"The Arrangement" a Robert Eldon Film

[ignatius]

No, I didn't lose interest at all - I honestly think the script flows really well, and the married guy kinda hit at just the right time to add that little kick where needed to keep the story moving. Great work!

 

[Robert Eldon]

i'm such a pushover, such a sap. i'm so glad he turned around and gave her the flowers.

Zak, really? I think your film was the antithesis of "The Arrangement".

Tell me what you really think.

Thanks for your comment.

 

[Robert Eldon]

No, I didn't lose interest at all - I honestly think the script flows really well, and the married guy kinda hit at just the right time to add that little kick where needed to keep the story moving. Great work!

OK. Thanks. Phew. Just checking, because we've talked before about how long a 6 minute movie could hold our attention.

 

[Robert Eldon]

This was nice. I usually don't like nice, but this was good.
I think your 2 main actors really sold this. You sat back with the camera and you let them tell the story. Very nice work.

Cheers,

Michael, thank you for the 'nice' comments. It made me smile when you said 'I usually don't like nice, but this was good.'

Thank you for the comment about the actors. That was my intent and I'm glad you picked up on that. I hope there was enough expression without words to tell the story in addition to the dialog?

 

[Robert Eldon]

this was a nice feel good piece. I enjoyed it.

bosindy, if it made you feel good, then I did my job. Thanks for the review.

 

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Michael, thank you for the 'nice' comments. It made me smile when you said 'I usually don't like nice, but this was good.'

Thank you for the comment about the actors. That was my intent and I'm glad you picked up on that. I hope there was enough expression without words to tell the story in addition to the dialog?

Absolutely! I can learn from this piece, and I hope to.
Nice work.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Robert Eldon]

THE ARRANGEMENT -- Kholi stops by the florist! -- SPOILERTYPE

Lots of flowers! I'd be sneezin' up a storm. Hats off to a good location. Getting us user out of everyone's living room is a good thing in the fests. Another good thing is taking the chance on a linear tale that doesn't need to be twisty and turny. I'm all for it! When it comes down to this, execution is key and I think it's executed in a fair fashion. On audio, visual, and pacing. There's a few things that I want to touch on, but overall it's another good entry.

Kholi, I was hoping you would stop by the flower shoppe! I always appreciate your reviews (even with the honest, hard to swallow parts). Thanks! This story didn't have to take place in a florist shop, but I really liked the idea of the color and the flowers. The owners were very gracious.

Visually this is appealing because there's a lot of color to break up the monotony of every day life. Flowers EVERYWHERE and that makes it easy to watch. Did you have a lot of time to work inside of the location? I ask because at times I feel like the lighting really went flat. With so much to play with (I'm no DP, though, so take this with a grain of your choice spice) I feel like the sort'a flat lighting is a disservice to the robust colors in your short. Not DISPLEASING, perhaps a little more? That's food for future thought and, again, I'm NO DP (yet). Just think that more attention to light (if you HAD the time) and color pallet would've added to your story.

We only had one day (a long 12 hour day) to work in the flower shop when it was closed. I agree about the lighting. It's the one thing that could have been improved dramatically! I agree that the lighting could have provided a lot more contrast.

And thte STORY is what I truly want to comment on. Short doesn't have to mean "twist at the end". I mean there's a sort of twist here? But I get where you were going. It was about the linearity and, asimilar to another short in this fest, character realization. I'm glad that he realized that he had been doing what he proclaimed he could not in the beginning. Where I think it struggles the most is (and this is common) dialog: It's very on the nose and sometimes robotic.

What I wanted to present was the 'change' that the main character went through (in less than 6 minutes). And the Rose character changed a little too, because she finally got some flowers. Yeah, so no twist, just a change in character realization. I know it was a challenge for the actor playing Matthew to play awkward, but not robotic. I think it was a fun challenge for him!

There's a great moment when the other guy comes traipsing in Big Bad Girl Gettin' Wolf and "games" on the female. Of course we knew it wouldn't work, that's a given. That's FINE. The moments behind that... "That's how females want to be talked to" are great! It was on the nose and it's hard to say if it came down to line delivery or just the written word. Some of the dialog, perhaps, could've been played with in front of the camera while remaining the same on paper. It's something to think about in the future.

Yeah, the pick up guy, or in our script notes and shot list, the PUG. Could you expand on 'could've been played with in front of the camera while remaining the same on paper.'? Are you talking about the reactions, instead of dialog?

So, I didn't have any problems with what this was. It could've been the acting, which (not to be offensive at all) feels stiff and forced, especially in line delivery, that detracted from a perfectly fine idea. There are a lot of great moments throughout, the pacing is fine by me and it didn't feel like it ran too long at all.

Good go, Robert! Thanks for exhibitin'. =D

Thank you for your review. Always appreciated and looked forward to.

 

[Kholi]

What I meant about the "playing with dialog" was finding some of it in front of the camera. Allowing the actors to pull naturally while remaining in context. That is DANGEROUS a lot of the time but sometimes you find something better in it.

That's what I meant. Overall, though, it's another strong entry in this fest!

 

[Robert Eldon]

This is a very low-key, fine short. I could easily see this as a short shown on some kids show. The one part that distracted me was the window shots which were blown out, which didn't really fit the semi-flat interior lighting. I'm sure this was a budget issue and I can't really offer a cheap suggestion, but just a note. As was mentioned before, the lighting was semi-flat, but I honestly think it fit the story in its simplicity. A high contrast look wouldn't have been right for the light material.

Gohanto, thanks for your review! No excuses on the window shots. We were shooting on a rainy day, lots of clouds, and then... the sun peeked out! We could have ND'd the window but were short on time. If I could do it over again...

I think the only thing that this entry has going against it is that it doesn't really take many risks.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean? If you have the time, could you expand on this?

However, for what it is and the story you wanted to tell, I think you did an excellent job with this.

I'll take that 'excellent job' feather and put it in my cap! Thank you.

 

[Robert Eldon]

Robert...Robert...Robert. That was a sweat little film. The acting was good and it was well shot except for the blown out entrance which is incredibly hard to control in the digital medium. This would be a great Valentine's Day gift that any woman would appreciate...well maybe not Aileen Wuornos, but just about any other warm blooded American woman.

Good show.

Blaine, Blaine, Blaine. Thank you for your comments. I appreciate that coming from you. And I agree, that women will like this more than men. Although, I am partial to romantic comedies myself.

What an obscure reference to that 'Aileen' chick. Isn't she that serial killer woman? HA!

Did I just notice a Freudian slip? Did you say 'a sweat little film'? If this film made you sweat, then, well, I appreciate the sentiment.

 

[Robert Eldon]

Good feeling eh? It's like the first time you heard the Beatles...

Ok, I steal way to much off of Superbad.

Man, good job on the film. I loved it.

Hey Robbie,

I get the impression that you liked this? Thank you very much for the compliments and...

I saw your post about the 'hottest actress' in another thread. I'll pass that on to Jane! Thank you.

 

[Robert Eldon]

What I meant about the "playing with dialog" was finding some of it in front of the camera. Allowing the actors to pull naturally while remaining in context. That is DANGEROUS a lot of the time but sometimes you find something better in it.

That's what I meant. Overall, though, it's another strong entry in this fest!

Ahhhh! Got ya! I appreciate those words of advice. More for me to learn! Thank you again!

 

[Gohanto]

"I think the only thing that this entry has going against it is that it doesn't really take many risks."

I'm not sure I understand what you mean? If you have the time, could you expand on this?

Well, to use the most extreme contrast ever, Requiem for a Dream is a movie that took every risk possible. New techniques, intense and unique characters, enough motivation to drive characters insane, music that grabbed the audience and gave people nightmares...

Now, certainly not every movie needs be or even should be like that one. However, when I look at your short I see a very simple story I've seen before, told in a simple way, and there were no stakes to speak of if the guy left without asking the girl out. Simple stories are fine, but I like to see some innovation to the method they're told in so I see the same story in a different way (kind of like most Hitchcock movies, always simple plots, but they're always told uniquely).

Simple story telling methods are fine, but then the plot or dialog needs to keep me interested (Annie Hall would be an example of this)

Most movies are usually somewhere inbetween.

Now, again, I did enjoy your film and thought it was well done, but it just didn't grab me with anything like some other entries did.

 

[Robert Eldon]

This film just oozed of "cuteness", and I mean that as a compliment

Your actress had a nice look that really shone through on her closeups.

Jason, thanks for stopping by. Jane may be checking out this thread, but if not, I'll pass that on to her. Thanks, and before I reply any more, let me tell you how much I enjoyed your film. It really touched me on a personal level and I'll explain why when I post to your thread. Great job!

Kind of an odd cut at 3:45.

You know, I thought so too. I didn't have any coverage to transition that better. Good catch!

The character relationships (and as a side effect the story) had good depth and really fit the format and the time frame well.

The story within the time frame was one of my main goals! I remember something that JDS posted a while back about doing a short or 'flash'? film. I take that as a great compliment and yeah, I thought it fit the LoveFest theme, even if it was a little cliche'.

Again, (and I totally mean this as a compliment, so I hope you don't hate me for saying it) it was just really cute. I knew what was coming from the beginning, but it's not something I cared about at all, or felt like I was supposed to care about. It was engaging nonetheless.

I'll take cute! Sweet, charming... that was my intent. Thank you.

I don't have much to add to what looks to have already been said.

The piece stands on it's own entirely, and I just kinda found myself watching and enjoying it for what it was, without really thinking about the things to critique about it. And, I watched it with a subtle smile on my face throughout.

Good work. Thanks for sharing.

later,
Jason

Don't you wish you could just watch the people watch your film? Thanks for sharing the subtle smile on your face. That means a lot to me.

 

[hoz]

this was a nice film. a simple story told in a clean neat effective way. the acting was consistent with the look and for that i think the directing was solid as well.

did i like it? not sure. and maybe this goes to my taste more than anything, i guess i like things with more of an edge.

you told your story well though. the acting is good too, especially the store's clerk, she was cute in all the right ways. the shy guy was okay. maybe if he was a lot more hesitant to speak with her early on i might've bought more into the story. maybe there would've been a bit more of an obstacle for me to want to watch for, not sure. the store was a good place to tell your story too and you used the flowers effectively as a prop to further the story along. i do wish you warmed up the look though. the bluish tint to the film did not match up with the type of story i believe you were telling.

all in all though, nice work!

 

[Chris Messineo]

I went to my thesaurus to look up some other words than sweet, but none of them fit as well. This is just a very sweet story.

I thought it was a little slow and repetitive at times (looking at all the different arrangements), but I still enjoyed it.

I liked them both very much and it was fun to watch them find each other. A perfect Valentine's Day movie.

 

[Robert Eldon]

Well, to use the most extreme contrast ever, Requiem for a Dream is a movie that took every risk possible. New techniques, intense and unique characters, enough motivation to drive characters insane, music that grabbed the audience and gave people nightmares...

Now, certainly not every movie needs be or even should be like that one. However, when I look at your short I see a very simple story I've seen before, told in a simple way, and there were no stakes to speak of if the guy left without asking the girl out. Simple stories are fine, but I like to see some innovation to the method they're told in so I see the same story in a different way (kind of like most Hitchcock movies, always simple plots, but they're always told uniquely).

Simple story telling methods are fine, but then the plot or dialog needs to keep me interested (Annie Hall would be an example of this)

Most movies are usually somewhere inbetween.

Now, again, I did enjoy your film and thought it was well done, but it just didn't grab me with anything like some other entries did.

Gohanto,

I understand what you meant and where you're coming from. For this theme, I set out to create a story that was simple and charming. No 'twists', no 'risks', something easy to watch and yet, I wanted to create some empathy for the character(s) and show a change in character within the six minutes (something that I find more challenging than easy). I appreciate your comments.

 

[Zak Forsman]

bosindy, if it made you feel good, then I did my job. Thanks for the review.

no, i mean it. i'm a big softie. but i don;t know how to do stuff like this, without OVERDOING it... so in my own stuff, I retreat to minimalism. that, I know and am comfortable with. great work!!

 

[Robert Eldon]

this was a nice film. a simple story told in a clean neat effective way. the acting was consistent with the look and for that i think the directing was solid as well.

did i like it? not sure. and maybe this goes to my taste more than anything, i guess i like things with more of an edge.

hoz, thank you for your review. I like that you used words like 'nice', 'simple', 'effective' (that's a good one!) and thank you for the directing kudos!

you told your story well though. the acting is good too, especially the store's clerk, she was cute in all the right ways. the shy guy was okay. maybe if he was a lot more hesitant to speak with her early on i might've bought more into the story. maybe there would've been a bit more of an obstacle for me to want to watch for, not sure. the store was a good place to tell your story too and you used the flowers effectively as a prop to further the story along. i do wish you warmed up the look though. the bluish tint to the film did not match up with the type of story i believe you were telling.

Thank you for the compliments regarding the story and I'll be sure to pass on your comments regarding the acting, especially the 'store clerk' (yeah, but she's a florist).

One of my goals with this and for the future is to try to develop character early for a 6 minute movie. I think the location worked well and was a character in itself for this. Good pick up on the 'warm up the look'! That's something that I'm still trying to accomplish with this. To try to warm up the scene without loosing the color or saturation with the flowers. Hmmm?

all in all though, nice work!

Thank you again for your review and detailed comments. Much appreciated!

 

[Robert Eldon]

I went to my thesaurus to look up some other words than sweet, but none of them fit as well. This is just a very sweet story.

I thought it was a little slow and repetitive at times (looking at all the different arrangements), but I still enjoyed it.

I liked them both very much and it was fun to watch them find each other. A perfect Valentine's Day movie.

Chris,

First, thank you for taking the time to look up another word for 'sweet' in your thesaurus! That's funny. (and thank you for spelling thesaurus correctly!)

Wonderful that you found it to be 'a very sweet story'. Thanks!

I really appreciate the fact that you 'liked them both very much'. I wanted to create likable characters that the audience would have empathy for. I find it challenging to do in the course of a 6 minute movie and tell a complete story. That was my exercise for this fest, so that means a lot to me.

Yeah, I hope that it's a good 'Valentine's Day' movie. Watch it with a girl or your wife!

Thank you.