NathanPresley
Well-known member
2 more questions
How much did this project cost overall ?
How did you meet/find your actors ?
How much did this project cost overall ?
How did you meet/find your actors ?
DVX Short titled "Graphic"
- Thread starter aurantaurant
- Start date
aurantaurant
Well-known member
This is a looong one....
Nathan, this is specifically for you....
It probably cost about $7,000 to $8,000 in real money and that's including the camera and the G5 and the external hard drive... and dvd duplication costs and film festival submission costs. The production itself, just the shooting cost under $4,000.
Nathan, this is specifically for you....
It probably cost about $7,000 to $8,000 in real money and that's including the camera and the G5 and the external hard drive... and dvd duplication costs and film festival submission costs. The production itself, just the shooting cost under $4,000.
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NathanPresley
Well-known member
thanks man. you did a good job on it.
thanks for the info
thanks for the info
aurantaurant
Well-known member
No problem. Thanks for the questions and comments. Sorry about the long post above, but I was in the mood.
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dougspice
Veteran
Hey Nick,
I just wanted to jump in here. First of all, great work. You don't see this kind of film around here very often, and I think you did an excellent job. The performances are all top notch, and I think your explanation of the decision on the editing and ending is terrific. I think you made the right choice.
Jennifer does a great job. It took me quite some time to be certain she wasn't my friend Nell (also an actress... as you mentioned, everyone out here is trying to make movies some way or another). I don't know how much of the dialogue is written, versus how much was improv or outlined, but it all feels very naturalistic, very nice.
In the end I watched the whole thing and really enjoyed it, but I almost didn't make it. I think your first act is pretty weak in comparison to the rest. It's too long, and it's also the most tediously shot, as has been mentioned. There's about ten minutes where it's just cutting back and forth between the same shots of John and Susan and John and the husband. All of that's good material, but it really drags the story down. I get the idea pretty quickly that the husband is a lech, a Machiavellan kind of guy, but I feel like there's 3 or 4 different scenes that just tell me this same thing over and over again. This film's pretty good, but I bet it would be a lot better at 30 minutes rather than 38. Speaking of which, did you run into any problems with festivals at that length? My friend John did a short which was 34 minutes and found that he had a lot of trouble getting some festivals to even consider it.
Anyway... nice to see your film, and to hear all the details of what was in your head and how you made it. Hopefully you'll get another one underway soon!
I just wanted to jump in here. First of all, great work. You don't see this kind of film around here very often, and I think you did an excellent job. The performances are all top notch, and I think your explanation of the decision on the editing and ending is terrific. I think you made the right choice.
Jennifer does a great job. It took me quite some time to be certain she wasn't my friend Nell (also an actress... as you mentioned, everyone out here is trying to make movies some way or another). I don't know how much of the dialogue is written, versus how much was improv or outlined, but it all feels very naturalistic, very nice.
In the end I watched the whole thing and really enjoyed it, but I almost didn't make it. I think your first act is pretty weak in comparison to the rest. It's too long, and it's also the most tediously shot, as has been mentioned. There's about ten minutes where it's just cutting back and forth between the same shots of John and Susan and John and the husband. All of that's good material, but it really drags the story down. I get the idea pretty quickly that the husband is a lech, a Machiavellan kind of guy, but I feel like there's 3 or 4 different scenes that just tell me this same thing over and over again. This film's pretty good, but I bet it would be a lot better at 30 minutes rather than 38. Speaking of which, did you run into any problems with festivals at that length? My friend John did a short which was 34 minutes and found that he had a lot of trouble getting some festivals to even consider it.
Anyway... nice to see your film, and to hear all the details of what was in your head and how you made it. Hopefully you'll get another one underway soon!
aurantaurant
Well-known member
DougSpice- Thank you for watching and the feedback. You're right about the beginning. So so right. It kills me, everytime I'm watching it. It's definately a learning experience everytime I see it.
There is a 30 minute version actually. I will try to post that.
We had a lot of problems getting this into festivals. Most shorts are between 5 and 15 minutes at the most. But I wasn't necessarily trying to stick to those constraints. But I remember before we shot this, the actors kept asking me, "Are you sure this 45 page script is a short?"
If you look at the festivals websites it says they accept shorts that are "less than 40 minutes" but chances are slim they're going to pick it. But I was still very dissapointed that we were not selected.
The one festival it did get into was great. All the cast and crew got to attend. We turned it into a kind of party. We didn't win, but we got some nice feedback.
We actually stuck to the script very closely. Everything they're saying is on the page. We rehearsed it for a couple months and worked out all the speed bumps. One of those speed bumps being how the lines are delivered.
This might sound like a cheat, but I had to constantly remind the actors to keep their energy contained. Actors want to act, and especially stage actors, they want to ACT!!!! - So they were skeptical at first with me having them downplay everything. But I think it worked out well.
For instance the final scene, which is somewhat intense, the actors naturally wanted to play it like a soap opera. The first few takes were unusable because they were just too emotional. Screaming and crying and just going way over board. So I told them to bring the energy level down and to keep the emotion in... and they just did not agree with me and I could hear them on their Lav mics going, "Nick is gonna screw up this scene."
This was the final scene and they wanted to ACT!!!! But I think it worked out and it came off as more natural.
Thanks for the comments Doug. You're right on. I wish I could do it over again.
There is a 30 minute version actually. I will try to post that.
We had a lot of problems getting this into festivals. Most shorts are between 5 and 15 minutes at the most. But I wasn't necessarily trying to stick to those constraints. But I remember before we shot this, the actors kept asking me, "Are you sure this 45 page script is a short?"
If you look at the festivals websites it says they accept shorts that are "less than 40 minutes" but chances are slim they're going to pick it. But I was still very dissapointed that we were not selected.
The one festival it did get into was great. All the cast and crew got to attend. We turned it into a kind of party. We didn't win, but we got some nice feedback.
We actually stuck to the script very closely. Everything they're saying is on the page. We rehearsed it for a couple months and worked out all the speed bumps. One of those speed bumps being how the lines are delivered.
This might sound like a cheat, but I had to constantly remind the actors to keep their energy contained. Actors want to act, and especially stage actors, they want to ACT!!!! - So they were skeptical at first with me having them downplay everything. But I think it worked out well.
For instance the final scene, which is somewhat intense, the actors naturally wanted to play it like a soap opera. The first few takes were unusable because they were just too emotional. Screaming and crying and just going way over board. So I told them to bring the energy level down and to keep the emotion in... and they just did not agree with me and I could hear them on their Lav mics going, "Nick is gonna screw up this scene."
This was the final scene and they wanted to ACT!!!! But I think it worked out and it came off as more natural.
Thanks for the comments Doug. You're right on. I wish I could do it over again.
PaPa
Major Contributor
this is a very true thing and is something we touch upon quite frequently in acting class.
the difference between stage actors and on camera actors is a few things, one of them being good storytellers in a linear sense ( the stage ) and the other being able to produce the visuals and history at any given moment ( on screen ).
But the other thing is that being on camera, and something that i commend you on, is learning how to take all the struggle, all of the tensions and emotions, and internalizing it. This is what the camera loves to see. I'm still in the process of learning it, and im thinking its something that may take a long time to master, but its a great way to develop your skills as a filmmaker. So kudos!
the difference between stage actors and on camera actors is a few things, one of them being good storytellers in a linear sense ( the stage ) and the other being able to produce the visuals and history at any given moment ( on screen ).
But the other thing is that being on camera, and something that i commend you on, is learning how to take all the struggle, all of the tensions and emotions, and internalizing it. This is what the camera loves to see. I'm still in the process of learning it, and im thinking its something that may take a long time to master, but its a great way to develop your skills as a filmmaker. So kudos!
dougspice
Veteran
Well, hopefully in the end the actors were pleased with what you did and everyone learned something. It seems like everyone involved has the raw talent.
Oh, I had another question, or statement I guess: what's the title signify? I've spent some time thinking about it and I can't quite figure it out. With the title, and the opening scene with her holding the phone, I almost thought it was going to be a horror movie, which turned me off. Granted, I've watched it at work, so there's a chance I missed a key line or something that reveals the meaning of the title.
Oh, I had another question, or statement I guess: what's the title signify? I've spent some time thinking about it and I can't quite figure it out. With the title, and the opening scene with her holding the phone, I almost thought it was going to be a horror movie, which turned me off. Granted, I've watched it at work, so there's a chance I missed a key line or something that reveals the meaning of the title.
This was a very interesting movie. It kind of reminded me of a cross between a Soderbergh and a David Gordon Green movie. I didn't give it too much stock in the beginning because the whole thing seemed to cut from scene to scene of people sitting. You could have mixed that up more, put the people in different places, doing something (doing anything). But almost all the interiors were very well chosen and decorated. All of your "sets" looked very professional and well thought out. The acting wasn't bad. I hated the main guy at first but he grew on me. The girl wasn't perfect but she was pretty good herself. The only other problem I had was the blown-out outdoor conversations (between him and the other guy). You magic-bullited it and cc'd it, but nothing screams video like that really bright spot on the guy's face. And then there was that one indoor blowout shot like you mentioned. Just gel up the windows next time and you're good to go.
And for a DVX, this really looked great. You definitely created a mood, a style, and a tone to your film that made it interesting. If someone hasn't already asked (I'll check after this post), who did the music? Specifically, what was that during their post-sex in the bed scene? That reminded me A LOT of David Gordon Green. An influence of yours?
Anyway, good job. You're very talented. Better actors, more experience, tightening up your story a little, you're gonna be unstoppable.
best,
C.G.
And for a DVX, this really looked great. You definitely created a mood, a style, and a tone to your film that made it interesting. If someone hasn't already asked (I'll check after this post), who did the music? Specifically, what was that during their post-sex in the bed scene? That reminded me A LOT of David Gordon Green. An influence of yours?
Anyway, good job. You're very talented. Better actors, more experience, tightening up your story a little, you're gonna be unstoppable.
best,
C.G.
Oh, and two more questions. Who did the graphics (ha ha ha - no but seriously) for your website? I like it. It's very simple.
And you said you shot in real locations with lav mics but your pictures of that one great little coffee shop place with the yellow wall imply you had that locaton for yourselves. Where was it? How did you get it?
And you said you shot in real locations with lav mics but your pictures of that one great little coffee shop place with the yellow wall imply you had that locaton for yourselves. Where was it? How did you get it?
aurantaurant
Well-known member
PaPa - Right on. Sometimes a whisper is more powerful than a scream.
Doug Spice - This is gonna sound stupid but the title is meant to throw the viewer off. if you look at the poster we made...
... it just screams horror movie. And the central theme I guess of the movie was manipulating people into thinking something contrary to what you're actually trying to achieve... So I guess in a sense I was trying to do the same thing to the viewer... sort of tricking them... like the characters were doing...
And then I guess if you didn't buy that explanation I could just say, that the title doesn't mean anything... I just really liked the title
Thanks C.G. - We really messed up on that outdoor shot next to the pool. If you can imagine it looked even worse without the CC. That was the first scene we shot and I had no clue what i was doing. You're very right... it was totally blown out and the guy who DP'd this, Chris Whiteneck, hates himself for it... although in that particular instance it was my fault.
I did the music with Garage Band and a crappy little keyboard i bought at the Mac Store. Unfortunately it's hard to hear some of the music with the MySpace Video. But I'm going to get some different server space and repost a better copy.
And I also built the website. Glad you liked the simplicity...
I don't know who David Gordon Green is, and i looked him up on IMDB and i've never seen any of his movies... but that is going to change.
All the restaurant scenes and coffee shop scenes... were shot in the same location. It's a small restaurant in santa barbara called Fresco on upper State St. It's closed on Sundays and a friend of mine knew the owner. They just gave us the keys and told us to not burn the place down. So we had that location to ourselves. So to change up the scene, we'd just use a different wall as a new location and change the camera settings a bit....
And if you listen to one of the lines in the beginning the female actress says, "Where the waiters wear gym shorts"... she said that because my brother, who was also the gaffer, the dolly pusher, the caterer, and everything else, was wearing shorts... and we also needed him to be the waiter.... she didn't think waiters should wear shorts... and she wasn't happy about that. Nor was she happy about her coffee being cold... Those actresses....
We still used lav mics in that location... but if you look at the outdoor stuff.... where they're walking along the road and in the train station... and then the final scene... those are all public places and we hid the camera behind a bush or something. It was key to have the lav mics in those settings.
I learned so much doing this thing... from scheduling, to working with the actors, directing, working with the DP... and I'm glad i posted it on here because im learning more...
Thanks again to everyone...
Doug Spice - This is gonna sound stupid but the title is meant to throw the viewer off. if you look at the poster we made...
... it just screams horror movie. And the central theme I guess of the movie was manipulating people into thinking something contrary to what you're actually trying to achieve... So I guess in a sense I was trying to do the same thing to the viewer... sort of tricking them... like the characters were doing...
And then I guess if you didn't buy that explanation I could just say, that the title doesn't mean anything... I just really liked the title
Thanks C.G. - We really messed up on that outdoor shot next to the pool. If you can imagine it looked even worse without the CC. That was the first scene we shot and I had no clue what i was doing. You're very right... it was totally blown out and the guy who DP'd this, Chris Whiteneck, hates himself for it... although in that particular instance it was my fault.
I did the music with Garage Band and a crappy little keyboard i bought at the Mac Store. Unfortunately it's hard to hear some of the music with the MySpace Video. But I'm going to get some different server space and repost a better copy.
And I also built the website. Glad you liked the simplicity...
I don't know who David Gordon Green is, and i looked him up on IMDB and i've never seen any of his movies... but that is going to change.
All the restaurant scenes and coffee shop scenes... were shot in the same location. It's a small restaurant in santa barbara called Fresco on upper State St. It's closed on Sundays and a friend of mine knew the owner. They just gave us the keys and told us to not burn the place down. So we had that location to ourselves. So to change up the scene, we'd just use a different wall as a new location and change the camera settings a bit....
And if you listen to one of the lines in the beginning the female actress says, "Where the waiters wear gym shorts"... she said that because my brother, who was also the gaffer, the dolly pusher, the caterer, and everything else, was wearing shorts... and we also needed him to be the waiter.... she didn't think waiters should wear shorts... and she wasn't happy about that. Nor was she happy about her coffee being cold... Those actresses....
We still used lav mics in that location... but if you look at the outdoor stuff.... where they're walking along the road and in the train station... and then the final scene... those are all public places and we hid the camera behind a bush or something. It was key to have the lav mics in those settings.
I learned so much doing this thing... from scheduling, to working with the actors, directing, working with the DP... and I'm glad i posted it on here because im learning more...
Thanks again to everyone...
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iSTy
Well-known member
Wow, i loved it. Thank you for sharing. Must admit i did wonder whether i should watch it all, because i did think it was going to be predictable, but something made me keep watching. I'm so glad i did. The acting was brill, as was the storyline, unfortunately i did find that the music was a little to loud when the female was doing her 'dear john' bit. And wish I had the last pages of the script, lol. But other than that, yep, kept me interested.
Well done.
)
Well done.
)wow, you did that music yourself? Really impressed now. I thought for sure you stole the bed scene music from some major composer. Good job.
David Gordon Green is a very interesting director. He definitely marches to his own beat. And while I don't love him, he has this ability to just keep you watching cause you never quite know what's going to happen next.
Check out "George Washington" first, especially the first ten minutes, which I think are brilliant.
And then try "All the Real Girls"
I do not recommend "Undertow"
David Gordon Green is a very interesting director. He definitely marches to his own beat. And while I don't love him, he has this ability to just keep you watching cause you never quite know what's going to happen next.
Check out "George Washington" first, especially the first ten minutes, which I think are brilliant.
And then try "All the Real Girls"
I do not recommend "Undertow"
aurantaurant
Well-known member
Yah that Garage Band is pretty great because I have almost no musical background... I just played with all the instruments and got that eery spooky music.
I will check out David Gordon Green.
I will check out David Gordon Green.