"MODEL / PHOTOGRAPHER" - an ELOQUENT GRAFFITI prelude – a film by SABI

Beautiful looking film. Great performances and a lot of great moments. Very good storytelling.

Only problem for me is I think that with the pacing and amount of story, this would work better as a segment of a longer film. I'm looking forward to seeing how this integrates into the feature, if you choose to do that.

This reminded me in some ways of Hotel Chevalier, which, although I liked it very much, had a similar problem.
 
There was so much I didn't know- the who's, what's, why's, the history, the intentions, everything. But it didn't matter because I knew it all was there in the ether. I could feel it seeping through the screen at every moment. It's inside the character's heads and they showed it on screen, allowing the viewer to see the depth of their situation, whatever that might be.

Brilliant casting, editing, directing, music, and cinematography.

It spoke to me on a subconscious level, and I appreciate that so much. All I could do was sit back, take a breath, and say, Wow.

Congrats!
 
I get more emotional talking/thinking about this film than I do watching it... Not sure what that means, exactly. Not meant as an insult by any means... I think quite the opposite... Just that it resonates deeply.
 
Great job, Zak, and everyone else who worked on the film. I really enjoyed it, and not in a "this is pretty good for a DVXuser short" kind of way, but in a "I forgot I'm watching a DVXuser short" sort of way, if that makes sense.

On the technical side, was the Spiderbrace (if that's what I spotted in your gear video) enough to keep the D90 jello at bay? I didn't really spot any problems in the whole short, even in the driving stuff which is sometimes hard to keep under control when I've done it before. Did you end up rejecting any footage for that reason, or was it all more or less rock solid? Also, did you do any noise reduction in the post-production phase?

The other thing that I wanted to mention is the sound design. It really helps create a cinematic world and gives the images a real weight - something I often struggle with when looking at D90 footage. The sound design as well as the careful compositions, use of color and lighting, and the performances all draw you in so quickly that it smooths over any bumps that might've otherwise stood out. The rough edges become part of the aesthetic, not just reminders that we'd all rather be shooting on Scarlets.

Again, great work!
 
Oedipax, i went purely handheld, no spiderbrace. you can see me operating on the shot that get progressively closer to her as she poses here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-Iv_h4y-8

my "secret" for avoiding jello is a 28mm lens and only panning when i have a subject (like an actor) to anchor the pan to so the audience doesn't look at the background. but other than that i stick to static frames that have complimentary eye-trace (the film is heavily loaded on the left side of the frame) and limit camera movement to pushing in and pulling back. no side to side unless i'm following something.

the final shot of the film was accomplished by sitting backwards in the passenger seat of the car while john drove. keep in mind i'm 6'2" and 300 lbs. i tucked my head between the windshield and the dash so i could see what i was shooting.
 
this is a goody.

very pretty, very engaging.
a simple story told simply.
love that cold light outside.

John T Woods is a talented guy.
So is Mary Elise Hayden -- but what Mr. Woods did in this piece without words was great stuff.
Definitely the best performances so far for me.
 
I really enjoyed this film. Loved the look & feel, great job with that D90 Zak. Everything fell together, images, acting, score...and the emotions it evokes (having been there, done that a few times in my life).

Congratulations to all involved and I'm looking forward to the full-length feature in the near future!
 
this was ...awesome. Am i missing something though? At the beginning of this thread there were frames posted that I did not see in the download from Loss Fest...also there seems to be more actors credited than the actual film shows.

I know I have to be missing the boat
 
Hey Zak, nothing to be said that hasn't been said already. Awesome in many ways. Pereformances, compositions, lighting, editing, you guys killed it. Hate you for making it look so easy. Your work has been a big inspiration for what I tried to get at in the EVIE short, and some of the moments I am trying to bring into my work as a whole.

I don't think your synopsis makes much sense with what I see in the short, so I ignored it when viewing.

M
 
Zak you did a great job with this one. I was really thinking about upgrading to a D90. This could film could have me getting my credit card out soon!!

I've seem some really bad stuff from the D90 and some really good. Your film is really good. It did great for shooting at night. Was it hand held? I didn't even notice because I was wrapped up in the story and thinking Nikon stuff!!

The story was good, the acting was good. This is one of my favorites so far and you get an extra star for using a Nikon!!
 
Zak, you know i've been looking forward to this short for a while now - especially since i've been hanging around in the D90 forum the past few months, way before i decided to get involved in the festival. that said, i am pleased with the look of the camera, and of course that has all to do with your effort to get what you needed from it. it's just a tool, and you crafted a great-looking piece from it.

ok enough tech talk, on to the meat and potatoes... as much as i wanted to see EG in this fest, Mo/Pho is a great little prelude, probably more suitable for the fest than what you originally had in mind. i'm glad you went this rout, rather than just dropping out after the 'gamechanger' decision.

transparent and inspired acting, they really nailed it. the hard work pays off. same for you and your editor - everyone doing their jobs well = art.

not much else i can say that hasn't been said, or that you don't already know, so thanks...
 
Mark Harris said:
I don't think your synopsis makes much sense with what I see in the short, so I ignored it when viewing.

M
Click to expand...
about that synopsis, it came out of a fear that viewers might not have enough to grab onto. so I spent five seconds turning what had been my direction to the actors into a brief background synopsis. but even as we shot it, and again as we edited it, the nature of the short changed. so yeah, ignore it.
 
Zak,

the more I've been thinking about your short, and about you, and your style I've come to an opinion.

And so... I'm going to give it :D

I think that you know how to show real human drama, in a way many wish they could. I'd love to see that paired up with some real pretty cinematography. Not taking anything away from the "real, gritty" look you have, but maybe enhancing that, and maybe also adding some other elements, maybe make it less minimalistic, while keeping what you know, that human drama.

I think you could have a Slumdog Millionaire esque film. Which to me, is brilliant. That film to me had the human drama, and the feel of a slick film.

Now, you may hate SM and if so... anything I've said probably wouldn't really make any impact on you whatsoever :D but I'm just wanting Zak's human drama to become "mainstream impactful" I think it can.
 
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