FAT MONSTER FILMS presents "O2" ... Every. Breath. Counts.

Jeez guys, The cinematography in this thing a unbelievable! No way I can keep up with that. :jealous:
:goes to sit in corner and cry:

This is stellar.

I'll write more later.
Jeez.
-Joe
 
Mark, your words are very kind, I'm glad to have been involved and if you found any of my contributions helpful, that's gratifying.

I don't know if I've said this before, but I was very impressed with how well the FM set ran. Considering that there was a massive crew, all unpaid, well, historically that's proven to have disaster potential. But the way Mark and Tim operate, they inspire such goodwill that there was never any issues at all, people worked hard from the moment they arrived until the moment they left, and even when we got seriously behind schedule, people rallied together and got the job done on time WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY. Phenomenal.

I was honored to be a small part of this production, and am very much looking forward to working with Mark and Tim and crew again.

Now, about the film -- wow. LOVE the opening shot, y'all know what I'm talking about there. Love the score. Love the sound design. Everything came together fantastically well. I agree with the CG computer display shots being a tad too "obviously CG", but that's about the nittiest of nits that I could pick. Fantastic job and you all should be justifiably proud.
 
This is absolutly a hollywood production. I don't know really what you are doing still here, making a film for dvxuser?! There is all perfect and I enjoyed the film very much. It remindes me a little bit at the film "Abyss".

Susanne
 
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No question this looked fan-bloody-tastic, even better than the raw footage I saw. Seamless keys; perfect atmosphere. Great graphics. (The only nit would be the stationary planet out the windows! :) ). Many, many congrats to be had all around.

Great sound mix, too.

Overall, this would easily sit next to anything you'd see on TV today; given more time to flesh out the story, this is a solid episode of a sci-fi anthology series, no sweat. Very professional work, guys! Worthy of the hype.
 
Monsters,

You have gotten to the point where your production value is really high...I mean, as good as anything else out there...really. It looked and felt like part of a big feature and I couldn't believe it was only 6 minutes long. It played like it was about 3 minutes. That's a really good thing because it kept me interested from the beginning to the end.

Acting was very good. There were a couple of moments when the guy who survived seemed a little tentative but really very minor stuff. Also, a couple of the actress's poses looked a little too "action hero" for my liking...it looked a little unnatural but, again, really no big deal.

The resolution you came up with to explain what happened was very creative. I really liked the video idea. The way the survivor saw the dead bodies and then suddenly rushed over to the video screen seemed a little weird because you didn't get the sense that he was slowly discovering that this was a message (I know the freeze frame suggested that...but...)...it's almost like he was told "go there and watch this video"...all minor things because the impact of the story was still there. I got shivers up my spine the first time I watched it because it was a genuine moment of great sadness, courage and sacrifice.

The exterior shots of the ship seemed like they were cut too soon each time. It would have been nice to have the ship move past the screen before the cut. Maybe you did that for time constraints but it felt a little hurried to me.

At the beginning of the film - the impact and then going to the title was very powerful. Great use of sound and image. When that happened, I was thinking...man, this is kick ass. You had me hooked right away.

I didn't care for the title design, it seemed just not right to me...maybe a little too stylized...whatever it was, it just distracted me.

The overall palette you chose was very appealing. I love those tones and they perfectly played into the story.

The lighting, for the most part, was very good and dramatic. I felt it was a little forced at times because we all love those big shards of light but it can be a thin line between looking dramatic and being almost comic book surreal (the latter is not what I want to see in this film because it breaks my sense of being there). I think the lighting teetered on that line a few times throughout the film.

The cinematography was spot on. The rack focusing was really tasteful and beautifully done in terms of enhancing the storytelling. The camera did a great job at capturing fairly high contrast scenes.

The music was brilliant because it was so understated but really effective when it needed to be...not as easy to pull off as some would imagine.

The pacing felt just right (aside from the exterior edits mentioned earlier) and I could easily see this as a feature.

Be really proud of this accomplishment. I know I am very proud of both of you for pulling together what seemed almost impossible. When I think of the Monsters, I think of the tagline I have in my sig file "The impossible just takes longer"...a quote from Captain Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek and a very fitting tribute to both of you.

I tip my hat to you, fine sirs.
 
David and Steven: We can think of few people whose opinions would mean more to us than yours. We are humbled by the talent and experience both of you have. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the encouragement.

Barry: You should know how much we hold you in esteem and how much we hope to find ourselves working with you again soon. To say that you and DVXUSER have been important to us would be a ridiculous understatement. The whole community has been blessed by your willingness to put in time and energy devoted to helping people become more professional -- without taking any shortcuts. This is hard stuff!!! However, so many people on the path ahead of us have given us footsteps to stand in while still allowing us to make our own mistakes and mis-steps. Thank you again for believing in this community.

Susanne and Frank: A few months ago we never dreamed we'd feel a kinship with such talented and beautiful people half a world away. You both have amazing skills, true innovative approaches and wonderful hearts for the art of telling stories. Thank you for becoming new friends and comrades.

Conrad (and Mark Harris): Words cannot express how much we admire your work. You are masters who have produced a film that we truly wish we could have made. Damn, you raised the bar this time and we're proud to be considered your peers.

Rogan: Get your pants back on.

Mark, Tim & Luis
 
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disjecta said:
The way the survivor saw the dead bodies and then suddenly rushed over to the video screen seemed a little weird because you didn't get the sense that he was slowly discovering that this was a message (I know the freeze frame suggested that...but...)...it's almost like he was told "go there and watch this video"
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Hi Disjecta,
I was the sound designer for O2 and I wanted to explain the leading into the monitor a little bit. In a way, there is something that is leading Trevor to the monitor. Once he wakes up, as he is walking down the hall there is a faint beeping sound that I tried to convey was coming from the "bedroom." I wanted to play this very subtly, but I may have been a little too subtle. Once he gets into the room, the beeping is louder and it stops once he starts playing the message.

I just wanted to point this out because Tim and Mark came up with this idea and I'd hate for my poor attempt to be creative be seen as a story weakness on their part.
 
Brad... you did an excellent job. Thank you very much. I didn't realize you were a DVXuser member as well. I appreciate your good work more then anybody else here, I assure you.

Also... the rooms of a ship aren't like rooms in a palace... on the sci-fi gray walls a lit up monitor would be pretty easy to notice immediately... I watched the cut differently. It's not as though he was cued to the monitor, but rather he was captivated by the gravity of the situation... in seeing his dead friends first... and then went to see what they wanted to say.

Technically... the "goodbye" video was a courtesy... to Trevor... and the audience... at the same time. It makes sense within the story... and for good story-telling. Trevor's long gaze at the bodies really says it all, but it's not like a guy would go into a room with his two dead friends laying on the bed... and FIRST go watch a little video on the wall... even if he did register it in his periphery... any person would have to take that moment of perspective... as Trevor did.
 
Brad, I think the problem was that, for what I'm conditioned to, there is always a plethora of sounds when a ship is in trouble so I guess I didn't really correlate the sound with the video but maybe others got it.

Overall the sound design was really well done.

thanks for responding.
 
Thanks, Matt. I posted this earlier in the thread, but I wanted to say thank you again for the amazing job you did with the production sound! Your notes were very detailed and were a big help in leading me to good alt takes. And your detailed wild takes saved my butt on several occasions.

I can't wait for people to hear the 5.1 mix. There's a lot more material in the sub and surrounds that I feel make the ship come more to life as if it's its own character.
 
disjecta said:
Brad, I think the problem was that, for what I'm conditioned to, there is always a plethora of sounds when a ship is in trouble so I guess I didn't really correlate the sound with the video but maybe others got it.
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Good point. Tim and I talked about putting the "You've got Mail" voice in there, but apparently AOL has a copyright on that. :)
 
disjecta said:
Brad, I think the problem was that, for what I'm conditioned to, there is always a plethora of sounds when a ship is in trouble so I guess I didn't really correlate the sound with the video but maybe others got it.

Overall the sound design was really well done.

thanks for responding.
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Dude! You don't like my explanation?

Let's say this whole event happens in a house... and you wander into the living room where your two friends are dead on the couch... and the TV is freeze-framed on the two of them in front of a camera... you're telling me that it wouldn't go down JUST like that? Even if nothing was "calling you" to the TV?


And Brad... I'm dead serious (pun intended)... I really appreciate your hard work more then words can say. My fanaticism about sound goes back WAY before DVXuser... way-way back... like 20 years. At one time I wanted to make soundtrack "vacations" for people stuck in hospitals... something to fill the gap between mindless television... and [comparatively boring] books.

Your sound design reminded me of that old idea again... you really helped sew up the fabric of this project into something great. Thanks. :thumbsup:
 
MattinSTL said:
Dude! You don't like my explanation?
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It's a good explanation but I have to address how I responded originally. Sure, I can sit and theorize until the cows come home after the fact but it didn't successfully communicate the idea to me while I watched it.
 
So if you walked into a room with 2 dead friends lying there... the FIRST thing you'd do is watch the TV before looking at them to assess the situation?

Don't take this the wrong way... your thoughtful critique was obviously appreciated... and this isn't even my film, but I actually considered that pause and stare to be perfect... like he's understanding what happened and trying to process it before watching the video (which I assumed he was already planning to do)... I actually called Tim about this prior to the release and complimented him on the pacing of that moment, because it's the point where the whole story flips... and a lot is riding on the character of Trevor for the audience... I thought that part was very logical.
 
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I think I was one of the first to comment but it was short and sweet. A few more comments about the story after watching it a second time.

In a way I felt like we were being set up for the ending right from the start. He overhears them but doesn't really do anything about it? I think I would be contacting someone off the ship and fast! Then her approach to him is all too sinister, again purposely misleading the viewer. That and he allows it to happen all too simply, disregarding what he had just overheard.

Then... they leave him there, face pressed against the metal grate. Why not place him in a bed or something? Maybe I'm nitpicking there but I found that very odd for friends who were willing to die so that he could live.

Now, as far as the theme goes. I really never got a sense that they were running out of time. Yes, it was mentioned... I just felt like it was a means to an end. With the title and the opening scene... I expected more to do over the lack of O2. Why not seal off a small area instead of fishing oxygen to the entire ship?

Just some thoughts for you guys to ponder. There is no doubt in my mind that this entry will do VERY well in this Fest, as it should. Technically it surpasses all the others. This movie was a real achievement and you should all be proud. You guys did an amazing job!

I know I would learn nothing without the comments and I just wanted to share my thoughts on areas of the story that seemed to be lacking to me personally.

Overall this short is close to perfect and you should all (not sure how many of you are involved) be very happy about it. Sit back, have a drink and toast to success regardless of what happens. You deserve it. :beer:

Cheers,

Mike
 
Whew! What can I say that hasn't already been said? Having followed this thread throughout the course of O2's production, I knew that I could expect the film to blow me away when it came to the production. It certainly did that! It was so polished and well-presented that I quickly forgot I was watching an indie production. The "sick bay" scene is a perfect example of pros at work. Great editing, well-acted, and very exciting. (Also, I love the helmet she's wearing!)

I was very curious to see if the story would match up. And it did. The ending delivered in a big way. I think part of what makes it work so well goes right back to the sick bay scene. We get nice subtle hints about the friendship between the crew members. When Trevor tries to apologize he looks legitimately dismayed. It's a really important moment because ifwe just thought of Trevor as some bumbling oaf then the sacrifice at the end of the story would mean nothing!

If I had any criticisms of the story, it would be that the twist was perhaps telegraphed a bit too strongly. During the bit where Trevor overhears Sam's conversation with his wife, I got the impression we were being intentionally mislead. On the other hand, this does create a sense of dramatic irony.

Anyway! Amazing job! It's fantastic to be able to come to these forums, look at what Fat Monster has done and think "So this is what's possible with a lot of hard work, creative problem solving, and a bunch of talent." Remarkably inspirational, to say the least!
 
Zoidoid said:
Anyway! Amazing job! It's fantastic to be able to come to these forums, look at what Fat Monster has done and think "So this is what's possible with a lot of hard work, creative problem solving, and a bunch of talent." Remarkably inspirational, to say the least!
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I just wanted the emphasize this comment. Very well stated. :thumbsup:
 
Michael, we appreciate SO MUCH your comments and suggestions. I've come to truly respect your work so that thoughtful analysis from you is a very much appreciated gift. I wish you could have been hanging with us during some of our preproduction meetings so that you could be privy to the interesting discussions we had along the lines you have brought up. Also, I must tell you that I have not yet watched "The Watchman" and I am anticipating doing so today. The films came out while I was on the road north and I'm still up here in San Jose trying to give every film a careful view in between my work obligations.

Zoidoid: I also have not yet watched Ad Infinitum but have seen comments on your thread that can only be described as glowing as well. It will be a true pleasure to watch your film later today too and give you my own reactions and critiques. I do smile whenever I see your avatar show up because I have such fond memories of working on Long Island (MTV Beach House) in 1994. I can promise you that Tim and I will be coming to New York in the near future and I sincerely hope that all you Yoikers will be able to meet us in the city for some beers. Thanks so much for the extremely kind words and positive encouragement. Both of you guys are very special to me.
 
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