"BASS COPS" by THX-1138

EditPhish said:
Thanks for taking my criticism graciously Kip... I never want to really hurt anyone's feelings, but do feel we all learn the most when we hear honest opinions. Music is JTyners passion, and he is probaby more diverse in his tastes than I, and I can't tell you what bugged me about this song in particular... but rest assured, I don't hate ALL electronic music :)

Thanks again...
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No one can hate ALL electronic music.

Honestly,

It is a terrable arangement as "songs" go and does go on too long and it's too lineir. That being said I would have rather turned in what I did than not be in the festival.

...post the fests deadline we made a new arangement changed a few sections musicly to fit the story better and chopped about 1.5 min from the song. My wife sang Freeze *****...we're the Bass Cops for days.

Also I forced the guys to double the bass with an octive up part because sub frequencies to play on laptop/most in-computer speakers.

Also, we now have an audio flashback after the bass cop is defeated (His drive home and into the garage)...we hear the mayor of the city, at a press confrence, presenting him with an award for being the best bass cop ever and never failing to "get his man" not a blemish on his record.

All stuff we know is not true or no longer true...spuring on the suicide.


All that to say... the song, in the state I submitted it, deserved to be critisized.
 
This felt so much like a music video I fast fowarded it just to look at the shots which most of them were pretty good. I came to post but then read the story line you said and watched it again but it still felt too much like a music video. I liked the shots of him lipsyching and the shots of the car in general. The bad guys I felt were shot very rushed or without thought. I still kind of didnt follow the story as a visual and had to force myself to think about what you said. I may be missing the point though because I have been editing for the last few days for like 18 hours so my mind isnt the clearest right now.
 
Aram Bauman said:
The bad guys I felt were shot very rushed or without thought. I still kind of didnt follow the story as a visual and had to force myself to think about what you said. I may be missing the point though because I have been editing for the last few days for like 18 hours so my mind isnt the clearest right now.
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What about their shooting seemed rushed and without thought?
I'm not being defensive, I want to learn to make my films better.

My working method was to storyboard the whole film...then I anaimated that storyboard with the music (to know where the lip syncing would go) Then I filmed them.

If I rushed the shooting of that scene I would have admitted it but alas it was not rushed. Unlike the buying of the illegal bass filers as the reveal of the filters is so so soft I crindge every time.

Anyway if it was just a feeling you had I understand, if their are spacifics please tell me.

Thanks for watching

Kip
 
This is a really interesting entry. I did not expect a music video type thing. Liked it though, interesting song. Liked the look overall, but some of the lip sync was off. Anyway, cool music vid.
 
briceman said:
This is a really interesting entry. I did not expect a music video type thing. Liked it though, interesting song. Liked the look overall, but some of the lip sync was off. Anyway, cool music vid.
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Yea, it was, no one has mentioned that yet.

The one thing I forgot was that with the ear protection the actor could'nt hear the track. So he had to wing it. We were motioning the tempo with our arms but some of it was a little off.

Live and learn
 
My first reation...I hated it. Okay. I didn't hate the video, just the music. Just not my thing...sorry.

I turned the sound down and went back and watched again and then again. You've got some great images, here. Your lead character (Bass Cop) has a good look for the part. I liked your framing. And a lot of your shot choices were visually stimulating. I liked your b&w. It was very well done, no muddiness at all.
thumbsup.gif


So from me, it's a mixed review. Visuals: excellent. Sound: not for me.
 
Blaine said:
My first reation...I hated it. Okay. I didn't hate the video, just the music. Just not my thing...sorry.

I turned the sound down and went back and watched again and then again. You've got some great images, here. Your lead character (Bass Cop) has a good look for the part. I liked your framing. And a lot of your shot choices were visually stimulating. I liked your b&w. It was very well done, no muddiness at all.
thumbsup.gif


So from me, it's a mixed review. Visuals: excellent. Sound: not for me.
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Heartfelt thanks for the second watch. some directors do this but I wanted to make sure everything works with the sound down.

I worked hard my preproduction and storyboard it paid off. This was the first time I animated my storyboard as well. That is, I scaned them and put them into a timeline. It really helped me cut down on shooting useless footage and tightening up my story and screening it before I shot it.

I have a new philosphy...I treat DV tape like 16mm. By that I mean heavy on the preproduction...knowingthe shots I need, knowing my location, and hiring thew best actors and crew.

It cut's down on waiste it keeps the actors energy high and fresh.

Anyway for now that's how I'm doing things.





Thanks for the B&W compliment. So many of my favorite Sci-Fi films are shot that way and that was my little tribute to them.


Kip Kubin
 
My approach to watching all the films (began early this morning, off and on all day) has been to first just skim though the first few moments of each and see what catches my eye (or see if it majorly turns me off right from the get go)...from that I have so far gone back and watched about 5 of them in their entirety, but Bass Cops caught me right from the start and I've now watched it around 10 times. I am NOT saying that it is the absolute best of all (considering all elements), but it IS the one that I have found the most entertaining overall.

Some of the films require a lot of effort for me to watch, I know they might pay off when I watch them to end, but the first few moments of several just don't hook me and pull me in, making me look forward to what I'm about to see...I actually have to force myself to watch in anticipation of pieces coming together (there are exeptions...some are quite good, this is just a blanket impression)...but Bass Cops...for reasons I don't care to type a book about (lazy typer) opened up and instantly made me go WTF is this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? and held me to the end.

As others have said, super nice camera work, actor is perfect for the part, nice use of B&W in a time when B&W can be overused just because of it's indieness (post Clerks I suppose is the issue)...good job all the way around. I even liked the song...a lot, and that's coming from someone who's not a fan of electronic music (not against it, it's just not something I seek out actively)...loved the f-bomb usage here, nice context. I wouldnt (personally) listen to the music as a standalone, but taken with the visual it's more or less perfect. I will certainly be watching Bass Cops for years to come (it's going in my little fun video folder that I go to when I need a break).
 
Someone give Mr. THX the prize of the weirdest shortfilm of all. Congratulations man!!!!

BTW, was that a BMW or an Alpina? Quite impressive.
 
that some freaky ****. i really like the main character. i thought he was perfect for the bass cop. the ending wasn't very clear for me. could you clarifiy? he kills himself? im not sure

nice job.
 
JimtheJib said:
that some freaky poo poo. i really like the main character. i thought he was perfect for the bass cop. the ending wasn't very clear for me. could you clarifiy? he kills himself? im not sure

nice job.
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Yea, he does.
Initially I thought that the garage ie people killing themeslves by leaving the car running and suffocating. And the FATAL BASS LEVEL warning fron the LCD would be enough...but I've since tweeked it a little more to make it clearer.

Basicly he turn his "gun" on himself...but his gun is BASS.

Thanks for watching.

Kip Kubin
 
Daniel_Runyon said:
Bass Cops caught me right from the start and I've now watched it around 10 times. I am NOT saying that it is the absolute best of all (considering all elements), but it IS the one that I have found the most entertaining overall.

Some of the films require a lot of effort for me to watch, I know they might pay off when I watch them to end, but the first few moments of several just don't hook me and pull me in, making me look forward to what I'm about to see...I actually have to force myself to watch in anticipation of pieces coming together (there are exeptions...some are quite good, this is just a blanket impression)...but Bass Cops...for reasons I don't care to type a book about (lazy typer) opened up and instantly made me go WTF is this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? and held me to the end.
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Thanks, much apreciated.

Kip Kubin
 
Loved the b&w, lighting... I was also confused as to whether the guy kills himself and if so, why?

But I have to thank you for letting me live out, at least visually, a fantasy I've had of shoving someone's head into thier car stereo speakers that blast out really loud bass.

*I may need a cigarette and I dont even smoke!* :D
 
First, I liked the 840ci (or was it a - gasp - 850?). The lines on that car make for some awesome photography, which you took full advantage of. Well done.

I liked the music, but found the originality of it (or lack thereof) lent itself to maybe a 3 minute short. I was also impressed initially thinking you had done the music yourself. It appears as though an established group may have done the music which makes me ... perhaps less impressed.

I liked the energy and the black and white. Your short also taught me where my sub-woofer contols are on my sound system, as I had to turn those down or risk divorce.

As for the story (and go with me here for a minute), am I totally nuts or could not the "white collar criminals" also been the "Bass Cops" (i.e. the Bass Cop's the criminal and the criminals are the Bass Cops)? They were there to make the BMW guy turn down his stereo. They got special black market gear to assist in blocking the bass to bust their guy. Of course, we would have to forget the opening text and the off-shore transfer of funds. But perhaps what I'm really suggesting is that on a story basis, it could have been a little clearer/tighter (for me at least).

And I did like the "Fatal Bass" indication on the stereo display. Amusing.

Overall, I liked it. Nice look. Nice feel. Better music next time.

Thanks for making it.
 
Bass Cops

Bass Cops

Dahopafilms said:
As for the story (and go with me here for a minute), am I totally nuts or could not the "white collar criminals" also been the "Bass Cops" (i.e. the Bass Cop's the criminal and the criminals are the Bass Cops)? They were there to make the BMW guy turn down his stereo. They got special black market gear to assist in blocking the bass to bust their guy. Of course, we would have to forget the opening text and the off-shore transfer of funds. But perhaps what I'm really suggesting is that on a story basis, it could have been a little clearer/tighter (for me at least).
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That goes back to my made up quote at the top of the short. The computer will be a way to commit crime. Then when you see some guys using a computer to transfer money to an offshore account...I think most people would asume, at the least, something shady going on. And because it was happening in a office building it qualifies as white collar crime. Ans then the title credit, "He fights white collar crime with low frequency bass."

I'm not debating your opinion I'm just letting you know what I was going for.

Thanks for the coments.

The car is a BMW Dinon I think. It's fast and very $$$$$$$. Lucky to get it for the shoot. I wanted a car that had a bit of a future vibe to it while being rare enough so that it's model would'nt be recognised.
 
Bass Cops....dirty Dirty

Bass Cops....dirty Dirty

thartley said:
Loved the b&w, lighting... I was also confused as to whether the guy kills himself and if so, why?:D
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Yes, he commits suicide.

I don't think I achevied this but in a new edit I have clarified it better.

The idea was that this BASS COPS was one of the best. Earlier cuts had CU's of the awards on the TV stand..BEST BASS COP EVER...NEVER LET A CRIMINAL GET WAY...that kind of things...same thing with the newspaper articles. I don't think I did the best job of establishing his superior crime fighting skills other than the "easy" arrest of the 1st criminal. The taunting and beating.

The only thing he's got going for him is being the best BASS COP. His home life is dismal...TV dinners and escort services. So when being the best BASS COP is taken away from him he no longer wants to live because he has nothing to live for.



Thanks for your thoughts,

Kip Kubin
 
Disclaimer: whether your short is good, great, or grand, I will still be mostly pointing out things that I feel to be negative aspects.

Bass Cops was a fun and unique film. It starts off really strong and has terrific shots/framing throughout. Unfortunately, with that style of music in particular, it's really easy for it to get monotonous after a while, so the film seems to lose momentum in the middle, which could also be a pacing issue. Most of your cuts, however, were used very well with the music.
Another issue for me is that the criminals were never really established. We never really see them breaking the law, so they just seem like two guys working at an office.
The inverted coloring near the end seemed to be really - for lack of a better word - pointless. It was somewhat distracting from the film.
Lastly, although the idea for the film is really cool and unique, it seemed very odd that the "cop" wouldn't have a portable weapon. I think maybe having a suit, possibly an oversized bulletproof vest with speakers in it and volume control knobs would have been an awesome touch and would have allowed you to diversify your crime-fighting scenes. I'm sure that constructing a suit/vest would have been really difficult though, especially considering the time and resources most of us had.
Overall, an excellent, fun, and unique flick!

-pastywhiteboy
 
pastywhiteboy said:
Disclaimer: whether your short is good, great, or grand, I will still be mostly pointing out things that I feel to be negative aspects.

Bass Cops was a fun and unique film. It starts off really strong and has terrific shots/framing throughout. Unfortunately, with that style of music in particular, it's really easy for it to get monotonous after a while, so the film seems to lose momentum in the middle, which could also be a pacing issue. Most of your cuts, however, were used very well with the music.
Another issue for me is that the criminals were never really established. We never really see them breaking the law, so they just seem like two guys working at an office.
The inverted coloring near the end seemed to be really - for lack of a better word - pointless. It was somewhat distracting from the film.
Lastly, although the idea for the film is really cool and unique, it seemed very odd that the "cop" wouldn't have a portable weapon. I think maybe having a suit, possibly an oversized bulletproof vest with speakers in it and volume control knobs would have been an awesome touch and would have allowed you to diversify your crime-fighting scenes. I'm sure that constructing a suit/vest would have been really difficult though, especially considering the time and resources most of us had.
Overall, an excellent, fun, and unique flick!

-pastywhiteboy
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Thnaks for the comments...you allways learn more from the negitive stuff, funny how that is.

Some of your comments I totally agree with some I disagree with.

It's hard to establich white collar criminals and to that end I could have done better. Here's what I thought was establishing. 1. The transfer to millions of dollars to an offshore account. 2. Immediatly after the transfer one of the "criminals" makes a hastey getaway only to find himself in the clutches of the BASS COP.

MUSIC - you are spot in! Too monotonus!. Living in Nashville you have tons of bands at your disposal. I'm in a band, my friends have a bad etc. Unfourtunatly, Jensen Sportag was finishing up their LP when we came up withthe idea. I used the first edit. Since then, we went back and reworked several sections. It's 1 min shorter and the "in his house" section has an entirely different section...dreamy and atmospheric, still the same song though...that really emphasizes the patheticness of his life and revs up the action when he goes back to catch the next to. That being said...Good ear.

As for the weapon....it's the bigest joke of the film. The whole thing was inspired by a real life situatio that we've all encountered. you're at a stop light and the earth starts shaking. it's some kid in a honda or something with a stereo that's woth 10 times the cars value, listening to distorted bass and the rattle of car parts as if that's the normal way to listen to music. So that's why the weapon resides in a car.

MY FLIP TO NEGITIVE...glad you mentioned it. It's a tribute to Godard's Alphaville. In that movie Godard flips to negitive as a man walks to his car...no reason story-wise...he just does it. Their is no point, it's just a device to let you know your watching a film. Even though B&W isn't possable in real live the visual aspect is. The flip to negitive is absolutly imposable visually with the human eye. Therefor your movie watching eye says, That's not possable...you must be watching a movie" I love throwing in tributes to directors and films that inspire me and for this one Alphaville was the biggest inspiration.

Good coments, sometimes it's just helpful to rethink your choices as people bring them up and make sure they were the best ones you could have made...and unfourtunatly sometimes their not.

Thanks,

Kip Kubin
 
Hey Kip,
I think the transfer of the million dollars was unclear to me... maybe I just wasn't paying attention close enough, though. I do love that you used the bass in the back of the car... we've got a road like that in Asheville that is reknowned for its sweet cruisin', so it was funny, just thought it may have been pumped up a bit by him ALSO having a "mobile bass attack system", or m-bass!
I've never seen Alphaville (sorry!), but it's cool that you did that in your film as a tribute. Anyway, the fact that your film was entertaining says a lot!
Which by the way, my wife and I were living in Nashville a few years back... good ol' audio engineering school, or as I like to call it - waste of money. :) I guess we could even know some of the same people there.

-pastywhiteboy
 
pastywhiteboy said:
Hey Kip,
just thought it may have been pumped up a bit by him ALSO having a "mobile bass attack system", or m-bass!-pastywhiteboy
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"Albert...the budget...think of the budget!" Real People by Albert Brooks
 
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