it was a great asset to have available for us. Anyone notice that there aren't additional credits for the SWAT folks? You're correct about the masks being down. They always would have, not even just for the flash-bangs, but for the fact that if they're standing by the corner of a wall, for example, and a shot was fired at them & hit the wall by their face, they need to have the goggles down to protect their eyes from secondary missles (shrapnel/debris, etc.). That said, they kept fogging up on everyone, so we opted to leave them up.

I can't state for sure that the subject matter calls for the comic book look, or supports it as much as some other subjects would, but glad it's at least not detracting or conflicting with it.

The kid as the spy element. Yep, this will be among the many others where it's possibly more of a stretch for the 'spy' genre, but since they opened the definition as they did it allowed for more variety in the fest. Already I'm seeing there is less traditional spy films in this fest than I expected. We could have spent more time on the kid, but I was afraid that would detract more from the reveal we had at the end with the cell phone.

Funny! Yes, you're right, that will be odd to be watching it in that theater room ... kind of like one of those reflections of a mirror within a mirror within a mirror ... :grin:

Well, if you’re not joking, then THIS:

If you are joking, tee hee.

LOL! I completely forgot I stuck that in there! I'll spill the beans to you in a few days, Zach, to let you know how long this actually took us or not.

Also, thanks for the additional thoughts! As for the teddybear, that's an interesting insight/perspective, and one I certainly can't disagree with. We needed a stuffed animal, as the script called for, so we chose that one from Pierce's room (Rebecca's son), because I fell in love with it, as the picture below shows ...

 

[RebeccaD]

Lol! Nice Teddy squeeze, Norm. I hadn't seen that one. Thanks all for the feedback. We really had a blast filming this, even with the rain & windstorm from.....you get the idea. Norm really held himself together through some adversity throughout the shoot. Norm, you are a class act, and always a pleasure to work with. I appreciated the opportunity to step out of the box as well. Shawn, thanks for the SWAT gear too! I thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion from wearing it for so long! Whew!

 

[Edgen]

For a second there, i thought you were making fun of yourself by lifting your shirt for the wire.

Nice film Norm! I have to say the visual style was very distracting and I would honestly liked to have seen the film without the filter. I know you were going for another style of film and right off the bat a filter such as this screams a cop to cover up a poorly shot/lit film. Which.... from the screen grabs on the BTS, doesn't seem to be the case at all. It seems like some shots had more of the filter than others which made it inconsistent. I felty scanner darkly for a bit and then straight to poor photoshop/graphic design skills.

Overall, I think the action and energy kept the movie driving all the way to the end. I really dug the score and the reveal with bear was superb. That totally caught me off guard. Acting was OK, but the visuals just made it hard to really tell what was going on.

kudos for a quick turn around and entry into the fest

(nice teddy squeeze)

cheers!
/j

 

[Dahopafilms]

... I fell in love with it, as the picture below shows ...

Is it just me, or does that bear look very, very uncomfortable?

 

[wesley]

man on bear action always gets my vote even if it's a stuffed animal.

Thought the film was pretty cool, good pacing. the linklater effect worked cause it was only a short film. would've liked to see how it looks without though, just curious