Empire - Lawrie Brewster - New Age Film

lawriejaffa said:
Where-ever Empire polls in this competition, it will have polled one position higher for the simple fact that Meeting is an exhibition only entry... but be that as it may, Meeting is already a winner in my book.
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Very true Lawrie, but I'm also of the opinion that you also take what you can if it comes your way right? Another mans mistake is another mans opportunity in my book. And I dont mean that as an offence to Kyrre either.
 
Hmm interesting point Noel... I don't like to think of the emotional disappointment of my peers for any mistake they make resulting in an opportunity for me. In business I know for a fact that others failures lead to our work, ill take the opportunity there because ill have too to survive.
A festival like this is different to me. I would sacrifice a hypothetical winning position if it meant kyrres film could be included for sake of the credits error. I would not stand by and allow unfair criticism either of those films I perceive to be competition. An artist should be appreciated by virtue of his work and with a spirit of courage and integrity. In any artistic forum I'd prefer to catch a stumbling comrade than advance by his fall.
 
I should have been a touch clearer, apologies. I didnt mean it so literally, more in jest and general life terms.
 
Apolagy not accepted Noel - you have no reason to apolagise Noel - I know you mean't it as you say there - I just went on another tangent you could say - none of what i said though was in reference to you!!!

I hope your feeling proud of yourself mon amie - you produced a wonderful tale with your film :)
 
Some extra pics!

Empire16.jpg


Empire13.jpg

http://www.newagemedia.co.uk/Empire16.jpg
 
Zak Forsman said:
there are so many ways to navigate our own biases and mold our opinions on how to have approached this theme that I have a hard time accepting any matter-of-fact statement on what the ideal "questfest" film is. one could easily look at the dictionary definition of a quest: "a long and arduous journey" and conclude that this film depicted that to a greater degree than any other in this fest.

..personally, the last thing I want to be told... and it's a real pet peeve of mine... is what film or filmmaking is supposed to be. you can speak to successes and failures in execution of intent. you can speak to personal taste in subject matter and aesthetics. that's fine. but please don't presume to know the boundaries where great filmmaking will lie. that's impossible.
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..now you know i love ya, and actually i agree with you on all points zak. .. my only caveat is that this is a contest with official rules. and within the constructs of the contest the theme/genre is meant to be a creative limitation where great filmmaking is found within the confines of a given box where all participants are bound by the same defined boundaries and/or limitations. they should not be free to simply redefine what that limitation(s) is in the first place, or they in effect remove that limitation from themselves and break the validity of the contest.

its not at all that i dont think people cant or shouldnt redifine how we tell stories or present ideas or emotion in thier filmmaking, or what constitutes a good film. im all about that myself.. but the fests are just a case where we are placing specific boundaries in place on the filmmaking and specifically outlining what defines a quest for the purpose of the fest ..to summarize: " the jorney to obtain something very hard to obtain overcoming obstacles to either win or lose it in the end" . so i dont feel out of place questioning if a film has actually adhered to those boundaries or not ..within that context, i think its a valid concern.

..now having said that ..after lawrie stated that the boy orders them to take him home at some point in the beginning of the film, and the rest is them trying to get there. i can see perfectly how this film fits that theme. i have no question as to the film meeting that outlined rule anymore. although i would point out that i couldnt understand what in the world they were saying the entire time so thats entirely why i had no clue in the world as to what they were doing or attempting to do the entire film and questioned it in the first place. although..again i didnt really care to follow it any further. i only followed up because against my request to leave it at that ,somebody actually questioned my question. ..which is as we all know a quagmire of opinion if its simply all up to artistic interpretation.

..anyway i hope that clears up where my hard lined definition of what films should be was coming from. in a contest there just needs to be clearly defined rules ..not what people choose to view them as or how to redefine them ..or you have no true or fair contest.

lastly i just want to readdress how very very weird, intersting and entertaining this film is and how after explanation of the dialog, i see how it perfectly embraces the theme and was an even better addition to the festival. id like to see more from this artist in the future as i found this very refreshing and interesting to watch. again lawrie. good job :)
 
Gosh righto - this is a rough draft of the storyboard for Empire for those interested in the preproduction elements which you can download at this link!

www.newagemedia.co.uk/EmpireStoryboard.pdf (best to save target as it but should load streaming if you just click it too)

And here's just a wee pic from it :)

story.jpg
 
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We came 13th gentleman thank you for all the support, votes and feedback :) Im pleased mostly that the film found an audience here!!! Thanks guys :)
 
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Hey Lawrie, you made a great film and a wonderful contribution to the fest. I don't normally mention my vote, but since this fest, unfortunately, the round 1 voting closed before I got a chance to transfer my votes from a scribbled pice of paper to the voting page, I'll let it be known that your film was one of my personal top eight.

Despite being somewhat fragmentary, I had no trouble following Empire (although I did have the advantage of having followed your thread on and off over the last months). I felt the film had a rather Russian Constructivist feel to it, which I found highly appropriate given the macabre and (in a wide sense) I think we can say somewhat political subject matter. I especially liked the sequence with the crucified woman and the dancing soldiers.

I do think you had the script and the imagery to make something even more powerful. Your sound and especially the acting/delivery of lines let you down a little, but this has already been mentioned and greenscreen, inexperienced actors (I suspect) and a lot on the director's plate makes it quite understandable.

Sarah Daly's song was great.

Jason
 
Awe cheers guys - the video feedback im doing will be out on the first week of August and ill be offering all my proper congrats on that too for the winners!

Good luck Noel - I want to see a drama do well in this fest - a work of maturity over something superficial (but thats just me - the voters decide.)

Personally Noel i think yours is right at the top among a few others ;) Good luck mon amie.

Horncastle very kind thank you mon amie, and yes Sarah Daly will have a rerecorded version of her song with full music, that will be released as a music video too.

Cheers gents - just BRILLIANT to be part of this fest and to actually show chaps what my own work/ style is like after viewing so many other peoples films these last few fests, and reading scripts like yours Horncastle hehe in the script fests :)
 
I'm waiting for the video reviews dude. Should be utterly brilliant this time around. Since its gonna be after the fest are you going to be using footage?
 
Yep, the video reviews have a 1900 bordello burlesque theme, and the clips ill show if its cool with filmmakers via old projecto vision!

It will be surreal - detailed and ultra camp - but sexy too :p
 
You created some stunning visuals. Very epic. I was disappointed with the story. I felt it over reached in its bid for symbolism. In spite of its failure to connect with me I think your work displays genius.
 
Hi Lawrie,

I am so sorry that you didn't make it in the first eight. I liked your film very much, because it is a mixture between an artistic creative european film and a classic storytelling fiction. So you had the sensibility to make an intelligent work, even I think it is not perfect, but in the same time also entertained. However you were in my first eight.

Following these fests since TimeFest, it made me a bit sad that very interesting films from a certain genre like 'UNZEIT' or films from the 'Lost Production' or your film, which have something different, probably they are more intellectual, but also well made from all the other points, were not in the favour of the audience. Why??? Are many members here too young to understand these films? Or is it more a question of the produciton quality, the technical equipment and the entertainment what are the most important things and there is no place for something else? Maybe there is a big influence from Hollywood, because most of the dvxuser member are close to LA? I philosophized the whole evening about it and I didn't find the right answer. All my acceptances are only hypothesises.

I hope that also in the future will be shorts in the fests around here, which have the character like yours and people will more appreciate them and starting to think more open or globalizated to the whole theme filmmaking.

Susanne
 
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