"I ****ING HATE YOU" – a film by SABI

Nice work! The editing and handheld style reminded me of Greengrass, but in a more domestic environment it worked very well and really, if you had got any less than great from your actors that style would've pulled away from the story. You did get great, natural performances though and the style really added to the realism of the scene.

My only complain is actually the silhouette shot at the end (though I'm sure many others would disagree) but every shot in your film had such a spontaneity to it whereas that shot looked planned. It clashed a bit for my taste, but very nice work overall. Lighting with two color temps looked fantastic as well.

Nice work.
 
Gohanto said:
Nice work! The editing and handheld style reminded me of Greengrass, but in a more domestic environment it worked very well and really, if you had got any less than great from your actors that style would've pulled away from the story. You did get great, natural performances though and the style really added to the realism of the scene.

My only complain is actually the silhouette shot at the end (though I'm sure many others would disagree) but every shot in your film had such a spontaneity to it whereas that shot looked planned. It clashed a bit for my taste, but very nice work overall. Lighting with two color temps looked fantastic as well.

Nice work.
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haha! thanks so much for your thoughts gohanto. the two color temps we worked with were 5500K and 2700K, balanced for the first.

you know, the irony of that hallway shot you mentioned is that it was totally unplanned (although i can see how it might look staged). I was shooting John through the apartment doorway, Marion had left the scene and was waiting for "cut" at the top of the stairs. as I was shooting i saw her standing down there, I was instantly taken with the idea of "Carol second guessing her decision to leave". So I swung the camera around and framed her up. after a minute I told Marion to walk down the stairs. didn't know if i'd even use it until we got to the editing bay. If the camerawork hadn't been as free and spontaneous as the performances, this moment wouldn't exist. it would have been missed. and that was one of the successful parts of the "experiment". thanks again!
 
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boy this really is a love fest

boy this really is a love fest

This was awesome. Neha and her roomate loved this. When her roomate saw the title she goes "seriously"?

She proceeded to laugh the whole way through and even said excitedly "she left him the mug?" during those final moments.

Anyway, Marion John and You deserve all the praise.

Oh and I thought the Behind the scenes was pretty special too, I think there should be more focus on the documentary filmmaker behind that.

K

P.S. before zak is hired out to color correct everyone's next project he's already agreed to finish his other feature film White Knuckles (so hang in there everyone, you too MAtty G I got your email !!!!) :kali:

DVXUSER is awesome for putting this together. I'd like to submit something next time based on what I'm seeing.

good work you guys

Marion and John - you are SUPERSTARS
 
Jesus. we watched it a third time

Jesus. we watched it a third time

repeatability factor is through the roof.

This is awesome zak
 
Mark Harris said:
Hey Zak,

REALLY nice work. I love that it's such a simple story zeroed in on this one specific moment in their lives and draws that moment with such beautiful and human detail.

My only beef is with the camera stuff. ONLY because the actors were so great and you clearly worked with them so well to get them not to act and just live in that story(A Herculean task in itself), that I feel like cutting around them so much does a little bit of a disservice to them. For example, I felt like just planting the camera and letting her listen to that song, she would've given everything that scene needed at that point.

It might simply be a stylistic difference between us, but whenever actors are reaching the point of lifting off the screen, I like to just get out of their way, set the camera and capture what they give.

Excellent work though. So many great and honest moments between those two.

Is this with the "first act" cut?

Just wanted to add, the way you work and your devotion to real, human material makes me really want to do something with you some time. I've done a bunch of improv work in developing scripts, but not with this nice a result yet.
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yeah, the first three minutes are missing and really serve to establish their relationship and how he talked her into going to his apartment.

thanks for your comments on the camerawork. this short was shot in a style that I evolved out of about two years ago. i don't know if I was feeling nostalgic but I wanted to go back and experiment with it one last time to see if there was anything left to learn now that I was working with highly skilled actors. as a cinematographer and editor, i like it. each brief moment is like the stroke of a brush -- the accumulation of which is a fully formed "picture". but as a director, i think it interferes with the performances. and that's the lesson I learned on this one. i will continue to take pieces of the approach with me and let them evolve as part of my "signature", but going all out crazy with the "searching" and focusing will never again be the singular, global aesthetic I employ on a piece, long-form or short.
 
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I really like the film. You captured some really nice images in a intimate location. The acting was great, really some of the best I have seen in these fests. The ending was touching and realistic. I kept rooting for it not do too much and it didn't. The song reminded me a little of the Joe song in "Say Anything" but it had some different choices in it so it didn't feel like it was derivative.

This is a really strong entry and one of these days I am going to have to get your thoughts on post production, because you obviously know that as well.

Good job.

Jim
 
Excellent acting, photography, and editing. You captured the frantic feeling of desperation beautifully. And I, for lack of a better word, (lovey love) loved the song. It was funny (I hope that was the intention). You told the story very effectively in such a short amount of time. This makes me even more excited to see Heart of Now (if I ever get the chance). Great work from everyone involved in this film.
 
Zak

I really enjoyed this film. Wonderfully shot. The actors were superb. It really felt intimate and in the moment. It was sad yet funny how he tried to hide the cup, perfect.

Great job. Very impressed.

Subjective Tech:

A lil too much shaky cam for my taste but nevertheless, worked very well !
 
I think I will keep posting about this.
I said I loved it already. It had me watching. It was a moment story and it was a good and crucial moment where two characters are engaging one another... and it was diverse with a little tune behind it - a great singer at the same time.
Knowing about the cinematography technique, I appreciated more but it lends itself very well to what's happening in the lead characters mind. I probably have to watch more to have more things to say about it. I just loved the gritty look as well as the final scenes at staircase.

All in all, good work to the team and the director for putting in alot of care into the final product- including the BTS stuff.
 
Hey Zak, I think that I left it out of my initial review but I keep thinking about it...

I just loved the lens flares and the beaming "sunlight" pouring through the window. Very effective. Really help to set your color in place.

Again, wonderful job!

-Ted
 
so good. like cassavetes good. when the camera work is so rough and the focus is all over the place, it forces the actors to carry the whole thing themselves and these two do an awesome job. Excellent work!
 
J.R. Hudson said:
I especially loved shooting into the window with the sunlight (Real sun or an HMI ? )

The contrast was great.
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well, i don't want to blow the illusion, but that was just a $75 85w compact fluorescent with a 2700K color temp. Matt Garrett was the one snagging those great takes of John with the induced lens flares. He knows what I like.
 
zak,

this was an excellent piece! i can see how you all were working collaboratively towards a final goal. That in itself is impressive. The fact that the final product is really good just adds more weight to what you accomplished there!

for me, the song wouldn't have worked AT ALL, if he hadn't of paused there after the first few lines, and again later. It was that spur of the moment feel that totally sold me on the song and the short. the lines were less important than your actor and how he delivered it. big kudos to him!

I really enjoyed it overall. loved the ending shots of her coming in and out of focus.

subjectively, i'm not a big fan of the camera work. what you did works and works well, but i think it might have worked a little better if parts of it were 'calmed' down a bit - at some points i want to really 'see' the actors. especially the girl. she had so few lines that every shot of her was incredibly important to conveying what she was 'saying' in the scene. at the same time, i got what she was saying, so we're talking about shades of differences really. you might have made a change like that, have me like it better, but you wouldn't at all.

if you have time, can you let me (us) know how much time you spent with the actors before shooting and how long the actual shoot took? if it's earlier in the thread my apologies!
 
Man, the real lesson here is that Matty G is the secret weapon to have. Seriously, you guys did a great job and I wish I could have been there on set. Absolutely cannot wait to see your long cut.
 
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