COLD CALLS by John Whalen featuring Blanchard Ryan (OpenWater) & Ben Bailey (CashCab)

This was great. I liked the fact it was shot so dramatic with the comedic undertones. That flatulent bastard. Was wondering how you would tackle this and it came up fantastic.

Personally, and just my opinion, I didnt think she hit some of the dialogue all that convincing.

I do have a question before I comment on something else. At 1.23 after the camera move, the camera drifts so she starts right of frame and drifts left to end of shot at 1.47. May I ask the motivation for this? And also Id be interested to hear why you chose to shoot cinema scope.

To finish, again, really enjoyed it.
 
Matty_g said:
Just wanted to say that this is some beautiful stuff Timur.
My favorite of yours.
I'll post later with thoughts for you jack when I have a little more time.
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Thank you man! i'm very happy with the way it turned out :)
 
I loved this. Great timing and for me the best part was the "heartbeat" of the ball just as she opens the door. Brilliant!
 
Great film Jack! :)

I won't even talk about the production quality.

What I especially liked: The Police character. DJ hazard was perfect for this role.

What I didn't like: The dollyzoom at the end. Like Mark Harris mentioned, it could have ended when she first realized that her phone is ringing. And I didn't see the door pulsating, only after I knew it. So I was a little confused while watching it for the first time.

9 Stars from me, because of the ending. But still my highest ranking with Call's from the Führerbunker. There must be something about the Calls :D
 
Hey thanks everyone for taking the time to view and leave comments. Appreciate both kudos and constructive crits alike.

Will answer some of the questions that have been posted later this afternoon or evening, but just wanted to say thanks while I had a chance.

Gotta run
:beer:
 
Watched it again. Something that struck a chord first view I didn't comment on, but second and third view it really pops out ...

The fart humor. It does nothing for the story, and I would even argue steals some of the thunder from the humor of the gadgets being sold over the phone, and from the final scene. It more or less telegraphed something really far-fetched was on the horizon.

Up until that point this came across as a great thriller. I was really into it and getting that hair-on-end rush. Flatulent bastard, in my humble opinion, doesn't work in this film. That scene with the cop could have been used to really get the blood pumping, and that pay off once the woman opens the door would have been all the more powerful.

Mi poco centavos.

aw
 
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I adore your humor, but still more in "The little mouth to feed". One of the things I enjoy in general more than other things are little well done details. This little hysterical sofa-decoration-dog is an amazing detail. The whole story is very funny and the end a surprise. :thumbup:
You are a professionist and it isn't necessary to say something like the acting was well done. This was a great film, but I prefer your previous works I watched, because they had more punch and this one seems to me a lighter version! BTW I prefer the first poster with the light blue telephone and the mouth. :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

Susanne
 
hey noel.

jack and I kinda had a similar instinct on this. he was operating that shot while I pulled focus. (it was a very complex pull on a moving target on a dolley) I was about to tell him drift right but he did it himslef. it adds a moment of relisation, and signals her shift in mood from annoyed to feeling somewhat sorry for getting angry. or well that's what I felt. maybe jack can elaborate more on his own thoughts on that pan.
 
Noel Evans said:
...I do have a question before I comment on something else. At 1.23 after the camera move, the camera drifts so she starts right of frame and drifts left to end of shot at 1.47. May I ask the motivation for this? And also Id be interested to hear why you chose to shoot cinema scope.
...
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In addition to the master that the scene plays in, we wanted to also do a tighter lateral tracking shot so we'd have something to cut to. Despite the brevity of the scenes, since we recorded Ben all on one day and he wasn't there to play the scenes with Blanchard, ample coverage was necessary to take care of pacing - if we read the line on set for her much slower or faster than whatever take of Ben we'd want to use later for example.

But we were running out of time so we decided to cover the scene in one shot (after she picks up the phone). For one thing it starts wide and moves closer and also it's a brief scene so if the pacing was close it should work fine.

So basically, as Timur said, the motivation of the camera movement is her gradual beat change / unit change / change of heart while he's talking. She starts the scene angry - but when he plays the "my job really sucks because of this stupid machine and I'm really sorry" card, she starts to believe him / back off the anger / feel guilty for getting angry. So yeah that's the motivation for the camera move. It gets a little weird at the end of the call but we're still in a different place from the beginning of the scene, both in terms of the framing and the story. The idea was to falsely warm up to the idea that he might actually stop calling before the barrage of calls. Turn turn turn. Always be turning right?

So looking forward to your follow up question now ... :)
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
So looking forward to your follow up question now ... :)
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Actually, youre response negates any follow up. I certainly, watching the shot, can see where you were coming from as far as explanation goes.

BTW, forgot to mention, the ball hitting him the face was a great finish.
 
Jack, this film is an exceptional piece of work. For awhile we thought you guys might actually choose to shoot this out here and we were hoping to have the chance to crew on it. I've got to grudgingly admit that you certainly hit a home run without us and I can't imagine you doing any better than with this cast.

Before I review the film proper, I wanted to comment that this script is truly a classic Twilight Zone fit. I actually had wondered how many people would choose to produce a comedy given that the original Twilight Zone relied on several comedic episodes each season. Some examples would include "Once Upon A Time", which was an outright slapstick romp that starred Buster Keaton and others were more nuanced comedies such as "One for the Angels" starring Ed Wynn. In fact, casting Ben Bailey in this role is so reminiscent of the type of casting that Rod Serling used to go for in the original series.

"Cold Calls" fits the template of the series perfectly in that it twists the knife in the end by using a scenario very familiar for the viewer in an incongruous context (the layers of irony in the short are awesome). So, I expect this gem will be on most people's very short lists indeed if they appreciate how neatly it fills Rod Seriling's prototype for the series in addition to its obvious technical accomplishments.

Ok, now let me discuss some of the elements of the film that I noted.

The camera work is brilliant, in my humble opinion. That opening shot with the rack focus is extraordinary. The phone is almost irridescent and the reveal of Blanchard better show up on your reel or you're an idiot.

The opening title float tracked in the kitchen is best of show for me.

Great work on the sound design and mixing. Ben's voice is astonishingly perfect for this role. His personality comes through just like it does on Cash Cab.

F*cking great dog-wrangling. Did that little sucker come with the house? Having the dog-bed right there is one of those little details that makes such a difference too. By the way, Blanchard's wardrobe is so well done. Everything seemed so natural. Did you guys have her bring a bunch of stuff to choose from or did you work it out in pre-production what you specifically needed. She's a great presence on screen and seems to really inhabit the space rather than playing a part.

When you cut from the entry hall phone to the bedroom it's perfectly registered. Insanely so. Was that eyeballed or did you actually measure camera position for both shots?

There's a lot of subtle sound work that makes the difference between film school and pro work. For instance, when Blanchard sits up in bed that little "whoosh" accompanying the zoom is subliminal to the point of being almost invisible. However, it completely charges the scene perfectly.

The montage score with the hyperbole of the VO is my favorite part of the film. I love Blanchard's expressions and found myself wondering how you got all of that shot in the time you had.

Did you use a smoker to put that haze in the closet during the "cheese of the month" dialogue? I liked the look but it seemed to bloom a little bit continuity-wise in the close-up shot. I do feel the overall lighting is the best I've seen in this fest. Really beautifully shot frames, guys.

God, the reveal of Ben with the ball is a classic. Again, if you don't put this on your reel you are an idiot.

Such great production design of that space. The fan is priceless!

***

Overall this was just so beautifully cut that I can't imagine how it could be improved. I do hope people really give attention to the way the score and sound design are put together with the edit to make this thing work the way it does. Comedy is SO friggin' difficult to pull off and you make it look effortless. This short deserves to be on Funny or Die or a similar site for certain.

This is easily a finalist and likely the winner of the whole enchilada. People have high expectations for you and I'm just wondering how the hell you always exceed them. Brilliant work, Jack, Barry and Timur. We really look forward to shooting with you soon. If we gotta come there, we will.

Mark (the Dude)
 
Really loved this film. There was definitely a couple times when I chuckled pretty hard. I thought it was great that you one-upped the yoga ball (or whatever it's called) with the guy hitting himself in the face with the bouncy ball at the end. Great job. :thumbup:
 
Loved it!
Don't have anything much different to say than has been said. I groaned when the trace on the call came back. I thought, "Really? Such a strong film and they went that way with it?" But, it was totally redeemed only moments later. Outsourcing! Hilarious. Great work.
 
Mark Johnson said:
great dog-wrangling. Did that little sucker come with the house?
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Indeed he did. Lalo was awesome and he hit his mark over and over. Cheddar cheese from the Price Rite was his weakness, and our makeup artist worked him up into a frenzy before each take.

When you cut from the entry hall phone to the bedroom it's perfectly registered. Insanely so. Was that eyeballed or did you actually measure camera position for both shots?
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The ol' Sharpie and saran wrap trick... So yes it was measured, in that we outlined it on a sheet of saran wrap taped over the LCD and lined it up that way.

I love Blanchard's expressions and found myself wondering how you got all of that shot in the time you had.
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It's rather amazing how fast you can move when you don't have to worry about recording sound...

Did you use a smoker to put that haze in the closet during the "cheese of the month" dialogue?
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A party fogger, yes.

Foggers are hell. You should always have three or four of 'em going, if you want to have a prayer of getting done on time!


Brilliant work, Jack, Barry and Timur. We really look forward to shooting with you soon. If we gotta come there, we will.
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Well, thank you so much on behalf of all of us, and also the rest of our fantastic crew and our gracious host. It was a total delight to work on this, and yes we definitely look forward to working with F.M. again!
 
wow. your film lived up to its billing!

first i want to thank you for linking my banners to my flicks!

i read most of the above posts so i dont repeat something a million times... but too damn bad...


loved the acting. the caller was amazing! he fell out of a spielberg movie or something. he reminded me of the robot in A.I. or something. happily possessed to do his job and nothing more, nothing less.

the lead was great too. i really liked all of the different locations.

i also could do without the ending. " that's prob for you, " is more than strong enough to end it on.

i thought it was also very strong to match the thump thump thump with that of the ball against the wall. too cool. as i stated before, thanks so much for sharing all of your info!
 
Extremely entertaining short! Everything was in the right place at the right time. Tech wise
I would stay away from the vignetting, but it does bring a certain amount of focus inward to
the character. Dead pan delivery always works on me:) Good stuff. The only thing that bugs
me is imo the short sits on the very edge of the Twilight theme:(
 
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