"Last Touch" - a Norm Sanders film

Well Norm, I think that you've reached a level of professionalism with this film that is a bar for many of the rest of us to try and reach.

Should I even bother to make minor nitpicks? The score was good, but I'm not sure that it matched the emotions quite perfectly and I think some more intensity in some places could have really benefited the film and put it over-the-top. The only other thing that bugged me was that the gash on the guy's head was so massive that I can't imagine they wouldn't have put a full bandage over it instead of those little band-aid thingies--I mean it's practically an open wound.

Loved the acting, the photography, and the great story twist.

Congratulations on making it to the second round!

John
 
Hey, great film.

I thought it was shot beautifully and it was really professinal. Real attention to detail. Only thing I thought was lacking was the script. It was a good concept just not executed to the fullest extent. By that I mean I did'nt really belive the ending when it happened. He seem so sorry for her but then didn't really hesitate to take her out at the end. Building a little more tenstion I think would have helped.
 
Hey man. Congrats on reaching the finals. I have to say though, I have mixed feelings about your film.

I thought the acting was a little weak... it made the husband come of insincere (though I guess deep down he was), but I don't think that's the intention. My interpretation is that he was sincere, until literally faced with the reality of what he's asking for.. then he buckles. So the acting kind of muddles that whole irony... though it still comes across... just not as well as it should.

Technically speaking it was very well done. While i was skeptical of the performances, I still got goosebumps when all the crazy shiz was going down... very creepy.. props to that.

But yeah, good job, congrats on reaching the finals.. and good luck placing at the top!
 
B Plot/Continuity
A- Character Development/Acting
B- Music/Singing
A- Directing/Editing
B+ Cinematography/Special Effects
Overall B+

A touch of Twilight Zone here. Good tone and feel and a Disturbing ending.
 
Congrats - my wife who could care less about technical loved the plot and the feeling - she said she was really into the story and didn't care about the technical ups and downs - I believe this is what any filmmaker is after!
 
Great photography (composition/lighting), good idea, but the dialogue kept pulling me out. For example, "You're awake!". Who would say that. We don't need to hear it either, you're showing us his excitement at her awakened state, and we've seen her awake. Also the acting I didn't buy at all - she looks way too healthy and stable to be near death, and I could tell he was trying to look sorry. My favorite part was the doctor, really solid acting skills, he definitely brought a lot of nuance and mystery to his scene.

Now the idea - a great one, really. What would happen if all of a sudden I'm feeling my life drain away and I know the solution is to kill the person that's killing me. Hmmmmm. Food for thought there. So your film stayed with me and it elicited thought. Which is really good. Congratulations!
 
Great looking film. Some of the dialogue was too exposition heavy and not really information that the audience needed to know - like the details about the red light. The characters already know that stuff so they don't need to say it to each other. Also all we need to know is that he feels responsible. We don't even need to know if he's right about that or not. Unecessary to the story and falls under the category of things the author feels like the audience needs to know but doesn't. As such some of the early dialogue would really challenge any actor.

I'm of two minds about the line where he says how miserable he is. My first isntinct is cut that sucker out of their. It's SOOOO unnatractive, selfish, and distasteful for a husband, especially one who may be responsible for his wife's near death condition, to be telling her how miserable he is. Really turned me off to his character and pushed me out of the peice. If he just tells her he would do anything to change places with her and we see that he's hurting, that's enough. It's always better to see these things and have them unspoken in dialogue anyway. Let the actors play it. But here - ugh such a gross thing to say IMHO. My only other thought on it is that, well, in the end he does turn out to be a douchebag. So maybe it's consistent. But I still think you should cut it. Makes the end less of a surprise if you keep it and pushes me out in a bad way early on.

Very well shot and edited. A Solid piece of work, which is no surprise.
:beer:
 
Jack, et al, thanks for the additional, and SPECIFIC feedback! I've been caught up in other things since the fest wrapped, so haven't taken time to reply until now.

I'm looking at making some cuts/adjustments now to the full cut (before adding the book ends I took out, to make the 6 minute max time), so we can get it out to other festivals, based on the consistent feedback I'm hearing on some of the lines.

Jack, always respect your opinion, so giving much weight to what you said above.
 
Re reading it now, it come off a bit over-harsh I think, just because I was in a rush and trying to get the reviews out.

It does look really great and it's a cool concept and pretty solid in general. The poster and key art and such is really nice too.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
Re reading it now, it come off a bit over-harsh I think, just because I was in a rush and trying to get the reviews out.
Click to expand...

Nah, it's all good, Jack. When I all cap'd "specific", I meant it as in I appreciated it (I mean, isn't that what we all want, vs. generalizations?), not that I thought anything you said was harsh or overly brash in the least.

So again, much appreciated, and value what you said. Have an email off to the writer, pointing to those specific things, as well as other consistencies that I've seen in feedback ... since I'm so 'community' in my actual onset production of a film, I keep that mindset all the way through final post as well ... though I still call the final, I like to give folks a voice for their opinion before I make changes, etc.

Simon, look forward to it, thanks!
 
Would look forward to some feedback from anyone who may check up on this thread:

Jack brought up some great points, much of which is being taken into account for a final edit on the full cut. However, I'd like feedback from folks on one thing Jack mentioned, that I'd like to see if it's ringing true for others as well.

He states that when the lead says "I'm miserable...", that it's a whiny, selfish thing to say, as he should be concerned about the wife, not stating how he is feeling. However, the intent of that line was to let her know how guilty he feels, how much he loves her, and therefore how much anguish he's feeling over her being in there ... not really to call attention to "look at me" sort of thing, but to show he cares, and wishes so badly that things could be different.

So, for those of you reading this, and have seen the film, which was did that section ring to you? Selfish, and a rotten line to say, or did it seem to you that he cared, incredibly so, and made that section more moving?

Would love your thoughts, and thanks for your time! :)
 
For me, it seems a little on the nose and unnecessary. And yeah, I can see how it also can come off as selfish. "YOU'RE miserable? I'm dying, you insensitive prick!"

I definitely think that it would be no loss to the story to cut it, his sorrow and regret comes across in the performance.
 
Jack has a great point. You might as well lose the line. It works without it. If you had a moment of hesitation or anguish on his face then that says more than the line.
 
Without waiting for the final FINAL touches from the sound guys (Justin on the music, and Glenn on the final sound mix/design), I went ahead & sent the final revised FULL cut (approx 8 minutes ... a final ending not seen in the DVXuser cut) off to the Action On Film festival, along with three other older short shorts I've done over the past couple of years. If they choose to show them all, I'll have four showings down in Pasadena this year, and also hopefully four extra credits to add onto IMDB. :)

I still have THREE more shorts that I could eventually submit to that fest, but they were my first works & I'm not sure I want anyone to see them, lol (even though all the original DVXuser crowd has, since the first short I ever made was for the DVXuser Zombie fest!).
 
I know this is a tad late, but I've just watched this short and thought it abs brill, so many people say 'I wish i could be suffering instead of you', but, like the doctor said, how many mean it?
although I wasn't too keen on the acting, the storyline was good.

Thank you, and Good Luck with the AOF fest :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top