BONE HAND by Jack Daniel Stanley

Jack Daniel Stanley

Jack Daniel Stanley

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Staff member
5 min 50 sec ... right-click QuickTime or Windows Media to download and view
bonepage.gif

5 min 50 sec ... right-click QuickTime or Windows Media to download and view
 if you wanna take a look at the contest cut, then Personal Message me, though the changes are minimal
​
 
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EDIT: 6/15/06

Thanks to my cast and crew all ...

but here's a shout out specifically to the guys (and lady) on the forum that made this little flick possible.

There were no less than 12 DVXusers who collaborated in some official capacity or donated goods or services to Bone Hand (that # has to be a record right?). There are many more that warrant thanks ... but here in the forum I'll just hank the people you know and let you know some of the ways they contributed to the film.

so ... thank you and congrats to ...

MSMANHATTAN
Produced two of the top five (RfEyeD and Bone Hand) Her enthusiasm and resourcefulness really brought the piece together and she was responsible for finding the a great kid after I was dumb enough to write a script centered around one.
 ARAM BAUMAN
in addition to pulling a top 5 film out of his arse with killer VFX at the last minute, Aram saved our asses by figuring out how to light the roof scene without electrocuting everyone when we lost the light (all of it) on our first day of shooting and then it rained covering the roof in 2 inches of water. We just would have lost that day if he hadn't figured out a brilliant plan of shooting light out of the stairwell and bouncing onto a series of sun reflectors. Also he's largely responsible for the look of Bone Hand's apartment interior. It was one of those very collaborative Head Gaffer and DP collaborations where I described the look of the scene and a few specific effects and then he just went to town lighting it on his own an adding shape and dept. He did way better than I could have done on my own.
TIMUR CIVAN
Shot most of the movie and was there every single shoot for every second that I was. Timur shot the opening rain sequence for example. At the end of that shoot he looked like he had jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed. Timur was tireless and constantly found new ways to contribute and improve what we were doing and was absolutely fantastic to be around 110% of the time. He's talented, tireless, and a good egg. In my previous two films (all shot by me) the camera was much lighter and flew around a lot, but Timur was able to operate in a way that added weight and felt more cinematic.
HERMAN WITKAM
 of course provided music that totally helped tell the story and totally rocked. Herman was great to work with. We did three drafts of the score, and I think each had 10 or more pages of notes for him, but he just turned them around and came back implementing everything awesomely. I'm a tough date in the score department and Herman never blinked and I never detected any frustration in our communication. He just took the notes and did the work and got everything back on time.
TEXTURE
did the Audio Sweetening and it made a huge difference. He really knew what he was doing and where I would have just turned the volume up and down on different tracks he skillfully notched out frequencies in the ambient beds / etc. that conflicted with the human voice and was just able to clean up a lot of the location sound. I think he is working with Dahopa on the DVD version of his flick, and he will probably be inundated after this but hit him up for your project - he loves story and filmmaking.
TC
did a great job with the title design and animation. I kept getting the note on other things that my titles were lacking and I had a lot on my plat with this one so I hit him up because I knew he would deliver, and he did. Also he allowed me to use a clip from his Zombie Fest entry THE LIVING'S END (the axe to the head when the little girl's watching TV) thanks man!!!
FLINT MI
 Allowed us to shoot on his roof and was just a great gut to have around on set and toss ideas around in the editing room, he also shot some BTS.
ALEX DEPEW
 Shot a ton of BTS and was also great to have around especially on the roof shoot.
REZFACTOR (the member formerly known as "N... (something) ... Shooter"
Allowed us to use an awesome and gory clip from his Zombie Fest entry INFECTION
(the guy getting shot in the head on the TV). Thank you sir.
COFFEE
Lent us his Letus35 to use along side mine. Thanks man!

and last but by no means least,
JOHN HUDSON
 hooked us up with all of the Bone Hand sunglasses FOR FREE through his wife Flora's
Designer sunglass company Somatic
http://somaticoptics.com/
Thanks John. And thanks for all your input and support from wayback and up through this contest.

BRICEMAN, EVISION, and ISSAC BRODY didn't work on this film, but help keep me sane on a moment to moment basis (yes, believe it or not this is me relatively sane). Thanks guys.

And of course thanks to JARRED for giving these films a home, allolwing inspiration and knowledge to flourish like a mutant virus in zombie film, and for giving me a hard time (you bastid) :)

if I forgot anyone please forgive me ... it's late and I'm very tired ... please PM me and scream at me and I will update the post :thumbsup:
 
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Yeah, I was looking forward to it yesterday, at the DVX NY meeting. But now the feeling's passed. I mean, I guess I'll still watch it. But I'll have a chip on my shoulder the whole time. :)

So Jack, were YOU in L.I. dropping a refrigerator off a building yesterday too??? I can't believe how many people used that excuse...

:)
 
Nah I was still getting my butanza together for this thing -- I had work flow issues, no hardrive space issues, and then some compression issues.

It was funny -- I never RSVPed to the NY DVX user meeting
but a couple of people called me afterwards like "where were you!", lol :laugh:
 
I downloaded about 25% of this film off of the FTP server before I was cut off. What a tease! I want to see this movie!
 
Whoah! This was really good! I loved it. I thought the story worked well and the effects were good. I really liked the end. Awesome! I would love to know what you thought of "Nine to Five Ninja" (Our Short):)
 
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Speechless. Amazing what you did in ~ 5:00. Story came full circle...makes this a HUGE standout! Camerawork, good. Lighting, good. Soundtrack, SWEET. FX, well done and VERY fitting. Acting was impressive, especially the girl. Good job directing. Can't say anything bad about this one!
 
JDS,

You've done it again. I would call this:

Leon meets The Crow meets The Green Mile

That little girl reminded me of young Nancy from Sin City. She also had elements of Sarah from the crow.

SPOILERS AHEAD - SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM

The acting was good, but not outstanding. I think the strongest performer was the girl. The guy seemed a little emotionless and cold. That's good for his character though. He's kind of an undead type of hero. I just wish I could have seen a more emotional breakdown when the girl was shot. These are just teeny tiny, meenie miney, minor gripes. I know you're a visionary director and don't leave anything to chance. I bet you had your reasons, and rational beyond my understanding. I respect and admire that.

Overall I'm going to give this film very high ratings in every single category. Bravo.
 
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WOW! That would be: WithOut Words

GREAT story and an amazing vision. This one will stay with me for a long time. Truly inspirational and humbling. I wish I could give feedback. Instead, it is you that have given!

Thanks!
 
Wow wtf Jack.

That was NICE.

Your post camera action was more gratuitous than your violence and it actually didn't bother me one bit. It helped keep the quick pacing. And, well, I'm a sucker for post camera moves. The mechanical feeling, that's what I like.

Also, you guys used your adapters well. The DOF didn't feel ... how to put it ... added? Y'know? Like it's there because that's how a film/movie really is. Not "we used an adapter, can you tell?".

I also like the make-up going on, especially the "bone hand" lOl. I feel weird typing that.

Okay, the title is a little weird, different... and so is the actual bone hand concept but that's fine. It's something out of the ordinary.

The little girl's a great actor. Give her lots of money because cookies don't cut it for today's youth.

A complete short, it was.

Next contest, your title is mines. Just you wait.
 
Dear Jack Daniel Stanley,

Please stop making films like this.

They make me feel very, very bad.

I am now going to go out and become a lawyer or something.

Or maybe an accountant.

*sniff*

(Jack Daniel Stanley: The devourer of dreams).

Bastard.




(I'll post a real review after I have recovered)
 
Dahopafilms said:
Dear Jack Daniel Stanley,

Please stop making films like this.

They make me feel very, very bad.

I am now going to go out and become a lawyer or something.

Or maybe an accountant.

*sniff*

(Jack Daniel Stanley: The devourer of dreams).

Bastard.




(I'll post a real review after I have recovered)
Click to expand...

lolol Well said/wrio\ten/whined.
 
Very nice work Jack!

I loved the lighting, especially in the cemetary. Also like the peep-hole effects with the two goons on the other side; dunno why, just thought it looked great!

As said before, the young actress' acting was right on as well.

Nicely done my friend!!
 
Maybe you guys are going to hate me or think I'm an idiot — but I need to say how I feel:


I don't get what all the hype is about.

It just didn't do it for me.

There were some good points, yes:
1. I think the story was interesting, with the idea of a scarifice and all.
2. I liked the little girl's acting for the most part.
3. Color was nice
4. Good locations.
5. I liked knowing at the end that the girl was still visiting the grave when she was older.

But there are just some things I can't get past:

1. I don't like those stuttery camera movements as transitions. It's hard to even explain. It's just too choppy and distracting.
2. Did the little girl smile before she spit the blood out of her mouth?
3. The white face. SciFest it was a blue face. It just seems too contrived. I know it's bone hand and all, so maybe he's dead, but it still seemed out of place.
4. The beginning didn't fit in with the rest of the story for me. It could have started with the girl on the rooftop and had the same storyline.


I don't mean to be harsh, but I wanted to be honest in how I felt. I guess I just don't see what everybody is so amazed about. I think the filming is good, the camerawork and directing are good, and overall you put together a good piece. But when I read these posts BEFORE I watched the film, and then watched the film, I was honestly let down.

Sorry for the criticism, I hope it's taken the right way.
 
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Seriously JDS, I've seen it three times now, and each time I promise myself I'm going to watch for the FX work, but I get too wrapped up in the story and I forget all about it.

I'm going to go curl up in my sock drawer and sleep for days.
 
i'm really glad you decided to stay in ! this film was as great as your previous ones. the visual style (costumes, actors, fx) all worked very well together and suceeded in creating a great feeling and atmosphere!

Alex
 
Great Job! I really thought that this film was very strong in many aspects: it was filmed well, had good SFX and some very impressive acting.
Overall great job- too bad I can't vote.
 
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msconce said:
Whoah! This was really good! I loved it. I thought the story worked well and the effects were good. I really liked the end. Awesome! I would love to know what you thought of "Nine to Five Ninja" (Our Short):)
Click to expand...

I look forward to seeing it -- is the zip file up? A hunting I go ... Thanks man.


mjmcneese2 said:
Speechless. Amazing what you did in ~ 5:00. Story came full circle...makes this a HUGE standout! Camerawork, good. Lighting, good. Soundtrack, SWEET. FX, well done and VERY fitting. Acting was impressive, especially the girl. Good job directing. Can't say anything bad about this one!
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I got most of what I wanted out of it and I got lucky a lot.

Jack: I wish we could shoot all of the exteriors in Rain. THis movie shouild have a cold rainy feel ... Oh well, no way we can plan around that. We just don't have the time or budget to schedule based on the weather and then reschedule and we don't have the means to take care of people properly

But then damned if it didn't rain every ext shoot with Bone Hand. So lots of things fell into place.

Especially people.

Aram's, lighting for example, really made the feel for the interior of bonehands apartment right, that was the first time I worked with a phenomenal gaffer and it made a huge difference.

Noct said:
JDS,

You've done it again. I would call this:

Leone meets The Crow meets The Green Mile
Click to expand...
and don't forget the Professional :) ... oh wait .. you said "Leon" ... right.

Noct said:
That little girl reminded me of young Nancy from Sin City. She also had elements of Sarah from the crow.

SPOILERS AHEAD - SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM

The acting was good, but not outstanding. I think the strongest performer was the girl. The guy seemed a little emotionless and cold. That's good for his character though. He's kind of an undead type of hero. I just wish I could have seen a more emotional breakdown when the girl was shot. These are just teeny tiny, meenie miney, minor gripes. I know you're a visionary director and don't leave anything to chance. I bet you had your reasons, and rational beyond my understanding. I respect and admire that.

Overall I'm going to give this film very high ratings in every single category. Bravo.
Click to expand...

I have to keep it real here for Joel (Bone Hand's sake) my opinion that he's a quite accomplished actor notwithstanding (I've directed him on stage three times) .... there just couldn't a more thankless less glamourous role in terms of acting -- yes you get to be cool, but there's not a lot to do otherwise.

Joel was confident enough to see what the role demanded and do what appeared to be nothing ... or very close to it.

His lack of emotion has less to do with being somewhat undead physically and more to do with being a little dead emotionally. Just being touched by death and living this weird life outside of society.

If he's too emotive then that takes the tension off the story IMHO. If we see this guy as warm or affectionate or able to express caring - then what's the obstacle to his and Easter's relationship.

So he pushes her away because he's dangerous to be around / lives this shadow life where he can't get close to people ... but she needs someone so badly and cares about him so much that he can't bring him self to shake her. He could obviously pick her little self up, and plant her on her fanny and lock the door.

Anyway -- I'm not explaining myself too well, but its kind of like in Remington Steel or Moonlighting - the series is over if the relationship is ever truly consimated despite how much these people care for each other. Consumation for these charaters would be admitting that they care about each other and need each other.



SPOILERS AHEAD - SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM

But instead we see him cold and saying that he doesn't want her in his life, but allowing her emotional access all the while.
Now the death specifically ... I might revisit that ... it could be that the lid could be let off a little more there and more could come out. But again you have to be very careful because often films - especially genre films - need the heros pain to go unreleived and often unexpressed in order for them to take action
this is why the Kurt Russle Tombstone/Wyat Erp movie is less successful to me than teh Kevin Costner version.

In Kurts' version when brother Bill Paxton is shot to death on a pull table, Kurt runs out into the street, falls to his knees in the rain, and cries like a biotch as the camrea cranes up to a birds eye.

Good for him -- very healthy. Now there's no reason to go on a ten person killing spree. Imagine Clint Eastwood having a nice weepy in Unforgiven -- not gonna happen because its his inability to channel pain into something besides a killing spree.

This is different of course because he's not going on a killing spree, he is instead sacrificing his life to save another - but again I think the cold resolve to go forward because he does care moved the story forward, where stopping for him to deal with his pain would have just been doing that for the sake of doing that.

So those are my reasons -- keep the tension by denying the character / audience the emotional release, and turn the pain in to something active.

Interesting that as a director, Clint tends to cut before people cry (with a few notable exceptions). He worked with Meril Streep and this was pissing her off. Just when she was getting to the weepies he would always say cut. Finally she asked him about it and he told her that as long as you are telling the story you don't need to show that and whatever the approriate emotional response for the audience is will be there.

I will say this however, you have changed my approach to making films from this point on. I did get a simmalr criticism I think (because both speak to the audience wanting a deeper emotional connection with the Characters) in Shed where I chose to render the mother and daughter somehwat anonymously to mirror the father's lack of emotional access to them.
What I'm going to change is to think of myself as overly confident in the effectiveness of withholding this emotional release from the audience, maybe I'm too cavalier about it ... so what I think I'll do from now on is just make sure I get a take both ways on the day whenever I'm at one of these crossroads.

But back to Joel -- again thankless role -- he has to wear shades the whole movie, be emotionally stunted, and is often not featured or has his appearance obscurred in the more acty dialogue scenes - he's scare lit in the first apt. scene, only shown from behind in the Mom scene, and lit almost in sihouette and not favored in the shot for the death scene - kind of pushing his character to the fringe. And again it takes a lot of confidence to do that - just be there and not try to over do it for the sake of being interesting for interesting's sake. I thought he did great.

​

mrpunch said:
WOW! That would be: WithOut Words

GREAT story and an amazing vision. This one will stay with me for a long time. Truly inspirational and humbling. I wish I could give feedback. Instead, it is you that have given!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

That's nice to say man. I just want to be a filmmaker and want to make something the best it can be.

Kholi said:
Wow wtf Jack.

That was NICE.

Your post camera action was more gratuitous than your violence and it actually didn't bother me one bit. It helped keep the quick pacing. And, well, I'm a sucker for post camera moves. The mechanical feeling, that's what I like.

Also, you guys used your adapters well. The DOF didn't feel ... how to put it ... added? Y'know? Like it's there because that's how a film/movie really is. Not "we used an adapter, can you tell?".

I also like the make-up going on, especially the "bone hand" lOl. I feel weird typing that.

Okay, the title is a little weird, different... and so is the actual bone hand concept but that's fine. It's something out of the ordinary.

The little girl's a great actor. Give her lots of money because cookies don't cut it for today's youth.

A complete short, it was.

Next contest, your title is mines. Just you wait.
Click to expand...

Bone Hand is a wierd title -- could easily be a euphemism for something naughty. But I liked it inspite of that fact and couldn't think of something better - Death Hand? Dead Hand? lol Death THrower? Sould Hand? Soul Man? ... etc.

What do you mean nexy contest my title is yours ... are you going to give me the Dahopa Buckethead treatment?

Yes Jessie was a real find. I usually write for actors I know as I wrote bonehand for Joel. But I had this story in my head and just had to say screw it. I'm in New York. I have to be abale to find a good kid that can do this - just write the short already.

Leslie, the producer came up with Jessie from another project she was working on.

I auditioned Jessie fully expecting that i would have to cast a wider net after that (its seldom the first person you read for a role) but Leslie did a good job as casting director. I saw that Jessie could be natural and NOT act on camera within a few minutes and the audition process was over.

Dahopafilms said:
Dear Jack Daniel Stanley,

Please stop making films like this.

They make me feel very, very bad.

I am now going to go out and become a lawyer or something.

Or maybe an accountant.

*sniff*

(Jack Daniel Stanley: The devourer of dreams).

Bastard.




(I'll post a real review after I have recovered)
Click to expand...
LMAO,
Are you kidding?
Buckethead was a flawless and funny perfectly executed parody.
...
I know you are joking, but I liked your movie too.

(hope to get to others soon ) :)
 
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