Broken Circle

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Finally getting around to writing this review. I've watched BC several times and each time am amazed at the camera work. My head hurts at the thought of how many times I would have had to shoot this and still not get the take you did. When you watch several times you realize that either this had some gruelling and exacting blocking or you have supernatural powers. The acting is so damn good ... and from the whole ensemble. ... It's so fresh that I can't imagine this is the product of multiple takes. How many takes did you do (if it's on the thread elsewhere I apologize but I've only gone back half a dozen pages so far). What steadicam rig is this (again, you no doubt have covered this but please permit me to ask again given the late hour in the festival and my need to cover a bit more ground with other entries).

I wonder how many people realize what an accomplishment this is? I would love to see how many other teams could try to replicate this. I believe the big majority would be out of the running due to inability to get an ensemble of actors to give this joint performance. Most of the rest would be completely unable to pull off the camera work. Seriously.

Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.

My only negative was the sound. You'll be very happy with my scorecard, dude. Congrats on a real standout entry.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Finally getting around to writing this review. I've watched BC several times and each time am amazed at the camera work. My head hurts at the thought of how many times I would have had to shoot this and still not get the take you did. When you watch several times you realize that either this had some gruelling and exacting blocking or you have supernatural powers. The acting is so damn good ... and from the whole ensemble. ... It's so fresh that I can't imagine this is the product of multiple takes. How many takes did you do .
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WOW Mark, cheers for that. Didn't expect you to like it that much. :thumbup:
It was an MS Broadcast rig, DVX in the weight cage. Two takes only, we upset the neighbours and couldn't go for a third, everyone wanted too. Jason and Ama/ myself were gutted. The Actors and I worked for a full day blocking/ rehersals. I love complex blocking. I was talking today to a Production Manager about doing a 20min short film/ single shot. He thinks I'm mad!!:)

Mark Johnson said:
I wonder how many people realize what an accomplishment this is? I would love to see how many other teams could try to replicate this. I believe the big majority would be out of the running due to inability to get an ensemble of actors to give this joint performance. Most of the rest would be completely unable to pull off the camera work. Seriously..
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!!!...Speechless

Mark Johnson said:
Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.
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Think he's working on that. :)

Mark Johnson said:
My only negative was the sound. .
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I know, I should have mic'd everyone up individually. Couldn't get a sound guy on the day. Bummer. It peaked/ distorted way too much. Don't worry it's NEVER going to happen again.


Mark Johnson said:
You'll be very happy with my scorecard, dude. Congrats on a real standout entry.
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Coming from you that's a real compliment. I'm still getting through them all myself, done about 15 today. Leaving the rest for the morning. Thanks for noticing how hard it was for everyone involved. I've got a super team going on. Proud of every single one of them...Thanks a million.:dankk2:

J.P.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Perhaps the only one who might come close would be Theater Guy who no doubt would figure out a way to suspend his magic ladder from a chandelier and do some sort of weird one-man rotating camera shot.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh man. I can't stop laughing! :)
 
TimurCivan said:
...... whoah......... i kinda wanna sighn papers right now........... oh wow a contact about he rights to Bloody mary.......... hey lookkkk a place fomr me to sighnZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
 
Man, that is the best. My wife came up and asked me what I was laughing about. I showed her and she howled!

Man, that is great stuff.

I would love a home-brew by the way!

I think I'll go clean-up from dinner and have a beer. (Sadly, no home-brew...)

Wow, thanks for that laugh!

(sorry that the endorsements got bumped, but that is worth it!!!)
 
O.K. I'm going to bed, you guys can still have the party in this thread but please keep the noise down.
Oh! and don't wreck the place O.K.? I want everything in-order when I wake-up.

Or your not getting that $100,000,000.
 
Chris de burgh....... thats a sign the party is over. grab a slow dance partner.

is it true that a bus load of chris de burgh fans drove off a cliff trying to get a picture of him in his coach? I love that story, even if it isnt true.
 
Best of luck to you too!

I don't recall if I posted a critique of this film (so many threads!) but I wanted to add at least a few comments.

The concept of a single continous shot was certainly unique, but I would have liked just a bit of an establishment shot at the head of the "circle" (if really cleaver, this too could have been part of the single sequence).

The tension built nicely and the progressing makeup effect was certainly an accomplishment. Voice effect of "the controller" was a bit over the top, at least in terms of the other character's reaction to this creepy voice. The same can be said of the growing horns, I think that they would have reacted (acknowledged) it, but who knows, maybe this is something that happens everyday in their line of work.

Overall a unique and well executed concept. Good acting, and well cast (with age appropriate actors, which is something that some fest projects paid little attention to). Certainly worth a second (or third for that matter) viewing.

Congratulations to everyone involved.
 
Hey JP thanks for the comments on my thread.

Actually I just got to watch broken circle. Previously I had watched the first minute and my internet had stopped. Anyway....I really really liked it. One shot....thats GREAT! Ive always wanted to do that. Your lighting was cool and I loved how it got darker as things decended into who knows what at the end there. It was disturbing when everyone was just sobbing and he was screaming at the end. Very cool.

One thing I thought of...and it might be a stupid idea....but maybe when they finally broke the circle the camera could break free of its orbit of the table and glide back to the back of the room to watch the rest happen. The circle would be broken and the rest would be just an event view from a little bit of a distance. I guess that may have taken some of the disturbing-ness(word?) out of it.

Your actors did a fantastic job. I liked the possessed guy better when you had a voice effect on him. The sound effects for the lights was great. I liked the first one the best as it was unexpected. I didnt really like the ambience of the room. Something about how thier voices sounded...a little canned...i dunno.

I bet it was kind easy to edit eh? Haha....well having a good idea like that and being able to pull it off has its perks i suppose. Anyway..overall I thought it was very good. Great concept and you executed it well.

Nice Job and best of luck to you
 
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