The Day the World Forgot - short film

robinbuday

robinbuday

Active member
EDIT: AUGUST 21st, 2007 - THE MOVIE HAS BEEN REMOVED AS WE SUBMIT TO FESTIVALS. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT COMMENTED, YOUR INPUT WAS INVALUABLE AS WE GO TO PRINT. SEE YOU GUYS IN PARK CITY (FINGERS CROSSED)!

Here is some info about the movie:

Budget: Roughly $6000
Location: San Diego, California
Shooting Format: Super35 Fugi Eterna 250D stock
Camera: Panavision GII
Lenses: Panavision Primo Lenses
Transfer: Matchframe, Los Angeles to HDCAM
 
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Great stuff! What camera did you shoot it with? I love the level of detail. And how'd you get such hi-quality screencaps?
 
It was shot with a Panavision GII on Super35mm Fugi 250D stock using Panavision Primo lenses. We transfered to HDCAM and I took the screencaps off of that.
 
I'm glad to hear the music is going to be replaced, since it's super-annoying (the vocal... aarrgh!).

The other thing that just didn't work stm is the framing on many shots. Just ugly choices, that's all, or sometimes worse - like for example when the two guys are sitting, and one of them gets up (the smoker), the top of his head pops in and out of frame... very irritating.

And nitpicking, the fake infant was just too obvious (hint: when babes wail, they move their legs), which immediately somewhat undermined the mood.

Overall, a good effort, just marred somewhat by the camera work.
 
OldCorpse said:
I'm glad to hear the music is going to be replaced, since it's super-annoying (the vocal... aarrgh!).

The other thing that just didn't work stm is the framing on many shots. Just ugly choices, that's all, or sometimes worse - like for example when the two guys are sitting, and one of them gets up (the smoker), the top of his head pops in and out of frame... very irritating.

And nitpicking, the fake infant was just too obvious (hint: when babes wail, they move their legs), which immediately somewhat undermined the mood.

Overall, a good effort, just marred somewhat by the camera work.
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You aren't easy to please but I appreciate the honesty.
 
I watched it. Great images of course. Well shot. I look forward to watching it again with the finished score.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what that movie was about. I mean it was pretty to look at, but that is about it. I guess I can try to "fill in the blanks" but I'm not sure if that would really help. To me it just seemed like an 80% silent movie with a few lines of dialog that didn't really mean anything. Also the acting didn't do much for me. I felt like the dialog scene could have really been tightened up. It felt slow and awkward and could have made the acting suffer.

Again that is just my opinion. You didn't write or direct so most of that doesn't have anything to do with you. If it was me, I would have focused on the story and the characters more so that there would be something there to drive the images.
 
smashedburrito said:
I watched it. Great images of course. Well shot. I look forward to watching it again with the finished score.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what that movie was about. I mean it was pretty to look at, but that is about it. I guess I can try to "fill in the blanks" but I'm not sure if that would really help. To me it just seemed like an 80% silent movie with a few lines of dialog that didn't really mean anything. Also the acting didn't do much for me. I felt like the dialog scene could have really been tightened up. It felt slow and awkward and could have made the acting suffer.

Again that is just my opinion. You didn't write or direct so most of that doesn't have anything to do with you. If it was me, I would have focused on the story and the characters more so that there would be something there to drive the images.
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Actually, I did write it. Haha. The movie definitely isn't for everybody. A lot is left to the imagination on purpose. Thanks for the comments! I wish more people would comment...
 
Ok, I actually liked the music, including the vocal. I actually liked the piece too. I personally thought the dialogue was a little stilted, and it felt incomplete, but I enjoyed watching it and don't begrudge the time spent. Thanks for sharing.
 
Yeah, very nice film, but very confusing. I didn't like it simply because I didn't understand it.

It really felt like it was leading up to something cool. Like the world was killing itself off, or perhaps it was a day that no one ever remembers, or something along those lines. I just wish I didn't have to use my imagination to make sense of it.
 
I liked this alot but to be honest with you......... I'm pissed off (lol) and I believe that makes your work that much better. I am sitting here mad because I want to understand what the h@ll this was about. GOOD LUCK!
:thumbsup:
 
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Geez, I'm so relieved that at least a few people like it. The story is based on a Richard Matheson short story featured in Alfred Hitchcock's: Stories Not for the Nervous. The story was called "Lemmings" and was about one and half pages with minimal dialogue. Basically the cool thing about the story was that everybody was walking into the ocean and you never found out why. It was just happening, like something out of the "Twilight Zone". The movie definitely isn't for everybody and we understood that going into it. Thanks for everybody's comments! We take each one into consideration.
 
i know im new to the forums so this may not hold much clout but i was very pleased with your work. I don't know who Old Corpse is but i have to completely disagree with him. I like the score, including the vocals. It gave it an uneasy feel throughout the piece. Also i think you did a great job with the framing and composition. I was engaged the entire time, nothing ever poked out or stood out as "amatuer". I think the only thing that got me was the story. At the end i wanted to know what on earth was happening, HOWEVER, knowing now thats the way the piece was supposed to be i enjoy it very much. I may not be as technical minded as some of your other critics but in a way i think that may be a good thing. I didn't look at this with a nit-picky eye of whose head came out of what frames. I looked at it from an audience perspective and i really liked it a lot. good job!
 
You know it has been a few days and I am still thinking about your film and what was going on. That definitely stands for something.
 
Very cool idea and some sweet shots.

In regard to some of the previous postings about it being confusing or not making sense: I think the lack of resolution and revelation is central to the story and part of what makes it so interesting.

However, I understand their frustration as, in the film, the dialogue builds and points toward a climax where something will be revealed about the situation. The difference with Matheson's short story is that the characters feel our (the audience's) frustration, not understanding the situation but being strangely drawn to it. Reordon keeps saying, "I just don't get it."

I think a cool way of remedying this problem (if indeed, this seems like a problem to anyone) would be to cut most or all of the dialogue and just present visually the strange occurrence. I know that's probably not practical as all that money and time was spent for it to be what it was, but as someone else said earlier, it's basically a silent film with the dialogue not contributing a whole lot.

Sorry if that sounds harsh: I know you wrote it. I think the story is great though, and the dialogue isn't bad; it just doesn't add much to the story. I think if the cuts were made, it could go from a decent to a pretty great short film. It would keep the audience thinking and talking about what it could mean long after the viewing, instead of dismissing the whole thing moments after because the end wasn't satisfying.

Also, this would allow the music and sound design to carry the mood and tone of the film (which I think would be a good thing). The acting and dialogue recording (though very good in my opinion) are the only parts that I think may draw the audience to thinking it amateur. Everything else is very tight and professional.

But... since you will most likely disregard all of the above due to the dramatic revisions it calls for (as well as, perhaps, to my lack of insight), I have a couple other minor comments/criticisms for you, the editor:
First, I think you should keep the audio levels of the waves crashing, etc. the same or at least much closer to the same when you cut to the wide shots looking down to the characters. It makes sense technically to cut the levels since the camera (and thus, we, the audience) is further away, but I think it's distracting and though it works for true reality it doesn't work for film reality.
And secondly, I'm not sure if I like the dissolves at the end where the main character is in the van, restless. I think it's an abrupt change in the mood from the rest of the film, and the dissolve to the wide shot of him getting out of the van especially just doesn't look right.

Anyway, sorry for the lack of brevity in this post. And, with all that said, I think, overall, it was a fantastic short film. I hardly ever comment on other people's work in these forums and yet this film impelled me to write all this.

Thanks for posting! I look forward to the final draft.
 
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