"Last Touch" - a Norm Sanders film

Damed! :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):

I already knew it when I saw the grabs.

There goes first place.

Congrats Norm - phantatstic job.

One of my rare 10-Stars. :beer:

Frank
 
Wow! Incredible look and feel here Norm. Good pacing and three solid turns of beat.

A few things that give me a bit of pause. The age gap...at first I was wondering if she was his daughter. There appears to easily be upwards of 15 years between them. Granted, that's possible, but still. Second, what injury is possible for such a young girl to sustain that would take days to kill you that modern medicine couldn't stop? Someone my age like that is either going to die in trauma...or live. Heck, my buddy was beat to hell in a car wreck and he lived, a quadraplegic, but he lived. Everyone was acting as if it was end-game cancer, whilst talking about it being a car wreck.

But GREAT look and feel, loved the cinematography, the music, etc. Solid edit too. Tons of work went into this and it solidly shows.
 
Wow Frank & Shawn, I'm flattered thank you!

Shawn, you've brought up some good points. I didn't think there was too visible of an age gap, but perhaps the makeup made the character of Rick look older (he's REAL hard to guess age in person)....

Good question on the car/injury part as well, as it's been discussed around my house with my wife, friends, etc. My only thought to that was that internal injuries are tricky & unpredictable things. Perhaps liver failure, bleeding from the spleen that can't be stopped, or who knows.

That said, neither of these are things I can really explain in the film, so if it's taking people out of it at all because they're wondering about it ... well, then that's something I need to learn from & plan better for in the future on the next project. :)

Thanks again for the feedback guys! Frank, any specifics on what you loved?



For any future posts on here, this thread is for everyone on the cast & crew to be able to see what worked & what didn't, so if you have specific feedback, we would LOVE to hear it! If the feedback is generally positive, let us know if there's still at least ONE thing you think could have been improved ... or in contrast ... if the feedback is generally negative, let us know at least one thing that DID work for you. :)



I've JUST downloaded every single film, am transferring them to my flash drive, and will begin watching tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing your films as well, and getting you some feedback!
 
Great work, Norm. The Twilight Fest theme really comes through but it's amazing how well this works for Loss Fest.

The SFX shot that Simon did was right on the money! Very well executed.

As for the accident.... there are plenty of internal injuries that are difficult to deal with, I just assumed this was the case. There is only so much a surgeon can do. Sometimes people can recoup, sometimes they can't.

The payoff at the end was excellent. Very well shot as well.

Both actors were great but the male lead really stole the show at the end.

Nice work!

MAH
 
Norm,

this is by far your best work yet. I think you had a chance to really direct this time, since you were behind the camera the entire time.

The one thing that didn't work for me was also the age gap as Shawn mentioned above. I believed everything else though, and was along for the ride the entire time. It had my heart thumping when he held her hand, good work Norm! One of the stand outs so far!!
 
OMG powerful performance from the leads for sure! great looking film, great direction ... very well put together! I really enjoyed it! The age gap was visible but wasn't giving me any issue...
 
I liked this one a lot!

Great performances, nice shots, lighting and great editing. Nice job directing this!

I just have a few comments. I don't know, but it felt a little cheezy with that added visual effect when they first hold hands and switch. Also, given that the story was a little strange, off - the music was perhaps a little intrusive and slightly too sentimental?

Again, great work!
 
What a fantastic short. I was engrossed in this from beginning to end. Your actors were fantastic, it was well directed and well edited. Really brought up a great point about how actions speak louder than words.

My favourite so far!

Kegan
 
Wow, that was dark. I love dark movies and this did not disappoint.

There are two twists in this film and I loved them both. Really it was the last twist that made the whole thing work for me. Great ending.

I thought the actors were very good and the effects work was spot on.

Well done.
 
Solid outing, Norm. I'm glad you didn't take it where it looked like it was going...the swap. That would have been just too predictable.

There were times when the acting didn't quite do it for me. I thought it was a bit overwrought with the whole taking the kids to six flags exchange. Just felt a little soap opera-ish. But overall the acting was there.

Loved the Doctor. Nice and creepy and to the point with his question. Makeup-wise, Rick's injuries looked much worse than Dawn's. I thought she looked much too nice for having been in such a bad accident. Kind of like the movies you see the women wake up and their makeup is perfect. This is just a nit, though.

Overall, I thought you showed a steady hand directing and got the story across. The framing and look of the short was very good, too.

Since this is the first competitive short I've watched, it'll be the benchmark.

Once again, this was a solid outing for you. Your best since, "Where Silence Falls." :thumbup::thumbup:
 
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Great film. It looked fantastic. The Dr. was creepy for sure. the way you pushed in on him made him even more so.

The final scene was fantastic.
 
Norm, well this is my favorite work I've seen from you thus far. From a Directing pov, it's both your strongest in relation to shot choice and performances. (I haven't seen Berlin) so keep that in mind :)

David Kubiczky was great... I really enjoyed his performance and he's a strong, dramatic, convincing actor. They are going over heavy, emotional stuff and it's so ridiculously easy to turn cheesy and be over the top... So many actors/directors would mess this up bad... but you guys didn't :) So, excellent work on that end, the both of you.

Megan did an excellent job as well. I wish I could say more on her performance but I think she did exactly what she was intended to do; support Davids performance. She doesn't over do him and just adds to his pain, tension and drama.

On the flipside... even though I've heard it said that they are similar in age, the makeup on David makes him look to old for her. Meanwhile, her makeup makes her look much younger... the apparent age gap was for almost too much for me and there were too many times where it just took me out of the story. I just didn't believe that she could be his wife, a daughter perhaps, but not his wife. It sucks that little things like that can grab your attention... but with shorts, we've got such a limited time to show it all and it's kind of like first impressions, we formulated an opinion, a random thought and it's hard to ignore later on... you're constantly fighting that initial thought. So, yes, you hope as the story progresses, people forget about those things and just concentrate on the story, but those initial reactions take longer than six minutes to forget about.

Nicely shot by Dempsey, very fitting and in sync with the rest of your vision. Durban nailed the music similarly.

Storywise, to be honest, I didn't like the ending at all (and I typically go for more dark endings myself)... I like the 'transfer'... but I wish he'd gotten what he asked for... I understand the holding/clasped hands thing as maintaining this tension and urgency but it was almost a little too much for me... I really believed he cared for his wife and believed him when he said he wished he could trade... so it was hard for me to accept that he would suddenly do what he did. It contradicted him in so many ways, the actions didn't seem to fit the character which now existed in my mind. I'd rather see him take it and redeem himself.

But like I said, still my favorite from you :)
 
Hi Norm- Chantelle Nelson here. I'd really like to chime in...

The beginning really caught me- I liked it a lot. Not a fan of the husband's acting, but I believed her character.

I really did not like the last half at all. He kills her??? I understand that the doctor sort of gives him his wish- I got that.

But I didn't like how you executed that idea.

Blaine said:
Solid outing, Norm. I'm glad you didn't take it where it looked like it was going...the swap. That would have been just too predictable.
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I disagree!

I do not feel that it would have been too much to do the swap. In fact, I would have liked it a whole lot more- the fact that he kills her? I can't get over it- it seemed so sudden. "I can't love you" was so over-dramatic and sudden.

Also, the rings flashing? Seriously?

Sorry, Norm :) I just had to be honest...

I thought it "looked" great though- lighting, etc. So I'll give you that.

-Chantelle
 
I liked the film. I thought the performances were really good and everything was well shot and lit. The ending was totally not what I expected and very dark, but those are the kind of things that make us different. This is why it's fun to watch indie films, because you'll get something that surprises you.
 
Thanks everyone for the honest feedback, MUCH appreciated! I'm glad that people either LOVE the film, or well ... not hate it, but you get the idea. The fact that it's polarizing people vs. leaving everyone in a "meh"/bland state, is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It means it struck something in the viewer, whether good or bad, and left an impact of some kind.

Kegan Sant said:
Really brought up a great point about how actions speak louder than words.
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That's EXACTLY hitting the nail on the head, Kegan! We could have delivered the 1-2-3 scenario, and given the viewer what's expected once the Dr. comes in after he states he wishes [WARNING - SPOILER AHEAD] he could trade places with her, but not only would it have just fulfilled what we assume would happen, thus making it predictable, but also wouldn't point out that it's easier to say something than actually do it. In this case the husband truly loves his wife & has good intentions, but when push comes to shove he simply can't do it & panics, self preservation kicking in.

Since this was originally written for TwilightFest (never began production during that time, due to location issues), this theme really sticks well with that genre, because TwilightZone episodes were very often where someone has an opportunity to do something heroic, but falls short due to one human natured flaw or another. It just worked out perfect for us that the script would also work for LossFest!

Chris Messineo said:
There are two twists in this film and I loved them both. Really it was the last twist that made the whole thing work for me. Great ending.
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Thanks, Chris, that was our "rope-a-dope", trying to feed the audience what they thought was the obvious twist, only to hit them with another even more shocking one. Glad it worked for you.

Blaine said:
Loved the Doctor. Nice and creepy and to the point with his question. Makeup-wise, Rick's injuries looked much worse than Dawn's. I thought she looked much too nice for having been in such a bad accident.
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Thanks Blaine for ALL of your feedback! Tim (the Dr.) will love hearing these comments, as well of course David & Megan. As for the makeup/injuries, I TOTALLY get what you & others are saying. Of course, having to explain a point on anything is futile, because it shouldn't have to be explained, so I won't ... just thought I'd take a second to point out an interesting analogy: These wounds, or wounds like them can mirror human life. Often times we look at someone and think from the exterior that they've got it all together, when inside they're dying, an absolute wreck ... and then we're surprised when they commit suicide, etc. Then there are other people that we look at and on the outside seems like SO much is wrong, yet they've got this deep, unexplainable peace inside of them, and while that on the outside may be a mess, their core is whole. Eh, okay, maybe stupid analogy, but it's 2am now, so why not? :)

filthrich said:
Great film. It looked fantastic. The Dr. was creepy for sure. the way you pushed in on him made him even more so.

The final scene was fantastic.
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Thanks, Filthrich! I think I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but we shot this in 1080, so it allowed me some GREAT leway in working with this in a 720 project, so I could readjust framing if needed, add some pushes, pulls, dolly, crane movement etc. that was't there in the actual production.

Geoff_R said:
On the flipside... even though I've heard it said that they are similar in age, the makeup on David makes him look to old for her. Meanwhile, her makeup makes her look much younger... the apparent age gap was for almost too much for me and there were too many times where it just took me out of the story. I just didn't believe that she could be his wife, a daughter perhaps, but not his wife. It sucks that little things like that can grab your attention... but with shorts, we've got such a limited time to show it all and it's kind of like first impressions, we formulated an opinion, a random thought and it's hard to ignore later on... you're constantly fighting that initial thought. So, yes, you hope as the story progresses, people forget about those things and just concentrate on the story, but those initial reactions take longer than six minutes to forget about.
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Geoff, I respect your opinion a LOT, and have taken this to heart, as well a lot of the other comments that are coming on here from everyone. While I don't regret in the least my choices for the cast on this, I do wish I had paid better attention to the make up, so as to have reduced the appearance of age difference between them. While it may not be a big deal for some, it's something I'm hearing enough now that it is a concern, and is something to keep in mind in the future when working with the MUA, etc. Love your attention to detail in the feedback, and you've got an excellent point above, on the how/why. Much appreciated.

Chantellyssa said:
................ Not a fan of the husband's acting.........
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Chantellyssa said:
I really did not like the last half at all. He kills her??? I understand that the doctor sort of gives him his wish- I got that.

But I didn't like how you executed that idea.
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Thanks for the feedback, Chantell, which I truly do value. Like any film, actor, etc....some will resonate well with people, and some won't. If I were to follow the happy ending angle and/or have the husband follow through with it & sacrifice himself, I fear there would be too many people saying it was predictable instead.

That said, I'm fully aware that literally EVERY film I've done has had a dark/twist ending of one kind or another. I desperately want to do a comedy next, and then you'll get your happy(ier) ending! :)

Chantellyssa said:
"I can't love you" was so over-dramatic and sudden.
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In the script it doesn't say "I can't love you", and I know that's not what he was intending to say here, and don't believe it was, though it certainly DOES sound like it! :) David really got into this performance, and was flat out exhausted after filming it just a few times ... so that was to some extent genuine panic and mixing of words you're hearing coming out at that moment.

Chantellyssa said:
Also, the rings flashing? Seriously?
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Seriously. Although for the full cut I'll ask Simon if he can tone down the actual flash to much more of a subtle glow. I initially didn't know what exactly I wanted in that first cut of the hands coming together, and I asked him to throw something together we could talk about. He came up with the suggestion of the rings glowing, which I liked ... it also then shows that much more dramatically the rings going black as the transfer takes place in the second shot.
 
Wow, this was a powerful film! I really liked the ending, caught me by surprise as intended. This was a nice story that was well executed, one of the top 3 I have seen so far in this fest in my opinion.
 
Really enjoyed this film...loved the twist at the end! After seeing it, it really was a TwilightFest film more than a LossFest film to me. If there was anything I can comment on, it would be that some of the acting wasn't quite there, but acting as if you're on your deathbed isn't easy. (he looked like he was hurt worst than she did)

I liked the look of this film and the score worked well in building the emotional aspect.
Great job to all involved!
 
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