BONE HAND by Jack Daniel Stanley

Kaz said:
Jack, great flick brutha! I love that you never forget to give your story heart. What's the point of cool FX and action if you couldn't give two craps about the characters?

Also cool, was seeing THE MAN acting in this one. You couldn't get me to do that in one of my films with a gun to my head. But hey, where was that FX shot you wanted me to do? Thought I'd see it in there...

Anyways, this is one of the tops so far in this contest for me (7 more to go). Well done!
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thanks man ... no time for that VFX shot either in production or in the film ... it woulda been super cool though.

yeah me being in it was kind of last minute replacement sort of deal

I had to dub part of my lines because when I counted I said

wuh-un .... tuh-hoo ...
with a real texas twang, lol.

MOVIE STUNTS said:
Man I think your films are cool! Top notch in my book. I'd like to see some full length flicks from you. Excellent job!!!
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from your mouth to God's ears brother :)

thanks for taking the time to leave feedback guys.

- Jack
 
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The little girl's performance and dialogue took me out of the film. I really wanted to like it because of the 35mm adapter, but I just couldn't get past the girl. It looked like she was holding back a smile when she got shot. And the beginning exposition scene with her was painful for me to sit through. I know little kids are a challenge to direct, but she wasn't up to par with the rest of the film.

That first scene in the rain was just so good. It seemed so pro to me. I think that's your problem, you set my expectations soooooo high in the beginning, that the rest couldn't compete.

I've read some of the previous pages here (didn't go through all of them), and I just want to clarify that I have no hostile intentions here. I'm probably being harder on you than some of the other films because I see your talent, and simply saying "good job" isn't gonna help.
 
I haven't read the other posts.... but the two before mine. (Couldn't help it they were on the last page) But I was moved to tears by this movie. What you did worked! The only incongruety (and was mentioned) was the one shot of the girl where she looked like she was smiling. I think she was trying for a grimice but it didn't work. She did a really good job in all but that one... which was to be the more emotional one. I really liked the camera work... the editing. And the story line was a 10 in my view.

Yours was the best of the bunch overall. Just my take though.
 
thanks for your comments all.

heisest ... can you give me counter # for the smile ... its been mentioned a few times and there is one smile that's on purpose, and then one that's at the end of a take that I don't think is noticeable ...

I think maybe I'm missing it because I know what was cut out of the rest of that shot and the rest wasn't a smile or something,

it should be an easy fix for the DVD so I'd llike to know exactly where ...
 
I guess this MIGHT be what everyone is talking about.

smile.jpg


She's supposed to smile at the end though, after Joe saves her. I showed this film to a buddy of mine, and he actually mentioned he thought the death scene was VERY realistic. After watching it again, I gotta say... well done Jack... 9 months of doing this and you have this film to show for it... you have a lot to be proud of... I've been doing it seriously for about two years and have not made anything near this good. Bravo!
 
yeah, that's the one that's supposed to be there -- which I need to reconsider if its not playing (which it seems like its not) idea is supposed to be she just made a joke (I shoulda gone home) and is trying to be strong for his benefit.

I think its cut up too much for that to play though ... so if that's not the one you mean heisfest let me know ...

to clarify I'm not tryong to be defensive -- quite the contrary I'm asking for clarification so I can pinpoint what's not working and fix it for the DVD
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
to clarify I'm not tryong to be defensive -- quite the contrary I'm asking for clarification so I can pinpoint what's not working and fix it for the DVD
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righto... well... it's a darn good film my friend.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
heisest ... can you give me counter # for the smile ... its been mentioned a few times and there is one smile that's on purpose, and then one that's at the end of a take that I don't think is noticeable ...
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3:43... Yep he got it.
It can be a joke.... but most people wouldn't/couldn't smile with that pain.
I don't know where you got her but she was great... (except that part)
Again it got my top vote.
 
I've been reading through all the comments and I have to disagree with most about the "smile". When I saw it I immediately connected it with the joke...to me it showed the girl was extremely strong of character and prepared me for the transition at the end when she became the new Bone Hand.

Personally, I think the smile fit her character perfectly.
 
Jack, I just realized when you said you've only been doing this for 9 months, it's the same for me, as Zombie Fest was my first attempt as well, though NOTHING in comparison with SHED.

Hope you didn't take offense when I had said I liked ODD SQUAD better ... I just thought it was a killer cool story, and still dig it to this day. BONE HAND was visually great as well, and still had a cool story, though it's more visual eye candy for me. That said, I didn't think the script was weak or anything ... just LOVED ODD SQUAD, that's all.

As far as the comments on cutting off the chins, etc. ... I just don't get it. To me, as long as the eyes are framed 1/3 from the top, who cares what else is being cut off? I was just watching some trailers and time after time I saw foreheads, chins, etc. getting cropped out of frame ... ESPECIALLY on 2.35:1 ratios. Oh well, not looking to start an argument on this subject (as it looked like there was one for a while), but all that to say I thought the framing & camera work were solid.

EDIT: That said, now get on over & view my film & give some feedback, would ya'?! :) I've made it easy for you, just click on the banner below. I'm hoping to get through all the rest of the films & comments today ... hope you're able to do the same, friend, though I know it's been tough having to keep up with your run away thread (congrats, BTW).
 
Envision said:
I was just watching some trailers and time after time I saw foreheads, chins, etc. getting cropped out of frame ... ESPECIALLY on 2.35:1 ratios. Oh well, not looking to start an argument on this subject (as it looked like there was one for a while), but all that to say I thought the framing & camera work were solid.
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Isnt that called a warner brothers CU? when you cut off a part of the face?
 
Never heard it called that before, but it's simple logic that the more you want the eyes to fill the frame, the more other things will be cut out. No idea what people are talking about with the whole cut off thing, unless the eyes weren't properly framed, which I never saw stand out to me as an issue.
 
"deep thoughts... about Jack Stanley"

"deep thoughts... about Jack Stanley"

Jack's Odd Squad was such a big film for many of us. By many accounts it may very well have been the DVXUser.com version of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. From testimonials all over this board, it spawned countless people into action.

Simply put, Bonehand is an amateur film masterpiece. Considering the insurmountable odds against it, such as: zero-budget; all-volunteer cast and crew; child actor; New York City location; and much more, it's a perfect example of how amateur filmmaking can be done with you have the right stuff.

 
Keep in mind, FlintMI, that everyone was pretty much up against the same odds, with the exception of the child actor, and that would only be if their script called for it. From the sounds of it, the folks in LA had a MUCH tougher time getting locations than the folks in NY.

Not to discount BONE HAND or Jack's work at all, but it's not like this was the bastard step child that had all odds against it to do what it did (i.e. a Cincerella Story). Jack's just VERY good at what he does, and was able to take the same tools (and odds) as the rest of us and turn out what he did, which was some great work.
 
I'm going to make an odd comment, which will likely get me run out of town on a rail. I think your movie and mine, J.U.L, are polar opposites, and a perfect demonstration of how taste really *does* affect the regard these movies are held in. Yours involves a heartfelt sacrifice made for a needy child. Ours says that heartfelt gestures, particularly for needy children, are ridiculously funny movie moments, because they're so false.

This occurred to me because, let me be honest, I laughed aloud when the child is on the couch dying. It was just too much. To me, it was an exaggeration worthy of Kids in the Hall film shorts. HOWEVER, at the same time, the audience at large invested in that archetype, and that's a success. Meanwhile, they wanted our film to invest in the same archetype, the one that it's sending up, and they had problems with it because they wanted to get what they expected. I find that fascinating.

For me and my sort, it takes a long time, and a lot of film, to build up to that sort of moment (the child dying). It takes even longer to build up to a heartfelt self-sacrifice. Six minutes, some of which are spent in an alley-fight, just can't do it. It's so sentimental and so quickly mind-blowingly dramatic, my reaction is laughter. And that's the truth. I hope you will take it in the spirit of honesty and open discussion that it's offered.

So, I congratulate you on having found your audience. But I must express my sincere critique: there's another half of the audience, like me, that find this sort of thing maudlin, and the transition from superhero to dying child an example of humorous bathos. I don't think this sort of story is appropriate for this length of format, and that a lot of its emotional success is dependent on the archetypal baggage that the audience brings to it, which means it isn't saying anything new about life, or critiquing any of the lies we're told about it. It's trotting out the familiar morality play and harkening to our existing investment in it.

Thus, my critique is a purely writerly one. Tell me something true (drama), or point out a lie (comedy). Otherwise, when you make a play at profound, I'm going to laugh.

(EDIT & PS: Yours is CERTAINLY not the only example of this problem that I have, but it's the most important, and the most likely to get the matter throught about and discussed)
 
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heisest said:
3:43... Yep he got it.
It can be a joke.... but most people wouldn't/couldn't smile with that pain.
I don't know where you got her but she was great... (except that part)
Again it got my top vote.
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Larry R said:
I've been reading through all the comments and I have to disagree with most about the "smile". When I saw it I immediately connected it with the joke...to me it showed the girl was extremely strong of character and prepared me for the transition at the end when she became the new Bone Hand.

Personally, I think the smile fit her character perfectly.
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Well whether its plausible or not or if som peopl get it or not, It's not playing for enough people I think ... so I need to look at an alternate take to get at the same thing or I may need to show more of that take -- in other words the transition from thr previous acting beat so we see her attempt at putting on a brave face ... of course there has to be a cut in there somewhere because we tip toe in and fill her mouth with strawberry syrup in the middle of the take.

Her smiling was a problem though because she liked the actor playing bone hand so much ... she smiled at him almost all the time, so some of the best takes are when she was tired and getting grumpy, because even Joel couldn't make her smile then, lol.

Thanks for the comments all. I'll look at massaging the smile thing for the DVD.
 
Ya see, I just don't get the gripe about the smile. I think it adds something to it. Not everything has to be parallel or going toward the same goal. Sometimes a bit of irony, or conflicting moods and gestures fit.

I barely noticed it, and only after it was mentioned.
 
I gonna look at why it might not be working and see if I can fix that ...

if I can't do that then I may cut it, because it seems to take away more than it adds for the people who don't get or buy it.
 
I should have said, "I barely noticed it, and only after it was mentioned. Even after that it didn't bother me. If anything it let me feel another layer of what was happening.".

If you were a kid and dying why wouldn't your last moment be happy? Maybe she saw "the white light at the end of the tunnel" or something?

I wouldn't change it. If people can't digest it, that's not your problem. I'd just make my work and call it a lock when it's finished. Unless you are truly uncertain about it to start with, but were you? It seems like you had a distinct vision. I wouldn't homogenize it for the sake of a wider audience.
 
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