Anyone willing to list their TOP TEN Lossfest Films?

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Zak Forsman said:
Now i feel comfortable posting my list.... the deeper you get into it, the more you'll notice that technical prowess was not a top priority for me.

1. Acceptance
2. Tiny Dancer
3. Lost Year
4. Melody For Allyriane
5. Lost at Sea
6. Again To Return
7. Stupendous
8. Falling Up
9. The Fishermen
10. Brand New Kitty
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bummer, given the glowing review you gave me, would you say why Ossian was inferior to all of these? Go ahead and lay me open
 
Zak Forsman said:
it wasn't. oversight. i need to be more careful. these lists are bad news.
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sorry to pick on you specifically, just bad timing. This fest has me really, really confused. I get a ton of extremely positive reviews, no major problems except a few minor technical quibs for a few and I don't even place in the top ten. Compare this to Timefest, which had a more competitive field, Aetas got a TON more complaints and I place 5th with it.

So after all the reviews that Ossian got, with many people (yourself included) noting my improvement, I felt I was top 3, at least top 5, so to not even place was a big old smack of 'WTF?'
 
shawneous said:
sorry to pick on you specifically, just bad timing. This fest has me really, really confused. I get a ton of extremely positive reviews, no major problems except a few minor technical quibs for a few and I don't even place in the top ten. Compare this to Timefest, which had a more competitive field, Aetas got a TON more complaints and I place 5th with it.

So after all the reviews that Ossian got, with many people (yourself included) noting my improvement, I felt I was top 3, at least top 5, so to not even place was a big old smack of 'WTF?'
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Welcome to the club, Shawn. We got 31 positive reviews, 11 mixed, and 3 negative on here and probably didn't even come close to the final round. Sometimes these types of films just aren't the majority's cup of tea. I'm sure there are other fests around in which Ossian would do quite well at. Do you have any more fests lined up for it? I think you should definitely get it as much exposure as possible.

However, you should never expect to pull a "top (whatever number)" spot. You'll shoot yourself in the foot that way. I set out to make a film that was very aesthetically European and borrowed from a number of specific film periods/movements, and I knew that it was going to divide people on here. If you make a film with as much hyperrealism/surrealism as Ossian, you must expect the majority to rank it somewhere in the middle between "didn't get it/didn't like it" and "thought it was really good."

Although, I must say that we got a lot more positive reviews from cineastes and critics outside of dvxuser that are sometimes VERY difficult to please, so that certainly made me feel better. I'm really not sore at all about not making the finals because I knew we wouldn't. Plus, I had to cut a couple of great shots from the film (which have now been placed back in for other fests) in order to make the time limit that help expand upon the male character and the girl being locked out of the dorm. Also, I know the sound is not perfect.

Just try to be a little more reasonable with yourself and don't expect to sweep contests. There's always room for tweaking and experimenting, and I'm sure your next project will be even better. :thumbsup:
 
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Zak Forsman said:
it wasn't. oversight. i need to be more careful. these lists are bad news.
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I agree. I really hate trying to rank anything, not just films. Each has their merits and "downfalls" if you'd like to call them that. I certainly appreciate what all of them set out to do.
 
The problem is no-one is brutally honest because we are all film-makers and try to be encouraging to each other.

I miss the AIM sessions, and I'd love to see a method going forward where external visitors could leave comments anon, like a guestbook. That may cause a few suicides but also bring some fresh criticism to the boards.

This would really open our films up to some honest feedback. I have sat through some coma-inducing shorts but if I were to comment on their thread I may say something like 'Great camerawork, but it didnt really grab me'. As a community trying to help each other I suppose we should be doing that; but it isnt the real world either.

Everyone would think they were top 5 from what I have read in the threads so far.
 
Wow, SO true. Great ideas, Darkline! The feedback in LAST TOUCH was for the most part overwhelmingly positive, but I've questioned a LOT how many of those didn't like it may not have posted at all, etc. So feedback/postings can be VERY misleading, because there's no way to tell who's being truly honest in the first place, let alone posting if they didn't like our film(s), etc.
 
Well I mean i didn't enter any film in the fest - and while I extend my sincere and warm congratulations to the winners (yeah you know a but is coming don't you) I don't think the festival theme was really reflected in the voting.

Now this is just an opinion (one with not enough coffee so forgive me for it later!) But this festival has produced some great films that did deal with mature issues, and those relating to emotional losses etc.

However, in a way the top two films voted here reflect the very opposite of such qualities. Now each of the films are by themselves - accomplished pieces and my hats go off to their directors.

For me, that these two films polled so well in this type of festival is more I think a reflection of slight immaturity on our voters - particularly of younger american voters. (I'm about to become mr popular but bare with me as i mean this with full respect and its just an opinion.)

Collections is the type of glossy, commercial style 'nerdy comedy' that you could almost imagine as a quirky superbowl commercial. It is charming but superficial - and in the midst of a festival that challenged filmmakers to explore the concept of loss - is hardly profound.

The question is not that comedies were appropriate or not (they of course were - and were a welcome addition to the fest) but why this film and what it stands for came first i think lends itself more to the superficial gloss and production look - than its story or artistic merit.

This is especially the case with Placebo - it is a fine film, but it is also a wet dream for every young (Fox TV inspired filmmaker on the forum) and its high ranking above other far far more mature works is a poor reflection over what we are holding important.

That is the desire to emulate and look as cool as what airs on Fox or in the latest Tony Scott production... or to take the full mantle of the challenge 'Loss' gave us and to produce something meaningful.

I take my hats off to those directors that attempted (even if they failed to do so) as this was a greater challenge than creating light entertainment (albeit very good light entertainment like Collections.)

It has been debated whether comedy or drama was harder etc. Well, comedy is a little easier ;) (Try writing a drama about violent child abuse or a comedy about a nerd embarassing himself with a cute girl ;)

So, it does not surprise me that some filmmakers whose 'earnest' works are having moments of reflection here hehe.
 
lawriejaffa said:
Well I mean i didn't enter any film in the fest - and while I extend my sincere and warm congratulations to the winners (yeah you know a but is coming don't you) I don't think the festival theme was really reflected in the voting.

Now this is just an opinion (one with not enough coffee so forgive me for it later!) But this festival has produced some great films that did deal with mature issues, and those relating to emotional losses etc.

However, in a way the top two films voted here reflect the very opposite of such qualities. Now each of the films are by themselves - accomplished pieces and my hats go off to their directors.

For me, that these two films polled so well in this type of festival is more I think a reflection of slight immaturity on our voters - particularly of younger american voters. (I'm about to become mr popular but bare with me as i mean this with full respect and its just an opinion.)

Collections is the type of glossy, commercial style 'nerdy comedy' that you could almost imagine as a quirky superbowl commercial. It is charming but superficial - and in the midst of a festival that challenged filmmakers to explore the concept of loss - is hardly profound.

The question is not that comedies were appropriate or not (they of course were - and were a welcome addition to the fest) but why this film and what it stands for came first i think lends itself more to the superficial gloss and production look - than its story or artistic merit.

This is especially the case with Placebo - it is a fine film, but it is also a wet dream for every young (Fox TV inspired filmmaker on the forum) and its high ranking above other far far more mature works is a poor reflection over what we are holding important.

That is the desire to emulate and look as cool as what airs on Fox or in the latest Tony Scott production... or to take the full mantle of the challenge 'Loss' gave us and to produce something meaningful.

I take my hats off to those directors that attempted (even if they failed to do so) as this was a greater challenge than creating light entertainment (albeit very good light entertainment like Collections.)

It has been debated whether comedy or drama was harder etc. Well, comedy is a little easier ;) (Try writing a drama about violent child abuse or a comedy about a nerd embarassing himself with a cute girl ;)

So, it does not surprise me that some filmmakers whose 'earnest' works are having moments of reflection here hehe.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::beer:
I share your opinion.


...and less we forget "Collections" was shot on a RED! (what's that...4 in a row now? interesting)
 
Camera means nothing to me. Results are everything. You can make pretty pictures with a RED but if you can't tell a coherent story, what good is it? My favorite of this fest was shot on a DVX. Good old SD, baby.
 
Yep certainly my point is not that there is any conspiracy over camera choice dictating the fests victors lol but that in this case emulation and superficiality have trumped too handily imo ;)
 
Blaine said:
Camera means nothing to me. Results are everything. You can make pretty pictures with a RED but if you can't tell a coherent story, what good is it? My favorite of this fest was shot on a DVX. Good old SD, baby.
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Me too...just thought it was interesting either way.:beer:
 
lawriejaffa said:
Yep certainly my point is not that there is any conspiracy over camera choice dictating the fests victors lol but that in this case emulation and superficiality have trumped too handily imo ;)
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I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Emulation and superficiality has a broad market. I'm all for tearing down the walls and re-inventing.

The top 2 films are using tried and true formulas. Apparently, the viewers are still buying into it. I knew they would. You or I can't change that... unfortunately. This score card will foster more unoriginal works. Who wants to be a loser?

I assure you, I will not follow this trend. Its not in my nature.
 
It is interesting considering that only a few REDS are in every Fest yet a RED has won the past 4 in a row. Crazy odds.
This is a film making site though...

My bet is that a script based site would judge these movies very differently.

Nothing wrong with that though. I thought the top 10 were a pretty good bunch overall.

MAH
 
lol its bad news alright but hardly new mon amie - quite right, and im glad its not in your nature as i honestly LOVE innovative independent films made with passion and thought - regardless of genre!

I'll be entering Questfest and don't intend to follow that trend either ;)

Yep Michael id agree that the top 10 were a good reflection, the top 3 a bit more comical ;)
 
We've had this discussion before, and I think it's just a case of more accomplished filmmakers having better gear... like a RED. On that note though, as I compared the images I got with the D90 (in still mode mind you) to the images from the same lighting setup shot with the dvx BTS cam, there was a WORLD of difference, and it makes it much easier to obtain a better image when you use the high-end cameras.

It's still possible to produce great images with the dvx though, just look at Stupendous, which I thought looked better than Collections.
 
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