Ossian - a Nelson Entertainment Production

You did a much better job on the grading of this than on the original version of Aetas. The music was haunting and set the tone for the whole thing. I never really felt a connection with the woman, though. It felt to me as if I was on the outside looking in. I didn't feel I was given enough information to properly care about her or her situation.

That said, you did a great job shooting it.

It would have been nice to see some credits that complemented the pictures you shot.
 
Interesting - i mean this film is among my favourites for the entry - and definatley fits in with the British arthouse scene quite neatly (and of course I know your a Yank hehe) but it definately had a distinct vibe seperate to what most of the American films share.

Of course is that the pipes music, the period setting - perhaps.

The film features a beautiful score, and as a whole the story i think is quite simple (much like a condensed folk tale.) In that regards it works!

Some of the imagery might be a little contrived outside the states - the appearance and style is akin to the 'oh what poverty' - irish/scottish (in particular) melodramas for which films like Braveheart are probably the most well known in the States.

So it's good but perhaps not as 'sacred' outside the USA perspective. I personally enjoy the film more when percieving it as a 'dream like story' as something more metaphorical.

Where as a historical/spiritual piece i think it comes off a little too 'clean' (in the girls makeup and condition of her dress) to seem so 'accurate' - at least with the grim image it portrays with its grading and landscape.

In terms of composition, i found the landscapes slope to be a little jarring at times.

Overall an enjoyable piece, and a little different to the US entries I've been watching so far. I think Aetas and this film share some themes, but are actually quite strong in their distinct ways - so I wouldnt really compare them as some have.
 
Hey Shawn,

Just watched the film. I saw a comment last night about comparing this to Aetas, and I can see where they'd get that ... if nothing else because you're one of the only filmmakers on here to really successfully pull off an epic look such as that, and then this also has a period/ageless epic feel to it, the music, etc. That said, it's otherwise totally different, of course. :)

I dug that this entire film had no dialogue, and still made sense to a degree. I understood that the older boy WAS THE baby in the chest, though I have no idea how or why he was suddenly out of the chest & grown up? That said, I still liked what I saw, and the payoff that came with it.

Excellent music by Herman, of course, and SOLID camera work (LOVED some of the gorgeous framing in that ... SO theatrical!).

My biggest critique I guess would have been the titles as well, though it doesn't impact the story at all, you do want the viewer to stay with the professional taste in their mouth from beginning to end, so I'd suggest just choosing a different font, or at the VERY least don't have the words squeezing together like that. Simple static credits, fading/disolving to the next would suffice just fine. :)
 
Yes to add the titles - especially the end titles were quite the opposite of epic (they were even a bit tacky) which really runs counter to this very classy arty piece. Perhaps something elegant and traditional for the titles and credits?
 
I repent! The titles were such an after thought. They will be corrected immediately after the fest. Please don't dock me for my late-evening title shenanigans :-/
 
Oh im totally with you there Shawn, I've had some terrible titles thrown in at the last second! So anyway with all your recenty arty epics sure you're an American? ;)

You should take a holiday in Scotland - it would be great to see what you could make of the highlands and our lochs :)
 
Bah! I don't think anyone's going to dock you for the titles, lol (sure hope folks are more mature than THAT). Just a note to change it before sending off to anything else, which looks like you're going to do. :)
 
lawriejaffa said:
Oh im totally with you there Shawn, I've had some terrible titles thrown in at the last second! So anyway with all your recenty arty epics sure you're an American? ;)

You should take a holiday in Scotland - it would be great to see what you could make of the highlands and our lochs :)
Click to expand...

lol, thank you sir. I already have!
Here's a pic I took of the highlands. Not nearly as good as I'd like, it was taken from behind grungy glass onboard a train that was going between Edinburgh and Inverness.

My wife and I honeymooned in London, did day trips to Taunton and Windsor, then took the eastern train up to Edinburgh where we stayed for three days. From there we did a day trip through the highlands to Inverness.

I miss the UK terribly, though I only spent 12 days there. Too expensive at this juncture to go back (doing it "cheaply", no car rental, etc, cost me over $5,000usd before). I'd certainly love to shoot a movie there.
 

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Awee well wonderful - well if your ever up to Bonnie Scotland again let me know and ill take you all out to dinner hehe (Scottish film producer hospitality!) I hope you enjoyed your visit too (okay ill stop rabitting on now!) ;) - Gorgeous pic too!
 
Shawn,

This is a more artistic, personal piece compared to some of your other work I've seen. It's difficult to critique it in a traditional sense because more artsy films aren't meant to be interpreted literally. The performances, cinematography, music, editing are all good in my book. From a purely tech perspective, I found the arrival of the new, grown boy to be awkward... he lingered too long in the corners of the frame and didn't flow into the story well.

Storywise... I got the message and understand what is going on but I didn't know what to derive from it. A feeling of hope? of yearning for an impossible future? of confusion? I don't know if the girl is hallucinating or receiving a vision, or if literally the boy had transformed and was moving on to another life (either physically or spiritually). These questions drowned emotional connection to both the boy and the girl. I kept searching for an answer instead of feeling the moment. Again, not sure on the intentions of the piece so whose to say any of my thoughts have any relevance :)

To me, this is one of those films that reminds me of an abstract painting. I don't mean that in a negative way. With abstract art, it's usually not constructed from any particular viewpoint, it's a pure expression of a moment, an emotion, a mixture of creative passion that needs to get out. What each and every person interprets from it is theirs and theirs alone, including the artist.
 
Shawn,

I didn't really grasp the story but I definitely related to it on a very visceral level. About three shots in you had me totally hooked!

You have a great visual sense. For me the costume, props, colors, etc all worked wonderfully! And the actress...wow! I would love to use her in a film some day. She has amazing gravity when she is on screen.

And the score by Herman was just stunning...

Good job!
 
To everyone asking/giving what the movie is about...great! Keep them coming! i love hearing everyone's perspective on what it means to them. I'll reveal what it is to me once the voting is closed. I'll say that I meant it to be simple and more emotionally felt then left-brain-intellectualized (which is saying a lot coming from me, I've a degree in Computer Science, i get paid to only use my left brain :-D
 
I for one (sure there are many others) appreciate you giving us something original that stands out. Cheers and beers for you.
 
Beautifully shot as always! That lens is WAY cool... and I loved the grading. I can't say I really understood or was drawn into the story, but a couple more views might get me there. Costumes, acting...and the score, top notch.

Really good job to all...and who doesn't love a baby zombie flick? I was waiting for the boy to bite into her neck when he bent to whisper into her ear! LOL!

Just kidding...kudos on ANOTHER great film! Love your work.
 
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